What album turned G. Benson over to the dark side?

[Christiern]

When I first met him (after his debut album on Prestige and before John Hammond discovered him), he was living in a run-down East Harlem walk-up. That may have something to do with his desire to go where the money is.

[Alexander]

I was a big fan of "Give Me The Night," "On Broadway," "The Greatest Love of All" (his version was played at my eighth grade graduation, over a year before Whitney hit with her version), "The Masquerade," "Lady Love Me," and "Turn Your Love Around" when those songs were new. I actually didn't even know who recorded them, much less that they were all recorded by the same guy, when they came out. I just liked the songs. I remember being surprised when I started getting into jazz and learned that George Benson recorded all those great late '70s and early '80s R&B tracks.

[Alexander]

For Benson fans-Legacy will issue a 2CD set "The Best of George Benson" later this year.

I'll probably pick it up. The Legacy "Essential O'Jays" is fabulous!

[JSngry]

Speaking of vocals, didn't he sing "All Of Me" on Cookbook?

[catesta]

I was a big fan of "Give Me The Night," "On Broadway," "The Greatest Love of All" (his version was played at my eighth grade graduation, over a year before Whitney hit with her version), "The Masquerade," "Lady Love Me," and "Turn Your Love Around" when those songs were new. I actually didn't even know who recorded them, much less that they were all recorded by the same guy, when they came out. I just liked the songs. I remember being surprised when I started getting into jazz and learned that George Benson recorded all those great late '70s and early '80s R&B tracks.

Damn, I can't change the station fast enough when I hear any of those songs.

[Christiern]

catesta: "Damn, I can't change the station fast enough when I hear any of those songs."

I find myself groping for the "Door Open" button.

[bluemonk]

Sorry, but his music is like Top 40 Radio minus the vocals. He might have been able to swing at one time, but he gets my vote for biggest sellout in jazz history.

[Jim Alfredson]

Sorry, but his music is like Top 40 Radio minus the vocals. He might have been able to swing at one time, but he gets my vote for biggest sellout in jazz history.

Being a sellout would imply that he's doing it only for the money. History says otherwise.

[John L]

Sorry, but his music is like Top 40 Radio minus the vocals. He might have been able to swing at one time, but he gets my vote for biggest sellout in jazz history.

Being a sellout would imply that he's doing it only for the money. History says otherwise.

Oh, Benson has pretty much admitted it himself. I recall interviews around the time of his crossover where he explicitly stated that he was doing it for the money. I even recall some precious quote of the sort "You want me to play jazz? Give me a million dollars and I'll play you the best jazz you've ever heard." It is true that Benson likes to sing. So the fact that he started singing is separate from the question of his selling out.

I also like Breezin' quite a bit. It is certainly not Benson's best jazz album, but I still consider it to be one of Benson's best all around albums. Benson would have seemed to have had the potential to continue making great jazz/pop music, but for some reason didn't. I can't stand the likes of Weekend in L.A, etc. It is not the musical direction, but the material that really sucks.

Edited July 8, 2008 by John L

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Sorry, but his music is like Top 40 Radio minus the vocals. He might have been able to swing at one time, but he gets my vote for biggest sellout in jazz history.

Being a sellout would imply that he's doing it only for the money. History says otherwise.

Oh, Benson has pretty much admitted it himself. I recall interviews around the time of his crossover where he explicitly stated that he was doing it for the money. I even recall some precious quote of the sort "You want me to play jazz? Give me a million dollars and I'll play you the best jazz you've ever heard." It is true that Benson likes to sing. So the fact that he started singing is separate from the question of his selling out.

I also like Breezin' quite a bit. It is certainly not Benson's best jazz album, but I still consider it to be one of Benson's best all around albums. Benson would have seemed to have had the potential to continue making great jazz/pop music, but for some reason didn't. I can't stand the likes of Weekend in L.A, etc. It is not the musical direction, but the material that really sucks.

I think you've got the emphasis wrong, John. I've seen Benson interviewed saying he always wanted to be a pop star. But he was initially unsuccessful, so he took up jazz guitar, because he had to learn a trade and earn money somehow. So the selling out part of his life was playing jazz. The pop music part was being true to himself.

