Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Collection: Stand by Me/Best of Ben E. King/Ben E. King with the Drifters

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have long been a Drifters fan and admired Ben E. King when he was their lead singer; but I never really appreciated his talents until I heard this album. Ben E. King is truly a soulful singer, and many of the songs on this album will have you wondering why he hasn't been more appreciated. If you like Jerry Butler, the Drifters, Jackie Wilson or Clyde McPhatter, then you will have to like this album. Wish I had found it years ago!!

There are clearly some memorable songs on this CD but there are at least 6 tunes that are "covers" and were done originally by other artists whom you think of when you hear them. Try the CD, "Very Best of Ben E. King". Those songs belong only to him.

Here we have all the hits + the 3 big Drifters' hits when Ben was their
leadsinger. After the first Drifters success Ben received a ridiculous
500 $ "salary" and he decided he'd better be off by himself. Before
leaving in 1960 he recorded 3 more songs as leader of the Drifters
that became huge hits (Save the Last Dance, I Count the Tears and This
Magic Moment)Then as a solo singer he recorded Stand By Me in 1961 and
the rest is history. This song is considered as one of the greatest
in music history. The reason why I consider this the best compilation
ever is because of the sound quality. All songs are in full stereo and
I just don't understand why other Drifters and Ben E King compilations
are rather bad mono recordings. Hearing all these wonderful hits in
full stereo make the other compilations worthless.
Highly recommendable!

Born Benjamin Earl Nelson but known as Ben E King by the time he achieved fame as lead singer of the Drifters, Ben did not have many big solo hits but he nevertheless made an important contribution to popular music.

This compilation includes three of his American hits as lead singer of the Drifters. All three are brilliant but the most famous is Save the last dance for me, which has been recorded by a multitude of singers in several different styles of music. It has also been translated into several languages and many great covers have been recorded in France, Germany and elsewhere.

Following the success of Save the last dance for me, Ben opted for a solo career. He had fewer hits as a solo artist than his former group had without him, but Stand by me (later to become the theme song of an eighties movie) ensures his place in pop music history as a solo singer, while his other great solo records include Spanish Harlem, Amor, Don't play that song and I who have nothing. Ben made a brief comeback in the American charts with Supernatural thing in the mid-seventies.

Ben's first (minor) UK hit, First taste of love, is also included, together with his covers of such classics as Dream lover, Moon river, It's all in the game, On the street where you live and Will you love me tomorrow.

This is a fine compilation that contains all the important solo tracks from Ben's career, plus three Drifters tracks.

As good as it was when I heard him sing live many years ago. Excellent quality and sound reproduction... Good buy...

I recently listened to B.E. King and was so moved by his "Stand by Me" that I immediatelly ordered my own copy of his recent DVD.

Early Rock And Roll with a mix of Blues good stuff for the ears

Yes, this has 3 or 4 of Ben E King's well-known hits. But the rest is covers of other singers' songs, and mostly they're not very good.