best tunes non-burt

[igtmfo]

Starting new thread from 'best burt-like non-burt' .. for those tired of following threads, srry for redundancy but I wanted to say...

Thom Bell: should be a national hero but fell out. He is kind of associated after Delfonics and Stylistics with the Spinners, but since "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" was not his song, he kind of lost momentum. The only interview on the Web I can find with him was not talking about the beautiful tunes he wrote but grievances that he was seated at the back of the Grammys ceremony in 1973 or something. Sigh, if he had written maybe ONE more classic or semi-classic he would be a household name. "Sideshow" by Circus (? not by Thom) is a near-Burt or better still, near-Thom.

Charlie Rich. My all-time, completely obscure, quit-your-job-and-hit-replay-1000-times-while-drinking-a-case-a-day song is: "A Part of Your Life," his first Epic single, with Billy Sherrill producing. It's unquestionably the best Charlie Rich tune (music and lyrics), with big arrangement, fine CR piano playing. It's all the best Charlie Rich ballads in one, with passion, surprise, playing with time ... best to say he maybe even deconstructed this song for several of his later hits. Boys, even Burt would be pale after hearing this one. Not available on any CD, US CD that I have found, I think I mite have seen it on a deep-Amazon.com foreign cassette still available. (Some kind of copyright issue, that it never has appeared on compiiations, or even his box set ....?) I had to buy it on 45 off ebay after I heard it years ago on one of those pirated cassettes you could only buy at a filling station. Anyway, enuf said, enjoy if you can find ... pure beauty.

(after posting this ... I caught the R Holmes recommendation out the corner of my eye don't get me started ... of course "The People You Never Get to Love" from "Partners in Crime", but remember he had about 5 LPs before ... "Guitars" and "Breathless" songs are worth shelling out for "The Pursuit of Happiness" LP if you can find ...)

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[An Enormous BB Fan]

Thom Bell is a genius of a songwriter. The break in "Break Up To Makeup" is so great that it could have been written by Burt himself. Does Thom Bell write songs any more? I'm SUCH a fan of his!

Another great is Michael Masser. His list of hits goes on and on and on.

I wish these guys continued to make music!