George Benson - The George Benson Collection (2LP) (1981) - €20,00

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The George Benson Collection is a compilation album by George Benson, released in 1981. Originally a two-LP set. In addition to previously released material from Benson’s tenures with A&M Records, CTI Records, and his then-current label, Warner Bros. Records, the album features two new songs, “Never Give Up on a Good Thing” and #1 R&B hit “Turn Your Love Around.” 

This Warner Brothers Benson collection is a mix of George’s vocal R&B pop songs and some instrumentals, a wee bit of soul jazz, compiled in the 80’s from various Benson albums.
This double album gives snippets, and hits, from three different record labels Benson recorded for, A&M, Aristra and CTI also including a couple of new songs.

Of course, the big Warner Bros. vocal hits are here (“This Masquerade,” “On Broadway,” “Give Me the Night”), plus an artistic triumph like “Moody’s Mood,” but only one WB instrumental (“Breezin'”) can be heard.
From Arista, it’s strictly pop: “The Greatest Love of All” and the duet with Aretha Franklin, “Love All the Hurt Away.”
The A&M choices “Last Train to Clarksville” and “Here Comes the Sun” could have been better, but the two CTIs, “White Rabbit” and the great “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” are excellent representatives.

George Benson has a great voice and I do enjoy some of his vocal tracks, as well as the guest duets, especially with Aretha Franklin but I also enjoy the instrumentals, Bensons guitar playing and scatting to his guitar and there is not enough of that on the 17 tracks, a few more would have balance things off a bit.
The instrumentals that are included are all good, a groovy ‘Last Train To Clarksville’ and of course the classic ‘Breezin’ included. This is not a jazz album but a jazz guitarist singing and playing in a crossover way from the pure jazz Benson started playing in the 60’s.

Side A
A1.  Turn Your Love Around – 3:51
A2.  Love All the Hurt Way (with Aretha Franklin) – 4:10
A3.  Give Me the Night – 3:43
A4.  Cast Your Fate to the Wind – 6:51

Side B
B1.  Never Give Up on a Good Thing – 4:06
B2.  On Broadway (Drifters Cover) – 5:18
B3.  White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane Cover) – 6:58
B4.  This Masquerade – 3:19

Side C
C1.  Love Ballad – 4:17
C2.  Nature Boy – 4:20
C3.  Last Train to Clarksville – 5:01
C4.  Livin’ Inside Your Love – 6:38

Side D
D1.  Here Comes the Sun – 2:33
D2.  Breezin’ – 5:39
D3.  Moody’s Mood – 3:26
D4.  We Got the Love (with Chaka Khan) – 3:28
D5.  The Greatest Love of All – 5:33

Companies, etc.

• Copyright © – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Arista Records, Inc.
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – CTI Records
• Mastered At – The Mastering Lab

 Credits

• Art Direction – Richard Seireeni
• Compiled By, Sequenced By – Tommy Lipuma
• Concept By, Executive Producer – Bob Krasnow
• Coordinator [Production] – Marcie Gorman
• Illustration – Jay Vigon
• Management [Direction] – Dennis Turner, Ken Fritz
• Mastered By – Mike Reese
• Photography By – Charles Bush, Raul Vega

Notes
Release:  1981
Format:  Vinyl, 2LP
Genre:  Soul, Smooth Jazz
Label:  Warner Bros. Records
Catalog#  WB 66107

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)
Cover:  Goed (VG)

Prijs: €20,00