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Ebony & Ivory 2020

by Benji & Beddis - Charity Track

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about

Two legends of the Newport punk scene, Benji and Beddis, have joined forces to release a cover version of ‘Ebony and Ivory’ to raise awareness of, and money for, local charities. All proceeds will go to Eden Gate night shelter and local food banks. Check out www.edengate.org.net to see the fabulous support being offered to Newports most vulnerable.

Ebony and Ivory’ was originally released in 1982 by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. It was released on March 29 of that year. The song is featured on McCartney’s album Tug of War. A self-empowerment hit that struggles issues of racial equality, the song reached number one on both the UK and the US charts.

The combination of Benji and Beddis was always going to have an explosive result. All good cover versions take a song and turn it into something different. That box is well and truly ticked with this release. A worthy, tame, middle of the road tune has been turned into a worthy wild, hardcore beast.

Dean Beddis told us “We had already decided to release it before George Floyd was murdered. But now it feels an even more appropriate time to release it. Virus pandemic, isolation, poverty, loss of income and abuse on top of all of this. Time to change, remove the bigots and racists from public service”.
It is an idea that has been bouncing around for a little while now, but Benji and Beddis finally went into the studio to record the song last year. The backing track is provided by a bunch of fellow partners in crime from the Newport scene, including Richard Glover of Dub War and Bad Sam.

Benji Webbe came to fame as frontman with local outfit Dub War in the 1990s, laying his reggae/raga vocals over the top of the band’s full on punk-metal sonic assault. When Dub War split in 1999 he went on to form Skindred who have since gone on to international fame. Benji is ‘Port through and through. He is equally at home hanging out with his homies in the Cwmcarn Hotel or teaching crowds of thousands to do the ‘Newport Helicopter’ at festivals all over the world.

Dean Beddis will be familiar to anyone that knows anything about the Newport punk scene. His band the Cowboy Killers spawned moshpits up and down the country in the 90s and the irreverent ‘Las Vegas Elvis shows the world how tribute acts should be – nothing like the band they are paying homage to. His current band, Bad Sam describe themselves as ‘Five fucks screaming and yelling, playing shit with left wing social and personal shit’.

Not only known as an uncompromising singer with an uncompromising band, Dean has had his finger on the punk pulse for over three decades – working alongside Simon Phillips at Rockaway Records, before eventually setting up his own record shop – Kriminal Records.

Both Benji and Beddis love their hometown ‘The Port’ please support by downloading and donating what you can. The most vulnerable people of Newport need help and support now more than ever.

lyrics

We all know that people are the same where ever you go, there is good and bad in everyone, we learn to live, when we learn to give each other what we need to survive, together alive. Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony”
As poignant now as the day they were written – if not more so.

credits

released June 19, 2020
Original by Sir Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder 1982

Benji Webbe - Vocals
Dean Beddis -Vocals
Richard Glover - Guitar
Rhys Bryant - Bass & Drum Machine

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Benji & Beddis Newport, UK

Skindred /Dubwar frontman Benji Webbe & Newport punk legend Dean Beddis of Cowboy Killers / Bad Sam join forces to release charity cover version of Ebony & Ivory. All good cover versions take a song and turn it into something different. That box is well & truly ticked with this release, an explosive result from two stalwarts of Newport Punk scene. Money raised will go to Eden Gate night shelter ... more

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