Ben E. King (born
Benjamin Earl Nelson, September 28, 1938) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and
co-composerA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
of "
Stand by Me"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.-Song information:...
," a
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
top 10
hitA hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in both 1961 and 1987 and a #1 hit in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
in 1987, and as one of the principal lead singers of the R&B vocal group
The DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived African-American doo wop/R&B vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1962, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed by Clyde McPhatter in 1953...
.
Ben Nelson was born in
HendersonHenderson, with a population of 16,095 at the 2000 census, is the county seat of Vance County, North Carolina, United States.The city was named in honor of former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Leonard Henderson, who lived nearby and was a friend of early settler Lewis Reavis. ...
,
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
and moved to
HarlemHarlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African-American residential, cultural, and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands.Harlem has been defined by a series...
,
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, at the age of nine.
In 1958, he joined a doo wop group called The Five Crowns.
Ben E. King (born
Benjamin Earl Nelson, September 28, 1938) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and
co-composerA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
of "
Stand by Me"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.-Song information:...
," a
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
top 10
hitA hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in both 1961 and 1987 and a #1 hit in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
in 1987, and as one of the principal lead singers of the R&B vocal group
The DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived African-American doo wop/R&B vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1962, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed by Clyde McPhatter in 1953...
.
Early life and career
Ben Nelson was born in
HendersonHenderson, with a population of 16,095 at the 2000 census, is the county seat of Vance County, North Carolina, United States.The city was named in honor of former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Leonard Henderson, who lived nearby and was a friend of early settler Lewis Reavis. ...
,
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
and moved to
HarlemHarlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African-American residential, cultural, and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands.Harlem has been defined by a series...
,
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, at the age of nine.
In 1958, he joined a doo wop group called The Five Crowns. Later that year,
The DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived African-American doo wop/R&B vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1962, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed by Clyde McPhatter in 1953...
'
managerManagement in all business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading, directing, facilitating and controlling or manipulating an organization or effort for...
fired the members of the group and replaced them with The Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with the Drifters. Nelson co-wrote the first
hitA hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
by the new version of the Drifters, "
There Goes My Baby"There Goes My Baby" is a song written by Ben E. King and the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Drifters, Ben E. King does lead. They used a different song structure than they had in their previous successes with Clyde McPhatter...
" (1959). He also sang lead, using his birth name, on "
Save the Last Dance for Me"Save the Last Dance for Me" is the title of a popular song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, first recorded in 1960 by Ben E. King and The Drifters....
", a song written by
Doc PomusDoc Pomus was a twentieth century American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lyricist of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category of non-performer in 1992. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992...
and
Mort ShumanMort Shuman was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas"...
, "Dance With Me", "
This Magic Moment"This Magic Moment" is the title of a song written by lyricist Doc Pomus and pianist Mort Shuman. It is one of their best known hits. It was first recorded by Ben E. King and The Drifters and it reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960...
", "I Count the Tears" and "Lonely Winds". King only
recordedSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
ten
songA song is a metrical composition intended or adapted for singing, especially one in rhymed stanzas; a lyric; a ballad....
s with The Drifters, including a non-single called "Temptation" which was later redone by
Johnny MooreJohnny Moore was an American rhythm and blues singer with The Drifters.Moore began as lead of the Cleveland based group, The Hornets, before being discovered by The Drifters. He joined the group as lead vocalist, in New York in 1955, at age 21...
.
In 1960, he left the Drifters after failing to gain a salary increase and what he felt to be a fairer share of the group's
royaltiesRoyalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property right. Royalties are typically a percentage of gross or net sales derived from use of an asset or a fixed price per unit sold of an item...
. At this point he assumed the more memorable
stage nameA stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Ben E. King in preparation for a successful solo career. Remaining on
Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm & blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, King scored his first solo hit with the
balladA ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative and set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later North America, Australia and North Africa. Many...
"
Spanish Harlem"Spanish Harlem" is a song released by Ben E. King in 1961 on Atco Records, written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector. The song was King's first hit away from The Drifters, a group he had led for several years. With Spanish guitar, marimba, and drum-beats, the song climbed the Billboard charts,...
" (1961). "
Stand by Me"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.-Song information:...
" was his next recording. Written by King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, "Stand by Me" was voted one of the
Songs of the CenturyThe "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
by the
Recording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a group which represents the recording industry distributors in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors, which the RIAA say "create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate sound recordings...
