1989 Benny Mardones – Benny Mardones
Benny Mardones is the fourth studio album from American rock and pop singer Benny Mardones, released in 1989. It was Mardones’ first release since the 1981 album Too Much to Lose after battling personal issues such as a drug addiction.
The album was Mardones’ first of two albums for Curb Records. The album was recorded and released after the successful re-issue of Mardones’ 1980 hit song “Into the Night”.
In 1989, a Where Are They Now? Arizona radio segment spurred Los Angeles DJ Scott Shannon to add the “Into the Night” song to his playlist, ultimately rocketing the song back onto the national charts, on May 6, 1989. Mardones’ recording peaked this time at #20 the first week in July (the original 1980 issue peaked at #11), adding 17 weeks to its previous run of 20, to add up to a total of 37 (non consecutive) weeks, breaking the record set by Laura Branigan with her single “Gloria”, which charted for 36 (consecutive) weeks from July 1982 to March 1983, for the longest-charting single of the 1980s by a solo artist.
Curb Records quickly signed Mardones to their label, where he re-recorded “Into the Night”, and a full album of new material soon followed. The self-titled album, or “the blue album” as referred by Mardones’ fans was released to little success, as Curb was best known for being a country label and was not able to capitalize on the success of the “Into the Night” re-issue.
The album had announced the return of Joel Diamond as Mardones’ manager. Originally, Diamond was the first man to give Mardones’ a job in the music industry and got him to start writing songs.[2] Diamond was the album’s executive producer.
The album was the first where Mardones’ son Michael Everett Mardones is listed as a backup singer. It was produced entirely by Michael Lloyd.
For the album, Mardones mainly wrote the tracks with Mark Mangold and Duane Evans, whilst “Never Far Away” was written between Mardones, Mangold and Al Frisch. “I’ll Be Good to You” was written by Mark Spiro and Steve Kipner. Evans had previously co-wrote the track “Sheila C.” from Mardones’ 1981 album Too Much to Lose.
Tracks
1 I Never Really Loved You At All (Benny Mardones; Mark Mangold) 04:29
2 For A Little Ride (Benny Mardones; Mark Mangold) 03:43
3 How Could You Love Me (Benny Mardones; Duane Evans) 04:49
4 Into The Night (Benny Mardones; Robert Tepper) 04:22
5 We’ve Got To Run (Benny Mardones; Duane Evans) 04:42
6 I’ll Be Good To You (Mark Spiro; Steve Kipner) 04:04
7 If You Loved Me (Benny Mardones; Duane Evans) 04:10
8 Never Far Away (Benny Mardones; Al Frisch; Benny Mardones; Mark Mangold) 03:57
9 Close To The Flame (Benny Mardones; Duane Evans) 04:56
10 Run To You (Benny Mardones) 04:15
Musicians
1 I Never Really Loved You At All
Bass | John Pierce |
Drums | Jeffrey Porcaro |
Guitar | Dave Amato |
Guitar | Duane Evans |
Percussion | Alex Acuna |
Background Vocals | Al Fritsch |
Vocals | Benny Mardones |
2 For A Little Ride
Bass | John Pierce |
Drums | Jeffrey Porcaro |
Guitar | Dave Amato |
Guitar | Duane Evans |
Hammond Organ | Robert Martin |
Keyboards | Mark Mangold |
Background Vocals | Dave Amato |
Background Vocals | Duane Evans |
Background Vocals | Gary Falcone |
Vocals | Benny Mardones |
3 How Could You Love Me
Bass | John Pierce |
Drums | Jeffrey Porcaro |
Guitar | Duane Evans |
Keyboards | Duane Evans |
Programming | Michael Lloyd |
Sax | Robert Martin |
Background Vocals | Duane Evans |
Background Vocals | Dave Amato |
Background Vocals | Gary Falcone |
Vocals | Benny Mardones |
4 Into The Night
Bass | Dennis Belfield |
Drums | Ron Krasinski |
Guitar | Ron Bloom |
Piano | Duane Evans |
Background Vocals | Duane Evans |
Vocals | Benny Mardones |
5 We’ve Got To Run
All Instruments | Duane Evans |
Background Vocals | Michael Everett |
Background Vocals | Duane Evans |
Vocals | Benny Mardones |
6 I’ll Be Good To You
Bass | Dennis Belfield |
Drums | Michael Lloyd |
Guitar | Michael Thompson |
Vocals | Benny Mardones |
7 If You Loved Me
All Instruments | Duane Evans |
Background Vocals | Duane Evans |
Vocals | Benny Mardones |
8 Never Far Away
Bass | John Pierce |
Drums | Jeffrey Porcaro |
Guitar | Dave Amato |
Guitar | Duane Evans |
Keyboards | Duane Evans |
Keyboards | Mark Mangold |
Percussion | Alex Acuna |
Background Vocals | Al Fritsch |
Vocals | Benny Mardones |
9 Close To The Flame
Bass | Dennis Belfield |
Drums | Mark Mangold |
Guitar | Dave Amato |
Guitar | Al Fritsch |
Synthesizer | Mark Mangold |
Background Vocals | Al Fritsch |
Vocals | Benny Mardones |
10 Run To You
Bass | John Pierce |
Drums | Jeffrey Porcaro |
Guitar | Duane Evans |
Keyboards | Duane Evans |
Background Vocals | Duane Evans |
Background Vocals | Dave Amato |
Background Vocals | Gary Falcone |
Vocals | Benny Mardones |
Liner Notes
Producer – Michael Lloyd
Producer (Executive) – Joel Diamond
Coordinator – Marguerite Luciani, Debbie Lytton, Jeni Lytton
Engineer – Carmine Rubino
Engineer (Additional) – Dan Nebenzal
Engineer (Assistant) – John Valentino
Mastered By – Steve Hall, Steve Hall
Mixed By – Carmine Rubino, Dan Nebenzal, Hans Peter Huber, Michael Lloyd
Mixed By (Assistant) – Charlie Pollack, Toby Wright
Art Direction – Wilson Design Group
Photography – Jeff Katz
Mastered At Future Disc
Mastered At Future Disc
Recorded At Can-Am Recorders
Recorded At The Village Recorder
Recorded At EBS Studios
Recorded At Calliope Studios
Recorded At The Pasha Music House
Phonographic Copyright Curb Records
Copyright Curb Records
March 13, 2017 @ 08:36
If i remember correctly, “For A Little Ride” also appeared on The Law’s only album. It was a band formed by Paul Rodgers and Kenny Jones that offered rather uninspired bluesy AOR.
March 13, 2017 @ 17:59
If I could make one minor correction. The ‘blue’ album is actually Benny’s 5th studio album. In ’86, Benny released the album ‘American Dreams’ on the very small upstate NY label BT Records. A great album, if you can find it. Killer stuff. No Toto connection on that release, though. 🙁 Info here:
https://www.discogs.com/Benny-Mardones-American-Dreams/release/7555011