The Asylum Choir
Encyclopedia
The Asylum Choir was a rock
duo active in the late 1960s. It was composed of keyboardist Leon Russell
and guitarist Marc Benno
.
in 1972. Benno also became a successful solo artist later in the decade.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
duo active in the late 1960s. It was composed of keyboardist Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
and guitarist Marc Benno
Marc Benno
Marc Benno is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Benno was a member of The Asylum Choir with Leon Russell in the late 1960s, and launched a solo career in the early 1970s, with his 1972 effort Ambush being the most commercially successful...
.
History
Essentially a studio musician gathering, the Asylum Choir was formed around 1967 and the group's debut album was issued in in 1968. A sophomore album was recorded in 1969, but the album did not see release until late 1971 over 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 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in 1972. Benno also became a successful solo artist later in the decade.
Discography
- Look Inside the Asylum ChoirLook Inside the Asylum ChoirLook Inside is the first of two LPs released by the Asylum Choir, a studio group consisting of session musicians Leon Russell and Marc Benno. It was issued by Smash Records in 1968 with catalogue number SRS 67107 .-Cover Design:...
(Smash RecordsSmash RecordsSmash Records is an American record label. It was 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...
, 1968) - Asylum Choir IIAsylum Choir IIAsylum Choir II is the second and final album of the studio aggregation consisting entirely of Leon Russell and Marc Benno. It was recorded, and meant to be released in 1969, but legal hassles held up its release for two years...
(Shelter RecordsShelter RecordsShelter 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 atmosphere" with a recording studio in a converted...
, 1971)