Customer Reviews

Give Me the Night

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not a George Benson fan, yet I have to admit this is a great album. Much of the credit belongs to producer Quincy Jones. He gives the project a polished sheen that ties every song together, but never comes off as sterile. Uptempo cuts (Dinorah, Dinorah) blend seamlessly with ballads (Love Dance). Apart from two instrumentals, Benson doesn't get much solo space. But when he does get to use his guitar chops, it's always in service to the song rather than a mere display of technique (as in the title track). The high quality of the material doesn't hurt. Rod Temperton wrote half the songs, and they are at least as good as the ones he gave to Michael Jackson. Even the weakest song - "Midnight Love Affair" - is memorable. Purists are quick to condemn "Give Me The Night" because it isn't really a "jazz" album. It's their loss. Whatever happened to the pure enjoyment of music? Pop this in the CD player, dim the lights, get out the Chardonnay, and cuddle up.

Love X Love is a pure classic song to listen to from the "GIVE ME TONIGHT" album. you can sit back and listen to George Benson putting in his best, or you can even dance to its groove. You listen to the words and it just brings you back to that old or new love. I never get tired of listening to it. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I have. check it out!

*** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE SHM-CD 2009 REMASTER ***

Released in July 1980 on Warner Brothers K 56823 in the UK and HS 3453 in the USA, George Benson's "Give Me The Night" was a huge record at the time (it peaked at No. 3 in both countries).

And like Michael Jackson's "Off The Wall" from 1978 before it - its fusion of soul, funk and jazz was popular everywhere - crossing over every rock barrier like never before (it was Grammy nominated and won too).

Yet except for a few remastered tracks on the excellent 2CD "Anthology" set from 2000 on Rhino, the entire album has been languishing around for over two decades now on one of those awful Eighties CDs with dullard murky sound. Until now...

Released 24 June 2009 in Japan-only on Warner Bros WPCR-13453 - this 24-bit remastered version is an audiophile CD on their SUPER HIGH MATERIALS format (playable on all players - 42:51 minutes).

And coming from an era that is probably the most derided in history by music lovers - especially when it comes to bombastic sound and ham-fisted production excesses - this SHM version is a BEAUTIFULLY REALIZED CD REMASTER - it really is.

It doesn't say who 24-bit remastered this album, but whoever did it, has produced the most awesome result because the sound quality is just GLORIOUS - I mean BEAUTIFUL. Of course the album always had the immaculate production values of QUINCY JONES and the stunning array of top session men to thank for its polish anyway - but this newly upgraded version is just wonderful. It's neither falsely loud nor brash - there's no audible hiss, but it's also not clinically clean - there's air around the instruments - it's just warm and THERE.

You hear all the instrumentation - especially the bass and rhythm sections. The wildly underrated funky-as-James-Brown's-DNA instrumental "Off Broadway" is just stunning now - as is David Wolinski's brilliantly soulful and sleek "Midnight Love Affair" - WOWSER!
(There's an argument raging around the net at the moment about sly remastering techniques, pumping up the loudness of reissues for the so-called `iPod' generation - which essentially produces downloads that sound better but lack any real dynamic range. I mention this because to my ears there's none of that on here.)

The jewel case is standard and there's the black and gold obi strip inside; the SHM CD itself feels slightly heavier to ordinary CDs - more substantial - it seems to hold better as it plays in the tray somehow - steady. The 8-page booklet is disappointingly the same as US/Euro issues (has session details though) and the extra foldout page of info about the album that you get in these Japanese issues is - well in Japanese - so its kinda useless.

Gripes - no Euro/USA issue so it costs as an import - and it wouldn't have taken much to include the edited single mixes of "Give Me The Night" and "Love X Love" as bonus tracks, but somehow this CD isn't about ramming the disc chocker full of extras - it's about the best sound - and on that front they've achieved their goal with absolute knobs on.

With 6 of it's 10 killer songs written by Britain's ROD TEMPERTON and the immaculate production values of veteran sound man QUINCY JONES, "Give Me The Night" practically set up the template for the album that would literally take over the world three years later - Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (Quincy produced and Temperton wrote 3 of its 9 songs including the title track).

