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{{Short description|Canadian musician, songwriter, and producer}}
{{Short description|Canadian musician, songwriter, and producer (born 1951)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
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| name = Benjamin Mink
| name = Benjamin Mink
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| years_active = <!-- YYYY–YYYY (or –present) -->
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| associated_acts = [[k.d. lang]]
| website = {{url|benmink.com}}
| website = {{url|benmink.com}}
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'''Benjamin Mink''' (born January 22, 1951) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and [[Record producer|producer]] best known as a longtime collaborator of Canadian singer [[k.d. lang]].<ref name="canadianencyclopedia"/> He plays several string instruments, notably the guitar, violin, and the [[mandolin]], and is a music producer.
'''Benjamin Mink''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} (born January 22, 1951) is a Canadian songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and [[Record producer|producer]] best known as a longtime collaborator of Canadian singer [[k.d. lang]].<ref name= "canadianencyclopedia"/> He plays several string instruments, notably the guitar, violin, and the [[mandolin]].


==Life and career==
==Early life, family, and education==
Born to Polish [[Holocaust survivors]],<ref>{{cite web| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20190127195620/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPxwSF4CGyo&gl=US&hl=en | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPxwSF4CGyo&t=5m57s| title = Geddy Lee Tells His Family's Holocaust Story (Full Interview) |first= Geddy| last= Geddy| author-link= Geddy Lee| archivedate= January 27, 2019 | via=[[YouTube]]}} Also archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/hPxwSF4CGyo Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}}</ref> Mink was raised in [[Toronto]], Canada.
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===Early work===
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Born to [[Poles|Polish]] [[Holocaust survivors]],<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPxwSF4CGyo&t=5m57s</ref> Mink was raised in [[Toronto]], Ontario. He got his start performing with the rock/country group Mary-Lou Horner, which became the house band at The Rockpile bar and nightclub<ref>Quill, Greg - [https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/283838--led-zeppelin-s-toronto-memories "Led Zeppelin's Toronto memories"] - ''Toronto Star''</ref> and acted as a backup band for [[Chuck Berry]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111224223140/http://www.nashtheslash.com/history/04_chuckberry.html "Chuck Berry - The Rock Pile -May 15, 1969"] - ''NashTheSlash.com''</ref>


==Career==
⚫
He has been a member of the groups [[Stringband]], Murray McLauchlan's Silver Tractors, and [[FM (Canadian band)|FM]].<ref name="Weigel2017">David Weigel. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=qdZDDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT161 The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock]''. W. W. Norton; 13 June 2017. {{ISBN|978-0-393-24226-3}}. p. 161–.</ref><ref>[http://web.ncf.ca/fi142/Ben%20Mink%20Frets%20Magazine%20Interview.pdf "Ben Mink - FM Fiddle Flash"] - ''Frets Magazine - Jan 1982''</ref>
===Beginnings===
⚫
Mink began performing with the rock/country group Mary-Lou Horner, which became the [[house band]] at the Rockpile bar and nightclub<ref>{{cite news| last= Quill| first= Greg | url= https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/283838--led-zeppelin-s-toronto-memories |title= Led Zeppelin's Toronto memories| work= [[Toronto Star]]| date= | publisher= | access-date= }}</ref> and acted as a backup band for [[Chuck Berry]].<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.nashtheslash.com/history/04_chuckberry.html | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20111224223140/http://www.nashtheslash.com/history/04_chuckberry.html |title= Chuck Berry – The Rock Pile – May 15, 1969| website= NashTheSlash.com| first= | last= | publisher= | archivedate= December 24, 2011| access-date= }}</ref>


