Vinnie Bell


Vincent Edward Gambella, known as Vinnie Bell, was an American session guitarist, and pioneer of electronic effects in pop music.

Life and career

He was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and studied guitar from childhood. He made his first recordings as a session musician on singles by such instrumental groups as the Overtones and the Gallahads, and played in nightclubs in New York City in the late 1950s. During this time, he developed his characteristic "watery" guitar sound, popular in instrumental recordings in the 1960s.
By 1962, Bell decided to devote his energies to working as a studio musician in New York and Los Angeles. He also helped design a number of electric guitar models with the company Danelectro for its Coral line of instruments, including the first electric 12-string guitar, and the electric sitar, which was used, not necessarily by Bell, on such hits as "Cry Like a Baby" by The Box Tops, "Green Tambourine" by The Lemon Pipers, and a cover of the love theme from the 1970 film, Airport. The last of these sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition in 1971, while Bell was nominated for Best Instrumental Performance.
As well as being notable for his technical innovations, Bell worked extensively as a session player, playing on tracks such as "The Sounds of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel and for artists such as The Four Seasons and Bob Dylan. He also recorded occasionally under his own name, his albums including The Soundtronic Guitar of Vincent Bell, Whistle Stop, and Pop Goes the Electric Sitar.
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Vinnie Bell among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. He died on October 3, 2019 at the age of 87.

Discography

Albums

With Quincy Jones
With Les McCann
With Clark Terry