Ok - this version is expensive and it's probably even awkward to obtain, but I've loved rehearing "Give Me The Night" in this stunning sound quality - beautiful stuff - and recommended big time.

PS: It's available mail-order from Amazon sites or two superb Japanese CD sites I use - CD JAPAN at "cdjapan.co.jp" and MUNDO at "mediawars.ne.jp".

"Give Me The Night" is also a part of 2009's Japanese-Only "Warner Bros Jazz & Fusion SHM-CD Collection" series - in alphabetical order the other 19 titles are:

1. Breezin' - GEORGE BENSON (1976)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13452)
2. Larry Carlton - LARRY CARLTON (1978)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13446)
3. Sleepwalk - LARRY CARLTON (1982)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13448)
4. Strikes Twice - LARRY CARLTON (1980)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13447)
5. Amandla - MILES DAVIS (1989)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13443)
6. Doo-Bop - MILES DAVIS (1991)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13444)
7. Live Around The World - MILES DAVIS (1996)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13445)
8. Siesta - MILES DAVIS and MARCUS MILLER (1982)
(Warner Bros WPCR-13442)
9. Tutu - MILES DAVIS (1986)
(Warner Bros WPCR-13441)
10. Teasin' - CORNELL DUPREE (1974)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13457)
11. Between The Sheets - FOURPLAY (1993)
[Featuring Bob James, Lee Ritenour, Nathan East and Harvey Mason]
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13460)
12. Fourplay - FOURPLAY (1991)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13459)
13. Word Of Mouth - JACO PASTORIUS (1981)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13454)
14. Rit - LEE RITENOUR (1981)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13456)
15. The Captain's Journey - LEE RITENOUR (1978)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13455)
16. Magnetic - STEPS AHEAD [feat Michael Brecker] (1986)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13458)
17. More Stuff - STUFF (1977)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13450)
18. Stuff - STUFF (1976)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13449)
19. Winelight - GROVER WASHINGTON, Jr. (1980)
(Warner Bros. WPCR-13451)

This award-winning CD for "Best R&B Vocal Performance" at the 1980 Annual Grammy Awards is one of George Benson's most remarkable recordings produced by the great Quincy Jones. The legendary Frank Sinatra once described Mr. Jones as "a very talented man and one of the bright stars in the composing business." And he truly is one of them. I have enjoyed this recording since the Eighties when it first came out. This CD showcases the artistic qualities of Mr. Benson in vocals and guitar. He has proven once again his musical versatility by playing the guitar exquisitely and showing off his unique vocal cords as well.

George has the backing of the greatest musicians on the jazz scene: Lee Ritenour (guitar), Herbie Hancock (piano), David Foster and George Duke (keyboards) and Paulinho Da Costa (percussion), to name a few.

Listen to "Moody's Mood For Love," and you will be enticed and transported back in time. It is the great saxophone/flute player James Moody's signature song, which is based on the popular song "I'm In The Mood For Love." Mr. Benson shares the spotlight with jazz vocalist Patti Austin on this beautiful duet and one of my personal favorites. The rest of my favorite tracks are "Love Dance" and "Turn Out The Lamplight." All these three tracks are to die for and enough reason to own this wonderful CD.

Put this CD on your changer and enjoy it with the company of good friends on a lazy Sunday afternoon High Tea, exchanging musical pleasantries, Benson's new-released CDs, concerts, or any interesting topics under the sun.

Happy listening!

i was 9yrs old when this album came out. all i listened to was "give me the night" and "love x love". then when i started djing i played "dinorah dinorah". so one day i found my old lp that was in so-so condition. that's when i discovered the rest. this is a timeless piece of work for george. oh, last but not least you can't overlook the awsome production work of quincy jones. still can't believe this came out in 1980.

This album was excellently produced, engineered and performed. It is, in my opinion, one of the best albums of the last century. Rod Temperton (of Heatwave) contributes to this album (he wrote many of Michael Jackson's super-mega hits) and the George Benson and Rod Temperton combination is pure musical heaven. A truly must-have in any jazz aficionado's collection. This album brings back many good memories of the late 70s and early 80s.

