Ben E. King - The Legendary Ben E. King '2021

Tracks list

Tracklist:

01. Stand by Me
02. Dont Play That Song (You Lied)
03. Amor
04. Young Boy Blues
05. Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams)
06. Spanish Harlem
07. How Can I Forget
08. Its All Over
09. I (Who Have Nothing)
10. Save the Last Dance for Me
11. I Count the Tears
12. This Magic Moment
13. So Much Love



 Read MoreThe new Drifters toured for about a year, playing to often hostile
audiences who knew they were a completely different group. In early 1959, they
went into the studio with producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller to cut their
first records. A song Nelson (still performing under his given name) co-wrote
called There Goes My Baby became his first lead vocal, and the lush backing
arrangement made highly unorthodox (in fact, virtually unheard of) use of a
string section. There Goes My Baby became a massive hit, laying the groundwork
for virtually every smooth/uptown soul production that followed. Over the next
two years, Nelson sang lead on several other Drifters classics, including Dance
with Me, This Magic Moment, Save the Last Dance for Me, and I Count the Tears.

In 1960, Nelson approached Treadwell about a salary increase and a fairer share
of the groups royalties. Treadwell rebuffed him and Nelson quit the group, at
this point assuming the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for
a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the
stylish, Latin-tinged ballad Spanish Harlem, a Jerry Leiber/Phil Spector
composition that hit the Top Ten in early 1961. The follow-up, Stand by Me, a
heartfelt ode to friendship and devotion co-written by King, became his
signature song and an enduring R&B classic; it was also his biggest hit, topping
the R&B charts and reaching the pop Top Five. King scored a few more chart
singles through 1963, including velvety smooth pop-soul productions like Amor,
Dont Play That Song (You Lied), and the Italian tune I (Who Have Nothing). In
the post-British Invasion years, King had a rough go of it on the pop charts but
continued to score R&B hits. 1967s Southern-fried What Is Soul? was one of his
last singles for Atco; seeking to revive his commercial fortunes, King departed
in 1969.

Benny and UsA 1970 album on Maxwell, Rough Edges, failed to generate much
attention, and King was forced to make a living touring the oldies circuit. In
1975, Atlantic president Ahmet Ertegun caught Kings act in a Miami lounge and
invited him to re-sign with the label. King scored an unlikely comeback smash
with the disco track Supernatural Thing, Pt. I, which returned him to the top of
the R&B charts in 1975 and also reached the pop Top Five. While he was unable to
duplicate that singles success, King recorded several more albums for Atlantic
up through 1981, and also collaborated with the Average White Band in 1977 on
the album Benny & Us. After leaving Atlantic a second time, King toured in a
version of the Drifters beginning in 1982.

Shades of BlueIn 1986, Stand by Me was prominently featured in the Rob Reiner
film of the same name; re-released as a single, it climbed into the Top Ten all
over again. In its wake, King returned to solo recording, issuing albums every
few years. He also guested on recordings by Heaven 17 and Mark Knopfler, among
others. Kings 1999 album Shades of Blue (on Half Note Records) found him
branching out into jazz territory, performing with a big band and guests like
Milt Jackson and David Fathead Newman. The year 2006 saw the release of a smooth
R&B album, Ive Been Around, on True Life Records. A 2010 date titled Heart &
Soul featured King with a small jazz group, stretching out on vocal standards.
He continued to tour and make special performances, and was also active in the
Stand by Me Foundation, his charity dedicated to childrens education. Ben E.
King died on April 30, 2015, after a brief illness. ~ Steve Huey

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