⚫
He has been a member of the groups [[Stringband]], Murray McLauchlan's Silver Tractors, and [[FM (Canadian band)|FM]].<ref name="Weigel2017">{{cite book| first= David |last= Weigel| page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=qdZDDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT161 161]| title=The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock| publisher= W. W. Norton| year= 2017 |isbn= 978-0-393-24226-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://web.ncf.ca/fi142/Ben%20Mink%20Frets%20Magazine%20Interview.pdf |title= Ben Mink – FM Fiddle Flash| via= web.ncf.ca| website= Frets Magazine |date= January 1982| access-date= }}</ref>
===k.d. lang===
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Mink is best known as a longtime collaborator of Canadian singer [[k.d. lang]], whom he met at [[Expo '85]] while doing a gig with [[CANO]].<ref>[http://kdlang.org/topic/1093#.Tpuk6HKyWak "Lunching with Bonzai - k.d. and Ben Mink - Food For Thought"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110621073026/http://kdlang.org/topic/1093#.Tpuk6HKyWak |date=2011-06-21 }} - ''Mix Magazine - Jan 1996''</ref><ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episodes/life-is-a-highway "Life Is a Highway: Canadian Pop Music in the '90s"] - ''CBC Doc Zone''</ref> Mink has performed on, along with co-writing and producing, several of her albums, which often combine voice with string arrangements.<ref name="BrackettHoard2004">''[https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&pg=PA474 The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]''. Simon and Schuster; 2004. {{ISBN|978-0-7432-0169-8}}. p. 474–.</ref> Mink subsequently performed as violinist, guitarist, and mandolinist with lang's band, the Reclines. A performance for the [[Grammy Award|Grammy]]-nominated album ''[[Ingénue (album)|Ingénue]]'' was recorded as part of the ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' series at the [[Ed Sullivan Theater]], [[New York City]], on December 16, 1992.<ref>[http://www.tv.com/shows/mtv-unplugged/k-d-lang-145360/ "MTV Unplugged: k.d. lang Episode Summary"] - ''TV.com''</ref>
Mink was interviewed about his songwriting collaboration with lang on the British television show ''South Bank Show'' in 1996.<ref name="Publishing1996">"Tube and Twang" ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=yWMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56 The Advocate]''. Here Publishing; 6 February 1996. [[International Standard Serial Number|ISSN]]&nbsp;[https://www.worldcat.org/search?fq=x0:jrnl&q=n2:0001-8996 0001-8996]. p. 56–.</ref>


===Rush===
===With k.d. lang===
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Mink is best known as a longtime collaborator of Canadian singer [[k.d. lang]], whom he met at [[Expo '85]] while doing a gig with [[CANO]].<ref>{{cite web| url= http://kdlang.org/topic/1093#.Tpuk6HKyWak |title= Lunching with Bonzai – k.d. and Ben Mink – Food for Thought| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110621073026/http://kdlang.org/topic/1093#.Tpuk6HKyWak |archivedate=June 21, 2011 | work= Mix Magazine |date= January 1996| via= kdlang.org| access-date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episodes/life-is-a-highway |title= Life Is a Highway: Canadian Pop Music in the '90s| work= Doc Zone| publisher= CDC| date= | access-date= }}</ref> He has performed on, along with co-writing and producing, several of her albums, which often combine voice with string arrangements.<ref name= "BrackettHoard2004">{{cite book| page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&pg=PA474 474]| title= The New Rolling Stone Album Guide| publisher= Simon and Schuster| year= 2004 |isbn= 978-0-7432-0169-8}}</ref> Mink subsequently performed as violinist, guitarist, and mandolinist with lang's band, the Reclines. A performance for the [[Grammy Award|Grammy]]-nominated album ''[[Ingénue (album)|Ingénue]]'' was recorded as part of the ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' series at the [[Ed Sullivan Theater]], New York City, on December 16, 1992.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.tv.com/shows/mtv-unplugged/k-d-lang-145360/ | title= MTV Unplugged: k.d. lang Episode Summary | work= TV.com | publisher= | date= | access-date= | archive-date= February 2, 2014 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140202161714/http://www.tv.com/shows/mtv-unplugged/k-d-lang-145360/ | url-status= dead }}</ref> Mink was interviewed about his songwriting collaboration with lang on the British television show ''South Bank Show'' in 1996.<ref name="Publishing1996">"Tube and Twang" ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=yWMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56 The Advocate]''. Here Publishing; February 6, 1996. [[International Standard Serial Number|ISSN]]&nbsp;[https://www.worldcat.org/search?fq=x0:jrnl&q=n2:0001-8996 0001-8996]. p. 56–.</ref>
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Mink was invited to play [[electric violin]] on the [[Rush (band)|Rush]] song "Losing It" from their 1982 album ''[[Signals (Rush album)|Signals]]'', and contributed strings to the song "Faithless" from the 2007 album ''[[Snakes & Arrows]]''. He also co-wrote, produced, and played guitar on ''[[My Favourite Headache]]'' (2000), a solo project of Rush lead singer and bassist [[Geddy Lee]].<ref>[http://2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/20000800rolandca.htm "Roland Interviews Ben Mink"] - ''Reverb Roland Canada''</ref><ref>Sharken, Lisa - [http://www.vintageguitar.com/3320/geddy-lee "Rush RX for my Favorite Headache"] - ''VintageGuitar.com''</ref><ref name="Popoff2016">Martin Popoff. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=xIWzCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA81 Rush - Updated Edition: The Unofficial Illustrated History]''. Voyageur Press; June 2016. {{ISBN|978-0-7603-4995-3}}. p. 81–.</ref>

