Benmont's Solo Projects

[lover_of_the_bayou]

Here are a few songs and albums he worked on...

www.wildbluegator.com/benmont/work.htm

www.youtube.com/watch?v=89h7JC85KHE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtm4P4ASdqw

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tGp5AuSMhI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt_RlCum7ZI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeHTgP16cA8

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORSdN1cNMRM

And a song by Beth Nielsen Chapman, which he co-wrote...and I can't find, called "I'll Give My Heart." I'm talking via E-mail to Beth Nielsen Chapman or an associate or something to see if I can find it...

There are more projects that I run across each day....Stay tuned!

[lover_of_the_bayou]

Oh, and if anyone's heard "The One To Walk You Home" By Kimmie Rhodes...
Ben's singing a beautiful duet with her....

[lover_of_the_bayou]

Best known as the longtime pianist and keyboard player for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Benmont Tench is one of rock's most respected instrumentalists, as he's guested on countless recordings other artists. Born on September 7, 1953, in Gainesville, FL, Tench took up piano at an early age, playing recitals at the age of six. But shortly after discovering the Beatles, Tench turned his back on lessons and focused on '60s rock & roll. As a teenager, Tench met another up-and-coming rocker, Tom Petty, at a local music store. Several years later (while on break from college), Tench caught Petty's band, Mudcrutch (which also included future Hearbreaker Mike Campbell on guitar), in concert, and after sitting in with the band on several different occasions, went back to school. Petty asked Tench shortly thereafter to quit school and join Mudcrutch full-time, which after some deliberation, he agreed to.

After a demo tape featuring the new lineup was recorded, the quartet landed a recording contract with Shelter Records. But before they could record an album, the band split up. Tench contemplated launching his own band (which he would double in as lead vocalist), before Petty convinced Campbell and Tench to come back. Recruiting additional members Stan Lynch (drums) and Ron Blair (bass), Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers was officially formed in 1976, resulting in a deal with MCA, and by the '80s (on the strength of such hit albums as d**n the Torpedoes, Hard Promises, Southern Accents, etc.), the Heartbreakers had become one of the top rock bands in the world. Beginning in the middle of decade, Tench became a much sought-after session player, lending his talents to recordings by such varied artists as Jackson Browne, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, the Cult, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Brian Eno, Hall & Oates, Green Day, Don Henley, Indigo Girls, Ziggy Marley, Alanis Morissette, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Remy Zero, the Rolling Stones, U2, Robin Zander, Ryan Adams, Travis Tritt, and Ringo Starr, among many others. But despite it all, Tench has never let the session work get in the way with his main band, playing on 13 albums with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, plus countless tours.

[lover_of_the_bayou]

Everybody is a star: In Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,
each band member gets a chance to shine

By Chris Macias
Bee Pop Music Writer

(Published Aug. 29, 1999)

Tom Petty is a rock star, his nasal voice synonymous with hit records and memorable music videos. But Petty didn't make it into the limelight alone. The Heartbreakers, which features guitarist Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench on a variety of keyboards, and bassist Howie Epstein, is at the core of Petty's Americana-rock sound.

The group, which is rounded out on tour by longtime associates Scott Thurston on guitar and drummer Steve Ferrone (the replacement for original Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch), is having a whirlwind year. The band is touring for the first time in four years, with a show that comes to Arco Arena Monday night, and receiving heapings of accolades for its latest album, "Echo."

The band's signature songs ("American Girl," "Free Falling") harken to the sounds of 1960s rock groups such as the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield, and could fill an afternoon play list on a classic-rock radio station. Tunes from the group's latest album, such as the up-tempo "Free Girl Now" and the melancholy rocker "Swingin'," may become a new set of staples.

"The band played a huge role in the record," Petty said about "Echo" earlier this year. "I think it's the first one in a long time when we had all the Heartbreakers there every day, right through the mixing. We had a marvelous time making it.

