Vinnie Bell

about

Vinnie Bell (Vincent Gambella, Brooklyn, NY, USA, 28 July 1935 - 3 October 2019) was an American session guitarist, and pioneer of electronic effects in pop music. He played in nightclubs in New York City in the late 1950s. His first hit was in 1962 as a member of the band The Ramrods, whose version of (Ghost) Riders in the Sky made the UK top 10 and US top 40 in 1961. By 1962, Bell decided to devote his energies to working as a studio musician in New York and Los Angeles, developing a "watery" guitar sound popular in instrumental recordings in the 1960s. He also invented a number of electric guitar models, 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. 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. Discography Albums The

top songs

albums

Whistle Stop

Good Morning Starshine

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Big Sixteen Guitar Favourites

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Snap! Crackle! Pop! Hard to Find Vinyl Collection

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Greatest Jazz You've Never Heard

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The Exotica Trilogy, Vol. 1

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Pop Goes The Electric Sitar

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Space Age Pop Music

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Good Morning Starshine (Decca DL-75138 Stereo)

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Airport Love Theme

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The Exotic Trilogy Vol.1

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Space Age pop

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