⚫
On June 19, 2015, he performed "Losing It" with the trio at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, as part of their [[R40 Live Tour]].
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===With Rush===
⚫
Mink was invited to play [[electric violin]] on the [[Rush (band)|Rush]] song "Losing It", from their 1982 album, ''[[Signals (Rush album)|Signals]]'', and contributed strings to the song "Faithless" from the 2007 album, ''[[Snakes & Arrows]]''. He also co-wrote, produced, and played guitar on ''[[My Favourite Headache]]'' (2000), a solo project of Rush lead singer and bassist, [[Geddy Lee]].<ref>[http://2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/20000800rolandca.htm "Roland Interviews Ben Mink"] – ''Reverb Roland Canada''</ref><ref>Sharken, Lisa – [http://www.vintageguitar.com/3320/geddy-lee "Rush RX for my Favorite Headache"] – ''VintageGuitar.com''</ref><ref name="Popoff2016">{{cite book| first= Martin |last= Popoff| page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=xIWzCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA81 81]| title=Rush – Updated Edition: The Unofficial Illustrated History| publisher= Voyageur Press| date= June 2016 |isbn= 978-0-7603-4995-3}}</ref>
⚫
On June 19, 2015, he performed "Losing It" with the trio at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, as part of their farewell [[R40 Live Tour]].


===Other collaborations===
===Other collaborations===
Mink has also produced and/or performed on recordings by the [[Barenaked Ladies]], [[Anne Murray]], [[Dan Hill]], [[Mendelson Joe]], [[Prairie Oyster]], [[Raffi (musician)|Raffi]], [[Jane Siberry]], [[Ian & Sylvia|Ian and Sylvia Tyson]], [[Valdy]], [[Bruce Cockburn]], [[Murray McLauchlan]],<ref name="Finkelstein2012">Bernie Finkelstein. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=hGb86Ia2wygC&pg=PA186 True North: A Life Inside the Music Business]''. McClelland & Stewart; 2012. {{ISBN|978-0-7710-4793-0}}. p. 186–.</ref> [[Willie P. Bennett]], [[Susan Aglukark]], [[Methodman]], [[Alison Krauss]], [[Feist (singer)|Feist]], [[Daniel Lanois]], [[Sarah McLachlan]], [[Roy Orbison]], [[Elton John]], and [[Heart (band)|Heart]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}
Mink has also produced and/or performed on recordings by the [[Barenaked Ladies]], [[Anne Murray]], [[Dan Hill]], [[Mendelson Joe]], [[Prairie Oyster]], [[Raffi (musician)|Raffi]], [[Jane Siberry]], [[Ian & Sylvia|Ian and Sylvia Tyson]], [[Valdy]], [[Bruce Cockburn]], [[Murray McLauchlan]],<ref name="Finkelstein2012">{{cite book| first= Bernie |last= Finkelstein| page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=hGb86Ia2wygC&pg=PA186 186]| title= True North: A Life Inside the Music Business |publisher= McClelland & Stewart| year= 2012 |isbn= 978-0-7710-4793-0}}</ref> [[Willie P. Bennett]], [[Susan Aglukark]], [[Methodman]], [[Alison Krauss]], [[Feist (singer)|Feist]], [[Daniel Lanois]], [[Sarah McLachlan]], [[Roy Orbison]], [[Elton John]], and [[Heart (band)|Heart]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}


