Bennie and the Jets
Encyclopedia
"Bennie and the Jets" is a song composed by Elton John
and Bernie Taupin
. The song is written in the key of G major and first appeared on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
album in 1973. "Bennie and the Jets" has been one of John's most popular songs.
The song tells of "Bennie and the Jets", a fictional band of whom Elton John is a supposed fan. In interviews, Taupin has said that the song's lyrics are a satire on the music industry of the 1970s. The greed and glitz of the early '70s music scene is portrayed by Taupin's words:
Taupin also goes on to describe the flashy wardrobe of "Bennie", the leader of the band:
"Bennie and the Jets" was featured on side one of the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, and Elton John was set against releasing it as a single, believing it would fail. Radio station CKLW
in Windsor
-Detroit began heavy airplay of the song and it became the number one song in Detroit. This attention caused other American and Canadian Top 40 stations to add it to their playlists as well and as a result, the song peaked at number one on the US singles charts in 1974. In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 4/8/1974 and Platinum on 9/13/1995 by the R.I.A.A." "Bennie and the Jets" was also John's first Top 40 hit on the R&B charts, going to number one there as well, according to MCA Records promotion executive Pat Pipolo. The acceptance of "Bennie" on R&B radio helped land John, a huge soul music fan, a guest appearance on the 17 May 1975, edition of Soul Train
, during which he played "Bennie and the Jets" and "Philadelphia Freedom." In Canada, it held the #1 spot on the RPM
national singles charts for two weeks (13–20 April), becoming his first number one single of 1974 and his fourth overall.
Axl Rose
, of Guns N' Roses
, has stated it was listening to "Bennie and the Jets" that inspired him to become a singer. He would later perform alongside Elton John at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
.
, the song was recorded during the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" sessions in France at Château d'Hérouville
's Strawberry Studios, where John and Taupin had recorded their previous two albums, Honky Chateau
and Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
.
After recording the song in the studio, John and the band worried that it was too plain and unoriginal. According to guitarist Davey Johnstone
, "'Bennie and the Jets' was one of the oddest songs we ever recorded. We just sat back and said, 'This is really odd.'" While mixing the album, Dudgeon came up with the idea of creating a "live from Playhouse Theatre
" sound for the track. He added reverb effects, applause and other audience sounds from John's previous concerts and a loop from the Jimi Hendrix
live album Isle of Wight
, plus whistles, giving it the "live concert recording" feel that has since become a sort of trademark.
John rarely plays the song verbatim to the studio version, and often makes subtle or even drastic changes. Live, the piano solo in the middle of the song has been played in all sorts of variations, from very close to the original to wildly improvised and extended versions, such as the elaborate version during a Central Park
concert in 1980 and another memorable take on it during the "Elton and his band" part of the show recorded for what would become "Live in Australia" in December 1986. (It can be seen on various Laserdisc releases of the show.) He's also been known to end the song in a wide range of styles, including classical
, swing, boogie-woogie
and even using the signature five-note sequence from John Williams
' score for Close Encounters of the Third Kind
.
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Bernie Taupin
Bernie Taupin
Bernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
. The song is written in the key of G major and first appeared on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, released in 1973, is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John. It has come to be regarded as Elton John's best and most popular album, and is his best selling studio album with worldwide sales of at least 15 million copies.Recorded at the Château...
album in 1973. "Bennie and the Jets" has been one of John's most popular songs.
The song tells of "Bennie and the Jets", a fictional band of whom Elton John is a supposed fan. In interviews, Taupin has said that the song's lyrics are a satire on the music industry of the 1970s. The greed and glitz of the early '70s music scene is portrayed by Taupin's words:
- We'll kill the fatted calfFatted calfFatted calf is a metaphor or symbol of festive celebration and rejoicing for someone's long-awaited return. It derives from the parable of the prodigal son in the New Testament. In biblical times, people would often keep at least one piece of livestock that was fed a special diet to fatten it up,...
tonight, so stick around, - you're gonna hear electric music, solid walls of soundWall of SoundThe Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
.
Taupin also goes on to describe the flashy wardrobe of "Bennie", the leader of the band:
- She's got electric boots, a mohair suit
- You know I read it in a magazine Ohh...