Right now, I'd say that we're closer than we've been in a long, long while. We're very united in what we're doing and real happy to have the band going. We just feel lucky and appreciate that it's still so much fun to play."

"I think we're playing better than we've ever played," Tench said in a phone call following a sound check in Phoenix. "I think we've always been better live. That's why I like "Wildflowers' and "d**n the Torpedoes' and this record ("Echo') so much -- because they feel live.

"I'm very happy with this record, even if it's not a very happy-sounding record," he said. ""Echo' is probably my favorite song on the new record, but I really love "Lonesome Sundown.' I like the mood, the pace and the lyrics on that song. The new songs seem to do really well when we play them live."

Still, the role of playing sideman to a rock star can be a balancing act, with backing musicians needing a keen sense of complementing the music without overshadowing the star. "It's harder to do than you'd think," Tench said about being a sideman. "You're up there and you want to do something, but you've just got to wait and breathe and listen.

"I try to find little things that you can do to move the song along and things that serve the song," he added. "If you call attention to yourself at the expense of the song, that's the cardinal sin. You can go crazy and play solos in the right place, and that's great because it can intensify and bring an emotional lift. But the thing is you don't want to get in the way of the song."

The Heartbreakers are free to come up with their own parts when recording songs, Tench said, though Petty decides which songs the band will perform live. "I'll make suggestions on the set list, but Tom's gonna decide what we're going to play," Tench said. "But on records I just start playing. That's pretty much the way we always do it."

Before he became a Heartbreaker, Tench was a typical piano student, eschewing the etudes and exercises required for his lessons in favor of pop music. "I'd hear the Beatles on the radio and start playing that by ear and neglect lessons, to the immense frustrations of my teacher," Tench said. Tench joined local rock bands as a teenager and settled into Mudcrutch, a Gainesville, Fla., band from the early 1970s that featured Petty and future Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell.

"We were pretty popular at the time, though we seemed to go down in popularity after I joined," Tench said with a chuckle. "The guy who started my first band was a roadie for them (Mudcrutch). He called me and said, 'You've got to see this band.' He was right."

Tench said that Mudcrutch's material is not unlike what Petty and the Heartbreakers play now. Tench pointed out that "Hometown Blues," from the group's self-titled debut album, and the Petty hit "Don't Do Me Like That" were written originally by Mudcrutch. He also hears echoes of Mudcrutch on the band's latest album.

" 'Lonesome Sundown' sounds like Mudcrutch on a slow song," Tench said. "And 'About To Give Out' sounds like Mudcrutch on a fast song. This is all a natural progression from that band, I think." Diversions from the group's guitar-driven sound have been few, though the band has taken a few musical twists, most notably when working with ELO founder Jeff Lynne, who co-produced "Into the Great Wide Open." "I think we've generally been pretty straight-ahead all along except when we had Jeff Lynne," Tench said. "When you get the British guys around you -- Dave Stewart (former Eurythmics member who co-produced Petty's "Southern Accents"), Jeff Lynne -- you'll have fun. They take you to a different corner, but I don't think we wander too far from being straight-ahead."

However, the road to rock stardom has been paved with a few speed bumps. Petty filed for bankruptcy in 1979 after haggling with MCA, his former record label, over his recording contract, and challenged the record company again in 1981 to lower the price of his album "Hard Promises." Earlier this year, Petty ruffled Warner Bros., his current label, by posting the single "Free Girl Now" in MP3 format on the Internet for free.

Tench has felt equally passionate about these battles and has supported Petty all along. "My take is that he's absolutely right," Tench said. "And I think he's been really right all down the line. I'm really happy to just be there while it's going on."

Still, the Heartbreakers hardly stand idle when not working with Petty. John Prine's album "The Missing Years," produced by Epstein, won a Grammy in 1991 for best contemporary folk recording. The Heartbreakers' bassist also shared his talents on songs with Roy Orbison, Stevie Nicks and John Hiatt. Campbell, along with co-writing songs and supplying the Heartbreakers with lead guitar, co-wrote the Don Henley staples "The Boys of Summer" and "Heart of the Matter."