He co-produced ''[[Red Velvet Car]]'' for Heart's [[Ann Wilson|Ann]] and [[Nancy Wilson (rock musician)|Nancy Wilson]], released in the fall of 2010,<ref>Ragogna, Mike - [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/emred-velvet-carem-a-conv_b_731156.html "Red Velvet Car: A Conversation With Heart's Ann & Nancy Wilson, Plus Introducing Theo Shier"] - ''Huffington Post''</ref> and appeared onstage in the band's concert video ''Night at Sky Church''.<ref>[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/legacy-recordings-releasing-hearts-night-at-sky-church-an-electrifying-full-length-live-concert-film-available-everywhere-tuesday-march-8-2011-116227189.html "Legacy Recordings Releasing Heart's 'Night At Sky Church,' an Electrifying Full-Length Live Concert Film, Available Everywhere Tuesday, March 8, 2011"] - ''PRNewswire.com''</ref> Mink was back at the helm as producer of Heart's 2012 album ''[[Fanatic (album)|Fanatic]]'', which included the single "Walkin' Good", featuring [[Sarah McLachlan]].
He co-produced ''[[Red Velvet Car]]'' for Heart's [[Ann Wilson|Ann]] and [[Nancy Wilson (rock musician)|Nancy Wilson]], released in the fall of 2010,<ref>Ragogna, Mike - [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/emred-velvet-carem-a-conv_b_731156.html "Red Velvet Car: A Conversation With Heart's Ann & Nancy Wilson, Plus Introducing Theo Shier"] - ''Huffington Post''</ref> and appeared onstage in the band's concert video ''Night at Sky Church''.<ref>[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/legacy-recordings-releasing-hearts-night-at-sky-church-an-electrifying-full-length-live-concert-film-available-everywhere-tuesday-march-8-2011-116227189.html "Legacy Recordings Releasing Heart's 'Night At Sky Church,' an Electrifying Full-Length Live Concert Film, Available Everywhere Tuesday, March 8, 2011"] - ''PRNewswire.com''</ref> Mink was back at the helm as producer of Heart's 2012 album ''[[Fanatic (album)|Fanatic]]'', which included the single "Walkin' Good", featuring [[Sarah McLachlan]].
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Mink co-produced and performed on [[Feist (singer)|Feist]]'s Grammy-nominated hit single "1-2-3-4", playing strings and guitars.<ref name="Finkelstein2012" />
Mink co-produced and performed on [[Feist (singer)|Feist]]'s Grammy-nominated hit single "1-2-3-4", playing strings and guitars.<ref name="Finkelstein2012" />


He is a member of the Black Sea Station, a North American [[klezmer]] supergroup. Their debut recording, ''Transylvania Avenue'', is produced by Mink, and was released on Rounder Records in the Fall of 2010 as a digital download.<ref>[http://www.theblackseastation.com "The Black Sea Station"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929030513/http://www.theblackseastation.com/ |date=2017-09-29 }} - ''The Black Sea Station Website''</ref> He has also produced other klezmer musical acts in the past, such as Finjan, [[The Klezmatics]],<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=M6Y7AQAAIAAJ The Mix]''. Vol. 22, Issues 7-12. Mix Publications; 1998. p. 214.</ref> and [[Chava Alberstein]].<ref>Boehm, Mike - [https://articles.latimes.com/1999/may/10/entertainment/ca-35673 "A New Tap on Yiddish Tradition"] - ''Los Angeles Times''</ref><ref>[http://www.label-bleu.com/artist.php?lng=e&artist_id=24 "The Klezmatics & Chava Alberstein Biography"] - ''LabelBleu.com''</ref>
He is a member of the Black Sea Station, a North American [[klezmer]] supergroup. Their debut recording, ''Transylvania Avenue'', is produced by Mink, and was released on Rounder Records in the Fall of 2010 as a digital download.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.theblackseastation.com |title= The Black Sea Station| website= theblackseastation.com| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20170929030513/http://www.theblackseastation.com/ |archivedate=September 29, 2017 | publisher= | date= | access-date= }}</ref> He has also produced other klezmer musical acts in the past, such as Finjan, [[The Klezmatics]],<ref>{{cite news| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=M6Y7AQAAIAAJ |title= The Mix| via= Google Books| volume= 22| number= 7–12| publisher= Mix Publications| year= 1998| page= 214}}</ref> and [[Chava Alberstein]].<ref>{{cite news| last= Boehm| first= Mike | url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-10-ca-35673-story.html |title= A New Tap on Yiddish Tradition| work= [[Los Angeles Times]]| date= May 10, 1999| access-date= December 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.label-bleu.com/artist.php?lng=e&artist_id=24 |title= The Klezmatics & Chava Alberstein Biography| website= LabelBleu.com| publisher= | date= | access-date= }}</ref>


