The Asylum Choir was an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

duo active in the late 1960s. It was composed of keyboardist Leon Russell and guitarist

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 ...

History

Essentially a studio musician gathering, the Asylum Choir was formed around 1967 and the group's debut album was issued in 1968.Biography

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

A second album was recorded in 1969, but the album did not see release until late 1971 because of contract disputes. The duo had long since disbanded, but the second record sold well due to Russell's successful solo career, peaking at #70 on the ''Billboard'' 200 in 1972. Benno also became a successful solo artist later in the decade. He also played guitar on

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

album, '' L.A. Woman.'' Russell used his creativity by writing and arranged each song. Russell recorded and played back a sped-up trumpet section. He use a multitrack recording of himself playing: piano, guitar and drums on each song. Benno using multi-track recording was on vocals, guitar and bass guitar.

Discography

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Look Inside the Asylum Choir ''Look Inside the Asylum Choir'' is the 1968 debut album by Asylum Choir, a studio group consisting of the session musicians Leon Russell and Marc Benno. Russell arranged the songs, complete with sped-up trumpet section, and multi-tracked himse ...

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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 ...

, 1968) *''

Asylum Choir II ''Asylum Choir II'' is the second and final album, after the 1968 debut Look Inside the Asylum Choir, of the studio aggregation consisting of Leon Russell and Marc Benno. It was recorded and expected to be released in 1969, but legal issues hel ...

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Shelter Records Shelter Records was a U.S. record label started by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell that operated from 1969 to 1981. The company established offices in both Los Angeles and Tulsa, Russell's home town, where the label sought to promote a "workshop ...

, 1971)

References

American musical duos American rock music groups Rock music duos {{US-rock-band-stub