. "Stand by Me", "There Goes My Baby" and "Spanish Harlem" were named as three of
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and RollThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll is an unordered list of 500 songs, created by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that they believe have been most influential in shaping the course of rock and roll, though some of them belong to different styles even after the...
and were all given a
Grammy Hall of Fame AwardThe Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"...
, as well as "
Save The Last Dance For Me"Save the Last Dance for Me" is the title of a popular song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, first recorded in 1960 by Ben E. King and The Drifters....
". His other well known songs were "
Don't Play That Song (You Lied)"Don't Play That Song " is a song written by Ahmet Ertegün and Betty Nelson and first recorded by soul singer Ben E. King. The title track on King's third album Don't Play That Song, it reached number two on the U.S...
" (which was
coveredIn popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by
Aretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as "The Queen of Soul". Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock, soul, blues, pop, R&B and Gospel music...
in the 1970s), "Amor", "Seven Letters", "How Can I Forget", "On the Horizon", "Young Boy Blues", "
I (Who Have Nothing)"I " is a song originally released by Ben E. King in 1963. It has been covered by many artists, including most recently by American Idol contestant Jordin Sparks, and also by Nikki Kerkhof, the winner of Idols 4, the Dutch version of Pop Idol."I " is based on the Italian song "Uno dei tanti,"...
", "First Taste of Love", "Here Comes the Night", "Ecstasy", That's When It Hurts , Down Home , River of Tears , Do It in the Name of Love , and It's All Over .
In the summer of 1963, King had a top 30 national hit with "
I (Who Have Nothing)"I " is a song originally released by Ben E. King in 1963. It has been covered by many artists, including most recently by American Idol contestant Jordin Sparks, and also by Nikki Kerkhof, the winner of Idols 4, the Dutch version of Pop Idol."I " is based on the Italian song "Uno dei tanti,"...
", a song that reached the Top 10 on New York's
radio stationRadio broadcasting is an audio broadcasting service, broadcast through the air as radio waves from a transmitter to an antenna and a thus to a receiving device. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast common programming, either in syndication or simulcast or both...
,
WMCAWMCA, 570 AM, is a radio station in New York City, most known for its "Good Guys" Top 40 era in the 1960s. It is currently owned by Salem Communications and plays a Christian radio format...
. The song has been covered many times, notably by
Luther VandrossPower of Love is the seventh studio album by American R&B/soul singer Luther Vandross, released in April 1991...
&
Martha WashMartha Wash is an R&B, soul, house, and club/dance singer/songwriter known for her distinctive and powerful voice.-Early career:...
,
John LennonJohn Winston Ono Lennon, MBE was an English rock musician, singer-songwriter, author, and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles...
,
Shirley BasseyDame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE is a singer who found fame in the late 1950s and has continued a successful career since then worldwide. She is also well-known for recording the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger , Diamonds Are Forever , and Moonraker...
,
Tom JonesSir Thomas Jones Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. Since 1965, Jones has sold over 100 million records.-Early life:...
,
Sylvester JamesSylvester James , better known as Sylvester, was an American disco and soul singer, and a gay drag performer. He is considered to be one of the first Hi-NRG artists. Sylvester was sometimes known as the "Queen of Disco," although this moniker has also been bestowed on some of the ladies of the...
,
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
,
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
,
Jedi Mind TricksJedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop group with two members from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and one from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
, and most recently by
American IdolAmerican Idol is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted on June 11, 2002 on the Fox network, and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television...
contestant
Jordin SparksJordin Brianna Sparks is an American R&B and pop singer-songwriter from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won the show when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in history...
, during the March 20, 2007 and May 15, 2007 telecasts. King's records continued to place well on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chartA record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
until 1965.
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
popPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
bandsIn music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform songs. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band* Dansband* Fife and drum...
began to dominate the
pop musicPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
scene, but King still continued to make R&B hits and minor Pop hits. King's other hits were "What is Soul?" (1967),
"Supernatural Thing, Part 1" (1975)Supernatural marks Ben E. King's transition to the main Atlantic Records label after time on subsidiary labels. The album is King's ninth album and eighth studio album. The single,"Supernatural Thing Part 1" brought him a return to chart success, reaching #1 on the R&B charts for the first time...
