Chris Rea - Whatever Happened To Benny Santini? (OGWT First TV appearance)

• published: 15 Apr 2013
• views: 2558

From the album "Whatever Happened To Benny Santini", 1978. Chris Rea live at OGWT (The Old Grey Whistle Test) 16-5-1978, doing Benny Santini first TV appearance. Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? is the debut album by Chris Rea, released in 1978. The first single lifted from the album, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", is arguably Rea's best known song, and remains his biggest hit in the United States, peaking at number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching number one on the Adult Contemporary Singles chart. Unlike most of Rea's other singles, "Fool..." was not a great success on the UK Singles Chart, failing to chart on its first release and only reaching number thirty when re-released in early 1979 to capitalise on its U.S. success. This success was also helped by being played extensively by Radio Caroline, as it was dedicated to the British Home Office, who were trying to put the station off the air. The title of the album is a reference to a name Rea's UK record label (Magnet) had considered christening him with to make him sound more attractive commercially. Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? was produced by Gus Dudgeon, who's perhaps most famous for producing most of Elton John's album output in the 1970s. Rea was reportedly dissatisfied with the final mix of the album; he later went some way to rectify this to his satisfaction starting with 1988s greatest hits compilation New Light Through Old Windows, where "Fool..." was presented in a newly recorded version. Personnel Chris Rea - vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer Robert Ahwai - guitar Eddie Guy - guitar Paul Keogh - guitar Phil Curtis - bass Pat Donaldson - bass Dave Markee - bass Eoghan O'Neill - bass Rod Argent - keyboards, electric piano Kevin Leach - keyboards Max Middleton - keyboards Pete Wingfield - keyboards, piano Steve Gregory - saxophone Dave Mattacks - drums Norman Nosebait - drums Adrian Rea - drums Martin Ditcham - percussion Gus Dudgeon - percussion, tambourine, producer Frank Ricotti - percussion, conga, tabla George Woodhead - percussion Doreen Chanter - backing vocals Irene Chanter - backing vocals Stuart Epps - backing vocals The Old Grey Whistle Test first went on air in September 1971 and became one of the most influential music shows for a generation. When the Old Grey Whistle Test went on air in 1971 it was unique. In a world accustomed to Top of the Pops, here was a show on which the bands performed album tracks and were interviewed after they had played. This was before the days of miming. The music was live and, since the idea was to air new sounds, many of the bands were making their first television appearance. Presenter Bob Harris recalls how the show's name was inspired by the doormen (in grey suits) who worked at the music publishing houses in London's Denmark Street, known as 'tin pan alley': "It was a 'tin pan alley' phrase from years ago. When they got the first pressing of a record they would play it to people they called the old greys. The ones they could remember and could whistle having heard it just once or twice had passed the old grey whistle test". The programme went out on BBC2, last thing on a Friday night, from a tiny studio on the fourth floor of Television centre. In the days before 24 hour television the station would close down at the end of the evening. This gave the last programme of the day some flexibility. If things were going well for the Old Grey Whistle Test they could stay on air. Some shows ended after 25 minutes while particularly good ones sometimes extended to an hour and a half. They had a budget of £500 per show, which was very low even in those days. In addition to the technical costs the artists themselves had to be paid. David Bowie, for example, played three songs and was paid £50. John Lennon refused to accept his fee in cash, insisting that he should be rewarded instead with chocolate Bath Oliver biscuits! The titles sequence featured an animation of a man kicking a star. He was to become affectionately known as The Starkicker. The show's title music, with it's distinctive harmonica, was a track called Stone Fox Chase by a Nashville band, Area code 615. When bands were performing the sound was often so loud that the camera crew could not hear what the director was saying in their headphones. The programme makers continually broke new ground. The first ever 'simulcast' of radio and television , the first live transatlantic broadcast of a rock concert and the television coverage of Live Aid were all achieved by the Whistle Test team. Sadly, the programme is no more, having ended it's run in 1987, but it passed the musical baton to it's successors. A succession of programmes such as 'Later with Jools Holland', 'The Tube' and 'The White Room' have all drawn inspiration from Whispering Bob Harris's Old Grey Whistle Test.