Benny Bell
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Benny Bell (21 March 1906 – 6 July 1999 [1]) was an American singer-songwriter of the 1940s.
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[edit] Career
Bell was born Benjamin Samberg in New York. He decided to pursue a career in the music industry, although his father had wanted him to be a rabbi. He enjoyed writing risqué lyrics, and during the 1940s his songs appeared in juke boxes in cocktail bars. As a vaudeville performer and recording artist, he also worked under the pseudonyms Benny Bimbo and Paul Wynn, recording in both Yiddish and English.
Bell's first successful song was "Take A Ship For Yourself". In 1946, he released "Shaving Cream", with Phil Winston on vocals under the pseudonym Paul Wynn. The popularity of Bell's music waned until 1975, when "Shaving Cream" began playing again, especially on the Dr. Demento radio program, and became a top 30 hit. The novelty song single was released on Vanguard Records label, as well as a similarly entitled album.
Other songs by Bell include "Without Pants", "My Grandfather Had a Long One", "The Girl From Chicago", "The Ballad of Ikey and Mikey", "My Condominium," "I'm Gonna Give My Girl a Goose for Thanksgiving," "There Ain't No Santa Clause," and "Everybody Loves My Fanny" (variously "Everybody Wants My Fanny"[2], or "Everybody Likes My Fanny" [3]).
Several of Bell's songs have been covered by other artists. Most notably "Shaving Cream" was covered by Dr. Demento on his album, Dr. Demento's Dementia Royale.
[edit] See also
[edit] Discography
- Another Close Shave
- Shaving Cream
- Dr. Demento's 25th Anniversary Collection
[edit] Further reading
- The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Third edition. Edited by Colin Larkin. London: MUZE, 1998. Grove's Dictionaries, New York, 1998.
- Ronald L. Smith, Comedy Stars at 78 RPM: Biographies and discographies of 89 American and British recording artists, 1896-1946. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1998.
- Listen to the entire Benny Bell collection, including works never published, at http://faujsa.fau.edu/bell/home.php.