George Benson's Qwest/Warner Brothers album "Give Me The Night" is a slamming album. I heard this album when I was just a kid.
Love X Love is a slamming track. "Give Me The Night" is just as good. My favorite is "Star Of A Story".. Eerie sounds with heavenly vocals. The background vocals which accompanied that sound was Patti Austin, Diva Gray, Jocelyn Brown, Tom Bahler and Jim Gilstrap. With the heavenly vocal cameo of Patti Austin on "Star Of A Story" it gives the song a holy type of experience. If ya want to groove, then pick this up!

Add "sensual crooner" to the many talents of one Mr. George Benson in this gorgeous collection of late night sonatas. Quincy Jones employs essentially the same session players that made "Off the Wall" so dynamic. He places George's voice as the centerpiece with compositions by Rod Temperton, James Moody and David Foster and accentuated by his distinctive, but spare, guitar playing. George and Quincy succeeds greatly in creating a R&B/Jazz Masterpiece. If you have ever been in love, and that love soared like elegant edifices in a Manhattan skyline, then "Give Me the Night" is the soundtrack to that great affair. The production demands the listener to open a most precious bottle of Georges Duboeuf's Merlot 1998, Vin de Pays d'Oc,which of course would have been fermented a decade or so after this release but you get the idea. Clearly, this album will stand the test of time. Classifying it as a "jazz" album would be a disservice to purist. Yet listing it as an R&B outing also ignores the precision, grace and timing that rarely infuses such a release.
The standouts are "Love Dance" acoustic soul has never sounded more lovelorn, he covers Heatwave's "Star of the Story" as if it were always designed for this project. The oft-covered "Moody's Mood" glides in just as effortlessly. The comfort of love in the morning hours before dawn are drenched in "Turn Off the Lamplight" which is possibly the most reassuring lyrics one can bear at that time of day. Quincy was on a roll going from producing La Diva Diana Ross and Michael Jackson's "The Wiz" score and soundtrack, into the aforementioned "Off the Wall" followed by this offering and then moving on to Chaka Khan and Rufus' "Masterjam". I was very much in young love when this album first came out. It is a testament to its strength and endurance that the memories it conjurs distinctly belong to this album and not anyone love affair in one's life.....making it timeless. I would dare to say that this was Mr. Benson's second peak after his breakthrough with "Breezin'"....he would never again achieve this level of commercial success.....but it doesn't matter just "Give Me the Night".

WOW!!! 2 incredible talents working on 1 album, you know there are gonna be fireworks!!
The new generation really needs to listen to albums like this in order to apreciate REAL TALENT!!!
I'm at my 20's myself and am discovering old music everyday and I must say that this album is one of the many few that's worth every penny becouse every song is incredible!!

The respect I've got for this man is infinite. He is a true trendsetter. He has contributed a lot to create the music we call today Smooth Jazz.
I love every single track on it, it's really great music from start to finish. If only all today's albums could be as good as this...
80's funk tracks like "Love X Love" and "Give Me The Night" are just timeless classic club songs!
His cover of James Moody's "Moody's Mood" is simply irresistible: what a smooth and dreamy song! (and the vocals from Patti Austin are just superb too). Wonderful isn't enough to describe such a song.
"What's On Your Mind" is one of my favorite because of this laidback melody. Another great song in an album overflowing with them.
Latin-flavoured "Dinorah, Dinorah" and jazz funk-tinged "Off Broadway" are 2 excellent instrumental songs, which prove that Benson is one of the best guitar players ever.
"Love Dance" and "Star of a story" are sweet songs, with melancholic melodies, while "Midnight Love Affair" is the perfect late-night soundtrack, as the title say.
To finish, "Turn Out The Lamplight" is as smooth and intoxicating as any track on the album.
I think this is one of the very rare albums I could listen in shuffle.
This album was produced by Quincy Jones, and all I can say is that this guy too is a genius! According to me, this album is as good as the albums "Off The Wall" and "Thriller" he produced for Michael Jackson"
A beautiful blend of smooth jazz, quiet storm and funk. Soulful, soothing, laidback, dreamy... simply magnificent
Hails to the great George Benson! If you are into great music, please have this cd in your collection