The Other Side of Abbey Road

by George Benson

Overview

Just three weeks after the U.S. release of the Beatles' swan song, Abbey Road, Creed Taylor ushered George Benson into the studio to begin a remarkably successful pop-jazz translation of the record (complete with a parody of the famous cover, showing Benson with guitar crossing an Eastern urban street). It is a lyrical album, with a hint of the mystery and a lot of the cohesive concept of the Beatles' original despite the scrambled order of the tunes. Benson is given some room to stretch out on guitar, sometimes in a bluesy groove, and there are more samples of his honeyed vocals than ever before (oddly, his voice would not be heard again by record-buyers until he signed with Warner Bros.). Don Sebesky's arrangements roam freely from baroque strings to a full-throated big band, and Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Fortune, and Hubert Laws get some worthy solo space. Yet for all its diversity, the record fits together as a whole more tightly than any other George Benson project, thanks to his versatile talents and the miraculous overarching unity of the Beatles' songs. One wonders if the Fab Four liked it, too. ~ Richard S. Ginell

Product Details

Release Date:	01/20/2023
Label:	Universal
UPC:	8808678162011

Album Credits

Performance Credits

George Benson   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Sonny Fortune   Guest Artist,Saxophone,Sax (Alto)
Ron Carter   Guest Artist,Bass
Hubert Laws   Guest Artist,Flute,Reeds
Ray Barretto   Guest Artist,Drums,Percussion
Bob James   Guest Artist,Organ,Piano,Harpsichord
Freddie Hubbard   Guest Artist,Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Idris Muhammad   Guest Artist,Drums
Herbie Hancock   Guest Artist,Organ,Piano,Harpsichord
Donald Ashworth   Reeds,Sax (Baritone),Clarinet (Bass)
Andy Gonzalez   Percussion
Emanuel Vardi   Cello,Viola
Ernie Hayes   Organ,Piano,Harpsichord
Wayne Andre   Trombone,Euphonium
Jerome Richardson   Flute,Clarinet,Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)
Jerry Jemmott   Bass
Phil Bodner   Oboe,Flute,Reeds
Andy Gonzales   Percussion
Mel Davis   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Max Pollikoff   Violin
Guildhall String Ensemble   Strings
Raoul Poliakin   Violin
Ed Shaughnessy   Drums
George Ricci   Cello
Bernie Glow   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Marvin Stamm   Trumpet,Flugelhorn

Technical Credits

Sam Antupit   Design
Eric Meola   Cover Photo,Photography
Paul McCartney   Composer
Creed Taylor   Producer
George Harrison   Composer
Ringo Starr   Composer
John Lennon   Composer
Rudy Van Gelder   Engineer
John Snyder   Digital Producer
Don Sebesky   Arranger