When Photography meets Music
There’s a story that keeps coming at me. It’s not my story and I’m usually pretty leery of telling other people’s stories. But this one seems insistent. Over and over I hear a song. Like one that gets stuck in your head but that’s not the way this one has gotten stuck. I have other earworms that play in my head and even during the last couple of weeks. But those aren’t like this song. This? This is different.
Benny Mardones, Into The Night.
I didn’t know anything about it when it started playing in my mind. Sure, I’d heard the song before but it was just a song on the radio playing several decades ago. It’s the song “Into the Night.” It was featured on the 1980 album "Never Run, Never Hide" (1980) and it reached number 11 on the American Pop Charts. In 1989, "Into the Night" was reintroduced as an updated version and achieved a number 20 placing on the American Charts. In 2019, the song was produced into a dance remix making it chart for a 3rd time. The same song, with different recordings, different labels charted 3 different times. It would be absolutely fabulous if “Into the Night” could reach #1 on a memorial reintroduction.
“…But I want you to know…If I could fly…”
This refrain has sent me on a journey to investigate the singer. His life. His death. His story. It’s interesting stuff. I’ve gained a new appreciation of the song and the singer. His name was Benny Mardones and Benny could really sing. Powerful. He had some pipes.
Here’s some quick facts:
He was a Navy Veteran of Vietnam.
He could sing with a 4 octave range.
He wrote songs for many people including rockabilly artist Brenda Lee.
He wrote and recorded over 100 songs.
It’s has been estimated that the the song “Into the Night” has been played over 4,500,000 times in the US alone.
Benny’s passionate, guttural howling near the end was really his instructions to the saxophone player. He sang what he wanted the sax solo to sound like. It was so heartfelt and powerful, however, they decided to not use a saxophone. His voice was a stand alone. When you hear the song again, you can hear how the sax would have sounded.
Benny felt that anti-American sentiment was a problem, even back in 1980 and he said so on American Bandstand with Dick Clark. Chevy Chase once referred to Benny as “a very patriotic guy.”
Delilah, the radio personality and host of a nightly syndicated show with 8 million listeners, described the singer: "His voice is like whiskey, smooth but with that edgy bite. But his heart is like a hug from your dearest friend, the kind of hug that holds on and doesn’t let go and pours so much goodness straight into your heart...Benny is one of a kind and his talent and his love has enriched my life and the lives of all my family."
But don’t take my word for it.
I’m no music expert but the Professor of Rock, Adam Reader, a YouTuber with an encyclopedic knowledge of music says of Benny’s song, “Into the Night” is one of the greatest vocal performances ever put to vinyl.” Seriously big claim but I agree. (The live performance video is below.) Benny Mardones should have taken a spot on legendary stage with the greats. He earned it.
Anyway, you’d think, having learned all I could, that the song in my head would go away. But nope. Still, it plays. So much so I’ve actually stopped researching and reading and listening. Instead, I’ve played other songs and music that I love to sing. ( I mean warble, yodel, and waver for I can’t actually sing.) But no matter what I do, for almost a month, Benny still sings in my head. It’s been an irresistible call.
“…But I want you to know…If I could fly…”
I don’t know what sort of God Spot this is but so I’m listening. I do know Benny sang with fire, ash and a hint of wilding. He was a Scorpio and, if you believe in astrology, you know Scorpio men are fabulous. They have a special kind of punch. Benny was also born 4 miles from my mother’s people in Maryland, so maybe he’s somehow my “home folk.” The saddest of all is… he’s gone. He passed away at age 73 in 2020 on the day after my birthday. He had performed through Parkinson’s disease for almost 20 years.
So, I don’t know why Benny Mardones is singing in my head. I don’t know why it seems he whispers “Purple Haze” with a laugh just over my left shoulder. Maybe he liked the color purple or maybe I’m imaging it. Nonetheless, all that I’ve learned has filled me with such overwhelming sadness. Young Benny Mardones was an oddly sexy, beautiful creature that could have helped us, all of us, keep a grasp on things that are getting lost in today’s culture. Things like kindness, hope, and strength. He might have helped make it cool to be proud of America. He might have been able to show us love and passion that wasn’t deleterious or detrimental yet is no less powerful in its purity. I mourn him for what we have all lost.
Since learning all of this, I’ve scoured the Internet for decent photos of this young singer and there are very few that aren’t blurry. Being as I’m a photographer, I’ve made it my mission to help correct the ones I could. I don’t have the copyright on most and I don’t know who took which images so if anyone knows, please let me know so I can credit their work. The process is AI assisted and AI is still in the early days. I’ll revisit these as things improve; until I can get them right. But you can get a better idea of who we’ve missed.
So young Benny, I don’t know why you’re singing in my head. I don’t know if my poor brain is having a senior moment or if it’s connected to some spiritual speed-dial, but either way, I hear you. Maybe more people will hear you when they read this. Since you’ve gone on ahead, I can’t say thank you. I can’t let you know how proud I am of you. I can’t tell you that it really bugs me that you got shafted, and we all got shafted. But I can help make old images clear and help put you back on the internet. I can contribute that little bit so the world doesn’t forget you. But Benny? …I want YOU to know…I promise to play your music as long as I’m alive.
Links to help you augment your Music Knowledge.
Benny performing LIVE on Merv Griffin. This was LIVE. Not auto Tuned or “pre-recorded.” He sang this LIVE! Listen carefully to that voice. If you don’t understand what you’re hearing, see the British Analysis Video Below. Benny also duplicated the recorded version almost note for note. There’s a place or two in this version where his voice gives me goosebumps. Please take the time to listen to all of these videos. Music…good music… is becoming a thing of the past. By learning all you can, you can help keep it alive. Keep your expectations and standards high. Fall in Love with Benny.