Tench's own side projects include sessions with U2 and Elvis Costello, and backing Bob Dylan. "I loved working with Bob Dylan," he said. "He was just as good as he's supposed to be. It's wonderful -- you get to play all of those great songs.

"I got to play on a couple of records with the Rolling Stones, and that was really special to me," he added. "That band really champions to just play in the song and the groove. At the same time, you go see them live and they're exciting as hell."

Tench believes that playing with other musicians helps refine his ear when coming back to perform with Petty. "Working with Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson takes you up another level," Tench said. "The songwriting is so good, the feeling is so deep; you have to start listening a whole other way. I can hear the spaces in the music differently (when working with Petty). I'll think, 'Oh, well, this texture worked really well and this one didn't work well against the guitar, so maybe I should stay out of the way with Campbell.' "

"I've been really lucky," he said. "Sometimes you work with somebody you've never heard of because you just feel like working. But I think I learn from all of these people. With U2, I got to see how another band worked, and you get to try to listen like they listen because you want to fit into their songs. It's not a matter of camouflaging yourself or not expressing yourself, it's a matter of listening and fitting into their trip."

CHRIS MACIAS is The Bee's pop music writer.
Write to him at The Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852,
call [phone] or send e-mail to [e-mail].

[lover_of_the_bayou]

The Equipment Benmont used on the TP&TH Tour, 1999

"Ben uses a Hammond C-3, Yamaha C-7, 2 Wurlitzers, Roland Jx3P, The Hated
DX-7 (much hated), some Akai sampler thing, a kazoo, a bunch of effects
pedals he stole from Mike, a Yamaguchi Pizzihutto 972 (1870), and 3 hard
boiled eggs. Thank you and goodnight."

[lover_of_the_bayou]

SPOTLIGHT ON BENMONT TENCH!

Benmont's Answers To Your Questions Are Here!



1. Dina asked: How old were you when you started music lessons and what inspired you to make this your career?
Ben: I was six, and I just wanted to do something better than my cousin.

2. Deb asked: Do you play any other instruments besides the keyboards?
Ben: A little bass, sort of -- maybe a little guitar. Also, do you play most of your music by ear? Mostly by hand, actually.

3. Alicia of CT and Lohrl asked: Is your first name a family name or do you know its origins?
Ben: They're obscure and clouded … my first name's Benjamin, my middle name's Montmorency. Just put 'em together -- like Billybob ...

4. Irene of Ontario asked: What has been one of your most memorable 'milestones' over the years, music or otherwise? What DOES keep that spark going for you?
Ben: I carry a spare canister of lighter fluid ... (and playing with Dylan).

5. Marcia of MI, Andrew, Rachel, ELazaro and Kitty asked: What do you enjoy doing in your leisure time at home or on the road?
Ben: Sleep. Read. Sleep. Sleep some more. Maybe eat.

6. Karyn of CA asked: Do you enjoy reading in your spare time? If so, what book are you currently reading?
Ben: Yes, and "Winter's Tale" by Mark Helprin.

7. Marcia of MI and Steve asked: Which songs are YOUR favorites to play?
Ben: "Paranoid" and "Iron Man."

8. Kim asked: Which song or album was the most challenging from a keyboardist's perspective?
Ben: They're all really easy ... I mean, this is a cakewalk, isn't it?

9. Frank asked: What's the hardest song for you to perform live?
Ben: "Don't Come Around Here No More" -- lots of little bits.

10. Patti of CA asked: When are you going to sing lead vocal on a song for us??? Come on now ... Mike did it ... how about you?
Ben: You really aren't ready for that.

11. Alex of CA, Suzanne of NY and Melissa asked: Can you tell us about one of your most memorable (great, scary, funny, or just plain weird) moments onstage?
Ben: I just don't know what to say. Alex, you know better than that.

