Brian Laurence Bennett, (born 9 February 1940) is an English drummer, pianist, composer and producer of popular music. He is best known as the drummer of the UK rock and roll group the Shadows. He is the father of musician and Shadows band member Warren Bennett.

Biography

Bennett was born in Palmers Green, North London, England. Educated at Hazlewood Lane School, Palmers Green, London and Winchmore Council School, he finished school at the age of sixteen to play drums in a

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...

skiffle group performing for holiday makers. After returning to London he became the in-house drummer at The 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho and was a regular performer on Jack Good's TV show '' Oh Boy!'' He then became a member of Marty Wilde's Wildcats in 1959. After a successful period with the Wildcats, during which he appeared on their instrumental record without Wilde (recorded as the Krew Kats), "Trambone", he backed Tommy Steele for some of his London stage performances, and then in October 1961 he joined Cliff Richard and the Shadows as the replacement for Tony Meehan. In 1967, Bennett released a solo album of jazz music, entitled ''Change of Direction'', in mono and stereo (neither charted). This was the first solo album by a member of the Shadows. In the 1970s, music by Bennett was selected for several Radley Metzger films, including ''

Barbara Broadcast ''Barbara Broadcast'' is an American adult erotic film released in 1977. The film was directed by Radley Metzger (as "Henry Paris") and filmed in several elaborate locations in New York City, including the Olympia ballroom and restaurant in the ...

'' and '' The Opening of Misty Beethoven''. He stayed with the group throughout all of their subsequent line-ups, and in May 2005 took part in the Shadows' European tour. During a show in Reykjavík, Iceland he sustained what was thought to be a minor injury to a finger. A splinter from a drumstick pierced under his fingernail on his right hand, he removed it with a pair of old pliers and applied a plaster. A few days later after arriving in Paris, France he was in so much pain he called a doctor. The doctor diagnosed a bad infection and recommended Bennett go to hospital immediately. Thinking it would be a short visit he attended only to find out that it would involve a minor, but very painful, operation to remove the poison. He was due to be playing on stage that evening and had already missed the soundcheck. He arrived at the theatre 15 minutes before the show with his right-hand bandaged and still numb from the anaesthetic. He managed to play for the whole show using an altered playing style. In addition to his work with the Shadows he has also appeared in Cliff Richard's backing band and plays piano and occasionally vibraphone. Bennett has enjoyed a parallel and successful career as a composer of library music, issuing multiple LPs with production music labels such as Bruton and KPM. This has resulted in the use of his music for many popular TV theme tunes including BBC sports themes such as '' Rugby Special'' ("Holy Mackerel") and BBC Golf ("Chase Side Shoot Up"), Channel 9 Australia's cricket theme and police drama '' Bluey'' theme tune ("New Horizons"),What will happen to the soundtrack of summer?
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'', '' The Ruth Rendell Mysteries'', ''

Pulaski Pulaski may refer to: Places * Pulaski Heights, a section of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas * Pulaski Shoal, an underwater landform west of the Florida Keys * Pulaski, Georgia, a town * Pulaski Square, one of the "Squares of Savannah" in t ...

'', '' Square Deal'', '' Close to Home'', '' Murder in Mind'' and, with his son Warren, composed and played the incidental music in '' New Tricks''. Two of his most famous works were "The Journey" and "Just a Minute" written under the alias James Aldenham and used for the '' ITV Schools on 4'' broadcasts between 1987 and 1993. He scored the British-German film ''

The Harpist ''The Harpist'' is a 1997 British-German drama film directed by Hansjörg Thurn and starring Geraldine O'Rawe, Christien Anholt and Stephen McGann. Its plot concerns a young German who travels to Hamburg to see an Irish harpist whom he has beco ...

'' in 1999. He is also an orchestral conductor, having learned how to arrange and conduct music for orchestras from a correspondence course. His son Warren Bennett formerly played keyboards for the band Glass Ties, and is also a composer and producer.

Honours

He was appointed

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2004

Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning British monarch's official birthday by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are present ...