===Soundtracks===
===Soundtracks===
Mink scored the 2007 biopic ''Confessions of an Innocent Man'' about British-Canadian engineer [[William Sampson (author)|William Sampson]], which garnered him a [[Gemini Award]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}
Mink scored the 2007 biopic ''Confessions of an Innocent Man'' about British-Canadian engineer [[William Sampson (author)|William Sampson]], which garnered him a [[Gemini Award]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}
He wrote the soundtrack to the film ''[[Fifty Dead Men Walking]]'',<ref>Schaefer, Glen - [http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/story.html?id=223211e3-7f34-4c82-8e8a-f54d02c4d828 "Ben Mink is movie music king"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118221901/http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/story.html?id=223211e3-7f34-4c82-8e8a-f54d02c4d828 |date=November 18, 2011 }} - ''Victoria Times Colonist''</ref> which has since received numerous awards and nominations, including a 2010 [[Genie Award]] nomination for Best Achievement in Music—Original Score, and a 2009 Leo Award for Best Musical Score for a Feature-Length Drama. The television soundtracks for ''Terminal City'' and ''[[Alice (TV miniseries)|Alice]]''<ref>Brodsky, Katherine - [https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118042006 "The go-to music people"] - ''Variety.com''</ref> both also garnered
He wrote the soundtrack to the film ''[[Fifty Dead Men Walking]]'',<ref>{{cite web| last= Schaefer| first= Glen | url= http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/story.html?id=223211e3-7f34-4c82-8e8a-f54d02c4d828 |title= Ben Mink is movie music king| via= canada.com| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20111118221901/http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/story.html?id=223211e3-7f34-4c82-8e8a-f54d02c4d828 |archivedate=November 18, 2011 |work= [[Victoria Times Colonist]]| date= | access-date= }}</ref> which has since received numerous awards and nominations, including a 2010 [[Genie Award]] nomination for Best Achievement in Music—Original Score, and a 2009 Leo Award for Best Musical Score for a Feature-Length Drama. The television soundtracks for ''Terminal City'' and ''[[Alice (TV miniseries)|Alice]]''<ref>Brodsky, Katherine - [https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118042006 "The go-to music people"] - ''Variety.com''</ref> both also garnered
[[Leo Awards]].
[[Leo Awards]].
In 2011, the TV series ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'' used the 1992 song "[[Constant Craving]]", written by Mink and k.d. lang,<ref name="Babich2016">Babette Babich. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ON2_CwAAQBAJ&pg=PT180 The Hallelujah Effect: Philosophical Reflections on Music, Performance Practice, and Technology]''. Routledge; 16 March 2016. {{ISBN|978-1-317-02955-7}}. p. 180–.</ref> in the seventh episode of the third season, for its closing number (performed by [[Chris Colfer]], [[Idina Menzel]] and [[Naya Rivera]]).{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}
In 2011, the TV series ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'' used the 1992 song "[[Constant Craving]]", written by Mink and k.d. lang,<ref name="Babich2016">{{cite book| first= Babette |last= Babich| page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=ON2_CwAAQBAJ&pg=PT180 180]| title= The Hallelujah Effect: Philosophical Reflections on Music, Performance Practice, and Technology| publisher= Routledge| year= 2016 |isbn= 978-1-317-02955-7}}</ref> in the seventh episode of the third season, for its closing number (performed by [[Chris Colfer]], [[Idina Menzel]] and [[Naya Rivera]]).{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}


