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Bennie Benjamin

Claude August "Bennie" Benjamin (November 4, 1907 – May 2, 1989) was a Virgin Islands-born American songwriter. He had particularly successful songwriting partnerships with Sol Marcus, with whom he wrote "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire", "When the Lights Go On Again (All Over the World)", and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"; and with George David Weiss, with whom he wrote "Oh! What It Seemed to Be" and "Wheel of Fortune". Most of his songs were in the traditional pop idiom.

Birth and Death Data: Born Christiansted (town of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands), Died May 2, 1989 (New York City (most populous city in the United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1955

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, composer

Notes: Surname appears as both Benjamin and Benjemen on disc labels and U.S. Copyright Office files.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 43 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-047796 10-in. 3/11/1940 I don't want to set the world on fire Harlan Leonard ; Rockets ; Myra Taylor Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-051262 10-in. 6/10/1940 Ashes in the tray Dolores Brown ; Erskine Hawkins Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-064807 10-in. 8/25/1941 I don't want to set the world on fire Skinnay Ennis Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-064975 10-in. 10/10/1941 I don't want to set the world on fire Cats and the Fiddle Male vocal solo, with vocal and instrumental quartet composer  
Victor BS-067670 10-in. 8/25/1941 I don't want to set the world on fire Mitchell Ayres ; Meredith Blake ; Fashions-in-Music ; Four Trumpet-Ayres Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal quartet composer  
Victor BS-067753 10-in. 9/5/1941 I don't want to set the world on fire Dick Todd Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-068445 10-in. 11/28/1941 Cancel the flowers Mitchell Ayres ; Warren Covington ; Fashions-in-Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-071405 10-in. 9/25/1941 The clock is fast Bob Chester Orchestra ; Betty Bradley Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-071764 10-in. 2/2/1942 I don't want to set the world on fire Hit Paraders ; Mark Warnow Orchestra ; Barry Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble composer  
Victor BS-074380 10-in. 5/27/1942 Strictly instrumental Bob Chester Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-074789 10-in. 7/29/1942 When the lights go on again (All over the world) New Music [Shep Fields] ; Ralph Young Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-075421 10-in. 7/8/1942 When the lights go on again (All over the world) Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-075440 10-in. 7/22/1942 When the lights go on again (All over the world) Dick Todd Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor E0VB-3745 10-in. 8/1/1950 Christmas time Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Merv Griffin ; Martin Men Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo and male vocal group songwriter  
Victor E0VB-5239 10-in. 8/5/1950 Can anyone explain? (No! No! No!) Larry Green ; The Honeydreamers Mixed vocal quintet with instrumental quartet songwriter  
Victor E0VB-5915 10-in. 10/26/1950 To think you've chosen me Three Suns Instrumental ensemble, with vocal chorus songwriter  
Victor E1VB-2156 10-in. 5/21/1951 Out of the night Johnny Hartman Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor E1VB-2157 10-in. 5/21/1951 Worry bird Johnny Hartman Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor F4PB-1940 10-in. 4/13/1955 Cancel the flowers The Dolphins songwriter  
Victor E4FB-3598 10-in. 3/1/1954 Donne-donne Nino D'Aurelio ; Terig Tucci Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Victor E4LB-5881 10-in. 11/1/1954 Strictly instrumental Richard Maltby Orchestra composer  
Victor D5VB-1320 10-in. 12/28/1945 Oh! What it seemed to be Charlie Spivak Orchestra ; Jimmy Saunders Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor D6VB-1395 10-in. 4/2/1946 Surrender Perry Como ; Russ Case Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor D6VB-2076 10-in. 6/25/1946 Rumors are flying Charles Dant Orchestra ; Betty Jane Rhodes Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor D6VB-2078 10-in. 6/25/1946 How could I? Charles Dant Orchestra ; Betty Jane Rhodes Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
(Results 1-25 of 43 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Benjamin, Bennie," accessed January 3, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116787.

Benjamin, Bennie. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 3, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116787.

"Benjamin, Bennie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 3 January 2026.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116787

External Sources

Wikipedia: Bennie Benjamin

Discogs: Bennie Benjamin

Allmusic: Bennie Benjamin

IMDb: Bennie Benjamin

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Benjamin, Bennie, 1907-1989 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr98022552

Wikidata: Bennie Benjamin - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q817874

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/24868053

MusicBrainz: Bennie Benjamin - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0273b3c8-8dc8-4432-91ad-a5a632e461a1

Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/425385 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/425385

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