MG

[John L]

Sorry, but his music is like Top 40 Radio minus the vocals. He might have been able to swing at one time, but he gets my vote for biggest sellout in jazz history.

Being a sellout would imply that he's doing it only for the money. History says otherwise.

Oh, Benson has pretty much admitted it himself. I recall interviews around the time of his crossover where he explicitly stated that he was doing it for the money. I even recall some precious quote of the sort "You want me to play jazz? Give me a million dollars and I'll play you the best jazz you've ever heard." It is true that Benson likes to sing. So the fact that he started singing is separate from the question of his selling out.

I also like Breezin' quite a bit. It is certainly not Benson's best jazz album, but I still consider it to be one of Benson's best all around albums. Benson would have seemed to have had the potential to continue making great jazz/pop music, but for some reason didn't. I can't stand the likes of Weekend in L.A, etc. It is not the musical direction, but the material that really sucks.

I think you've got the emphasis wrong, John. I've seen Benson interviewed saying he always wanted to be a pop star. But he was initially unsuccessful, so he took up jazz guitar, because he had to learn a trade and earn money somehow. So the selling out part of his life was playing jazz. The pop music part was being true to himself.

MG

Thanks, MG. That is interesting. Maybe Benson gives different stories depending on who is interviewing him, or maybe he has changed his story over time. The interviews that I recall were from jazz magazines that were intially less than thrilled about Benson's change of direction.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Sorry, but his music is like Top 40 Radio minus the vocals. He might have been able to swing at one time, but he gets my vote for biggest sellout in jazz history.

Being a sellout would imply that he's doing it only for the money. History says otherwise.

Oh, Benson has pretty much admitted it himself. I recall interviews around the time of his crossover where he explicitly stated that he was doing it for the money. I even recall some precious quote of the sort "You want me to play jazz? Give me a million dollars and I'll play you the best jazz you've ever heard." It is true that Benson likes to sing. So the fact that he started singing is separate from the question of his selling out.

I also like Breezin' quite a bit. It is certainly not Benson's best jazz album, but I still consider it to be one of Benson's best all around albums. Benson would have seemed to have had the potential to continue making great jazz/pop music, but for some reason didn't. I can't stand the likes of Weekend in L.A, etc. It is not the musical direction, but the material that really sucks.

I think you've got the emphasis wrong, John. I've seen Benson interviewed saying he always wanted to be a pop star. But he was initially unsuccessful, so he took up jazz guitar, because he had to learn a trade and earn money somehow. So the selling out part of his life was playing jazz. The pop music part was being true to himself.

MG

Thanks, MG. That is interesting. Maybe Benson gives different stories depending on who is interviewing him, or maybe he has changed his story over time. The interviews that I recall were from jazz magazines that were intially less than thrilled about Benson's change of direction.

Oh, I'm certain he changes the emphasis to suit needs. You'd hardly expect Down Beat to print something that indicated that he was selling out by playing jazz. The programme I saw him interviewed on was a religious talk show on a Sunday morning - not music-focused, so maybe less spin to his story. Maybe.

MG

[Christiern]

George Benson's debut record (single) was strictly pop and he also sang on it. He switched to jazz before switching from it.

Just call him a flip-flopper

[Peter A]

A couple of years ago George Benson was playing at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. He was playing on the same evening as the Lonnie Smith Quartet, but his show was scheduled earlier then Lonnie's. Suddenly, during Lonnie Smith's concert, Benson appeared on the stage, replaced Peter Bernstein, and played one of the greatest concerts I ever attended (but for a really small audience). The guy still can play his guitar!

[Hot Ptah]

No one seems to have mentioned his 1989 album, Tenderly:

On this album, he plays mostly standard tunes, backed by McCoy Tyner, Ron Carter, Louis Hayes, Al Foster or Herlin Riley on drums, with some string backgrounds. He plays several jazz guitar solos, and Tyner solos on several songs. It is a jazz album.

Wonder how it sold?

[Big Al]

Speaking of vocals, didn't he sing "All Of Me" on Cookbook?