===Other work===
===Other work===
Mink has lectured on such topics as "The Music Business vs. the Creative Process" at the [[University of British Columbia]], [[Western Washington University]], and [[Simon Fraser University]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} He has also worked with students as an associate of UBC's Department of Mechanical Engineering (robotics) and is an associate member of the Institute for Computing, Information & Cognitive Systems.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} In 2006, he delivered the introductory speech to k.d. lang's [[Governor General's Performing Arts Award]] induction at the National Arts Centre in [[Ottawa]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} He has also contributed to the Library and Archives Canada.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140202114801/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/public_mikan/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=211953&rec_nbr_list=211953 "Ben Mink fonds"] - ''Library and Archives Canada''</ref>
Mink has lectured on such topics as "The Music Business vs. the Creative Process" at the [[University of British Columbia]], [[Western Washington University]], and [[Simon Fraser University]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} He has also worked with students as an associate of UBC's Department of Mechanical Engineering (robotics) and is an associate member of the Institute for Computing, Information & Cognitive Systems.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} In 2006, he delivered the introductory speech to k.d. lang's [[Governor General's Performing Arts Award]] induction at the National Arts Centre in [[Ottawa]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} He has also contributed to the Library and Archives Canada.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140202114801/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/public_mikan/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=211953&rec_nbr_list=211953 "Ben Mink fonds"] - ''Library and Archives Canada''</ref>


Mink is one of few people to ever share a songwriting credit with [[Mick Jagger]] and [[Keith Richards]]. In 1997, Mink and k.d. lang were co-credited as songwriters on [[the Rolling Stones]] single "[[Anybody Seen My Baby?]]" because [[Jagger-Richards]] felt the chorus was very similar to "Constant Craving".{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}
Mink is one of few people to ever share a songwriting credit with [[Mick Jagger]] and [[Keith Richards]]. In 1997, Mink and k.d. lang were co-credited as songwriters on [[the Rolling Stones]] single "[[Anybody Seen My Baby?]]" because [[Jagger-Richards]] felt the chorus was similar to "Constant Craving".<ref>Richards, Keith. Life. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2010. p. 457.</ref>


Mink has one solo recording—the hard-to-find 1980 release ''Foreign Exchange'', on [[Passport Records]].<ref name="canadianencyclopedia">[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ben-mink-emc "Ben Mink"] - ''Canadian Encyclopedia.com''</ref>
Mink has one solo recording—the 1980 release ''Foreign Exchange'', on [[Passport Records]].<ref name="canadianencyclopedia">[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ben-mink-emc "Ben Mink"] - ''Canadian Encyclopedia.com''</ref>


==Selected awards==
==Selected awards==
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* {{AllMusic|id=ben-mink-mn0000793900|title=Ben Mink}}
* {{AllMusic|id=ben-mink-mn0000793900|title=Ben Mink}}
* {{Discogs artist}}
* {{Discogs artist}}
* {{imdb name|0591413}}


{{FM (Canadian band) }}
{{FM (Canadian band) }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mink, Ben}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mink, Ben}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:American male songwriters]]
[[Category:Canadian male songwriters]]
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[[Category:Canadian songwriters]]
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[[Category:American rock violinists]]
[[Category:Canadian rock violinists]]
[[Category:Canadian rock violinists]]
[[Category:American male violinists]]
[[Category:American record producers]]
[[Category:Canadian record producers]]
[[Category:Canadian record producers]]
[[Category:American mandolinists]]
[[Category:Canadian mandolinists]]
[[Category:Canadian mandolinists]]
[[Category:Musicians from Toronto]]
[[Category:Musicians from Toronto]]
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[[Category:20th-century Canadian guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:Electric violinists]]
[[Category:Electric violinists]]
[[Category:Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award winners]]
[[Category:Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award winners]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Ohio]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers]]
[[Category:21st-century violinists]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian male musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:Jewish Canadian musicians]]
[[Category:Jewish Canadian musicians]]
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[[Category:Canadian male violinists and fiddlers]]
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[[Category:Canadian male guitarists]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Musicians from Vancouver]]

Latest revision as of 23:10, 14 August 2024

Benjamin Mink
Born (1951-01-22) January 22, 1951 (age 73)
Toronto, Canada
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
InstrumentMultiple instruments
Websitebenmink.com

Benjamin Mink CM (born January 22, 1951) is a Canadian songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer best known as a longtime collaborator of Canadian singer k.d. lang.[1] He plays several string instruments, notably the guitar, violin, and the mandolin.

