George Benson - The Greatest Hits of All

Basically, this "greatest hits of all" is simply that: the highest-charting tracks in George Benson's long career -- highest-charting pop and adult contemporary tracks, that is. Benson had been on the scene over a decade before signing with Warner Bros., and many of his jukebox and r&b hits were recorded for Creed Taylor's CTI label. Some of Benson's recorded work that held those hits has been reissued in the past two years. Of the Warner material, they have gauged success by chart placement -- not sales, not radio play, not artist choice. Therefore, while the stellar tracks from Breezin', namely "This Masquerade," which charted at number one on pop and r&b in Billboard, and its follow-up, the album's title track, kick the album off along with "On Broadway" and "The Greatest Love of All." But there are many stops along the way to the present from that 1976 issue, such as Benson's singularly beautiful read of "Unchained Melody," "Never Give Up on a Good Thing," and his duet with Aretha Franklin, which stormed through the radios of literally millions of lovers, "Love All the Hurt Away." Benson's streak is remarkable in that he consistently recorded tracks of similar weight, length, and dynamic with essentially the same timeless production that took him to the top in the first place. Thus, cuts such as "I Just Wanna Hang Around You," "Kisses in the Moonlight," "Never Give Up on a Good Thing," "Shiver," "Love X Love," and "Let's Do It Again," while being very different songs, come across in exactly the same way. The formula is a winning one even today. The Greatest Hits of All may not truly have Benson's great material, but the album does tell a story of one man's ability to consistently conquer the charts for a long period of time. And that, in this day and age, is an accomplishment realized by few. Benson virtually defined the quiet storm format with his slick, sheeny, lights-down-low approach to recording, and as this collection evidences, this made him an enduring artist. For those who dig the Warner material, this is the collection to have. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Name Credits Abraham Laboriel Bass Alan Glass Guitar (Rhythm) Andy Bloch Guitar Anthony Jackson Bass Aretha Franklin Vocals Arif Mardin Producer, Arranger Audrey Wheeler Vocals (Background) Babi Floyd Vocals (Background) Bill Champlin Vocals (Background) Bill Inglot Producer Bill Reichenbach Jr. Trombone Bryan Lee Janszen Drum Programming Carlos Vega Drums Carmen Twilley Vocals (Background) Chuck Findley Trumpet Claus Ogerman Conductor, Orchestral Arrangements Claytoven Richardson Vocals (Background) Dan Hersch Remastering Danny Sembello Synthesizer Bass, Fender Rhodes Dave Weckl Cymbals David Foster String Arrangements, Synthesizer, Piano (Electric) David McLees Compilation Producer David Paich Keyboards, Bass, Arranger, Synthesizer Dennis Turner Executive Producer Diva Gray Vocals (Background) Earl Klugh Guitar (Acoustic) Eddie Daniels Sax (Alto) Gary Herbig Saxophone, Flute Gary Peterson Discographical Annotation Gene Page Synthesizer Genobia Jeter Vocals (Background) George Benson Compilation Producer, Vocals, Guitar Greg "Gigi" Gonaway Drums, Cymbals Hamish Stuart Vocals (Background) Harvey Mason, Sr. Drums Herbie Hancock Piano (Electric) Howard "Buzz" Feiten Guitar Hugh Brown Art Direction Jai Winding Piano, Piano (Electric) James Newton Howard Synthesizer, Keyboards, String Arrangements James Taylor Vocals (Background) Jay Graydon Producer, Arranger, Guitar, Synthesizer Jeff Porcaro Drums Jennifer Hall Vocals (Background) Jerry Hey String Arrangements, Flugelhorn, Trumpet, Horn, Strings, Brass Arrangement Jim Gilstrap Vocals (Background) Jocelyn Allen Vocals (Background) John "J.R." Robinson Drums Jonathan Lewis Programming, Synthesizer Jorge Dalto Keyboards, Piano, Clavinet Kim Hutchcroft Flute, Saxophone Kitty Beethoven Vocals (Background) Kwaku Alston Photography Larry Williams Saxophone, Flute Lee Holdridge Conductor, Orchestration Lee Ritenour Guitar Lenny Castro Percussion Marcus Miller Bass Marcy Levy Vocals (Background) Mark Stevens Vocals (Background) Marty Paich String Arrangements Michael Boddicker Synthesizer Michael Masser Rhythm Arrangements, Producer, Piano Michael Omartian Synthesizer, Piano Michael Sembello Drum Programming, Vocals (Background) Mike Baird Cymbals Mike Mainieri Orchestration, Conductor Mike Sims Guitar Narada Michael Walden Drum Programming, Producer, Drums Nathan East Bass Neil Stubenhaus Bass Nick DeCaro String Arrangements Patti Austin Vocals (Background) Paul Brown Producer Paul Jackson, Jr. Guitar (Rhythm) Paulinho Da Costa Percussion Phil Upchurch Guitar (Rhythm), Bass Preston Glass Drum Programming, Sequencing, Synthesizer, Associate Producer Quincy Jones Rhythm Rachel Gutek Design, Art Direction Ralph MacDonald Percussion Randy Goodrum Drum Programming, Synthesizer, Sequencing Randy Waldman Synthesizer Richard Tee Synthesizer Bass Rob Mounsey Synclavier Robbie Buchanan Piano (Electric) Rod Temperton Vocal Arrangement, Rhythm Arrangements Ronnie Foster Piano (Electric), Keyboards, Synthesizer Russ Titelman Producer Scott Galloway Compilation Producer Sheryl Farber Editorial Supervision Stanley Banks Bass Steve Dubin Producer, Programming, Arranger Steve Gadd Drums Steve Kipner Sequencers, Drum Programming Steve Lukather Guitar Steve Woolard Discographical Annotation Suzanne Valentine Vocals (Background) Tim Heintz Keyboards Tom Bahler Vocals (Background) Tom Bert Photography Tommy LiPuma Producer Vaneese Thomas Vocals (Background) Venette Gloud Vocals (Background) Walter Afanasieff Keyboards Wayne Lewis Producer, Keyboards, Drum Programming Wells Christy Synclavier, Programming Will Lee Bass Zachary Sanders Vocals (Background)