12. Sam of NJ, Deb in VA, Alex of CA and Colleen asked: You've worked with so many different musicians over the years. Is there anyone that you really admire and would like to work with but haven't yet?
Ben: I don't want to jinx it by saying.

13. Deb in VA, J and SpininJen9 asked: What has been your most exciting personal musical collaboration, what was unique about it, and why did you enjoy it so very much?
Ben: That's way too much information.

14. Adam from Canada, Amy from CA, Ann and Connie asked: What was the first song written by you and do you ever write songs anymore?
Ben: Yes, I still write some and I will never divulge the name of that first song. Never.

15. Fred of New Orleans asked: I love how you combine the use of many keyboards. How do you decide what keyboard instrument sounds are right for a song?
Ben: Just close your eyes and hit something.

16. Ron of MA asked: Do you still use your Vintage VOX Continental Organ?
Ben: Yep.

17. Jeff of DE asked: I thought I saw a digital sampler in your stage setup. What kinds of sounds do you have stored in it? How do the Hammond B-3 and C-3 organs differ?
Ben: The Hammonds are the same on the inside -- the cabinet's different. The sampler's got Chamberlin sounds in it.

18. Ann asked: Do you run your keys right through the pa or do you mike your amp?
Ben: I have no idea. Straight, I think.

19. Alicia of CT asked: In the Echo tour book you mention something in your write up in the back about hard-boiled eggs. Is this a reference to the Marx Bros.?
Ben: And two hard-boiled eggs.

20. Andrew, Susan and J. P. asked: Why do Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers continue to play the same songs show after show this tour with little variation?
Ben: We're just trying to get all the chords right as it is.

21. Harry from Germany and John from England asked: Will Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tour through Europe?
Ben: God, I hope so.

22. Joannie, Juli, Kitty and Steve asked: If you had not become a musician, what occupation or career do you think you might be in now? Any regrets?
Ben: I've had a few, but then again ...

23. Scott of Ontario, Sam of NJ, Tom and Ann asked: Who have been your influences? Are there any records (old or new) that you still listen to and say "d**n it, that's good!"?
Ben: Tons -- Pete Johnson, anything with Nicky Hopkins, Bach, The Rolling Stones -- it goes on and on.

24. Steve asked: What is the best thing about being in the Heartbreakers?
Ben: The food.

25. Jonathan of GA, Anne and Todd asked: It was great what you said at the Walk of Fame ceremony about Stan Lynch and Ron Blair. How are they doing these days? What do you think were their special contributions to the band?
Ben: They're doing great, far as I can tell. You can't really even say how much they brought to the band. It can't be quantified.

26. Debbie of VA, Suzanne of NY, Alex of CA and Jo asked: You are generally regarded among your fans as the Best Dressed Heartbreaker! Have you ever given any tips to the other guys in the group?
Ben: ... Thanks, really, but it's Howie. Got to be. I just copy Scott.

27. Orngebunny asked: Benmont, a few of us were wondering ... Boxers or briefs?
Ben: Wonder on ...

28. Charlie and AINVW asked: What do you think of the Internet, and do you have and use a computer?
Ben: I don't, and I haven't and don't.

29. Sam of NJ and Tom asked: What do you think of the current state of rock and roll in the music industry?
Ben: What rock 'n' roll?

30. Catherine asked: What music do you listen to now in your leisure time? What CDs are on your CD player now at home?
Ben: Bach, Zombies, Dylan, Beethoven, Rolling Stones.

31. Vicki of CA asked: You always seem so serene. What's your secret?
Ben: It's all an act. Inside, I'm FREAKIN' OUT.

32. Dave asked: If you had kids of your own, knowing what you know today would you let them quit college and pursue their dream of playing music in a rock and roll band which is similar to what you did?
Ben: Absolutely.

33. Dee asked: What is the best advice you have ever received?
Ben: DON'T GIVE ADVICE TO ANYONE. The worst advice? Answer these questions.

