Ben (album)
Encyclopedia
Ben is the second studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson
. The album was released on August 4, 1972, while Jackson was still a member of The Jackson 5
. The album received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Ben was more successful on music charts than Jackson's previous studio album, having charted within the top ten on the Billboard 200
. Internationally, the album was less successful, peaking at number twelve in Canada, while charting within the top 200 positions in Australia and France.
Worldwide, Ben has sold a reported three million units. The album released one single, the title track "Ben", which was a commercial success on music charts, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Jackson his first number one single on the chart. "Ben" also charted within the top ten in other territories worldwide. "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was planned to be released as the second single from the album, but canceled for unspecified reasons. Two of the album's songs were "stripped" in 2009 as part of the three-disc compilation Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection
.
, Linda Creed
, The Corporation, Smokey Robinson
, and Ronald White
, among others. Ben has R&B
, contemporary pop rock
and soul
musical styles. The album's title track
, which was the theme song for the 1972 film of the same name (the sequel to the 1971 killer rat movie Willard), won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. "What Goes Around Comes Around" has similarities to Jackson's older brother Jackie's single, "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
", which featured vocals from Jackson and his older brothers. For Ben, Jackson recorded cover's of The Temptations
' 1964 single, "My Girl", a cover of Lionel Hampton
's "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", a cover of Brenda Holloway
's 1965 single, "You Can Cry on My Shoulder" and a cover of Stevie Wonder
's 1968 single, "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day
". "My Girl" has a funk rhythm and the song's score includes some call-and-response interaction, which is similar to what Jackson and his brothers displayed in their Jackson 5 material. "You Can Cry on My Shoulder" is a mid-tempo
song. "We've Got a Good Thing Going" was previously issued as the B-side
to "Got to Be There"s "I Wanna Be Where You Are
" and "In Our Small Way" was also featured on Jackson's previous album Got to Be There.
at number three and five. "Ben" charted within the top-ten on the Dutch Top 40
chart, peaking at number two and number seven on the UK Singles Chart
, as well as charting at number fourteen in Australia. "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was planned to be released as the second single from the album, but was cancelled for unspecified reasons.
Ben was more successful on music charts in both the United States and worldwide compared to Jackson's previous studio album. The album peaked at number five on the United States' Billboard 200; becoming Jackson's first, of what would be six studio albums, to peak within the top ten on that chart. Ben also peaked at number four on the United States' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart. On January 13, 1973, Ben debuted on the United Kingdoms' Album Charts
at its peak position, number seventeen. The album remained within the country's music chart's top fifty positions for seven consecutive weeks. On January 1, 1973, the album was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
for shipping sixty thousand units across the United Kingdom. After Jackson's death
in June 2009, his music experienced a surge in popularity. The album charted on French's music charts on July 25, 2009, at its peak position, number one-hundred-sixty-two. Ben remained within the country's top two-hundred positions for two consecutive weeks. The album has reportedly sold over five million units worldwide.
The album generally received mixed to positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Lindsay Planer of Allmusic gave Ben a four out of five star rating. Planer cited "What Goes Around Comes Around' as being "one of Bens better deep cuts" and "Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day" as being a "winner" while describing "In Our Small Way" as being a "lesser note" for the album, having felt that the song contained a "hopelessly dated 'message'". Planer noted that one "interesting shift was the lack of participation from the Motown hitmaking machine known collectively as 'the Corporation'". Vince Aletti of Rolling Stone magazine gave the album a two out of five star rating. Aletti noted that while the album "contains a good deal more original material" it "has nothing as luscious as 'Got to Be There' or 'I Wanna Be Where You Are,'" but, "it's on the whole a much stronger album than the first." He noted that in the albums title track, Jackson had a "surprising amount of feeling" in his vocal performance. Leah Greenblatt, of Entertainment Weekly
gave the album a "B" grade. Greenblatt commented that Bens title track was a "testament to his talent" and added that the album would "always be defined" by that song.