, and the re-issue in 1986 of "Stand by Me", following the song's use as the
theme musicTheme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
to
Stand By MeStand by Me is a 1986 coming of age, adventure-drama film directed by Rob Reiner. The title comes from a song with the same title by Ben E...
movieFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
.
In 1990, King and Bo DiddleyBo Diddley , born Ellas Otha Bates, was an American rock & roll singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was known as "The Originator" because of his key role in the transition from blues music to rock & roll, influencing a host of legendary acts including Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton...
featuring Doug LazyDoug Lazy is a hip hop and dance music producer and DJ from Washington, D.C. Lazy scored a number of hip house hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, including three #1s: "Let It Roll", "Let the Rhythm Pump", and "H.O.U.S.E." In 1990, Ben E. King and Bo...
recorded a revamped rapHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
version of The MonotonesThe Monotones were a six-member African American "doo wop" vocal group in the 1950s. They are considered a "one-hit wonder," as their only hit song was " The Book of Love", which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1958....
' 1958 hit song "Book of Love"The Book of Love" was a rock and roll song, originally by The Monotones. It was written by three members of the group, Warren Davis, George Malone and Charles Patrick, and it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.Lead singer Charles Patrick heard a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial with the line...
" for the soundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the synchronized...
of the movie Book of Love"The Book of Love" was a rock and roll song, originally by The Monotones. It was written by three members of the group, Warren Davis, George Malone and Charles Patrick, and it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.Lead singer Charles Patrick heard a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial with the line...
. He also recorded a young children's album titled, I Have Songs In My PocketI Have Songs In My Pocket was released in 1998 and is the 19th album released by Ben E. King. This album contains young children's songs, written and produced by children's music man, Bobby Susser, known for his young children's series, "Bobby Susser Songs For Children." It was the first team...
,
written and produced by children's music man, Bobby SusserBobby Susser , and also known as Bob Susser, is a multi-award winning, American songwriter and record producer, best known for his young children's music. He graduated from Queens College, City University of New York as a communications arts and sciences major with a BA, magna cum laude...
in 1998, which won the "Early Childhood News' Directors' Choice Award" and "Dr. Toy's/The Institute For Childhood Resources Award."" King performed "Stand by Me" on the Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and bandleader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra,...
in 2007.
Ahmet ErtegunAhmet Ertegun was the Turkish American co-founder and executive of Atlantic Records and chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum, described as "one of the most significant figures in the modern recording industry"...
once stated that King had one of the greatest voices in soul history.
Throughout his career he has achieved five number one hits, which were "There Goes My Baby", "Save The Last Dance For Me", "Stand By Me", "Supernatural Thing", and the 1986 re-issue of "Stand By Me". He also earned twelve Top 10 hits and Twenty four Top 40 hits, from 1959 to 1986. He has also been inducted to the
Rock And Roll Hall Of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the music...
as a Drifters member and nominated for his career as a solo artist but not yet accepted.
Currently, King is active in his charitable foundation, the Stand By Me Foundation. He has been a resident of
Teaneck, New JerseyTeaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 39,260, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County...
since the late 1960s.
More recently, King performed "Stand By Me" during a televised tribute to late comedian
George CarlinGeorge Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian. He was also an actor and author, and he won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
, as he was one of Carlin's favorite artists.
Albums
- Spanish Harlem
Spanish Harlem is a classic debut album by Ben E. King. The album was released by Atlantic Records as an LP in 1961.-Track listing:#"Amor" [3:02]#"Sway" [2:18]#"Come Closer to Me" [2:35]#"Perfidia" [2:04]#"Granada" [2:27]...
(1961, Atco) US: #57 UK: #30
- Ben E. King Sings for Soulful Lovers
Ben E. King Sings for Soulful Lovers is the second studio album by Ben E. King. The album was released by Atlantic Records in 1962.-Track listing:#"My Heart Cries for You" #"He Will Break Your Heart" #"Dream Lover" -...
(1962)
- Don't Play That Song
Don't Play That Song! is the third studio album by Ben E. King. The album was released by Atlantic Records as an LP in 1962 and was home to five notable singles: "Stand by Me", "Ecstasy", "First Taste of Love", "Here Comes the Night", and the title track, "Don't Play That Song ".-Track...
(1962)
- Young Boy Blues
Young Boy Blues is the fourth studio album by Ben E. King, and the first of his albums released by Clarion Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records...
