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Benny and Us resulted from a chance meeting in Miami between Ben E. King and the Average White Band, who were vacationing there just when King was starting work on a new album. The finished LP yielded two hit singles and became King's best-selling LP, rising to number 33. The sound is soulful and funky, very bright and passionate -- the upbeat, relentlessly catchy "Get It Up for Love" and the soaring, horn and string driven "A Star in the Ghetto" made respectable showings on the R&B charts, and a good portion of the rest ("The Message," "What Is Soul") is pretty powerful stuff as well. "Imagine" is so busy and so self-consciously earnest that it's difficult to enjoy, but King is so good in the moments when he is on target, that it's hard to skip this track, even if it is the weakest number here. The radiant "Keepin' It to Myself" and the poignant cover of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free," by contrast, are among King's very best records. Benny and Us was a good enough record that it nearly led to a joint tour (as opposed to some joint appearances, which actually happened) between King and the Average White Band -- one can only marvel at what those shows must have sounded like, and lament that fact that no live album was cut. It also marked King's last major appearance on the charts for Atlantic. To date, however, it's only available as an import from Sequel Records. That reissue, apart from excellent sound, also includes alternate edits of "Fool for You Anyway," "The Message," and, especially "Star in the Ghetto," including the 12" single version of the latter -- all are worth hearing.
© Bruce Eder /TiVo
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Ralph MacDonald, Congas Drums - Robbie McIntosh, Drums, Percussion - Hamish Stuart, Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - Roger Ball, Arranger, Keyboards, Additional Saxophone, Alto Saxophone - Ned Doheny, Writer - Ben E. King, Guitar, MainArtist - Marvin Stamm, Trumpet - Michael Brecker, Tenor Saxophone - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - Glenn Ferris, Trombone - Steve Ferrone, Drums, Percussion - Ken Bichel, Additional Piano - Mel Davis, Trumpet - Alan Gorrie], Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - Malcolm "Molly" Duncan, Tenor Saxophone - Onnie McIntyre, Guitar, Backing Vocals - Average White Band, MainArtist - Jerry Greenburg, Producer
© 2005 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured & Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing ℗ 1974 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Mick Jones, Writer - Ben E. King, Performance, MainArtist - The Average White Band, Performance - Average White Band, MainArtist
© 2005 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured & Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing ℗ 1974 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Phillip Mitchell, Writer - Ben E. King, Performance, MainArtist - Average White Band, MainArtist - Avergae White Band, Performance
© 2005 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured & Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing ℗ 1974 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Alan Gorrie, Writer - Owen McIntyre, Writer - Roger Ball, Writer - Malcolm Duncan, Writer - Ben E. King, Writer, Performance, MainArtist - Steve Ferrone, Writer - The Average White Band, Performance - Average White Band, MainArtist - James Hamish Stuart, Writer
© 2005 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured & Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing ℗ 1974 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
B. KING, Writer - Ben E. King, MainArtist - Average White Band, MainArtist - R. Gallo, Writer
© 2005 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured & Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing ℗ 1974 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Ben E. King, Performance, MainArtist - D.Hathaway, Writer - The Average White Band, Performance - Average White Band, MainArtist - E.Howard, Writer
© 2005 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured & Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing ℗ 1974 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Ben E. King, Performance, MainArtist - John Lennon, Writer - The Average White Band, Performance - Average White Band, MainArtist
© 2005 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured & Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing ℗ 1974 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Ben E. King, Performance, MainArtist - A.Gorrie, Writer - The Average White Band, Performance - Average White Band, MainArtist
© 2005 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured & Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing ℗ 1974 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Album review
Benny and Us resulted from a chance meeting in Miami between Ben E. King and the Average White Band, who were vacationing there just when King was starting work on a new album. The finished LP yielded two hit singles and became King's best-selling LP, rising to number 33. The sound is soulful and funky, very bright and passionate -- the upbeat, relentlessly catchy "Get It Up for Love" and the soaring, horn and string driven "A Star in the Ghetto" made respectable showings on the R&B charts, and a good portion of the rest ("The Message," "What Is Soul") is pretty powerful stuff as well. "Imagine" is so busy and so self-consciously earnest that it's difficult to enjoy, but King is so good in the moments when he is on target, that it's hard to skip this track, even if it is the weakest number here. The radiant "Keepin' It to Myself" and the poignant cover of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free," by contrast, are among King's very best records. Benny and Us was a good enough record that it nearly led to a joint tour (as opposed to some joint appearances, which actually happened) between King and the Average White Band -- one can only marvel at what those shows must have sounded like, and lament that fact that no live album was cut. It also marked King's last major appearance on the charts for Atlantic. To date, however, it's only available as an import from Sequel Records. That reissue, apart from excellent sound, also includes alternate edits of "Fool for You Anyway," "The Message," and, especially "Star in the Ghetto," including the 12" single version of the latter -- all are worth hearing.
© Bruce Eder /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 8 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:49
- Main artists: Average White Band Ben E. King
- Label: Rhino Atlantic
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2005 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured & Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing ℗ 2005 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured & Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing
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