Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?

Cover art (1978)

***Whatever Happened To Benny Santini*** is Chris Rea's début album.

## Background

Despite popular belief, *Benny Santini* was not Chris' first solo release; this was the *So Much Love/Born To Lose* single released in 1974; the single didn't chart, and Magnet decided their best option would be to rebrand Chris for an international market. They offered the stage name “Benny Santini”, which Chris rejected outright.

Magnet weren't going to take this rebellion lying down and concluded that they should have a say in the music Chris was producing, whether he liked it or not, thus starting a decades-long feud between the two parties.

## Content of the songs

### Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?

The title track of the album documents the life and times of the elusive Benny Santini, an up-and-coming star who's promised fame and fortune before promptly disappearing from the public consciousness. It can be inferred that this song is a satire of the music industry, particularly firing shots at Magnet due to the failure of the *So Much Love* single.

### The Closer You Get

Chris sings about the state of the world while chatting up someone.

### Because Of You

Chris sings to his lover about how much she has affected him in a positive manner, reflecting on his role in their relationship and deciding he should be doing more.

### Dancing With Charlie

The song revolves around Charlie's rags-to-riches success story and how people suddenly want to be close to him now that he's famous. This song acts as another cynical commentary on success.

### Bows And Bangles

We hear the story of a woman who longs to escape the boring mundanity of her life. She gets married and lives a decent life.

### Fool (If You Think It's Over)

A song Chris wrote for his sister to help her get over a breakup. Chris sings about a love gone wrong and chastises a woman for acting like her love is dead because she had one breakup; he reassures her that things will be alright in a “tough love” manner.

### Three Angels

A satirical song about someone who will never be happy with what they've got.

### Just One Of Those Days

Chris watches the world go by and muses about how much happier he is since he fell in love.

### Standing In Your Doorway

A song about a drifting lover who longs be with one specific woman in a particularly lonely moment. He laments that he cannot be with her and wonders who might have taken his place.

### Fires Of Spring

Chris tells the story of young lovers in a new relationship that seems to be going very well.

## Personnel

* Chris Rea - vocals, acoustic, electric and slide guitar, piano, synthesizer, Wurlitzer organ, backing vocals
* Robert Ahwai - guitar
* Eddie Guy - acoustic and electric guitar
* Paul Keogh - acoustic, rhythm and electric guitar
* Phil Curtis - bass
* Pat Donaldson - bass
* Dave Markee - bass
* Eoghan O'Neill - bass
* Rod Argent - electric piano on "Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?", synthesizer on "Because of You"
* Kevin Leach - keyboards
* Max Middleton - keyboards
* Pete Wingfield - piano, electric piano, organ, harpsichord
* Steve Gregory - soprano saxophone on "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", saxophone on "Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?"
* Dave Mattacks - drums
* Norman Nosebait - drums on "Three Angels"
* Adrian Rea - drums
* Martin Ditcham - percussion
* Gus Dudgeon - percussion, tambourine, producer
* Frank Ricotti - congas, shaker, tabla, vibraphone, tambourine, temple block, cabasa
* George Woodhead - percussion on "Fires of Spring"
* Doreen Chanter - backing vocals
* Irene Chanter - backing vocals
* Stuart Epps - backing vocals
* Pete Stanley - banjo on "Three Angels"
* Richard Hewson - orchestra arranger and conductor on "Fool (If You Think It's Over)"
* Phil Dunne - engineer
* Stuart Epps - assistant engineer
* Han-Chew Tham - cover photography

## Singles

* *Fool (If You Think It's Over)* (A-Side); *Midnight Love* (B-Side)
* *Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?* (A-Side); *Three Angels* (B-Side)