(1964)
- Ben E. King's Greatest Hits
Ben E. King's Greatest Hits is the fifth album and first compilation album by Ben E. King. Many classic hits such as "Stand By Me", "Spanish Harlem", "I ", and others return on this compilation disc released in 1964....
(1964)
- Seven Letters
Seven Letters is the sixth album and fifth studio album by Ben E. King, and the fourth studio album on the Atco label. "In The Middle Of The Night" makes its debut on this album, released in 1965 by Atco Records, and is still a classic today....
(1965)
- What Is Soul
What is Soul is the seventh album and sixth studio album by Ben E. King, and his fifth and last studio album on the Atco label.-Track listing:#"The Way You Shake It"#"She's Gone Again"#"Goodnight My Love"#"Not Now "...
(1967)
- Rough Edges
Rough Edges is the seventh album and sixth studio album by Ben E. King. After not making any new albums for a few years, King composed this album with Maxwell, another subsidiary of Atlantic Records....
(1970, Maxwell)
- The Beginning of It All
The Beginning of It All is the eighth album by Ben E. King. King transferred to Mandala in 1972, and released his seventh studio album in 1972.This was the final album to be released on a subsidiary label in the early years...
(1972, Mandala)
- Supernatural (1975, Atlantic) US: #39
- I Had a Love
I Had a Love marks Ben E. King's tenth album, his ninth studio album, and his second record with Atlantic Records. "I Had a Love" and "I Betcha Didn't Know That" are notable singles from the album.-Track listing:#"I Had a Love" [3:37]...
(1976)
- Rhapsody
Rhapsody was Ben E. King's 11th album and 10th studio album, and his third record with Atlantic Records.Many of the tracks in this album appear on the Let Me Live In Your Life album. Rhapsody is not easily found online and is made 60% obsolete with the newer album a year later...
(1976)
- Let Me Live in Your Life
Let Me Live in Your Life was Ben E. King's 12th album and 11th studio album, and his fourth record with Atlantic Records. The album was released in 1978.Some tracks from Rhapsody appear on this album...
(1978)
- Music Trance
Music Trance was Ben E. King's 13th album and 12th studio album, and his fifth record with Atlantic Records. The album was released in 1980....
(1980)
- Street Tough
Street Tough was Ben E. King's 14th album and 13th studio album, and his final record released directly with Atlantic Records. The album was released in 1981....
(1980)
- Save the Last Dance for Me
Save the Last Dance for Me was Ben E. King's 15th album and 14th studio album, and his release with EMI-Manhattan. The album was released in 1987 and is King's first release in six years.This is King's last new release on an LP...
(1987, EMI-Manhattan)
- Stand By Me: The Ultimate Collection
Stand By Me: The Ultimate Collection was Ben E. King's 16th album, yet only his second compilation album. The album was released in 1987 and includes many classic hits such as the standard Stand By Me, plus the original Spanish Harlem and Young Boy Blues.However, the single In The Middle Of The...
(1987, Atlantic) UK: #14
- What's Important To Me
What's Important To Me was released in 1991 and is the 17th album released by Ben E. King. King's first studio album in four years produced the singles What's Important To Me and You've Got All Of Me.-Track listing:...
(1991, Ichiban)
- Shades of Blue
-Track listing:#"Little Mama" [3:32]#"You're Drivin' Me Crazy" [3:34]#"Just For The Thrill" [3:51]#"They Can't Take That Away From Me" [4:18]#"Hallelujah I Love Her So" [3:27]#"Song For Jennie" [3:45]#"There'll Be Some Changes Made" [3:45]...
(1993, Half Note)
- I Have Songs In My Pocket
I Have Songs In My Pocket was released in 1998 and is the 19th album released by Ben E. King. This album contains young children's songs, written and produced by children's music man, Bobby Susser, known for his young children's series, "Bobby Susser Songs For Children." It was the first team...
(1998, Bobby SusserBobby Susser , and also known as Bob Susser, is a multi-award winning, American songwriter and record producer, best known for his young children's music. He graduated from Queens College, City University of New York as a communications arts and sciences major with a BA, magna cum laude...
)
- The Very Best Of Ben E. King
The Very Best Of Ben E. King is a Ben E. King compilation album covering his entire recording history dating to 1972. Longtime classics such as Spanish Harlem and Don't Play That Song as well as King's most influential hit Stand By Me are all on this album, among 13 additional tracks.-Track...
