"Give Me The Night" by GEORGE BENSON (24 June 2009 Japan-Only Warner Brothers SHM-CD Reissue with 24-Bit Remaster in Jewel Case) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Remember The Days When We Never Had A Dime…"

  

*** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE SHM-CD June 2009 REMASTER 

- Also References 2012 and 2015 Japanese CD Issues ***

Originally released on LP in July 1980 on Warner Brothers K 56823 in the UK and BSK 3453 in the USA - George Benson's "Give Me The Night" was a huge record at the time (it peaked at No. 3 in both countries). And like Michael Jackson's "Off The Wall" from 1978 before it - its fusion of soul, funk and jazz was popular everywhere - crossing over every rock barrier like never before (it was Grammy nominated and won too).

Yet except for a few remastered tracks on the excellent George Benson 2CD "Anthology" set from 2000 on Rhino - the entire album has been languishing around for over three decades now on one of those awful Eighties CDs with dullard murky sound. Until now...

Released 24 June 2009 in Japan-only on Warner Bros WPCR-13453 (Barcode 4943674090396) - this 24-bit remastered version is an audiophile CD on their SUPER HIGH MATERIALS format (42:51 minutes). An SHM-CD is playable on all machines and is simply a better form of the compact disc. And coming from an era that is probably the most derided in history by music lovers - especially when it comes to bombastic sound and ham-fisted production excesses - this SHM-CD version is a beautifully realized remaster - it really is.

1. Love X Love

2. Off Broadway

3. Moody’s Mood

4. Give Me The Night

5. What’s On Your Mind [Side 2]

6. Dinorah, Dinorah

7. Love Dance

8. Star Of A Story (X)

9. Midnight Love Affair

10. Turn Out The Lamplight

It doesn't say who did the 24-bit transfer - but whoever did has produced the most awesome result because the sound quality is just glorious. Of course the album always had the immaculate production values of QUINCY JONES and the stunning array of top session men to thank for its polish anyway - but this newly upgraded version is just wonderful. It's neither falsely loud nor brash nor clinically clean - there's air around the instruments - it's just warm and there. You hear all the instrumentation - especially the bass and rhythm sections. The wildly underrated funky-as-James-Brown instrumental "Off Broadway" is just stunning now - as is David Wolinski's brilliantly soulful and sleek "Midnight Love Affair".

The jewel case is standard and there's the black and gold obi strip inside; the SHM CD itself feels slightly heavier to ordinary CDs - more substantial - it seems to hold better as it plays in the tray somehow - steady. The 8-page booklet is disappointingly the same as US/Euro issues (has session details though) and the extra foldout page of info about the album that you get in these Japanese issues is - well in Japanese - so its kinda useless.

With 6 of it's 10 killer songs written by Britain's ROD TEMPERTON 9Of Heatwave fame) and the immaculate production values of veteran sound man QUINCY JONES - "Give Me The Night" practically set up the template for the album that would literally take over the world three years later - Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (Quincy produced and Temperton wrote 3 of its 9 songs including the title track). As well as Temperton and Quincy charting the arrangements, the legendary David Foster is in there too. Guest Musicians included such luminaries as Guitarist Lee Ritenour, keyboard whiz-kids Greg Phillanganes, George Duke and Herbie Hancock, Larry Williams is on Flute, Patti Austin on Lead and Backing Vocals, Richard Tee on Synth, Jerry Hey on Trumpet, Abraham Laboriel on Bass, Paulinho Da Costa on Percussion and many more.

Gripes - no Euro/USA issue so it costs as an import - and it wouldn't have taken much to include the edited single mixes of "Give Me The Night" and "Love X Love" as bonus tracks. But this reissue is not about ramming the disc chock-full of extras - it's about the best sound - and on that front they've achieved their goal with absolute knobs on. A fantastic album that in 2020 is 40 years old – and for an LP from a much-derided decade to still sound so kicking and exciting is a testament to the sheer quality thrown at the original all those decades ago. But how do you get your hands on it now...

