Ben (song)
| "Ben" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Ben" is a number-one hit song written by Don Black and Walter Scharf and recorded by the teenaged Michael Jackson for the Motown label in 1972. Originally written for Donny Osmond, "Ben" was offered to Jackson as Osmond was on tour at the time and unavailable for recording. The single, theme of a 1972 film of the same name (the sequel to the 1971 killer rat movie Willard), spent one week at the top of the U.S. pop chart.[1] It also reached number-one on the Australian pop chart, spending eight weeks at the top spot.[1] The song also later reached a peak of number seven on the British pop chart.[1].
The song became the first of 13 number-one pop hits for Jackson in the United States and his first number-one as a solo artist.
Later included on Jackson's album of the same name, "Ben" won a Golden Globe for Best Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Charts
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 7 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 14 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 24 |
| UK Singles Chart | 46 |
Cultural references
- Although Jackson had already become the youngest artist to ever record a number-one ("I Want You Back" with his brothers, The Jackson 5, in 1970), "Ben" made him the third-youngest solo artist, at fourteen, to score a number-one hit single. Only Stevie Wonder, who was thirteen when "Fingertips, Pt. 2" went to number one, and Donny Osmond, who was months shy of his fourteenth birthday when "Go Away Little Girl" hit number one in 1971 were younger.
- Jackson performed "Ben" in front of a live audience at the Academy Awards ceremony, where it was up for the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1973.
- Kipp Lennon, who performed the singing part of Michael Jackson's character on The Simpsons , sang "Ben" to Homer Simpson in the episode "Stark Raving Dad" replacing the name "Ben" with "Homer".
- The band Pearl Jam makes a reference to the song "Ben" on their 1993 album Vs. on the song "Rats", with the line "Ben, the two of us need look no more" repeated several times at the end the track.
- It has also been covered by the Irish group Boyzone on their album A Different Beat.
- The song was featured in the TV movie Wedding Wars, sung by John Stamos' character at the wedding of his brother, Ben, and backed by a gay men's chorus.
- British singer Connie Talbot covered the song for her album, Over The Rainbow
- The song was covered in 2003 by Crispin Glover, for the remake of the prequel to the film Ben, Willard. The music video for the song is included on the DVD.
- Another cover of "Ben" was featured on the 2nd single of an up-and-coming Japanese singer, Stephanie, entitled because of you.
- The song was spoofed in the television show The Wayans Bros. when it was sung by Marlon Wayans about his rat named "Rufus".
- The song was sung by 9 year old autistic boy David Militello on the third season of America's Got Talent.
- In a second season episode of the North American version of Queer as Folk, Michael Novotny sings the opening lines to this song at a bar on karaoke night to his love interest, Ben Bruckner.
- In 1985, Marti Webb released a cover version of the song, which reached #5 in the UK charts, as a tribute to Ben Hardwick, a young liver transplant patient.
- The song was covered in 1990 from Silvy Melody at the Vlaamse showbiz TV Show De Kinderacademie.
- Ray Quinn sang "Ben" on the third series of The X Factor, during the Motown-themed week in 2006. Two years later, Eoghan Quigg would perform the same number as part of the Micheal Jackson-themed week; his version is now featured on Quigg's self-titled album.
- Billy Gilman gave a performance of the song at the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special in 2001
- During a playing of 'News Flash' on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the story Colin Mochrie was reporting on was a severe rat infestation. Performer Ryan Stiles alluded to the song by using the line "we need look no more" and accidentally calling Mochrie "Ben".
- Celebrity tap-dancer and perennial reality star Lauren Stott sings "Ben" to a boy she babysits.
- On episode 20 of "I'm on Setanta Sports" (now Special 1 TV), Jose serenades Sven by singing a parody of "Ben", which is instead entitled "Sven".
- In memory of the passing of Michael Jackson, singer Nicole Atkins made a cover of the song and released it for download for free on her blog. [2]
References
- ^ a b c Cadman, Chris (2007). Michael Jackson: For the Record. Authors OnLine. ISBN 978-0-7552026-7-6.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ http://nicoleatkinsblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/free-download-of-ben-cover.html