(1998, Rhino) UK: #15
- Eleven Best
Eleven Best is a Ben E. King compilation album. This set was released by Cleopatra Records, which has not released any of King's albums to date....
(2001, Cleopatra)
- Person To Person: Live At The Blue Note
-Track listing:#"Short Stomp" [6:06]#"Harlem Nocturne" [4:39]#"Let The Good Times Roll" [4:47]#"Young Boy Blues" [5:18]#"Person To Person" [5:37]#"Little Mama" [4:04]#"Under The Boardwalk" [4:55]#"Spanish Harlem" [3:50]#"Stand By Me" [3:54]...
(2003, Half Note)
- Soul Masters
Soul Masters is an album released by Digital Music Group containing twelve songs by Ben E. King. This album is identical to the album Love Is Gonna Get You, but has a different track order.-Track listing:#"Take Me To the Pilot" [3:35]...
(2005, Digital Music Group)
- I've Been Around
I've Been Around is the 2006 release from Ben E. King. This album was released 35 years after his initial solo release Spanish Harlem.-Track listing:#"Here Is My Heart's Desire" [3:31]#"Rhythm Of Love" [3:45]#"Show Me" [4:26]...
(2006, True Life)
- Love Is Gonna Get You (album)
Love Is Gonna Get You is the 2007 release from Ben E. King. This album is identical to the album Soul Masters, but has a different track order.-Track listing:#"Travelin' Woman" [3:35]#"Love Is" [3:00]#"Poison In My Mind" [3:03]...
(2007, Synergy)
Other albums
- Benny And Us (1977) US: #33 [King guest starred on an album by the Average White Band]
- The Atlantic Family Live in Montreux (1977) [A recording involving the Average White Band and other artists]
- Soul Meeting (1968) as a member of the Soul Clan
Singles with The Drifters
- "There Goes My Baby
"There Goes My Baby" is a song written by Ben E. King and the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Drifters, Ben E. King does lead. They used a different song structure than they had in their previous successes with Clyde McPhatter...
" (1959) R&B: #1 US: #2 with The Drifters
- "Oh my Love (1959) with The Drifters
- "Dance With Me" (1959) R&B: #2 US: #15 UK: #17 with The Drifters
- "This Magic Moment
"This Magic Moment" is the title of a song written by lyricist Doc Pomus and pianist Mort Shuman. It is one of their best known hits. It was first recorded by Ben E. King and The Drifters and it reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960...
" (1960) R&B: #4 US: #16 with The Drifters
- "Lonely Winds" (1960) R&B: #9 US: #54 with The Drifters
- "Save The Last Dance For Me
"Save the Last Dance for Me" is the title of a popular song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, first recorded in 1960 by Ben E. King and The Drifters....
" (1960) R&B: #1 US: #1 UK: #2 with The Drifters
- "Nobody but me (1960) with The Drifters
- "I Count the Tears" (1960) US: #17 UK: #28 with The Drifters
- "Sometimes I Wonder" (1962) with The Drifters
Solo Singles
- "Brace Yourself (1960, Atco)
- "Show Me the Way" (1960, Atco)
- " A Help Each Other (1960, Atlantic) with Lavern Baker
LaVern Baker was an American rhythm and blues singer.- Background :She was born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago, Illinois. She is occasionally referred to as Delores Williams because of an early marriage to Eugene Williams; in the late 1940s he was identified in RCA Victor record company files as...
- "How Often" (1960, Atlantic) with Lavern Baker
- "Spanish Harlem" (1961, Atco) R&B: #15 US: #10
- "First Taste of Love" (1961) US: #53 UK: #27 (b-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of "Spanish Harlem")
- "Stand by Me
"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.-Song information:...
" (1961) R&B: #1 US: #4 UK: #27
- "Amor" (1961) R&B: #10 US: #18 UK: #38
- "Young Boy Blues" (1961) US: #66
- "Here Comes the Night" (1961) US: #81 (b-side of "Young Boy Blues")
- "Ecstasy" (1962) US: #56
- "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
"Don't Play That Song " is a song written by Ahmet Ertegün and Betty Nelson and first recorded by soul singer Ben E. King. The title track on King's third album Don't Play That Song, it reached number two on the U.S...