In October 2019, this 2009 Audiophile version is now unfortunately super expensive and awkward to locate (use Barcode 4943674090396 to locate the correct issue on Amazon or other sites). Subsequently, there has been two further reissues to date and again only in Japan – 13 June 2012 on Warner Brothers WPCR-14501 (Barcode 4943674118281) saw a new 2012 Remaster based on the US tapes put on a SHM-CD in Mini LP Packaging (now deleted and also expensive). That variant however was reissued 29 July 2015 on Warner Brothers WPCR-28201 (Barcode 4943674213399) in a jewel case with liner notes as part of their low-priced 'Fusion Best 1000 Series' (offering quality CDs for 1000 yen). That 2012 Remaster is the only one currently available in 2019 to purchase – often clocking in on Amazon and elsewhere at about £12.00 or so. A reasonable sum for such a great sounding reissue - enjoy...

Japan's Warner Bros. Jazz & Fusion SHM-CD Collection Series (2009)

"Give Me The Night" by George Benson is part of the Japanese-Only "Warner Bros. Jazz & Fusion SHM-CD Collection" Series - Audiophile 24-Bit Remastered SHM-CDs in a Jewel Case with Booklet and Obi.

SHM-CDs are fully compatible with all CD players – Super High Materials CDs are a better form of compact disc brought into play in 2006 (mostly exclusive to Japan) featuring advanced music retrieval over the standard CD that hasn't upgraded its format since introduction in 1983. In artist alphabetical order (all released 24 June 2009), the 20 titles in this Series are:

1. Breezin' (1976) - GEORGE BENSON

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13452 – Barcode 4943674090372)

2. Give Me The Night (1980) – GEORGE BENSON

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13453 (Barcode 4943674090396)

3. Larry Carlton (1978) - LARRY CARLTON

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13446 – Barcode 4943674090297)

4. Sleepwalk (1982) - LARRY CARLTON

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13448 – Barcode 4943674090334)

5. Strikes Twice (1980) - LARRY CARLTON

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13447 – Barcode 4943674090303)

6. Amandla (1989) - MILES DAVIS

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13443 – Barcode 4943674090266)

7. Doo-Bop (1991) - MILES DAVIS

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13444 – Barcode 4943674090273)

8. Live Around The World (1996) - MILES DAVIS

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13445 – Barcode 4943674090280)

9. Siesta (1982) - MILES DAVIS and MARCUS MILLER

(Warner Bros WPCR-13442 – Barcode 4943674090259)

10. Tutu (1986) - MILES DAVIS

(Warner Bros WPCR-13441 – Barcode 4943674090242)

11. Teasin' (1974) - CORNELL DUPREE

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13457 – Barcode 4943674090440)

12. Between The Sheets (1993) - FOURPLAY (1993)

[Featuring Bob James, Lee Ritenour, Nathan East and Harvey Mason]

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13460 – Barcode 4943674090471)

13. Fourplay (1991) - FOURPLAY

[Featuring Bob James, Lee Ritenour, Nathan East and Harvey Mason]

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13459 – Barcode 4943674090464)

14. Word Of Mouth (1981) - JACO PASTORIUS

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13454 – Barcode 4943674090402)

15. Rit (1981) - LEE RITENOUR (see also FOURPLAY)

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13456 – Barcode 4943674090433)

16. The Captain's Journey (1978) - LEE RITENOUR

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13455 – Barcode 4943674090419)

17. Magnetic (1986) - STEPS AHEAD [feat Michael Brecker]

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13458 – Barcode 494367409040457)

18. More Stuff (1977) - STUFF

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13450 – Barcode 494367409040358)

19. Stuff (1976) - STUFF

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13449 – Barcode 494367409040341)

20. Winelight (1980) - GROVER WASHINGTON, Jr.

(Warner Bros. WPCR-13451 – Barcode 494367409040365)




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