Brook Benton – Home Style / Story Teller: 2CD Expanded Edition

SoulMusic Records is proud to present two classic early ‘70s albums by the late Brook Benton on one CD, with one 1971 non-album single (‘A Black Child Can’t Smile’).
Brook Benton first rose to fame in the late ‘50s and over an entire decade, amassed 30 US hit singles and 14 best-selling albums, cut for Mercury records – including classic 45s such as ‘It’s Just A Matter Of Time’, ‘The Bo-Weevil Song’, ‘Kiddio’ and ‘Baby You’ve Got What It Takes’, a duet with label-mate Dinah Washington.

After brief stints with RCA and Warner Brothers, Brook signed with Atlantic records in 1968 and recording on the company’s Cotillion imprint, enjoyed his biggest international hit in 1969 with the now-classic, Tony Joe White-penned ‘Rainy Night In Georgia’.His third Cotillion album, 1970’s “Home Style” was recorded in Miami with the Dixie Flyers rhythm section and produced by renowned Atlantic arranger Arif Mardin. The song selection included material penned by Bob Dylan, Tony Joe White (who contributed three songs), Mac Davis as well as Brook’s own ‘Let Me Fix It’ (featuring Cissy Houston) and Albert King’s Stax hit, ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’.

The follow up set, 1971’s “Story Teller” focused on Brook’s penchant for country/soul material and included a cover of the Drifters’ ‘Save The Last Dance For Me’ and the R&B charted single, ‘Shoes’. This 2-on-1 cd was remastered by Nick Robbins and includes stellar notes by renowned UK writer and R&B historian Clive Richardson.