List for services to music. Bennett runs a home recording studio, Honeyhill studios, in

Radlett Radlett is a village in Hertfordshire, England, between Elstree and St Albans on Watling Street, with a population of 8,042. It is in the council district of Hertsmere in the south of the county, and is covered by two wards; Aldenham East and ...

, Hertfordshire. In November 2009, at the age of 69, Bennett completed a 50th Anniversary reunion world tour with Cliff Richard and the Shadows.

Discography

Albums

*Brian Bennett – Change of Direction – LP/CD – Columbia/see4Miles *Brian Bennett – Illustrated London Noise – LP/CD – Columbia/see4Miles – 1969 *Collage – Misty – – LP/CD – DJM/see4Miles *Brian Bennett Band – Rock Dreams – LP/CD – DJM/see4Miles – 1977 *Brian Bennett Band – Voyage (A Journey into Discoid Funk) – LP/CD – DJM/see4Miles – 1978 *Heat Exchange – One step ahead – LP/CD – EMI/see4Miles * Ruth Rendell Mysteries – LP/CD *Ruth Rendell Mysteries (volume.2) – LP/CD *Ruth Rendell Mysteries (Wexford) – LP/CD *Drumtrax (house library. ) – CD *Nomads of the wind – CD *Global sunrise – CD. *The Works – (Box set of 4CDs). *Greatest Guitar hits (volume 1) – CD *Greatest Guitar hits (volume 2) – CD *

Living Britain ''Living Britain'' is a six-part nature documentary series, made by the BBC Natural History Unit, transmitted from 31 October to 5 December 1999. It was narrated by Samuel West and produced by Peter Crawford. It examines British wildlife ove ...

– CD *Official Bootleg album – CD

Singles

*Canvas/Slippery Jim De Grize – 7" – DB 8294 – Columbia. *Ridin The Gravy Train/Bubble Drum (Thunder company) – 7" – DB 8706 *Chase side shoot up/Pegasus – 7" – 6007040 *Thunderbolt/Clearing skies – 7" – DJS10714 *Saturday night special/Farewell to a friend – 7" – DJS10756 *Girls back home/Jonty Jump – 7" – DJS10791 *Pendulum force/Ocean Glide – 7" – DJS10843 *Top of the world/ Soul Ice – 7" – DJM10981 *Shake down/Your gonna love this – 7" – EMI 2988 *Shake down/Your Gonna Love this – 12" – 12EMI2988

Music labels (non-commercial)

*Themes Records – LP *KPM – solo & w/others – LP *Bruton – solo & w/others – LP/CD *Music House – solo & w/others – CD *Reliable Source Music – CD

Filmography

*''

Luxo Jr. ''Luxo Jr.'' is a 1986 American computer-animated short film produced and released by Pixar. Written and directed by John Lasseter, the two-minute short film revolves around one larger and one smaller desk lamp. The larger lamp, named Luxo Sr. ...

'' – music: "Chateau Latour", "Finesse", "Quicksilver" *'' Light & Heavy'' – music: "Chateau Latour" *'' Surprise'' – music: "Quicksilver"

Production credits

* Dennis Waterman – ''Downwind of Angels'' – LP – DJF 204830 – DJM – 1976 *Dennis Waterman – ''Dennis Waterman'' – LP – DJF 20513 – DJM – 1977 * Demis Roussos – ''The Demis Roussos Magic'' – (CD) – BX 523-2 * Drake – "

Summer Sixteen "Summer Sixteen" is a single by Canadian rapper Drake, released to promote his fourth studio album ''Views'', although it was not included on that album. The song premiered on OVO Sound Radio and was released for digital download on January 30, 20 ...

" – 2016

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Brian English drummers British male drummers English pianists English record producers English rock drummers English composers British rock and roll musicians People from Palmers Green 1940 births Living people Officers of the Order of the British Empire Ivor Novello Award winners People from Radlett The Shadows members English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) British music arrangers People educated at Winchmore School British male pianists 21st-century British conductors (music)