Benny and Us

by Average White Band, Ben E. King

Overview

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

Product Details

Release Date:	12/15/2023
Label:	Solid
UPC:	4526180676218
Rank:	105639

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Average White Band   Primary Artist
Ben E. King   Primary Artist,Guitar
Steve Ferrone   Percussion,Drums
Onnie McIntyre   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Roger Ball   Keyboards,Saxophone,Sax (Alto)
Robbie McIntosh   Drums,Percussion
Ken Bichel   Piano
Malcolm Duncan   Sax (Tenor)
Randy Brecker   Trumpet
Michael Brecker   Sax (Tenor)
Mel Davis   Trumpet
Alan Gorrie   Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Glenn Ferris   Trombone
Marvin Stamm   Trumpet
Ralph MacDonald   Congas
Hamish Stuart   Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Bob Gallo   Composer
Average White Band   Composer
Onnie McIntyre   Composer
Ed Howard   Composer
Ben E. King   Composer
Donny Hathaway   Composer
M. Duncan   Composer
John Lennon   Composer
Roger Ball   Composer,Brass Arrangement
Jerry Greenberg   Producer
Johnny Browz   Composer
Steve Ferrone   Composer
Phillip Mitchell   Composer
Mick Jones   Composer
Alan Gorrie   Composer
Howard Albert   Composer
Ned Doheny   Composer