Early life, family, and education

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Born to Polish Holocaust survivors,[2] Mink was raised in Toronto, Canada.

Career

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Beginnings

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Mink began performing with the rock/country group Mary-Lou Horner, which became the house band at the Rockpile bar and nightclub[3] and acted as a backup band for Chuck Berry.[4]

He has been a member of the groups Stringband, Murray McLauchlan's Silver Tractors, and FM.[5][6]

With k.d. lang

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Mink is best known as a longtime collaborator of Canadian singer k.d. lang, whom he met at Expo '85 while doing a gig with CANO.[7][8] He has performed on, along with co-writing and producing, several of her albums, which often combine voice with string arrangements.[9] Mink subsequently performed as violinist, guitarist, and mandolinist with lang's band, the Reclines. A performance for the Grammy-nominated album Ingénue was recorded as part of the MTV Unplugged series at the Ed Sullivan Theater, New York City, on December 16, 1992.[10] Mink was interviewed about his songwriting collaboration with lang on the British television show South Bank Show in 1996.[11]

With Rush

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Mink was invited to play electric violin on the Rush song "Losing It", from their 1982 album, Signals, and contributed strings to the song "Faithless" from the 2007 album, Snakes & Arrows. He also co-wrote, produced, and played guitar on My Favourite Headache (2000), a solo project of Rush lead singer and bassist, Geddy Lee.[12][13][14] On June 19, 2015, he performed "Losing It" with the trio at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, as part of their farewell R40 Live Tour.

Other collaborations

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Mink has also produced and/or performed on recordings by the Barenaked Ladies, Anne Murray, Dan Hill, Mendelson Joe, Prairie Oyster, Raffi, Jane Siberry, Ian and Sylvia Tyson, Valdy, Bruce Cockburn, Murray McLauchlan,[15] Willie P. Bennett, Susan Aglukark, Methodman, Alison Krauss, Feist, Daniel Lanois, Sarah McLachlan, Roy Orbison, Elton John, and Heart.[citation needed]

He co-produced Red Velvet Car for Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson, released in the fall of 2010,[16] and appeared onstage in the band's concert video Night at Sky Church.[17] Mink was back at the helm as producer of Heart's 2012 album Fanatic, which included the single "Walkin' Good", featuring Sarah McLachlan.

Mink co-produced and performed on Feist's Grammy-nominated hit single "1-2-3-4", playing strings and guitars.[15]

He is a member of the Black Sea Station, a North American klezmer supergroup. Their debut recording, Transylvania Avenue, is produced by Mink, and was released on Rounder Records in the Fall of 2010 as a digital download.[18] He has also produced other klezmer musical acts in the past, such as Finjan, The Klezmatics,[19] and Chava Alberstein.[20][21]

Soundtracks

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Mink scored the 2007 biopic Confessions of an Innocent Man about British-Canadian engineer William Sampson, which garnered him a Gemini Award.[citation needed] He wrote the soundtrack to the film Fifty Dead Men Walking,[22] which has since received numerous awards and nominations, including a 2010 Genie Award nomination for Best Achievement in Music—Original Score, and a 2009 Leo Award for Best Musical Score for a Feature-Length Drama. The television soundtracks for Terminal City and Alice[23] both also garnered Leo Awards. In 2011, the TV series Glee used the 1992 song "Constant Craving", written by Mink and k.d. lang,[24] in the seventh episode of the third season, for its closing number (performed by Chris Colfer, Idina Menzel and Naya Rivera).[citation needed]

Other work

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Mink has lectured on such topics as "The Music Business vs. the Creative Process" at the University of British Columbia, Western Washington University, and Simon Fraser University.[citation needed] He has also worked with students as an associate of UBC's Department of Mechanical Engineering (robotics) and is an associate member of the Institute for Computing, Information & Cognitive Systems.[citation needed] In 2006, he delivered the introductory speech to k.d. lang's Governor General's Performing Arts Award induction at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.[citation needed] He has also contributed to the Library and Archives Canada.[25]

