Benny Gordon (singer)

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Benny Gordon
Born1932
Estill, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedDecember 24, 2008 (aged 77)
GenresSoul
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter and bandleader
Instrument(s)Vocals
LabelsRCA, Estill, Capitol

Benny Gordon (1932 – December 24, 2008) was an American soul and R&B singer who recorded from the early 1960s up to the 1970s. Some of his early efforts were as a member of Christian Harmonizers. Their recordings were credited to The Christian Harmonizers (Featuring B. Gordon). Later recordings were as Bennie Gordon and the Soul Brothers.[1] In 1968, they had a single out on the RCA label, "What Is Soul" which was backed with "I Can't Turn You Loose".[2][3]

Benny Gordon & the Soul Brothers were to appear at Trude Heller's regularly and in 1967 appeared there with Reparata & the Delrons[4] Benny and the Soul Brothers even performed for the opening day of Trude Hellers Take V club that opened on December 18, 1970.[5]

As a solo singer he released singles "True Love Is All I Need" on the Capitol label, "Gonna Give Her All The Love I Got" on Wand label and "Sugar Mama" (You Know You're My Baby) on the Estill label.[6]

Biography

Gordon was born and raised Estill, South Carolina.[7] Along with his brother, Sammy Gordon, he was a member of the Christian Harmonizers, a gospel group. In the early 1960s they moved to Brooklyn. They later formed The Soul Brothers band.[8] They became the house band at Trude Heller's club on Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village. [9]

By August 1967, the Paul Robinson produced "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" was released. Reviewed in the August 5 issue of Record World, and a four star pick, the reviewer noted the beat and lyric that would appeal to r&B fans.[10][11] A pick on Radio WWIN, it was also getting a good reception around the country.[12] It was also hitting on Radio WJLB in Detroit.[13] Its progress was noted in the August 19 issue of Record World. The magazine noted it's heating up in Detroit and gaining ground in Baltimore. It was also a pick on Baltimore's WWIN.[14]

In May 1968, Benny Gordon and the Soul Brothers released the album Tighten Up that featured the tracks "

Hang on Sloopy". It was reviewed in the June 8 issue of Billboard, and the June 25 issue of Record World.[15][16] Also that year, his version of "Gonna Give You All the Love I Got" backed with Turn On Your Love Light" was released on Wand 1188. It was a four star pick in the August 17 issue of Record World with the reviewer saying it "Will be right for many boogalooers".[17] With "Gonna Give You All the Love I Got" getting attention, his band the Soul Brothers had released their own single, "Horsing Around" on Newmiss Records, a label distributed by Scepter Records.[18]

Personal life

Gordon is related to Sammy Gordon who fronted the group Sammy Gordon & the Hip Huggers who recorded "Upstairs On Boston Road",[19] and an early version of Bobby Womack's "Breezin'" that George Benson would later have a hit with.[20] Some sources credit them as cousins[21] while others credit them as brothers.[22]

Death

He died on December 24, 2008, from an inoperable stomach tumor at the age of 77.[23]

Benny Gordon and the Soul Brothers discography

Singles

Singles
Title Label and cat Year Notes #
"Camel Walk" / "Kansas City Woman" Enrica 1015 1964 (c) [24]
"True Love Is All I Need" / "You Found A New Love" Capitol 5367 1965 [25]
"Up And Down" / (Get It) "Come And Get It"
RCA Victor
47-8953
1966
"Greyhound Blues" / "
In The Midnight Hour
"
RCA Victor 47-9144 1967
"What Is Soul" / "I Can't Turn You Loose" RCA Victor 47-9194 1967
"Kiss To Build A Dream On" / "It Comes And Goes" RCA Victor 47-9270 1967 [26]
"Soul Woman" / "All In My Mind" RCA Victor 57-3453 1968 (Canada)[27]
Albums
Title Label and cat Year Notes #
Tighten Up Hot Biscuit Disc ST 9100 (S) 1968 [28]
What Is Soul? RCA LSP-4063 1969 [29]
Various artists, compilation albums
Title Label and cat Year Track Notes #
Just A Little Bit Of Soul (RCA (Camden) INT 1014) 1969 "A Kiss To Build A Dream On" [30]
Kent Stop Dancing Kent Records – KENT 029 1994 "Turn On Your Love Light" [31]
The Soul of a Man Kent Records KENT 038 1985 "Crying Man" [32][33]

Benny Gordon discography

Estill singles
Title Label and cat Year Notes #
"Last Train To South Carolina" / "Don't Play It No More" Estill BG 17
"Give A Damn" (About Your Feller Man) / "Give A Damn" (About Your Feller Man) Estill 565
"So Much In Love" / "Lonely Man" Estill 600
"When I See Her, I'm Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got" / "So Much In Love" Estill 601
"Soul Woman" (by The Charms) / "The Hold Bag" (The B. G. Soul Brothers)" Estill 1000
"Sugar Mama" (You Know You're My Baby) Pt1 / "Sugar Mama" (You Know You're My Baby) Pt2 Estill 1000 [34]
"Suga Mama Suga Daddy" * / "La-La-La I am Falling In Love Again"** Soul City U.S.A. A-931 * Arranged by The B-G-Soul Bros
** Arranged by – A. Jones – J. Hollis[35]
Other singles
Title Label and cat Year Notes #
"Running In And Out" / "Stealing In The Name Of The Lord" Allendale 931 / 932 [36]
"True Love Is All I Need" / "You Found A New Love" Capitol 5367 1965 [37]
"Gonna Give Her All The Love I Got" / "Turn On Your Love Light" Wand WND 1188 1968 [38]
"Give A Damn (About Your Fellow Man) Part I" / "Give A Damn (About Your Fellow Man) Part II" Shadow 1012 1971 [39]
"Give A Damn (About Your Fellow Man) Part I" / "Give A Damn (About Your Fellow Man) Part 2" Phil-L.A. Of Soul 351 1971 [40]
"Sugar Mama Part 1" / "Sugar Mama Part 2" Deluxe 45–145 1972 [41]

Other

Act Title Label and cat Year Notes #
The Christian Harmonizers (Featuring B. Gordon) "Brightly Bean" / "Every Song That I Sing" Rae Cox 105 1962
The Christian Harmonizers (Featuring B. Gordon) "Look Back And Wonder" / "What Have You Done" Rae Cox 121 1963 [42]
Benny Gordon and the Days Of Our Life "All The Way In With Jesus Or All The Way Out" / "We Didn't Know Who You Was Jesus" Estill 931 [43]

Further reading

Publication or website Release / post date Article title Page / section Link
Soul Detective 12/6/06 THREE GEMS 114 to ESTILL 1000 B 11/16/06 link

References

  1. ^ Soulful Kinda Music Benny Gordon
  2. ^ Carolina Soul Non-SC and National Label Releases
  3. ^ Billboard, 6 May 1967 – Page 20, R&B Spotlights
  4. ^ Monti Rock III 1967 Ads: Trude Heller's Trik
  5. ^ Palm Beach Daily News, December 17, 1970 – Page 6
  6. ^ 45cat Benny Gordon – Discography
  7. ^ mondo phonic Covering The Tighten Up, A Survey by Brother Tad, Benny Gordon & the Soul Brothers Archived September 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ The Island Packet 'Roy C.' keeps Carolina's love affair with rhythm and blues alive by David Lauderdale
  9. ^ mondo phonic Covering The Tighten Up, A Survey by Brother Tad, Benny Gordon & the Soul Brothers Archived September 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Record World, August 12, 1967 – Page 64 R & B Beat (Continued from page 63), RCA All Out in the R&B Field
  11. ^ Record World, August 5, 1967 – Page 6 SINGLE REVIEWS
  12. ^ Record World, August 12, 1967 – Page 64 R & B Beat (Continued from page 63), RCA All Out in the R&B Field
  13. ^ Record World, August 12, 1967 – Page 66 R & B Beat (Continued from page 64)
  14. ^ Record World, August 19 – 1967 – Page 33 R & B BEAT (Continued from page 32)
  15. ^ Record World, May 11, 1968 – Page 29 R & B Beat
  16. ^ Billboard, June 8, 1968 – Album Reviews page 42
  17. ^ Record World, August 17, 1968 – Page 84 record world SINGLE REVIEWS, FOUR STAR **** PICKS
  18. ^ Record World, October 5, 1968 – Page 38 Soul Brothers All
  19. ^ 45 Cat Record Details, Artist: Sammy Gordon And The Hip Huggers
  20. ^ funky 16 Corners Bobby Womack 1944–2014
  21. ^ Cool Mojito sammy Gordon
  22. ^ Funky16Corners.Com Benny Gordon & the Soul Brothers – In the Midnight Hour
  23. ^ The Augusta Chronicle, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008 Benjamin Gordon (ALLENDALE, S.C.) Archived 2014-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ 45cat Record Details Benny Gordon And The Soul Brothers Camel Walk
  25. ^ Carolina Soul Non-SC and National Label Releases
  26. ^ Soulful Kinda Music Benny Gordon Bennie Gordon And The Soul Brothers (members Bennie Gordon, ......................................)
  27. ^ Discogs Benny Gordon – Soul Woman / All In My Mind
  28. ^ Billboard, June 8, 1968 – Album Reviews page 42
  29. ^ Discogs Benny Gordon & The Soul Brothers – What Is Soul?
  30. ^ Discogs Various Just A Little Bit Of Soul
  31. ^ Discogs Various – Kent Stop Dancing, Party Side (For Fruggers Only)
  32. ^ Schwann Spectrum, Volume 2, Issues 3–4 Page 229
  33. ^ Discogs Various – The Soul Of A Man
  34. ^ Carolina Soul E, Estill
  35. ^ Discogs – Benny Gordon Discography Singles & EPs
  36. ^ 45Cat Record Details nc162948us
  37. ^ 45Cat Record Details 5367
  38. ^ 45Cat Record Details wnd1188
  39. ^ 45Cat Record Details nc891879us
  40. ^ 45Cat Record Details nc349202us
  41. ^ 45Cat Record Details nc147575us
  42. ^ Soulful Kinda Music Benny Gordon, The Christian Harmonizers (Featuring B. Gordon) (members Bennie Gordon, Sammy Gordon, ..)
  43. ^ 45Cat – Estill – Label Discography

External links