Oscar Benton

Oscar Benton
Birth name Ferdinand van Eif
Born (1949-02-03) 3 February 1949
The Hague
Genres Blues
Years active 1960s–1980s[1]
Labels Decca, Philips, DGG Records, Pathé Records
Website www.oscarbenton.nl

Oscar Benton (born Ferdinand van Eif, 3 February 1949 in The Hague) is a Dutch vocalist. He is also the founder of the Oscar Benton Blues Band in 1967. The band rose to fame in 1968 by being a runner up in the Jazz Festival, Loosdrecht, the Netherlands.

Career

Oscar Benton Blues Band

In 1968, the Oscar Benton Blues Band released its first album, Feel so good. In 1969, they released the album The Blues Is Gonna Wreck My Life.[2] In 1971, they released Benton ‘71.[3]

Monica and Oscar Benton

He recorded two hit singles with the Dutch singer Monica Verschoor as "Monica and Oscar Benton" in the 1970s.[4]

Blue Eyed Baby Band

In 1974, the band changed members and also the name by becoming Blue Eyed Baby. Oscar himself changed his stage name to Billy Boy Bishop.[5] The "Blue Eyed Baby" released the LP Blue Eyed Baby.

Solo

Oscar released with his 1981 homonymous album the Bensonhurst Blues, written by Artie Kaplan & Artie Kornfeld, and produced by the EMI Records. The Bensonhurst Blues, which is considered to be Oscar’s best hit, was part of the soundtrack of the 1999 movie La Bûche.[6]

Earlier it was on the soundtrack of the film Pour la Peau d’un Flic (1979) which features Alain Delon. The earliest version of that song is that of Artie Kaplan in his 1973 album Confessions Of A Male Chauvinist Pig produced by the Hopi Records. The Italian singer Adriano Celentano, in his 2004 album C’é Sempre un Motivo, included an Italian version, named Vengo del Jazz.[7] A famous Romanian singer, Margareta Pâslaru, sings it in Romanian under the title Spuneam că nu-mi pasă (Bui bui bui). Another Romanian singer Aurelian Andreescu also recorded a Romanian language version of this song titled Îndrăgostitul. The song became the musical theme of the TV show Crazy Horse in the early 2000s.

Oscar began his solo career in 1981 with the album Bensonhurst Blues which brought him to prominence in the world of blues. In 2011, he released his CD album, "Oscar Benton is Still Alive".


Discography

Albums

Year Title Label
1981 Bensonhurst Blues Pathé Records
1983 My Kind Of Blues Polydor
1984 If You Go Away Folegandros
1994 Best Part Of My Life SilenZ Records

Singles & EPs

Year Title Label
1972 Everybody Is Telling Me Imperial
1973 Bensonhurst Blues Pathé
1981 Bensonhurst Blues EMI
1982 I Believe In Love Bleu Blanc Rouge, Carrere
1983 Not The Same Dreams Anymore Biram
1983 Not The Same Dreams Anymore Bleu Blanc Rouge
1983 Woolly Boolly Boogie EMI
1984 If You Go Away (Ne Me Quite Pas) Bleu Blanc Rouge
1986 Ooh What A Night! Biram
1996 Ze Is Zoals Jij Columbia

[8]

References

  1. "Oscar Benton". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  2. "Oscar Benton Blues Band". MTV. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  3. "Benton 71". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  4. Billboard - May 6, 1972 "Unit Gloria and a new duo, Monica and Oscar Benton. Among the well-established international Bovema groups are the Cats and Brainbox, who have scored many major hits in Holland and ...
  5. ""BENSONHURST BLUES" : LE MYSTÈRE" (in French). www.bortch.com. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  6. "Bûche, La (1999)". www.soundtrackcollector.com. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  7. "Adriano Celentano". www.whosampled.com. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  8. "Oscar Benton". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
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