SCANDAL
Patty Smyth-vocals
Benjy King-keys, guitar, background vocals
Keith Mack-guitar, background vocals
Eran Asias-drums
TomWelsch-bass
Influences
Recorded and toured with- Rick Derringer, Tycoon, Little Steven, Scandal, Fiona Flannigan, Lesley Gore, J.T.Taylor(Cool & the Gang), Mitch Malloy, Tommy James, The Turtles
I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
Time Out New York---
A former pop star operates a music studio in his
700-square-foot apartment.
Scandal, a gold- and platinum-record-earning ’80s band
(fronted by Patty Smyth)-most famous for catchy tunes
like “Goodbye to You” and “The Warrior”-was an early
favorite on MTV. In the same trailblazing vein, former
Scandal member Benjy King just might be the first
person to multitask an eensy Murray Hill apartment as
a fully functioning music studio.
“I’m old-school,” King explains. “I believe in
preproduction: You write, rehearse and then record the
song.” Contrary to the process today, where bits are
recorded on computers and then spliced together, fixed
and adjusted as needed, he holds that the soul of the
song “lives in the performance.”
During the day, King-whose apartment is propitiously
located over a garage-works with small groups creating
their first albums. Outfitted with a Sony DMX-R100
console, an electric sitar, more than 20
guitars-including a rare 12-string baritone guitar, of
which there are only about seven in the world-a
Hammond organ, a Fender Rhodes piano, a harmonium and
two ’60s Slingerland drum sets, the arrangement
doesn’t leave a lot of room for living. But King holds
that he doesn’t need much outside of music. His bed,
complete with a Norwegian mountain-goat-skin blanket,
occupies the entryway, and the dining-room table doubles as
a desk. “The beauty of living here is that I can work when the muse
strikes, even if that means I’m at the console in my pajamas.”
BENJY KING is an all-encompassing producer, arranger, engineer, singer, songwirter and multi-instrumentalist.
BENJY’S formative years were spent on the road in the bands of legendary artists such as RICK DERRINGER, LITTLE STEVEN (BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN), and SCANDAL with Patty Smyth. For his recordings with SCANDAL, he earned both gold and platinum records. He has also toured extensively and has seen the world with artists such as KOOL & THE GANG front man J.T. TAYLOR, FIONA FLANNIGAN, MITCH MALLOY and 60s pop phenomenon, THE TURTLES.
As his name quickly made its way around the industry, the demand for his talent, mixed with his insatiable will to learn, established lifelong connections for BENJY with several award-winning producers. This is where his path became apparent. Since then BENJY has produced over thirty records for atrists such as LESLEY GORE, the band LIVE (formerly PUBLIC AFFECTION). TOMMY JAMES, and many more. Most recently BENJY has produced/engineered records for upcoming artists JIM BOGGIA, RUSS BONAGURA, REMY TESSER, LAUREN ECHO, SHAUN BARKER, REBECCA HART, PAUL ALEXANDER, JEFF JACOBSON, FELIX VAN DIJK and did multi-instrumental session work on THE STARTING LINE ‘Based On A True Story’, BOYD TINSLEY ‘True Reflections’ and GREG RAPOSO’s debut release.
One of his most interesting projects was arranging and conducting the musical '20th CENTURY POP' starring MARIANNE FAITHFULL, DARLENE LOVE and MERRY CLAYTON.
With his main focus deep in record production, Benjy has collected an amazing array of high end recording equipment, including vintage microphones and compressors as well as dozens of guitars and keyboards.
In November of 2004 ‘VH-1 BANDS REUNITED’ featured SCANDAL. In 2006 the band toured with LOVERBOY & RICK SPRINGFIELD. In 2007/08 SCANDAL played over 50 shows all around the U.S.
All Music Guide-http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=BENJY|KING&sql=11:djftxqw5ldte~T4
Well thanks again. I stopped Folded Space in about 2000 and move out of town a little ways a few years back and did not have a recording space until late last year. My son wanted to do some recording so we put things back togther using his new Mac and Logic and all my old gear.. this is the first recording out of the new place. #1 son just finished his first ever project last week and we registered copyrights. I am probably more exited than he is ;^) .. I still have a pair of 1612's that just do a 'thing' to guitars. a 1689. a 1589 a 1592 a 1564 a 438c.. and a lot of the Voicett passive filters..it would be hard to choose but the Solid State 1592 is about my favorite pre of all time.. altec makes a pluf in tranny (2282) with a volume pot on it!! they work great for lowering the output of the broadcast stuff to modern DAW inputs.. I put a few on a chassis with in/out so I can run things thru them..I saw you a while back on GS (talking Altec) Glad you are still doing what you love, both playing and recording. What are you recording to? digital or tape? It looked like Scandal was playing lately? are you playing out any? ..uh.. I am getting a bit long for the comments page ..feel free to delete this .. and thanks for the shout back .. have a blessed Sunday and a great week.. rog
Hi Benjy, heard alot about you from Leif and Pete Abbott! Nice acoustic vibe in your tracks, I especially like "No hard feelings", sounds great! Check out my site if you have the time...All the best. Knut
THANKS!!! after listening to your stuff and looking at all the things you do I REALLY take that as a compliment. If I remember correctly you bought a 436c from me many years ago .. I did not realize how much I would miss it.. . thanks so much for taking the time to respond. God bless - Rog
thanks for the add hope you are doing well.. if you get a sec hit my page and listen to some tunes.. most of the guitar and bass went thru 438 or 1612..and peerless trannys on everything..
Hi Benjy,How do you do? Perhaps I..m coming to NY and order a new Will Lee signatur Sadowsky bass,but Iam very satisfied with my Sadowsky NYC standard bass.It depends on the money.
Thanks for the very enjoyable and enlightening session.
- I'm sorry, I'm sorry. - The word was 'through'. - Don't move. Don't go anywhere. - The dog has left the hand-held tape recorder. - Elvis AND Dusty Springfield have left the building.
...and now I can't stop pointing at everyone I see!