Yeah, and he sang "Summertime" as well (can't remember if it's from "Cookbook" or the other one for Columbia).

It would be nice if Columbia released Lonnie Smith's "Finger-Lickin' Good Soul Organ." Benson's on that and absolutely burns. I don't have that LP, but I do have a 2-LP set at home called "Benson Burner" which culls together a number of tracks from the sessions that produced the three Columbia LPs that Benson appeared on. That sucker lives up to its title! And best of all: no vocal tracks on this collection! All instrumentals, all fiery, and of course....

UNBELIEVABLY GREEEEEEEEEEEEAZY!!!

[kh1958]

I saw George Benson at a concert/jazz festival in Dallas back around 1990 or so. Wynton Marsalis and Miles Davis were on the bill as well. Benson was so awful, there was not one redeeming aspect of his performance. Wynton's set was great by comparison. The Miles set was of course the best by far.

[bluemonk]

George Benson can kiss my ass! I hate him and his music.

[bluemonk]

Sorry, but his music is like Top 40 Radio minus the vocals. He might have been able to swing at one time, but he gets my vote for biggest sellout in jazz history.

Being a sellout would imply that he's doing it only for the money. History says otherwise.

So he's not doing it for the money? I think you're way off base here, Jim. Everything he does is motivated by money. It has to be. Listen to his music. It sucks!

[Jim Alfredson]

George Benson can kiss my ass! I hate him and his music.

Well now. Tell us how you really feel.

Sorry, but his music is like Top 40 Radio minus the vocals. He might have been able to swing at one time, but he gets my vote for biggest sellout in jazz history.

Being a sellout would imply that he's doing it only for the money. History says otherwise.

So he's not doing it for the money? I think you're way off base here, Jim. Everything he does is motivated by money. It has to be. Listen to his music. It sucks!

I do things that are motivated by money, too. Does that mean I'm a sellout?

You do what you can do to make a living; he found something he was good at and could make money at and he stuck with it and made a whole bunch of bread. Good for him. It's obvious from bootlegs that I've heard and from the stories of people in this thread that he can still burn on guitar in a jazz setting. Does that mean he is required to do so by some strange obligation to jazz / guitar nerds? And if he doesn't he sucks?

The music business is extremely tough. I applaud anyone who actually has talent and musicianship for making it, however they can. Is Larry Goldings selling out because he's touring and recording with James Taylor?

[Christiern]

I agree, Jim. Bluemonk is over-reacting. It is easy to accuse someone like George Benson of selling out, but it is also silly. I wish George would play jazz more often, but that's a selfish wish--why shouldn't he make as much money as he can utilizing his talent. As I pointed out earlier, he did not start as a jazz player, he switched over to it--was he selling out then? Of course not.

[clifford_thornton]

No, he was selling "in."

Belying my age, the first George Benson I recall hearing was a CD - when those were new - of Soda Fountain Shuffle. Ugh.

My dad had White Rabbit in his LP collection, but the only Benson record I ever owned was the Prestige disc with Jack McDuff.

[marcello]

I first saw Benson when I worked a a small jazz club in 1970 or so, playing to small houses during the week and decent ones on the weekend. He sang songs in his set way back then and played the shit out the guitar. He's paid his dues.

Every once in a while I hear from people about when he sits in from time to time in NYC and they all say he can still play the shit out of the guitar!

Edited July 9, 2008 by marcello

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

yeah, i'm listening to finger lickin' good right now. were they on acid? it's great.

Why would they have to have been on acid to make that music? Deep fried chicken wings, maybe

Those Benson/Smith/Cuber albums for Columbia were just kind of normal Soul Jazz of the period - very good for what they were, though Columbia made them keep the tracks too short, which Prestige wouldn't have. If they'd been recorded for Cadet, Prestige or even Blue Note, I've always thought the results would have been even better.

MG

[andybleaden]

I agree...would have been lovely to hear them ease it out a little

As for selling out ...I find it hard to comment...maybe it was as you hint when soul jazz was 'selling' whereas it was not before....who am I to tell

I do not have any of those records...only have the Prestige numbers ...his odd Blue Note appearance and two of the Cookbook things.