Information/Write-up
Conrad Benjamin is a Canadian soul-funk artist, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer whose 1982 album Saturn stands as a singular and highly sought-after entry in the country’s modern soul canon. Little is publicly documented about Benjamin’s broader career, but Saturn—self-composed, self-produced, and released on the independent Nebula/Scorpio label—reveals the vision of a seasoned and multifaceted musician working at the height of his creative powers.
Recorded at Inception Sound Studios in Toronto, Saturn features Benjamin on lead vocals and keyboards, backed by a tightly locked rhythm section and a rich horn ensemble. Supporting musicians included guitarist Mark Teixeira, bassist Dwyane Brown, drummer Russell DeVert, and horn players Carl Hicks and James Poulos, among others. The album was engineered by Chad Irschick and Danny Greenspoon, both active figures in Canada’s studio scene during the early ’80s.
Musically, Benjamin’s style blends boogie-era funk, jazz-fusion textures, and smooth soul arrangements, drawing comparisons to contemporaries like Kashif, Roy Ayers, or Canadian counterparts Crack of Dawn. The album’s standout moments—such as the slow-burning “Love Me,” the punchy opener “I Didn’t Love You,” and the cosmic title track “Saturn”—highlight his skill as a songwriter and arranger, balancing deep grooves with emotional resonance.
Though it flew under the radar at the time of release, Saturn has since become a cult favorite among collectors of private-press funk and soul. Its rediscovery was further boosted by hip-hop artists Curren$y and Snoop Dogg, who sampled the title track on their 2022 collaboration “Seat Change,” introducing Benjamin’s music to a new generation.
While Saturn remains his only known full-length release, Conrad Benjamin’s legacy endures through the enduring appeal of his one-of-a-kind album—an ambitious, independent, and timeless work that reflects the breadth and depth of Canada’s underground soul scene in the early 1980s.
-Robert Williston
Conrad Benjamin: vocals, keyboards
Mark Teixeira: acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Carl Hicks: saxophone
Ian Harper: saxophone
Libert Carimbocas: saxophone
James Poulos (track B3): trumpet
Maurice Wozniak: trombone
James Poulos: trumpet
Merv Greene: trumpet
Vernon Coombs: trumpet
Will Sharp: trumpet
Dwyane Brown: bass
Russell Devert: drums
Betty Richardson: backing vocals (tracks A1, A4, B1, B3)
Boy Driscoli: backing vocals (tracks A2, B2)
Jackie Richardson: backing vocals (tracks A1, A4, B1, B3)
Kathleen Kong: backing vocals (tracks A2, B2)
Liz Tilden: backing vocals (tracks A1, A4, B1, B3)
Produced, written and arranged by Conrad Benjamin
Engineered and mixed by Chad Irschick and Danny Greenspoonat Inception Sound Studios, Toronto, Ontario
Cover design concept by Jack Ellison
Photography By Bob Stewart
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