" (1962) R&B: #2 US: #11
- "Auf Wiedersehen, My Dear (1962)
- "Too Bad" (1962) US: #88
- "I'm Standing By" (1962) US:#111
- "Tell Daddy" (1962) US:#122 R&B: #29
- "How Can I Forget" (1963) R&B: #23 US: #85
- "Amore Quando" (1963)
- "I (Who Have Nothing)
"I " is a song originally released by Ben E. King in 1963. It has been covered by many artists, including most recently by American Idol contestant Jordin Sparks, and also by Nikki Kerkhof, the winner of Idols 4, the Dutch version of Pop Idol."I " is based on the Italian song "Uno dei tanti,"...
" (1963) R&B: #16 US: #29
- "I Could Have Danced All Night
"I Could Have Danced All Night" is a song from the musical My Fair Lady, with music written by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, published in 1956...
" (1963) US: #72
- "What Now My Love
"What Now My Love" is a popular song. It started out as a French language song, "Et Maintenant" written by composer Gilbert Bécaud and lyricist Pierre Delanoë. English language lyrics and the title were written by Carl Sigman...
" US:#102(1964)
- "That's When It Hurts" (1964)
- "What Can A Man Do" (1964) US:#113
- "It's All Over" (1964) US: #72
- "Around The Corner" (1964) US:#125
- "Seven Letters" (1965) R&B: #11 US: #45
- "The Record (Baby I Love You)" (1965) Pop: #84
- "She's Gone Again" (1965) US:#128
- "Cry No More" (1965)
- "Goodnight My Love" (1965) US: #91
- "So Much Love" (1966) US: #96
- "Get In a Hurry" (1966)
- "I Swear By Stars Above" (1966) R&B: #35 (b-side of "Get in a Hurry")
- "They Don't Give Medals to Yesterday's Heroes" (1966)
- "What Is Soul?" (1966) R&B: #38 (b-side of "They Don't Give...")
- "A Man Without a Dream (1967)
- "Tears, Tears, Tears" (1967) R&B: #34 US: #93 (b-side of "A Man Without...")
- "Katherine" (1967)
- "Don't Take Your Sweet Love Away" (1967) R&B: #44
- "We Got a Thing Goin' On" (1968) with Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp is an American R&B singer, who began her career recording as a backing vocalist in 1961.-Career:...
US:#127
- "Don't Take Your Love from Me
"Don't Take Your Love from Me" is a popular song written by Henry Nemo and published in 1944.-Recorded versions:*Eddy Arnold*Doris Day *The Four Aces *Glen Gray *Julie London *Rhonda Fleming - 1957...
" (1968) US:#117
- "Where's the Girl" (1968)
- "It Ain't Fair" (1968)
- "Til' I Can't Take It Anymore" US:#134
- "Hey Little One" (1969)
- "I Can't Take It Like a Man" (1970, Maxwell)
- "Take Me to the Pilot" (1972, Mandala)
- "Into the Mystic
"Into the Mystic" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and featured on his 1970 album Moondance. This song was also included on Morrison's 1974 live album, It's Too Late To Stop Now....
" (1972)
- "Spread Myself Around" (1973)
- "Supernatural Thing, Part 1" (1975, Atlantic) R&B: #1 US: #5
- "Do It in the Name of Love" (1975) R&B: #4 US: #60
- "We Got Love" (1975)
- "I Had a Love" (1975) R&B: #23 (b-side of "We Got Love")
- "I Betcha you Didn't Know" (1976)
- "Get It Up" (1977) with Average White Band
- "A Star in the Ghetto" (1977) R&B: #25 with Average White Band
- "Fool for You Anyway" (1977) with Average White Band
- "I See the Light" (1978)
- "Fly Away to My Wonderland" (1978)
- "Music Trance" (1979) R&B: #29
- "Street Tough" (1981)
- "You Made the Difference in My Life" (1981)
- "Stand By Me [re-issue]" (1986) US: #9 UK: #1
- "Spanish Harlem [re-issue]" (1987)
- "Save the Last Dance for Me [re-recorded]" (1987, EMI-Manhattan)
- "What's Important to Me" (1991, Ichiban)
- "You've Got All of Me" (1992)
- "You Still Move Me" (1992)
- "4th of July" (1997, Right Stuff)
External links
- VH1 profile
- http://www.geocities.com/shakin_stacks/beneking.txt
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:51u06j5h71t0~T1
- http://www.vocalgrouphalloffame.com/inductees/ben_e_king.html