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. The album was released on August 4, 1972, while Jackson was still a member of The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
. The album received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Ben was more successful on music charts than Jackson's previous studio album, having charted within the top ten on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Internationally, the album was less successful, peaking at number twelve in Canada, while charting within the top 200 positions in Australia and France.
Worldwide, Ben has sold a reported three million units. The album released one single, the title track "Ben", which was a commercial success on music charts, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Jackson his first number one single on the chart. "Ben" also charted within the top ten in other territories worldwide. "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was planned to be released as the second single from the album, but canceled for unspecified reasons. Two of the album's songs were "stripped" in 2009 as part of the three-disc compilation Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection
Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection
Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection is a 71-track triple disc compilation album commemorating Michael Jackson's early years with Motown Records...
.
Background
In January 1972, while still a member of the band, Jackson released his first studio album, entitled Got to Be There, under Motown Records. The album received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. The album was not commercially successful worldwide as well as not having a good chart performance on music charts. Although, the album's three singles had a good chart performance on the Billboard Hot 100, with all three charting within the top twenty positions on the chart, with two of them peaking within the top-five. Got to Be There was more successful in the United States than in international territories, having peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard 200 while peaking at number thirty-seven in the United Kingdom and one hundred-twenty-one in France.Music
Ben was recorded by Jackson from 1971 to 1972. It was produced by six people, and executively produced by Berry Gordy, Jr.. Songwriters for the eleven tracks Ben has include , Mel Larson, Jerry Marcellino, Thom BellThom Bell
Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell is an American songwriter and producer, best known as one of the creators of the Philadelphia style of soul music in the 1970s. He moved to Philadelphia as a child.-Biography:...
, Linda Creed
Linda Creed
Linda Creed also known by her married name Linda Epstein, was an American singer-songwriter and lyricist who teamed up with songwriter-producer Thom Bell to produce some of the most successful Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s.-Career:Born in Philadelphia in 1949, Creed was raised in the...
, The Corporation, Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
, and Ronald White
Ronald White
Ronald "Ronnie" White was an African American soul singer and songwriter, notable as a founding member of The Miracles, and the only member to survive all of that group's line-up changes...
, among others. Ben has R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, contemporary pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
musical styles. The album's title track
Ben (song)
"Ben" is a song written by Don Black and composed by Walter Scharf for the 1972 film of the same name . It was performed in the film by Lee Montgomery and by Michael Jackson over the closing credits. Jackson's single, recorded for the Motown label in 1972, spent one week at the top of the U.S. pop...
, which was the theme song for the 1972 film of the same name (the sequel to the 1971 killer rat movie Willard), won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. "What Goes Around Comes Around" has similarities to Jackson's older brother Jackie's single, "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
"Didn't I " is a 1970 single by The Delfonics, produced by Thom Bell and released on the Bell record label. The recording is considered one of the most notable early Philly soul singles to be released and is regarded as a classic, winning a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group...
", which featured vocals from Jackson and his older brothers. For Ben, Jackson recorded cover's of The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
' 1964 single, "My Girl", a cover of Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
's "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", a cover of Brenda Holloway
Brenda Holloway
Brenda Holloway is an American singer and songwriter, a recording artist for the Motown label during the 1960s...
's 1965 single, "You Can Cry on My Shoulder" and a cover of Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's 1968 single, "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day
Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day
"Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" is a hit 1968 single released by American and Motown recording artist Stevie Wonder. The song, co-written by Wonder and produced by Henry Cosby and Sylvia Moy, was the first to showcase Wonder's talents at the clavinet and was one of his first successful co-written...
". "My Girl" has a funk rhythm and the song's score includes some call-and-response interaction, which is similar to what Jackson and his brothers displayed in their Jackson 5 material. "You Can Cry on My Shoulder" is a mid-tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
song. "We've Got a Good Thing Going" was previously issued as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to "Got to Be There"s "I Wanna Be Where You Are
I Wanna Be Where You Are
"I Wanna Be Where You Are" is a song written by Arthur "T-Boy" Ross and Leon Ware for Michael Jackson, who took the song to number sixteen on the U.S. pop singles chart and number two on the U.S. R&B singles chart in 1972...
