| Bell and James | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Years active | 1978-1981 |
| Labels | A&M Records |
| Past members | |
| LeRoy Bell Casey James |
|
Bell and James was an American soul group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania formed by Leroy Bell on (drums, guitar) and Casey James (guitar, bass, keyboards). LeRoy Bell was a contestant on the American The X Factor
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Both LeRoy Bell and Casey James had played in Special Blend before beginning to write songs together. Bell's uncle Thom Bell got them signed to Gamble & Huff as songwriters for Philadelphia International Records.[1] They wrote tunes for Elton John, MFSB, The O'Jays, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Freda Payne, Phyllis Hyman, The Three Degrees, and others, before A&M Records took notice and signed them to a full album deal in 1978.
Three albums and several hit singles followed, including "Livin' it Up (Friday Night)," which hit #7 on the U.S. Billboard Black singles, and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1979. It sold over one million copies in the U.S., plus the same track reached #59 in the UK Singles Chart.[2]
| Year | Title | Label | U.S. Black Albums[3] | U.S. Pop Albums[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Bell and James | A&M Records | 17 | 31 |
| 1979 | Only Make Believe | 36 | 125 | |
| 1981 | In Black And White |
| Year | Title | Chart Positions[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. Black singles | ||
| 1979 | "Livin' It Up (Friday Night)" | 15 | 7 |
| 1979 | "Shakedown" | - | 65 |
| "You Never Know What You've Got" | - | 54 | |
| 1980 | "Only Make Believe" | - | 50 |