In the late 1960's Marc Benno and Leon Russell were working as Los Angeles based sessions musicians. Having recorded an unsuccessful solo single, Russell used the resulting earnings to build a recording studio, working with the likes of Gene Clark, Harpers Bizarre and Gary Lewis. The duo's initial collaboration resulted in the release of 1968's "Look Inside the Asylum Choir." Intended as a state-of-the- art, quasi-psychedlic rock effort, the album had it's moment, including the lead-off 'Welcome To Hollywood' and Russell's blue-eyed soul 'Soul Food'. Unfortunately, much of the collection was given over to topical (if inferior) material such as the psychedelic 'Icicle Star Tree', 'Indian Style' and 'Episode Containing 3 Songs, N/Y. Op., Land of Dog, Mr. Henri the Clown' which did little for the collection's accessibility. While the album attracted rave reviews from hip critics, it proved a commercial non-entity. (Originally released with toilet roll artwork, the cover quickly offended then-delicate public sensibilities. Smash quickly re-released the album with a more sedate cover featuring a photo of the duo.

"Look Inside the Asylum Choir" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Welcome To Hollywood (Leon Russell - Marc Benno)
2.) Soul Food (Leon Russell - Marc Benno - Boatman - Markham)
3.) Icicle Star Tree (Leon Russell - Marc Benno - Wilson)
4.) Death of the Flowers (Leon Russell - Marc Benno - Dempsey)
5.) Indian Style (Leon Russell - Marc Benno)