Ben E. King
Wikimp3 information about the music of Ben E. King. On our website we have 70 albums and 70 collections of artist Ben E. King. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that Ben E. King represents Hip Hop/R&B genres.
Biography
[Edit]From the groundbreaking orchestrated productions of the Drifters to his own solo hits, Ben E. King was the definition of R&B elegance. King's plaintive baritone had all the passion of gospel, but the settings in which it was displayed were tailored more for his honey smooth phrasing and crisp enunciation, proving for perhaps the first time that R&B could be sophisticated and accessible to straight pop audiences. King's approach influenced countless smooth soul singers in his wake and his records were key forerunners of the Motown sound.
King was born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, NC, in 1938, and sang with his church choir before the family moved to Harlem in 1947. In junior high, he began performing with a street corner doo wop group called the Four B's, which won second place in an Apollo Theater talent contest. While still in high school, he was offered a chance to join the Moonglows, but was simply too young and inexperienced to stick. He subsequently worked at his father's restaurant as a singing waiter, which led to an invitation to become the baritone singer in a doo wop outfit called the Five Crowns in 1958. The Five Crowns performed several gigs at the Apollo Theater along with the Drifters, whose career had begun to flounder in the years since original lead singer Clyde McPhatter departed. Drifters manager George Treadwell, dissatisfied with the group members' unreliability and lack of success, fired them all in the summer of 1958 and hired the Five Crowns to assume the name of the Drifters (which he owned).
The 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 group's 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," "Don't 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. 1967's Southern-fried "What Is Soul?" was one of his last singles for Atco; seeking to revive his commercial fortunes, King departed in 1969.
A 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 King's 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, Part 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 single's 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. In 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 a new album every few years all the way up through the '90s. He also guested on recordings by Heaven 17 and Mark Knopfler, among others. King's 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. 2006 saw the release of a brand new album, I've Been Around, on True Life Records.
Title: Definitive Ben E. King Anthology Seven, Benny And Us
Artist: Ben E. King, Average White Band
Genre: Soul
Title: The Best Of Ben E.King & The Drifters
Artist: Ben E. King, The Drifters
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap, Soul
Title: Ben E. King Meets Z Z Hill
Artist: Ben E. King, Z. Z. Hill
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop, Funk
Title: The Complete Atco / Atlantic Singles Vol. 1: 1960-1966
Artist: Ben E. King
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock, Pop
Title: The Definitive Hits Collection (Original Recordings Remastered)
Artist: Ben E. King
Genre: Soul
Title: Back to Back - Ben E. King & Percy Sledge
Artist: Ben E. King, Percy Sledge
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap
Collections
Title: Oldies But Goodies
Genre: Pop
Title: 100 '50s & '60s Hits (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Rock
Title: The Cream of Soul
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: 70s, '80s & '90s Dance Remixes (Re-Recorded / Remastered)
Genre: Pop
Title: Cruisin' to the Hits of the '50s & '60s
Genre: Pop
Title: The Definitive Love Collection (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock, Pop
Title: Black Power - '60s & '70s
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: It's Christmas Again, Vol. 1
Genre: Traditional Pop Music
Title: Super Hits of the 1960s (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Rock
Title: 70's Soul - Groove Me (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: 100 Soul Hits
Genre: Rock
Title: 2012: Soundtrack To The End Of The World
Genre: Pop
Title: Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: The Buddha Greatest Lounge
Genre: Electronica
Title: 100 Slow Jams (Re-Recorded Version)
Genre: Pop
Title: '60s Time Machine
Genre: Rock
Title: 100 '60s Hits (Re-Recorded Version) [Remastered]
Genre: Rock
Title: I Love the 60s
Genre: Rock
Title: Funk Soul & Classic R&B
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Funk
Title: Love Is in the Air! Essential Romantic Music
Genre: Pop
Title: The Number 1 Soul Collection
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: Hits of the 80'S
Genre: Pop
Title: The Hits of 1961, Vol. 3
Genre: Pop
Title: Ultimate Memories
Genre: Pop
Title: Oldies But Goldies (Rerecorded Version)
Genre: Pop
Title: A Quarter in the Jukebox: 25 Classic Golden Oldies
Genre: Pop
Title: Soul Jazz Blues Vol. 1
Genre: Jazz
Title: Best of the 70s (Re-Recording)
Genre: World Music, Country, Pop, Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: Hot Summer Nights (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Platinum Trax Classic Love Songs
Genre: Pop
Title: Soul Greatest Hits
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Funk
Title: Love Songs for Valentines Day Lovers
Genre: Pop
Title: All Your Rhythm & Blues Favourites (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: 1960s Happy Days
Genre: Rock
Title: Good Morning Vietnam
Genre: Rock
Title: Apocalypse Now! - Sounds of the '60s
Genre: Rock
Title: Super Funk Hits
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Movie Music of 2012
Genre: Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: Movie Songs Now! (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: Love Songs Hits From the 60s
Genre: Pop
Title: Back To The 70's
Title: 30 Classic Tracks: The Seventies (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock
Title: Hipster Lounge - Too Cool for School
Genre: Alternative
Title: 70's Dance Party (Re-recorded Version)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock
Title: American Made Malt Shop Classics
Genre: Rock
Title: When a Man Loves a Woman: Golden Oldies Love Songs
Genre: Rock
Featuring albums
Title: Sugar Sugar and More #1 Hits
Artist: John Fred, John Fred & His Playboy Band, Gallery, Archies
Title: All-Time Greatest Hits & More (1959-1965)
Artist: The Drifters
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock, Pop
Title: Soul On Fire: The Best of LaVerne Baker
Artist: LaVern Baker
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Jazz
Title: Stand By Me [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
Artist: Stand By Me
Genre: Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: The Wanderers (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Artist: The Wanderers
Genre: Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: Malt Shop Favorites (New Stereo Recordings by the Original Artists)
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Rock
Title: Together (Rerecorded Version)
Artist: Percy Sledge
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Jazz, Disco, Pop
Title: Apollo Saturday Night
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Rock, Blues Rock
Title: The Groove! - Belgium Popcorn (Blended Soul and R&B with Eastern Promise)
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: James Brown Presents A Soulful Christmas
Artist: James Brown
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Pop, Traditional Pop Music, Theatre/Soundtrack, Funk, Vocal & Symphonic
Title: Soul On Fire: Thes Best Of LaVerne Baker (US Release)
Artist: LaVern Baker
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: Anything For The Devil
Artist: Rikets
Title: Valentine's Day: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: Karaoke - Singing to the Hits: Soul Style (Rerecorded Version)
Artist: Various Artists
Genre:
Title: Karaoke - Singing to the Hits: Sweet Soulful 60's (Rerecorded Version)
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Karaoke: Gold - Singing to the Hits (Rerecorded Version)
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock