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Ben E. King was one of the soul and R&B singers who bridged the gap between the doowop and R&B vocal groups of the late 1950 and the soul boom of the 1960s, beginning his career as a member of The Five Crowns, which became the core of a new Drifters line-up in 1958, and providing lead vocals on hits which included Save The Last Dance For Me. Embarking on a solo career with Atlantic Records, he worked with producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller to have a debut hit in 1960 with Spanish Harlem, followed by the landmark classic Stand By Me, which he co-wrote and which the Record Industry Association of America lists at No. 25 on its list of Songs Of The Century. This album contains all his A & B sides on the Atco label during this era, along with his duet single with Lavern Baker, plus all the tracks from his albums during these years Spanish Harlem, Ben E. King Sings For Soulful Lovers and Don't Play That Song! which were not otherwise released on singles. It naturally features all his eleven pop and R&B hits from this time, including the R&B and UK No. 1 Stand By Me and the Top 10 classics Spanish Harlem and Amor. Its a comprehensive overview of this key era of his career and a fine showcase for one of the great soul voices of the era. REVIEWS “Great voice, great production, great baion beat… I'm glad I've heard this collection.” – Pete Bowen (Now Dig This Issue 443) “This compilation by one of the great early soul stylists is worth the money!” - Mike Atherton (Blues & Rhythm March 2020) “Stand By Me, a gospel rewrite, is considered to be King's lasting contribution to music. For me, it's not even the best song on the two-sided 45. I've always loved, and preferred, the flip, the mystical On The Horizon. So, this 43-track double CD is fine by me, since it has every A- and B-side from his career, plays the content of three albums. Spanish Harlem, First Taste Of Love and Amor were among his 11-hit run, and all are here at a budget price. Buy it now.” ***** – John Howard (Vintage Rock Issue 46)
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