Ben E. King: “Supernatural Soul” (2022) CD Review

In 1975, Ben E. King released the LP Supernatural, which contained the hit “Supernatural Thing.” Now we are treated to Supernatural Soul, a new album featuring some classic material, recut and with additional performances by some musicians who were inspired by Ben E. King. Folks like Ronnie Earl, Bootsy Collins and Bette Smith lend their talents to these beloved songs. The original vocals by Ben E. King were recorded in late 1996, and these tracks were mixed and mastered this year.

The album opens with Ben E. King’s most popular song, “Stand By Me,” a song written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (though under the name Elmo Glick). This version features Bette Smith on vocals and Ronnie Earl on guitar. It still strikes me as strange, creating a duet with someone who has been gone for a while, because then one of the singers is completely unaware he is engaged in a duet. Weird, right? But it works. Bette Smith is fantastic. If you haven’t heard her yet, her 2020 album The Good, The Bad And The Bette is definitely worth checking out. And Ronnie Earl adds some really nice work on guitar. There is a second version of “Stand By Me” on this disc, this time without the special guests. “Stand By Me” is followed by “Supernatural Thing, Part 1,” this track featuring bass player Bootsy Collins (whom you likely know from his work in Parliament-Funkadelic). His presence is appreciated immediately. Yes, things do certainly get funky here. This disc contains a second version of this tune as well, an instrumental rendition, this one also featuring Bootsy Collins.

“Spanish Harlem” is another of Ben E. King’s big hits. The version on this disc features flamenco guitarist Rafael Riqueni. I love his work here, though at a couple of moments it seems just a tad loud in the mix. This track is one of the main reasons to add this release to your music collection. That’s followed by “Don’t Play That Song (You Lied),” is a song that was originally included on Ben E. King’s 1962 LP of the same name. This is the album that also included “Stand By Me,” and the similarities between the two songs are readily apparent in the first few seconds. But if you can get past those similarities, this is an excellent song, and Ben E. King delivers a passionate vocal performance here. “Amor” was the lead track on Ben E. King’s debut solo LP, Spanish Harlem. I prefer his vocal performance here. The age in his voice is effective.

We return to funky territory with “Do It In The Name Of Love,” another song that was included on that 1975 LP Supernatural. This track is a lot of fun. “When you’re in love, it’s no easy road/You’ve got to give more than you get/You never know what to expect/Hey, sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down/Sometimes your whole world will come crashing down.” Things then slow down with “I Had A Love,” which was the title track to an album released in 1976, and was also released as a single. This track features a strong vocal performance. That’s followed by “Seven Letters,” which was also used as a title track to one of Ben E. King’s LPs. It’s a beautiful song, written by Ben E. King, and is one of my personal favorites on this album.

Before Ben E. King embarked on his successful solo career, he was a member of The Drifters, a band with an interesting history, or several different interesting histories, for there were different bands with that same name. Ben E. King led the second major group to have the name The Drifters. While Ben E. King was with the group, The Drifters had several hits. This CD concludes with “Drifters Medley,” in which he performs a few of those songs. The track begins with “This Magic Moment,” then segues into “Dance With Me” and then “There Goes By Baby.” It wraps up with “Save The Last Dance For Me.” This track is apparently not on the vinyl edition.

CD Track List

1. Stand By Me
2. Supernatural Thing, Part 1
3. Spanish Harlem
4. Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)
5. Amor
6. Do It In The Name Of Love
7. I Had A Love
8. Seven Letters
9. Stand By Me
10. Supernatural Thing, Part 1 (Instrumental)
11. Drifters Medley

Supernatural Soul was released on August 26, 2022 on Goldenlane Records.