"Bennie and the Jets" was featured on side one of the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, and Elton John was set against releasing it as a single, believing it would fail. Radio station CKLW
CKLW
CKLW is a 50,000 watt AM radio station broadcasting on 800 kHz and located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and serving Windsor and Detroit. Additionally, its signal can be heard as far west as Belding, Michigan; as far east as Batavia, New York; as far south as Edgewood, Kentucky; and as far...
in Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
-Detroit began heavy airplay of the song and it became the number one song in Detroit. This attention caused other American and Canadian Top 40 stations to add it to their playlists as well and as a result, the song peaked at number one on the US singles charts in 1974. In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 4/8/1974 and Platinum on 9/13/1995 by the R.I.A.A." "Bennie and the Jets" was also John's first Top 40 hit on the R&B charts, going to number one there as well, according to MCA Records promotion executive Pat Pipolo. The acceptance of "Bennie" on R&B radio helped land John, a huge soul music fan, a guest appearance on the 17 May 1975, edition of Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
, during which he played "Bennie and the Jets" and "Philadelphia Freedom." In Canada, it held the #1 spot on the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
national singles charts for two weeks (13–20 April), becoming his first number one single of 1974 and his fourth overall.
Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
, of Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, has stated it was listening to "Bennie and the Jets" that inspired him to become a singer. He would later perform alongside Elton John at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis and broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the...
.
Song composition
Produced by Gus DudgeonGus Dudgeon
Angus Boyd Dudgeon , most commonly known as Gus Dudgeon was an English record producer, most notable for production of many of Elton John's recordings.-Early career:...
, the song was recorded during the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" sessions in France at Château d'Hérouville
Château d'Hérouville
The Château d'Hérouville is a French château of the 18th century located in the village of Hérouville, in the Oise valley near Paris. The castle was built in 1740 by Gaudot, an architect of the school of Rome. In the 19th century, it was used as courier relay station and stabled a hundred...
's Strawberry Studios, where John and Taupin had recorded their previous two albums, Honky Chateau
Honky Château
Honky Château is the fifth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1972. In 2003, the album was ranked number 357 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was certified Gold on 7/24/1972 and Platinum on 10/11/1995 by the R.I.A.A...
and Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John. It was released by DJM Records....
.
After recording the song in the studio, John and the band worried that it was too plain and unoriginal. According to guitarist Davey Johnstone
Davey Johnstone
Davey Johnstone , is a Scottish rock guitarist and vocalist, best known for his work with Elton John.-Career:...
, "'Bennie and the Jets' was one of the oddest songs we ever recorded. We just sat back and said, 'This is really odd.'" While mixing the album, Dudgeon came up with the idea of creating a "live from Playhouse Theatre
Playhouse Theatre
The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt in 1907 and still retains its original substage machinery...
" sound for the track. He added reverb effects, applause and other audience sounds from John's previous concerts and a loop from the Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
live album Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight (album)
Isle of Wight was a posthumous live album by Jimi Hendrix, released in November 1971 by Polydor. The album documents Hendrix's performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival on August 30, 1970; his last performance in England before his death in September. The album was engineered by Carlos Ohlms...
, plus whistles, giving it the "live concert recording" feel that has since become a sort of trademark.
John rarely plays the song verbatim to the studio version, and often makes subtle or even drastic changes. Live, the piano solo in the middle of the song has been played in all sorts of variations, from very close to the original to wildly improvised and extended versions, such as the elaborate version during a Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
concert in 1980 and another memorable take on it during the "Elton and his band" part of the show recorded for what would become "Live in Australia" in December 1986. (It can be seen on various Laserdisc releases of the show.) He's also been known to end the song in a wide range of styles, including classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, swing, boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
and even using the signature five-note sequence from John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
' score for Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Cary Guffey...
.
