Steve Benbow

Subject: Steve Benbow
From: RolyH
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 05:02 PM

Anyone got any info on Steve Benbow.I first heard him through an EP called "Steve Benbow sings English Folk Songs " from about 1960
This was the first time that I had heard this song.I loved it then promptly forgot it
It all came flooding back in my hairy days in the 70's with Fairports "Matty Groves"
But Steve seems to have disappeared from these threads and everywhere else.

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 05:24 PM

Last I heard he was said to be driving a taxi in London and had dropped out of the scene. That was a few years ago too.

He had a great version of Jack Hall. And a lot more too.

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 05:45 PM

I have played in a band with him a few times in the past year. He plays Friday and Sunday evenings in a pub called The Brewery Tap, Catherine Wheel Road, Brentford (nominally Friday night is jazz, Sunday folk). He also (I think still) plays a Wednesday night session in another pub (Crossed Lances, Isleworth?, can't quite remember that).

He's still a great player and a great entertainer (and a very nice man).

Mick

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Nancy King
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 10:40 PM

I started a thread asking this same question in May 2001. It was titled "Anyone know about Steve Benbow?" and I was able to bring it up by putting "Steve Benbow" in the search and filter boxes and setting the age at 2 years. It took a couple of tries, but I finally got it to come up. Here's where I wish I could do blue clickies, but that's a skill I have yet to master. Maybe someone more skilled than I can provide one.

Anyhow, it proved to be an interesting thread, with lots of info on Benbow's career and recordings, and including a post which said he had died in February of 2001. This seems to conflict with Mick's post above. I hope Mick is right -- I love Benbow's recordings, which I first heard back in 1964! Let's hope the rumors of his death were exaggerated. More info, please!

Cheers, Nancy

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: greg stephens
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 03:46 AM

Delighted to hear from MCP that Steve is still playing. I'm still singing what is basically his version of Lady Barnard and Little Musgrave. And memories of him doing "A boy's best friend is his mother" enabled me to answer a song query here a while ago.A very entertaining man. MCP, if you see him, do pass that on.

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 05:09 AM

Nancy - Your link is Anyone Know Steve Benbow, and I can confirm that I have not been playing with his ghost - both he (and his taxi) have been present in the flesh (and metal).

I am hoping to get to the Brewery Tap this coming Sunday and will pass on the comments and best wishes.

Mick

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 05:32 AM

I sometimes see Steve - he lives in Hanwell and as stated earlier can usually be found on a Friday Night, running a blues/jazz session at the Brewery Tap, Brentwood - a very pleasant Fullers Pub near the GU Canal Thames Lock. At one time he had a session at The Fox near where he lives and was playing with Denny Wright up to his sad death.

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: ard mhacha
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 05:52 AM

I remember Steve Benbow singing a song entitled The Diggin`s,

In the song this poor stupid Paddy[i`m not sure if his name was [James Joyce, Sean O`Casey or Bernard Shaw] was prospecting for gold in Aussie and he was directed to a hill were there was gold a`plenty.

But as the song says" Those big soldier Ants, they were climbing my pants, and like ten thousands demons the stung me".

Dave ask Steve to give you the song and put it on this thread. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: MikeofNorthumbria
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 07:04 AM

Hi Dave and GuestMCP,

It's great to hear from you that Steve is still with us, and still picking. He was an inspiration for me back in the 1960s. In fact, he was the first person I ever saw finger-picking an acoustic guitar, on a very short TV programme where he performed 3 or 4 songs. When he sang "If I was on some foggy mountain top", with a beautifully neat clawhammer accompaniment, and thought - "I want to play like that". Well...I'm still trying... but I've had a heck of a lot of fun along the way.

Please pass on my good wishes and thanks to Steve - if it weren't for the fact that I live 300 miles to the north, I'd love to drop in at the Brewery Tap, and thank him in person.

Wassail!

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Nancy King
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 06:35 PM

Mick, thanks for the link! And thanks to Mick and Dave for confirming that Steve is still with us. That's great news. I've loved his music for years, and learned many songs from his recordings. Please tell him he's got at least one ardent fan on this side of the pond. Wish I could tell him in person!

Cheers, Nancy

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 06:53 PM

Dave Bryant, am I to understand that Denny Wright has died?

If so, that news causes me to grieve, I still remember Denny Wright's guitar playing with Lonnie Donegan. He was truly one of the greats ....

Murray

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 07:02 PM

Greg

"A boy's best friend is his mother" takes me back too... to Tom Lehrer (Oedipus, schmoedipus).