" and "In Our Small Way" was also featured on Jackson's previous album Got to Be There.
Release and reception
The album was released by Motown Records, his second studio album for the label as a solo artist, in August 1972. As part of promotion for the album, "Ben" was released as the album's lead, and only single in July 1972. "Ben" was a commercial success worldwide, generally charting within the top-ten and top-twenty positions on music charts. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, which was Jackson's first, of what would be thirteen songs, to top that chart during his career as a solo artist. "Ben" also charted on Billboards Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
at number three and five. "Ben" charted within the top-ten on the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
chart, peaking at number two and number seven on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, as well as charting at number fourteen in Australia. "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was planned to be released as the second single from the album, but was cancelled for unspecified reasons.
Ben was more successful on music charts in both the United States and worldwide compared to Jackson's previous studio album. The album peaked at number five on the United States' Billboard 200; becoming Jackson's first, of what would be six studio albums, to peak within the top ten on that chart. Ben also peaked at number four on the United States' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart. On January 13, 1973, Ben debuted on the United Kingdoms' Album Charts
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at its peak position, number seventeen. The album remained within the country's music chart's top fifty positions for seven consecutive weeks. On January 1, 1973, the album was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for shipping sixty thousand units across the United Kingdom. After Jackson's death
Death of Michael Jackson
On June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication after he suffered a respiratory arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse,...
in June 2009, his music experienced a surge in popularity. The album charted on French's music charts on July 25, 2009, at its peak position, number one-hundred-sixty-two. Ben remained within the country's top two-hundred positions for two consecutive weeks. The album has reportedly sold over five million units worldwide.
The album generally received mixed to positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Lindsay Planer of Allmusic gave Ben a four out of five star rating. Planer cited "What Goes Around Comes Around' as being "one of Bens better deep cuts" and "Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day" as being a "winner" while describing "In Our Small Way" as being a "lesser note" for the album, having felt that the song contained a "hopelessly dated 'message'". Planer noted that one "interesting shift was the lack of participation from the Motown hitmaking machine known collectively as 'the Corporation'". Vince Aletti of Rolling Stone magazine gave the album a two out of five star rating. Aletti noted that while the album "contains a good deal more original material" it "has nothing as luscious as 'Got to Be There' or 'I Wanna Be Where You Are,'" but, "it's on the whole a much stronger album than the first." He noted that in the albums title track, Jackson had a "surprising amount of feeling" in his vocal performance. Leah Greenblatt, of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the album a "B" grade. Greenblatt commented that Bens title track was a "testament to his talent" and added that the album would "always be defined" by that song.
Track listing
Charts
| Charts (1972/1973/2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
162 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
17 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
5 |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
4 |
Singles
| Year | Singles | Peak chart positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Adult |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
DUT Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||||
| 1972 | "Ben" | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |||
Certifications
| Country | Certifications]] (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver |
Personnel
- Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - The Corporation – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Hal DavisHal DavisHarold Edward "Hal" Davis was an African American songwriter and record producer, best known as the key figure in the latter part of the Motown career of The Jackson 5....
– producer - Berry Gordy, Jr. – executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
- Mel Larson – producer
- Jerry Marcellino – producer
- Bobby Taylor – producer
- Source:
Further reading
- George, NelsonNelson GeorgeNelson George is an African American author, columnist, music and culture critic, journalist, and filmmaker. He has been nominated twice for the National Book Critics Circle Award....
(2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate CollectionMichael Jackson: The Ultimate CollectionDisc 2Disc 3Disc 4*The Jackson 5 perform tracks 1-3 and 7 . The Jacksons perform tracks 8, 11-12, 18-19 and track 8 .DVD - Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour # "Intro"# "Jam"...
liner notes. Sony BMG.