Covers
- The NFL's New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
used a parody of the song called "Vinny and the Jets" during quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Vinny TestaverdeVinny TestaverdeVincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
's first run with the team from 1998 to 2003. - Parodies relating to New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
players Lenny DykstraLenny DykstraLeonard Kyle "Lenny" Dykstra , nicknamed "Nails" and "Dude", is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. Dykstra played for the New York Mets during the late 1980s before playing for the Philadelphia Phillies during the early 1990s....
and later Benny AgbayaniBenny AgbayaniBenny Peter Agbayani, Jr. is retired professional baseball player. Born in Hawaii to Filipino and Samoan parents, he attended Saint Louis School and Hawaii Pacific University. He also attended the Oregon Institute of Technology...
were mainstays on New York City radio stations. - Ray CastoldiRay CastoldiRay Castoldi has been the organist at Madison Square Garden since 1989. During the summer, when the New York Rangers and New York Knicks are spending their offseasons, Castoldi can be heard at the organ at New York Mets games at Citi Field . Because of this, he is the only person to play for the...
, the longtime organist for the NBA's New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, is often heard playing this song at Knicks home games. - The Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
released a cover of this song on their The Sounds of Science album in 1999. The song, titled "Benny and the Jets", was recorded live and sung by frequent Beastie Boys collaborator Biz MarkieBiz MarkieMarcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name, Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, comedian, singer, reality television personality, and commercial spokesperson. He is best known for his single "Just a Friend", an American Top 10 hit in 1989...
. This recording was first released in 1995 as a flexi discFlexi discThe flexi disc is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable...
inside of issue two of the Beastie Boys' Grand RoyalGrand RoyalGrand Royal was the Los Angeles, California based vanity record label set up in 1992 by the Beastie Boys in conjunction with Capitol Records after the group left Def Jam Recordings....
magazine. - Biz Markie performed his own humorous rendition of "Bennie and the Jets" on The Chris Rock ShowThe Chris Rock ShowThe Chris Rock Show is a late night comedy talk show featured on HBO. It was created by Chris Rock and featured various guests. The show won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program in 1999. It ran for three seasons from 1997 to 2000. Seasons 1 and 2 were released as a DVD set...
in 2000. - Katherine HeiglKatherine HeiglKatherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
and James MarsdenJames MarsdenJames Paul Marsden is an American actor, singer and former Versace model. He is known for playing the superhero Cyclops in the first three X-Men films and for his roles in other commercially successful films such as Hop, Superman Returns, Hairspray, Enchanted, The Box, and 27 Dresses.-Early life...
sing along with the song, karaoke-style, while dancing on a bar in the 2008 film 27 Dresses27 Dresses27 Dresses is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Aline Brosh McKenna. The film stars Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. The film was released January 10, 2008 in Australia and opened in the United States on January 18....
. Both of them make many mistakes in the lyrics. - Mary J. BligeMary J. BligeMary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
sampled the melody for her song "Deep InsideDeep Inside"Deep Inside" is a song by Mary J. Blige. It was third single released in the UK from her fifth album, Mary and the second single from the album in the US....
". When Blige asked Elton John for permission to sample the piano line, he ended up agreeing to actually play the line on the track instead. - Ashanti's 2008 single "Good GoodGood Good"Good Good" is the second and final single from Ashanti's album The Declaration.-Song information:The accompanying video featured a cameo by Nelly. It premiered on July 17, 2008 on Yahoo!...
" also sampled the melody. - CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
performed the song in a duet on The Cher Show with Elton John on piano in 1975. - Haley ReinhartHaley ReinhartHaley Reinhart is an American singer from Wheeling, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois who placed third in the tenth season of American Idol. Reinhart is currently signed to 19 and Interscope Records.-Early life:...
performed the song twice during American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
Season 10; once during the competition phase, plus as her swan song during her exit from the competition. For her final song, ReinhartReinhartReinhart is a given name or surname, and may refer to:A surname:*Carmen Reinhart , American economist*Charles Stanley Reinhart, American painter and illustrator*Gregory Reinhart, American opera singer*Haley Reinhart, American singer...
appeared to address certain lyrics to specific judges. She sang, "Hey RandyRandy JacksonRandall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
and J-LoJennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, have you seen them yet? Oh, but they're so spaced out," reaching out to the judges, and followed up by facing Steve Tyler and singing, "Buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-Bennie and Steven."