DISCOGRAPHY
Bennet were signed to Roadrunner, an unholy alliance which never really worked out...
The best bet is to find the albums, which are excellent.
The singles are great too, although the B-sides (in general) are substandardly recorded versions. This is usually down to production, as the songs are often great.
SINGLES
CURLY SHIRLY
(1995) (RR23227) (Roadrunner)
Rare 7".
A - Curly Shiney
B - Space Is Ace
Released as a limited, numbered 7".
This contained the album track, plus the very dubby 'Space Is Ace'. One for the collectors really..
You could probably only pick it up at gigs, I certainly never saw it on sale.
IF YOU MET ME, THEN YOU'D LIKE ME
(March 1996) (RR23163) (Roadrunner)
1.If You Met Me, Then You'd Like Me
2.Oh Yeah
3.Back To Back At Bracknell
4.Jute's Theme
Top single, this one, great B-sides too, especially the country tinged "Jute's theme" which is a country and western instrumental and the all out power pop of "Back To Back At Bracknell"...
COLOSSAL MAN
(May �96) (RR23063) (ROADRUNNER)
1.Colossal Man
2.Big Fat Wife
3.Club Foot Angel
4.Motorbike
Lost this for ages, as I binned it due to the B-sides being dodgy!
Listening to it now, they aren't so bad, well, at least Club Foot Angel's not.....Not great though...
SOMEONE ALWAYS GETS THERE FIRST
(?/1996) (RR22983) (ROADRUNNER)
1.Someone Always Gets There First
2.Hello, We Are Bennet
3.Charity Dave
4.Congregation De Freitas
Another great single, with great B's!
Singalong classic, would have been a landmark hit if it'd come later in the release schedule....
"Hello, we are bennet" used to be a live fave and this version, if a little weak, is still quite acceptable.
"Congregation De Freitas" is about the band, Congregation, who I've picked up a couple of singles by, the similarities aren't very apparent!
SOMEONE ALWAYS GETS THERE FIRST (2nd issue)
(1997) (RR22989)
CD1: See original release
CD2:
1.Someone always gets there first.
2.If You Met Me, Then You'd Like Me (Live)
3.Wanker (Live)
4.Clubfoot Angel (Live)
Very substandard live tracks on CD2 (considering how good the live recordings made by Radio One, and on the free gig tape are.....)
Avoid CD2 altogether and get the b-sides one! original or this edition, they're both cool....
MUM'S GONE TO ICELAND
(January 1997) (RR22853)
(ALL BLACKS RV/ROADRUNNER)
1.Mum's Gone To Iceland
2.Bennet Have Left The Building
3.Hope You'd Like To
4.This Is A Song
This singles pretty good, though it was a bit of a HIT! so, unfortunately it hung round the bands neck, labelling them as a 'comedy' act, not appreciating the quality of the material.....
It's still a top pop song.
Note: The version of "Bennet Have Left The Building" is very very weakly produced - the radio sessions, which you can find on Youtube, are far superior.
I LIKE ROCK (7"/CD1/DIGIPAK CD2)
1998 (RR22607) (ROADRUNNER)
7":
A.I Like Rock
B:Air Hockey
CDS ONE:
1.I Like Rock
2.C'mon C'mon
3.Touch Too Much
4.Rock N' Roll All Nite
CDS TWO:
1.I Like Rock
2.Air Hockey
3.Ocean
Not brilliant B-sides again, though CD1 is the one to go for, as at least the B-sides show signs of life!
HORSES MOUTH
(02/02/1998) RR22439
(ROADRUNNER/ALL BLACKS RV)
CDS1:
1.Horses Mouth
2.Self Murder
3.Dogs
4.Self Divorce
CDS2:
1.Horses Mouth
2.Married With Children
3.Polka
4.Home Karaoke
The B-sides are either forgettable, or blooming awful.
It's not the songs, just the weak versions recorded here, a sure sign of a record company not doing a band their due anymore...
"Horses mouth" itself was called 'Generation Pepsi', but there was some sort of stepping in from the Cola company and, grudgingly, the song was adjusted. I don't think it sounded the same...
"Dogs" and "Polka" were live faves, taken to the knackers yard by the production, I've live versions of both of those which are much better.
As for the other b-sides, they weren't memorable, let's leave it at that...
