Here is a record I think I got on discount for $3.20. That really does not matter as I would have bought it straight at $4. It had a good amount of songs on it that I liked.
Born Benjamin Franklin Peay, in Lugoff, South Carolina in 1931, the young future artist grew up singing in church choirs and performed in several gospel groups before moving into R&B. He started first with the group The Sandmen and then went solo, changing his name to Brook Benton. After a stint writing songs for such performers as Nat King Cole, Benton found his own success with “It’s Just A Matter of Time”, which went to #3 on the charts and sold over a million copies. He had a series of hits (many of which he wrote or co-wrote) in throughout the 50’s and early 60’s. His sound fit right in to the moment when Rock and Roll was starting to take shape out of Rhythm and Blues ( I think in the three plus years I have been doing this blog, this is the first time I spelled rhythm right off the bat). Benton died of pneumonia (two days in a row) complicated by spinal meningitis in 1988. He was 56.
This record, released by Atlantic subsidiary Cotillion in 1970 was part of Benton’s comeback as chart success began to come more elusive in the late 60’s. Driven by the hit single “Rainy Night In Georgia” which went to #4 on the pop charts/ #1 on RnB, the album was Benton’s highest charting, going to #27. Pretty good album. Benton has a rich, deep, distinct voice which he controls marvelously on all ten tracks. This record also features Cornell Dupree on guitar ( along with Jimmy O’Rourke), The Sweat Inspirations on back up vocals, and with vocal obbligatos (important vocal contributions for laymen), gospel great and Whitney’s mom, Cissy Houston.
I liked a lot of this record including the “Rainy Night” (which I would have posted had it not been such a massive hit for Benton), ” A Little Bit of Soap”, “I’ve Got To Be Me”, “Desertion”, and “Life Has Its Ups and Downs”. However, it is Benton’s version of “My Way” that makes the cut today. I also went with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” as I frequently post this song on this blog. A bit more subdued than other versions but still powerful. You can hear the gospel roots in his sound on this record for sure.
Satisfactory.