Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2013 15:42:17 GMT
Ben E. King: Camden Lock
MY LAST VISIT to the quaint, cobbled pavements of Camden Lock was to see Eddie Floyd knocking on wood in standard mid-60s soul routine. Ben E. King was merely a more substantial version of Floyd, with a bigger reputation and a larger repertoire of hits to hack through.
And hack through his hits he did. The major part of his stage act consists of two extended medlies: a) 'The Way We Were' / 'Stand By Me' / 'There Goes My Baby' / 'Cupid' / 'Wonderful World' — he quotes Sam Cooke as 'the singer who had the greatest influence on me,' during this particular workout; and b) 'Save The Last Dance For Me' / 'Don't Play That Song (You Lied)' / 'Spanish Harlem' / 'Stand By Me' (reprise).
"Don't play that song for me, it brings back memories; of times that I once knew; of those times that I spent with you."
I lost my virginity — and learnt how to unfasten a bra — with Ben E. King's Songs For Soulful Lovers meandering away in the background.
"Yes you may hold me; yes you may touch me; yes you may kiss me; yes you may…"
Benjamin was backed by a six-piece soul band from wee Scotland — organ / two saxes / rhythm and lead guitar / bass / drum — supplemented by the ex-Drifters' own Al Macgruder on piano. Macgruder was described as "conductor and musical arranger."
The outfit were generally loose, untidy and noisy; and seemed to spend most of the evening trying to blow each other offstage. They cooled off a warmed-up audience with workouts of Crusaders / Fatback riffs, before the MC bounded on stage and announced:
"Are you ready for show time?"
Half-hearted response.
"I see all those people out there," continued the non-plussed MC, "and when I say 'Are you ready for show time,' the response is so weak! And when your response is weak, it often means that the show is gonna be weak too. So, are you ready for show time?"
Slightly more full-hearted response.
And then Ben E. King was onstage — looking uncommonly like a hit man for the Harlem Mafia — dressed in white double-breasted suit with silver buttons; black shirt, of the kind that don't have buttons at the neck. In the words of Dyke and the Blazers — so sharp!
He sang a good version of Lou Rawls 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine' — prompting immediate comparison with John Holt — and he sang Tavares' 'Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel'. And he was good.
Rapturous applause followed his first medley; and slightly less rapturous applause followed his second medley. Rapture was reinstated with 'Supernatural Thing' — Ben's massive disco hit of last year.
The Dingwalls crowd shouted the man back for one deserved encore; and the singer obliged with Sam Cooke's 'Bring It On Home To Me', further acknowledging the late Soul Stirrer; hanging on to the hem of his garment.
"Get Ben E. King back here next time he's in the country," I remarked to Dingwalls' booking man, Dave "Boss" Goodman.
"Yeah, I will," came the reply, "I think he's great."
And he was.
Penny Reel, NME, 2 October 1976
MY LAST VISIT to the quaint, cobbled pavements of Camden Lock was to see Eddie Floyd knocking on wood in standard mid-60s soul routine. Ben E. King was merely a more substantial version of Floyd, with a bigger reputation and a larger repertoire of hits to hack through.
And hack through his hits he did. The major part of his stage act consists of two extended medlies: a) 'The Way We Were' / 'Stand By Me' / 'There Goes My Baby' / 'Cupid' / 'Wonderful World' — he quotes Sam Cooke as 'the singer who had the greatest influence on me,' during this particular workout; and b) 'Save The Last Dance For Me' / 'Don't Play That Song (You Lied)' / 'Spanish Harlem' / 'Stand By Me' (reprise).
"Don't play that song for me, it brings back memories; of times that I once knew; of those times that I spent with you."
I lost my virginity — and learnt how to unfasten a bra — with Ben E. King's Songs For Soulful Lovers meandering away in the background.
"Yes you may hold me; yes you may touch me; yes you may kiss me; yes you may…"
Benjamin was backed by a six-piece soul band from wee Scotland — organ / two saxes / rhythm and lead guitar / bass / drum — supplemented by the ex-Drifters' own Al Macgruder on piano. Macgruder was described as "conductor and musical arranger."
The outfit were generally loose, untidy and noisy; and seemed to spend most of the evening trying to blow each other offstage. They cooled off a warmed-up audience with workouts of Crusaders / Fatback riffs, before the MC bounded on stage and announced:
"Are you ready for show time?"
Half-hearted response.
"I see all those people out there," continued the non-plussed MC, "and when I say 'Are you ready for show time,' the response is so weak! And when your response is weak, it often means that the show is gonna be weak too. So, are you ready for show time?"
Slightly more full-hearted response.
And then Ben E. King was onstage — looking uncommonly like a hit man for the Harlem Mafia — dressed in white double-breasted suit with silver buttons; black shirt, of the kind that don't have buttons at the neck. In the words of Dyke and the Blazers — so sharp!
He sang a good version of Lou Rawls 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine' — prompting immediate comparison with John Holt — and he sang Tavares' 'Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel'. And he was good.
Rapturous applause followed his first medley; and slightly less rapturous applause followed his second medley. Rapture was reinstated with 'Supernatural Thing' — Ben's massive disco hit of last year.
The Dingwalls crowd shouted the man back for one deserved encore; and the singer obliged with Sam Cooke's 'Bring It On Home To Me', further acknowledging the late Soul Stirrer; hanging on to the hem of his garment.
"Get Ben E. King back here next time he's in the country," I remarked to Dingwalls' booking man, Dave "Boss" Goodman.
"Yeah, I will," came the reply, "I think he's great."
And he was.
Penny Reel, NME, 2 October 1976