Mick

So has the car been fixed?

Kitty

PS At least Herga is within walking distance for your gig on Monday.

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: beachcomber
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 07:05 PM

I too had early folk song inspiration from Steve Benbow and still have his old LP "I Travel the World" I think that is the name. Hav'nt heard it for Yonks now as my old player requires a stylus, which I will try to buy any day now. I would like you,Mick, to also add my best wishes and tell him how wonderful an inspiration he was to one other folk-singer. I think it was the fact that he made what he performed seem so simply done that grabbed me the most. As I remember the LP now I can still remember the songs in sequence especially his poignant version of the Wild Colonial Boy. Does he have a CD or two?? if so where could one get it/them??

beach

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Nancy King
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 12:11 AM

Beachcomber, there is a CD of "Songs of Ireland," by Steve Benbow and the Strawberry Hill Boys, available from Amazon.com. I ordered it last year, inspired by the earlier thread Mick so kindly linked to, above. I also ordered several LPs from GEMM, including "Admiral Benbow," which remains one of my all-time favorite albums. Just checked GEMM, and they have several Benbow recordings available now -- LPs and 45s! -- though not "Admiral Benbow" at the moment. If you ever run across that one, grab it.

I agree about the simplicity of his material -- no flashy stuff, just good, simple arrangements, extremely well done, with nice touches of humor and personality thrown in.

Cheers, Nancy

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 05:19 AM

Murray - Denny Wright died about 10 years ago. He'd been suffering from cancer for a long time, but still used to join Steve for the Sunday lunchtime sessions at "The Fox" almost right up to the end. Steve reckoned that the music was what kept Denny going.

For anyone who didn't know Denny, he was a well known Jazz Guitarist who was later involved with the blues/skiffle movement. He played with people like Johnny Duncan, Lonnie Donegan, and even recorded with the "Strawbs" (on the record mentioned in the previous thread).

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: RolyH
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 08:59 PM

Thanks for the info and the link (I somehow missed that one)Glad to hear Steve is still about and playing. My favourite songs by him are 'The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard',Ewan McColls 'Go Down You Murderer,Go Down' and 'North Country Maid'

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 09:21 PM

The guy was(is,I mean) great. A fine attack on a song,like a good skiffler, none of the namby-pamby approach that a lot of "folk-groups" adopted. Why don't we hear more of him?

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 19 Jul 02 - 05:18 AM

I did sort out a few club gigs for Steve some years back, and he did a gig at Dartford Folk Club the other year.

If Greg or anyone wants to get in touch you can PM me for his Address/Phone or just try looking up Benbow, S. of Hanwell, West London in the BT directory.

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 21 Jul 02 - 07:52 PM

I did go to the Brewery Tap tonight and gave Steve copies of this thread and the previous one too. He was delighted that people still remember him and only slightly put off to find he was dead (the landlady was delighted and has asked for the return of 3 years money obtained under false pretences of being a live musician).

He doesn't do much in the way of folk clubs because he doesn't want to travel a lot and leave his animals.

He was on fine form to a packed pub (always a great atmosphere there) and, inspired by a message in the old thread, did include Nuages.

Mick

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 05:04 PM

Did he not run The Swan and Sugar Loaf folk club in Croydon many years ago? I know I remember him being around loads of London clubs in the 60s & 70s. I'm not too sure that I didn't book him myself once when I ran the Coach & Horses in Kew. I was looking at what I was paying guests in those days; would you believe Johnny Silvo 8 guineas. Everybody used to be priced in guineas in those days. For our friends across the pond, and the younger set this side, a guinea was 21/-, or £1.1s,=105 new pence, just over $1.60 or thereabouts. God I'm so old! Failte.....Giok

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Nancy King
Date: 22 Jul 02 - 08:45 PM

Mick, thanks for passing along printouts of the threads to Steve. I'm so pleased he's still around and doing music-- and wish I could hear him in person! Let's lobby for a new recording!

Cheers, Nancy

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 23 Jul 02 - 08:42 AM

Steve did indeed run the "Swan and Sugar Loaf" folk club in Croydon, in those days he was often called "The English Burl Ives".

Subject: RE: Steve Benbow
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 23 Jul 02 - 09:05 AM

Great thread! And a good reason (at last) for going to Brentwood, next time I'm in those parts.

Nancy, don't be lazy - look in the FAQ permathread (this post in particular). Clickies are no big deal.