#22: Shaving Cream by Benny Bell
City: Hamilton, ON
Radio Station: CKOC
Peak Month: April 1975
Peak Position in Hamilton ~ #1
Peak position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #30
YouTube: “Shaving Cream”
Lyrics: “Shaving Cream”
Benny Bell (born Benjamin Samberg) was born in New York City in 1906. His father wanted him to be a rabbi, but after trying various odd jobs including self-employed street peddler, he decided to pursue a career in vaudeville and music, sometimes under the names Benny Bimbo and Paul Wynn. His first record, “The Alimony Blues”, for Plaza Records on December 16, 1929, was a comical song about preferring to spend time in jail rather than pay alimony. He went on to write approximately 600 songs. He also wrote jingles on radio, including for Lemke’s cockroach powder. Bell enjoyed writing risqué lyrics, and in 1939 he was advised that he could make so-called party records with “blue” lyrics, primarily for use in jukeboxes in cocktail bars. He entered into this endeavour using his self-established record company, while continuing to make ethnic and mainstream comedy records. In an interview on the Dr. Demento radio program, Bell stated that he kept his straight and blue careers separate for many years, the latter being a secret. His eventual fame would come from his risqué material.