Mink is one of few people to ever share a songwriting credit with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In 1997, Mink and k.d. lang were co-credited as songwriters on the Rolling Stones single "Anybody Seen My Baby?" because Jagger-Richards felt the chorus was similar to "Constant Craving".[26]

Mink has one solo recording—the 1980 release Foreign Exchange, on Passport Records.[1]

Selected awards

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  • Grammy Awards: In 1990, Mink was co-nominated with k.d. lang for a Best Country Song Grammy for "Luck in My Eyes". Subsequently, as a producer and writer, he has been nominated for a total of nine Grammies, winning twice for his work with lang.[1]
  • Juno Awards: He has received seven Juno nominations, winning three times between 1993 and 1994.
  • Genie/Gemini Awards: Genie Award – Best Original Score for 50 Dead Men Walking; Gemini Award – Best British Columbia Film for Confessions of an Innocent Man.
  • Leo Awards: Best Musical Score 2006, 2009, 2010.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Ben Mink" - Canadian Encyclopedia.com
  2. ^ Geddy, Geddy. "Geddy Lee Tells His Family's Holocaust Story (Full Interview)". Archived from the original on January 27, 2019 – via YouTube. Also archived at Ghostarchive
  3. ^ Quill, Greg. "Led Zeppelin's Toronto memories". Toronto Star.
  4. ^ "Chuck Berry – The Rock Pile – May 15, 1969". NashTheSlash.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2011.
  5. ^ Weigel, David (2017). The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock. W. W. Norton. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-393-24226-3.
  6. ^ "Ben Mink – FM Fiddle Flash" (PDF). Frets Magazine. January 1982 – via web.ncf.ca.
  7. ^ "Lunching with Bonzai – k.d. and Ben Mink – Food for Thought". Mix Magazine. January 1996. Archived from the original on June 21, 2011 – via kdlang.org.
  8. ^ "Life Is a Highway: Canadian Pop Music in the '90s". Doc Zone. CDC.
  9. ^ The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. 2004. p. 474. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
  10. ^ "MTV Unplugged: k.d. lang Episode Summary". TV.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014.
  11. ^ "Tube and Twang" The Advocate. Here Publishing; February 6, 1996. ISSN 0001-8996. p. 56–.
  12. ^ "Roland Interviews Ben Mink" – Reverb Roland Canada
  13. ^ Sharken, Lisa – "Rush RX for my Favorite Headache" – VintageGuitar.com
  14. ^ Popoff, Martin (June 2016). Rush – Updated Edition: The Unofficial Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-7603-4995-3.
  15. ^ a b Finkelstein, Bernie (2012). True North: A Life Inside the Music Business. McClelland & Stewart. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-7710-4793-0.
  16. ^ Ragogna, Mike - "Red Velvet Car: A Conversation With Heart's Ann & Nancy Wilson, Plus Introducing Theo Shier" - Huffington Post
  17. ^ "Legacy Recordings Releasing Heart's 'Night At Sky Church,' an Electrifying Full-Length Live Concert Film, Available Everywhere Tuesday, March 8, 2011" - PRNewswire.com
  18. ^ "The Black Sea Station". theblackseastation.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017.
  19. ^ "The Mix". Vol. 22, no. 7–12. Mix Publications. 1998. p. 214 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ Boehm, Mike (May 10, 1999). "A New Tap on Yiddish Tradition". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  21. ^ "The Klezmatics & Chava Alberstein Biography". LabelBleu.com.
  22. ^ Schaefer, Glen. "Ben Mink is movie music king". Victoria Times Colonist. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011 – via canada.com.
  23. ^ Brodsky, Katherine - "The go-to music people" - Variety.com
  24. ^ Babich, Babette (2016). The Hallelujah Effect: Philosophical Reflections on Music, Performance Practice, and Technology. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN 978-1-317-02955-7.
  25. ^ "Ben Mink fonds" - Library and Archives Canada
  26. ^ Richards, Keith. Life. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2010. p. 457.
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