Benjamin B
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| Benjamin B | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Winschoten, Netherlands |
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| Genre(s) | Alternative rock | |
| Years active | 1994- 2006 (active) | |
| Label(s) | Living Room Records, Excelsior Recordings | |
| Website | Official website | |
| Members | ||
| Eddy Scholtens Fiebo Scholtens Michel Weber Nico Langeland Rene Asschert Vincent Van Vondel |
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Guitar rock band Benjamin B was founded in 1994 in Winschoten, the Netherlands. After releasing two albums on Excelsior Recordings, the band released its latest record Tired of the Moon on Living Room Records.
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[edit] History
[edit] The Early Days
In 1994 singer/guitar player Fiebo Scholtens drops out of law school. He decides to start a band together with Barbara Lampe and Michel Weber. Thus Benjamin B. is founded.
The following year the band partakes in several band competitions. The group wins the Pop=Prima award and also manages to reach the final round of De Grote Prijs, an important Dutch competition for new musical talent. In addition to that, the band’s first demo becomes ‘demo of the year’ in Music Maker and recieves a very positive review in Fret magazine.
[edit] Excelsior Recordings
In 1996 these successes translate into a record deal with Excelsior Recordings. The much praised mini-cd Benjamin B. cd, with four original compositions and one Gershwin cover, is released in the fall of ’96.
The band releases their first full-length cd The Comfort of Replay the next year. It proves them to be a force to be reckoned with in the Dutch music scene. Once more the music press is enthusiastic and produces numerous raving reviews.
1998 sees the band playing at Noorderslag festival, right alongside the rest of the Netherland’s finest bands. In May Barbara B. leaves the band. Vincent van Vondel (or Vincent B.) takes her place. Also Nico B. joins the band on keys/guitar, turning Benjamin B. into a quartet.
The band’s second full-length album Instant Art is released in 1999. The record is a true studio album, as the band pieces the songs together during the recording sessions. This approach works out well as the press reacts very well upon the album’s release. The music buying audience is less supportive though, Instant Art fails to be a commercial breakthrough.
In 2000 Scholtens works on a project away from Benjamin B. Together with Robert de Keijser he releases an album under the name Stad. The songs on the record are all sung in a Northern Dutch dialect (Gronings).
After a recess of nearly a year the band returns to the stage, playing the Eurosonic festival in January of 2001. The band starts work on a new album. At the same time the band releases a cover song on their website each month. Their first cover song is Boys Don’t Cry from the The Cure. In September Scholten’s Stad project reaches the semi finals of De Grote Prijs van Nederland.
In 2003 the band finally records their third album. It would take another year for the album to be released. Excelsior Recordings is not willing to release the version that the band recorded on its own account. The label offers the band to re-record the album, as to improve its sound quality. After a lenghty period of deliberation the band opts to stick to the album in its initial form.
[edit] Living Room Records
In the meantime Benjamin B. had transformed into a six-piece band. Eddy Scholtens plays guitar and keys, Rene Asschert handles the drums. In March this new line-up plays shows in several Dutch venues.
With Living Room Records Benjamin B. finds a new home for their album Tired of the Moon, which is released in the fall of 2004. Former member Barbara B. also makes a return as she joins in on the track Drive.
In 2005 the band submits the song Yolk to compilation record Schaamte En Woede. The profits of this charity album are for the benefit of a refugee support organisation.
[edit] Discography
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