34. Linda of PA asked: How will you and/or the Heartbreakers be celebrating the new millennium?
Ben: Ask me on January 2nd.



www.tompetty.com

September 18, 1999

[lover_of_the_bayou]

This is an unedited version of the of Marty Hughley's article. It includes more of Benmont's Interview than what was originally published in The Oregonian.

The Oregonian
Friday, August 27, 1999

Heart to heart with a 'Breaker
Benmont Tench shares his love for the music

By Marty Hughley of The Oregonian staff

America is dazzled by rock stars, but the real magic comes from rock bands.

Sure, there's a lot of crossover between the two camps -- many rock stars are members of bands or leaders of them, and most of the rest hire bands for tours and sessions. But the folks who get on the magazine covers, take the podium at the MTV Awards and show up in the gossip columns almost always are the singers. As bassist Bill Wyman once put it, the United States was the only place in the world where his band routinely was billed as "Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones."

Tom Petty is a rock star. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are a rock band. And a great deal of the particular magic that will materialize in the Rose Garden arena Wednesday night comes from a special balance between star and band.

The Heartbreakers have had a long time together to establish themselves as one of the best rock outfits in the world. Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench have worked together since their early '70s Florida bar band Mudcrutch. Bassist Howie Epstein joined in 1982. Steve Ferrone replaced Stan Lynch in the drum chair five years ago. In combination, these talents create a rarely matched blend of melodic craft, emotional nuance, feel-good groove and pure party-starting spirit.

Campbell gets deserved credit as Petty's onstage foil, frequent co-writer and a master of the catchy, perfectly shaped and textured guitar hook. But a less recognized key to the Heartbreaker chemistry is Tench, whose playing provides the subtle color and cohesion that elevates Petty's music above the mass of rock 'n' roll product. He's also a fine writer himself, having penned such gorgeously mournful tunes as "Why Don't You Quit Leaving Me Alone" for Roseanne Cash and "Unbreakable Heart" for Carlene Carter.

We spoke recently with Tench by phone about life and work as a Heartbreaker. Some excerpts:

Q. After all these years working on the arena circuit, has it changed much from the early days when it was five guys against the world?

A. Not much. It's still fun. I don't know about five guys against the world. It's more like five guys against these three chords, and we're gonna wrestle 'em down no matter what it takes. And we're all friends. When we get on the bus to tour, we're totally happy to spend a lot of time together.

Q. Over the past decade, some albums have been credited to Tom Petty, some to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, even though band members are on all of them. What's the difference?

A. I'm not really sure why "Wildflowers" was called a solo record, except that Stanley was still in the band and we had made a record without him, therefore it wasn't a Heartbreakers record. To my recollection, when that was started it was not going to be the band. It was going to be Tom and Mike, and maybe me for some of it. They were trying out different rhythm sections. Eventually I noticed that I was there every day, Mike was there every day, as I expected, and pretty soon Howie was there, too.

"Full Moon Fever" Stanley isn't on at all. Most of "Great Wide Open" is Tom, Mike and Stan, with Jeff (Lynne) playing a lot of stuff, and me and Howie popping up on occasion. Jeff Lynne is an arranger, and I think it's probably much easier for him to go ahead and play a part himself than to try to show somebody else what he wants. But it's hard for me to say; I barely know Jeff. The way he works, I pop in and he says 'Can you play here, and here.' Then 'Great. We'll call you in a day or two.'

Q. Of all the well-known producers the band has worked with, whose approach have you found most helpful?

A. We've been really lucky. We've had producers who've all shared at least one thing. They've all recognized that Tom and Mike write great songs and that's what it's about. We started with Denny Cordell, and he was a great record producer. He knew exactly how to take a band that knew absolutely nothing, and guide you without trying to tell you what to do. He didn't take away your personality, or say 'You've got to do this, you've got to do that.' He'd just put on a record in the background while you were at a party at his house. He'd put on something like "Bring It to Jerome" by Bo Diddley. And you'd ask "Why does that do that?" And he'd say, "Well, it's the drums and the maracas." He'd guide you toward listening to the groove, so you'd record the song, and realize all the other complicated stuff is in the way. That was really instructive.

