Benassi Bros.
Benassi Bros. | |
---|---|
Also known as | Bat67 |
Origin | Italy |
Genres | |
Years active | Late 1980s–present |
Members |
Benassi Bros. is an Italian electronica group who released some successful singles and 2 albums within a short period between 2003 and 2005. Cite error: There are <ref>
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History
The members of the group, cousins Benny Benassi (real name Marco Benassi) and Alle Benassi, started DJing in the late 1980s in their hometown, before moving to Larry Pignagnoli's Off Limits production studio in the mid-1990s, creating music for various acts, including Whigfield, J.K. and Ally & Jo. Despite the name "Benassi Bros.", Benny Benassi and Alle Benassi are actually cousins. The cousins had already produced their own Dance project by 1995 named KMC, under which they released "Somebody to touch me" (1995), "StreetLife" (1996) and "I feel so fine" (2001), all sung by Dhany (Daniella Galli), as well as one last single, "Get better", this time featuring Sandy. Dhany and Sandy would also become Benassi Bros. 's main two vocalists. In the Spring of 2003 Benny Benassi found fame with the hugely successful "Satisfaction" (42 weeks in the charts in France, achieving 4th place), and which became one of the hits of the Summer 2003. The hit single started the "Benassi sound", characterized by a heavy bass which would become very trendy and copied by many other different artists on the music scene at the time.
Shortly after, in the Autumn of 2003, Benny Benassi released together with his cousin Alle the song "Illusion", this time under the Benassi Bros name. The song reminded of the characteristic "Benassi sound", although with a faster beat -the album version was later named the "Satisfaction version". Once again this turned into a Club success, especially in France where it remained 31 weeks in the charts, peaking on the 28 of December 2003 at 12th place. "Illusion" also became very popular on the American club scene, finally peaking at number 4 on Hot Dance Club Play.
Their following single, "Hit my heart", was released in the late Spring of 2004. It became successful instantaneously, and a huge Summer hit in France again, peaking at 11 and remaining 21 weeks in the charts. The song was famously accompanied by a video of singer Dhany laying down on a beach, the forms of her body juxtaposed with the waves of the ocean, with surfers in the background. "Hit My Heart" peaked at 15 in the US Hot Dance Club Play. "Hit my heart" is a re-worked track of a previous unsuccessful 2002 release by J.K, a Eurodance project of Davide Riva and Larry Pignagnoli which the Benassi cousins had contributed to in the 90's and early 00's.
This is also during Spring 2004 that Benassi Bros released their first studio album, Pumphonia. Different singers took part to the album: Sandy and Dhany whom the Benassis already collaborated with on the KMC project, but also Violeta and Paul French. Two KMC singles were re-worked for the album: "I feel so fine" sung by Dhany in 2001 was re-recorded for the album and this time sung by Sandy. "Get better" was simply remixed with the typical "Benassi bass" sound initiated with "Satisfaction", keeping the same vocals by Sandy. "Memory of love" was the last single from the album, released in the Summer of 2004, this time not achieving the success of the previous 2 singles, and peaking at 43 in France.
Benassi Bros came back in the Spring of 2005 with the new single "Make me feel" to accompany the release of their new album "...Phobia". As for "Hit my heart" the song is a re-worked version of a 2001 unsuccessful release by J.K. France was once again where the group found their biggest success. "Make me feel" remained in the charts for 21 weeks, "Every single day" for 19 weeks, and "Rocket in the sky" for 13 weeks. As on the first album, Sandy, Dhany and Paul French all came back to record some tracks. Naan was a newcomer, and under this name is actually Whigfield's front lady Sanny, another Eurodance project of Riva and Pignagnoli. Both tracks written and recorded by Naan, "Feel alive" and "Rocket in the sky", were chosen as singles, but it was decided to release them in a new version, sung by Dhany for "Rocket in the sky" and Sandy for "Feel alive". The album "...Phobia" remained in the french charts for 32 weeks and peaked at the 9th place. It also contained a new version of the KMC song "Somebody to touch me".
Discography
- Studio albums and singles
- Pumphonia (2004)
- Illusion, feat Sandy
- Hit my heart, feat Dhany
- Memory of love, feat Paul French
- ...Phobia (2005)
- Make me feel, feat Dhany
- Every single day, feat Dhany
- Rocket in the sky, feat Dhany
- Feel alive, feat Sandy
- Greatest hits album
- Best of Benassi Bros. (2005)
- Best of Benassi Bros. (2006)
Music videos
- From Pumphonia
- Illusion (#4 Hot Dance Club Play)
- Hit My Heart (#15 Hot Dance Club Play)
- From ...Phobia
- Make Me Feel
- Every Single Day (#24 Hot Dance Singles Sales - 2005) (duet with Dhany)
- Rocket in the Sky