This Masquerade is a ballad written by Leon Russell and first recorded in 1972 for his album Carney, as the B-side to the single Tight Rope. The lyric delves into a troubled relationship, asking if the lovers are truly happy with the lonely game they play and describing two people who feel they are lost in a masquerade. According to The Church Studio, Russell wrote it during a heartbreak with Carla Brown while building his Tulsa studio. The song was later covered by Helen Reddy (1972) and the Carpenters (1973), and in 1976 George Benson released a crossover jazz-pop version on the Breezin’ album. Benson’s rendition—featuring Jorge Dalto on piano—became a major hit, reaching the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning the 1977 Grammy for Record of the Year, his first big career breakthrough. The Breezin’ track is commonly described as soul with smooth jazz influences, and the album version runs 8 minutes 3 seconds while the single edit is 3 minutes 17 seconds.