With Jimmy Iovine, again it was down to simplicity. That's what all the really good producers understand. Dave Stewart came in on "Southern Accents," and he was great. Although he co-wrote a few songs and played some instruments, he didn't take anything away from the band. Jeff took it away from the band, but you have to remember that Jeff started with Tom on what was going to be a genuine solo record, so he wasn't supposed to have anything to do with the band. And from listening to what he did on those records and from my limited experience working with him on them, there was a lot to learn about simplicity, chord structure, chord voicing and, once again, that it's the song that counts.I'm not talking about all that stuff that's on top, like background vocals and all. But if you listen to the way he's built the rhythm, it's very simple and it gets to the heart of the matter.

Q. Is it true that recording the new album, "Echo," was a long process?

A. It was a long process in terms of calendar time, but not in actual studio time. We'd go over to the studio at Mike's house to play, whether Tom was there or not. Tom would bring in songs, Mike would engineer, and we recorded about 30 songs. But we'd work for three or four days at a time, then Tom would go write more songs. It was like "These are great. You got any more?" It was a good record to make.

Q. Out of the band's long list of tunes, what are some of your favorites?

A. From the new record, the song "Echo" I like about as much as anything we've ever done and anything he's ever written. And I also love "About to Give Out" and "Lonesome Sundown." Over the years, I like the oddball songs * "Trailer," which was left off "Southern Accents" but showed up on the box set, "Shadow of a Doubt."

Q. Both Tom and Mike have credited a long engagement at the Filmore in San Francisco a couple of years ago with rejuvenating the band, even saying it made the band decide to stay together. Did you feel that way, too?

A. It was great. We got to do 20 nights. We'd play two or three hours a night, and play whatever we wanted: a J.J. Cale song, an old Jimmy Reed song, a Stanley Brothers song. The set list wasn't structured, it didn't flow right; it didn't matter. It was wonderful. We did it again this year, for a week. On one level the band has wondered if it's going to go forward since day one. And on the other level, what the hell else are we gonna do? I flat out love it. I'm playing 10 feet from Mike Campbell every night. I look across the stage, there's Howie. Tom's in the middle and we're playing all this stuff I love. It's great.

[lover_of_the_bayou]

Benmont talks about the creative process....

"To me, that's the whole point. It's all about listening to each other; it's not about 'listen to me while I play this great solo.' Hopefully, when you're playing a great solo, you're listening to the inside of the changes that everybody else is doing. "

-----------------------------

"Lately I've been paying special attention to where the voice is. I'm starting to like things that just blend and disappear."

-----------------------------

"It's about trying to build, to move forward emotionally in a song. And it's about not thinking about it"...

"It's about being inside the song."



From the May 1995 issue of Keyboard Magazine

1995 Copyright Keyboard Magazine
All Rights Reserved

[lover_of_the_bayou]

...sorry for this LOL Me and a friend were making a huge-ass Ben and Mike thing.

[lover_of_the_bayou]

It's all fixed now. I cleaned it up a little and made it more Benmontesque, if you will. It's not all solo work, per say, as just Benmont stuff.

I found some things he did with Stevie Nicks, too, which I'll be posting later on, hopefully.

[lover_of_the_bayou]

Jun 20, 2008 0:08:20 GMT -5 lover_of_the_bayou said:

And a song by Beth Nielsen Chapman, which he co-wrote...and I can't find, called "I'll Give My Heart." I'm talking via E-mail to Beth Nielsen Chapman or an associate or something to see if I can find it...

I finally got a reply from her. She told me that the song would most likely be on her next album, and Benmont would be featured on it. That's great news in my book.