ALBUMS
SUPER NATURAL
(February 25th 1997) (RR88662)
1. norway wife
2. if you met me, then you'd like me
3. curly shirly
4. jordan bennet
5. cha cha charlie
6. i hate my family
7. wanker
8. colossal man
9. young, free and sorry
10. sandman
11. mum's gone to iceland
12. someone always gets there first
13. mockney rebel
14. kiss the radio
15. never ending blue
A fantastic album, chock full of great tracks.
It compares well to Blur's poppier works - as mentioned in the NME at the time.
Definately worth a pick up.
Why wasn't "Wanker" released on it? Oh, yes, I forgot, damn.....
STREET VS SCIENCE
??, 1998 (RR87612)
01. Unlucky Pixie
02. Hot Shot
03. Be A Superstar
04. My Friends Are Getting Fewer
05. Swap It Around
06. The Horse's Mouth
07. I Like Rock
08. Built To Last
09. Something's Wrong With Mark
10. Karaoke
11. Das Boot
Second album, has a rushed feel to it, again poor production seemed to cripple good songs, there are definate hits here, "Unlucky Pixie", "Hot Shot"....but "The Horses Mouth" was released as the single (With a terrible version of 'Dogs'), instead....bad luck all round..but the album's still worth a punt...if you can find it..
RARITIES
DEMO TAPE
sent out for getting gigs etc.
1.Someone Always Gets There First
2.If You Met Me
3.Colossal Man
4.Curly Shiney
5.Cha Cha Charlie
As far as I can tell, neither 1 nor 2 are any different from the album versions, the others certainly are, different guitar and effects etc abound!
LIVE TAPE
given away free at the Garage gig, Holloway Road, 25/10/1996.
A 3 track live tape taken from Bennet's support gig with Carter. Really cool versions of Wanker, Clubfoot Angel, Kiss The Radio and Dogs (probably the only decent version of Dogs at all, come to think of it..)
Click on the picture for a closer look....
The tape comes from the Astoria gig of 22/9/96.
Sampler tape for Second Album
Given away free at Water Rats gig.
1.Hotshot
2.?
3.?
Songs About Plucking
(Fierce Panda Records, NING18)
1.super james (peel session) / bis
2.sandman / bennet
3.porcelain / chopper
4.the quiet astronaut / number one cup
5.goldwyn / magoo
6.exhibit one / american tv cops
Fierce panda compilation featuring what appears to be the album version of Sandman.
LIVE RADIO BROADCASTS
Radio One, Exeter University 12/3/1996 or 1997?
Someone Always Gets There First
I Like Rock
Karaoke
Mum's Gone To Iceland
Generation Pepsi
Marvelous gig supporting My Life Story, great banter and top versions of songs!
Evening Session Session
(Date Unknown)
????
Don't have this anymore.
John Peel Session (1996)
1.Jordan Bennet
2. Hello We Are Bennet
3. Someone Always Gets There First
4. Karaoke
I only have the repeat track from when Peel played his fave sessions.
Mark And Lard Session
1.Colossal Man
2.Goodbye We Were Bennet
????
The only tracks I have from this session from 1996.
After I'd done this discography 'Graham' mailed me to tell me that "Bennet appeared on a Radio 4 programme, plus there was an occasion when they beat the boy band 911 in a Radio 1 poll on the Clive Warren show"
And, on unreleased stuff, Graham said "Radio Friendly DJ may have got another name along the way but it certainly
isn't "Kiss the Radio".
The first time I heard them play it was on the My Life Story tour which included their live Radio 1 broadcast. Jason suggested tongue in cheek that it was a tribute to Simon Mayo for making Mums Gone to Iceland single of the week but I was never convinced of that. It didn't make it onto the second album or any of the singles which was a surprise.
I don't remember much of the song jus that the chorus went
'You're on the Radio. Broadcast on the airways, into my house.'
Fontaine was played at gigs quite frequently and the first time I heard it was
the night I heard "Unlucky Pixie" and "My Friends are Getting Fewer".
It wasn't a favourite of mine and the only bit I can remember isthe first line that went 'Oh Fontaine, I feel sorry for you'
Thanks!
Later, Kevin from the band mailed me and said :"So Graham is right, we did have a song called "Fontaine" but it was only recorded on demo once.
The other one was called "Radio friendly" which was also demoed.
There are lots of songs we played live but never really got recorded properly, for example "Men In Suits" and "Air Hockey" to name but two."
So that's that!
Other Bennet Stuff: http://www2.gol.com/users/quez/bennet.html (Now sadly a deceased link so I've pasted it below)�
