''Look Inside the Asylum Choir'' is the 1968 debut album by
Asylum Choir, a studio group consisting of the session musicians
Leon Russell
Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...
and
Marc Benno
Marc Benno (born July 1, 1947 in Dallas, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
Benno teamed with Leon Russell to form the Asylum Choir in the late 1960s. He launched a solo career in the early 1970s, with the 1972 album ''Am ...
. Russell arranged the songs, complete with sped-up trumpet section, and
multi-tracked himself playing piano, guitar and drums. Benno contributed multi-tracked vocals, guitar and bass guitar.
Release and reception
The album was issued by
Smash Records
Smash Records was an American record label founded in 1961 as a subsidiary of Mercury Records by Mercury executive Shelby Singleton and run by Singleton with Charlie Fach. Fach took over after Singleton left Mercury in 1966. Its recording artist ...
in 1968 with catalogue number SRS 67107 (stereo edition). The vinyl's original Smash label designates the name of the album as ''Look Inside the Asylum Choir'' by the Asylum Choir, while the album cover titling suggests that it is entitled simply ''Look Inside''. The original gatefold cover featured an image of a roll of toilet paper. The image created sufficient controversy that Smash records reissued the album with a cover featuring a portrait of Russell and Benno.
''Look Inside the Asylum Choir'' received positive reviews from critics in 1968, but sold poorly. ''
Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the creat ...
'' critic
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
wrote in 1970 after its re-release that it "more or less" deserved such a reception, deeming it "a nice record to write reviews about: strong studio work with a heavy
Zappa flavor, quality of satire ditto".
On May 2, 2011
Rev-Ola Records
Rev-Ola Records is a British independent record label formed in 1990 that specializes in reissues, as well as select new releases. The label is headed by Joe Foster, a former child actor and musician/producer. He, along with Alan McGee and ...
re-released the album on CD with four bonus tracks. On February 5, 2016 Smash Records re-released the album on CD in the original LP format.
All Music, Look Inside the Asylum Choir bonus release
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Track listing LP
All songs by Leon Russell and Marc Benno; except where indicated:
# "Welcome to Hollywood" – 2:35
# "Soul Food" (Bill Boatman, James Markham) – 2:05
# "Icicle Star Tree" (Russell, Benno, Wally Wilson) – 2:55
# "Death of the Flowers" (Russell, Benno, Greg Dempsey) – 2:08
# "Indian Style" – 3:30
# "Medley: N.Y. Op./Land of Dog/Henri The Clown" – 6:07
# "Thieves in the Choir" (Russell, Benno, Jerry Riopelle) – 4:04
# "Black Sheep Boogaloo" – 2:29
Track listing CD
All songs by Leon Russell and Marc Benno; except where indicated:
# "Welcome to Hollywood" - 2:45
# "Soul Food" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Bill Boatman, James Markham) - 2:10
# "Icicle Star Tree" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Wally Wilson) - 3:03
# "Death of the Flowers" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Greg Dempsey) - 3:15
# "Indian Style" - 3:46
# Medley: "N.Y. Op./Land of Dog/Henri The Clown" - 6:07
# "Thieves in the Choir" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Jerry Riopelle) - 4:04
# "Black Sheep Boogaloo" - 2:29
# "Soul Food" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Bill Boatman, James Markham) - 2:19
# "Welcome to Hollywood" - 3:03
# "Icicle Star Tree" (Leon Russell, Marc Benno, Wally Wilson) - 3:07
# "Indian Style" - 3:44
*Bonus Tracks 9-12 Mono single versions
Personnel
* Leon Russell - producer, piano, lead vocals
* Marc Benno - producer, guitar, lead vocals
* Joe Foster - re-issue producer, synthesizer
* Andy Morten - re-issue producer, artwork, design, liner notes
* Nick Robbins - synthesizer
* Lou Kimzey - design
* Gordon Rudd - engineer
* Ralph Poole - photography
In usage
The sixth track "Medley: N.Y. Op./Land of Dog/Henri The Clown" was sampled in singer Usher
Usher may refer to:
Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place:
* Usher (occupation)
** Church usher
** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony
** Fiel ...
's song "Get In My Car" featuring rapper Bun B
Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK (UnderGround Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work with ...
which appears in the EP ''Versus
Versus (Latin, 'against') may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Versus'' (2000 film), a Japanese zombie film
* ''Versus'' (2016 film), a Russian sports drama film
* ''Versus'' (2019 film), a French thriller film
* Versus (TV channel), form ...
'' and the deluxe edition of his album ''Raymond v. Raymond
''Raymond v. Raymond'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Usher (musician), Usher, released on March 26, 2010, by LaFace Records. Production for the album took place in 2009 and was handled by several producers, including Jermaine Dupri, ...
''.
References
External links
Official Leon Russell website
Official Marc Benno website
Leon Russell discography
Leon Russell lyrics
Leon Russell Records
Leon Russell
NAMM Oral History Program Interview (2012)
*
{{Authority control
1968 debut albums
Smash Records albums
Rev-Ola Records albums
The Asylum Choir albums
Albums produced by Leon Russell
Albums produced by Marc Benno