Produced & mixed By:Leo Bennink
All Instruments :Leo Bennink
(R&B / HIP HOP/RAP/FUNK /ROCK/SOUL)

STAR-CLUB (HAMBURG)
Leo began as a guitar-player in 1959 (14 years old)with the indorock group the REAL RHYTHM TEENS,in 1960 He started A professional career as a member of the TWANGIES and played for several years in Germany,The same clubs where The BEATLES started,STARCLUB HAMBURG(1968)Jollybar,Hanau(1962) Atlanticbar,Hanau(1963),Spudnikbar,Manheim(1962),Studio15,Essen(1963),Dance Palais,Keulen(1963) He Was (16 years old)when he played on tape(F.B.I.)(guitar white leather hofner with whammy bar)In 2005 jan Patty found this tape 45 years after recording,Leo is very glad that this unique document was saved by the brothers Jan and Sam Patty (From Molukse Origin)(Indorock) See YouTube.

Website:http://www.leobennink.nl

Leo and Dihl Bennink have a long musical history behind them,both were members of two famous Dutch groups in the sixties Dihl (TEE SET) Leo (THE MOTIONS) in 1996 they got the idea to join together and started the legendary guitar group THE BLACK ALBINOS with Hoss on fenderbass, It makes this band a true time capsule of one of the best guitar talents/bands in this world around. Leo began as a guitar-player in 1959 with the Indo-Rock groups THE REAL RHYTHM TEENS and THE ROCKING SENSATION BOYS. In 1962 (17 years old) he started a professional career as a member of THE TWANGIES and he played for several years in Western Germany. His last contract in Germany was with THE REBELS, in which he met drummer Leo Kappe. Back in Holland he played guitar in such guitar-groups as RENE & ALLIGATORS, THE SPECIALS, THE SPECIAL FIVE and THE BLACK ALBINO'S. With THE SPECIAL FIVE he recorded Silly Silly and it's his most remembered instrumental. At that time Leo also was the first guitarist in Holland, who could play all the Mosrite stuff from Nokie Edwards(THE VENTURES). In 1966 his career got a lift when he was a member of Dutch beat groups as THE JAY JAYS and THE MOTIONS. For THE JAY JAYS LP he also recorded Cruncher (from Ventures LP Surfing). With THE MOTIONS he toured all over Europe and even did concerts is the USA and played together with ERIC BURDON, FRANK ZAPPA, ALICE COOPER,SHA NA NA,BUDDY MILES Drummer of (JIMI HENDRIX) and THE MONKEES. In 1991 he was a member of the 'new' JUMPING JEWELS and a single was recorded for CNR with Hot Samba (written by Leo Bennink) and Dakota. Also released in Japan on CD (Sound Of Euro Instro/ CENTURY) together with a third track Africa. Leo is a real Strat-man, but in the mid-sixties he used his own build guitar 'Maserati' with 6 pick-ups and silver scratchplate. Since 6 years has Bennink a musicschool at home and he's teaching guitar, bass and keyboard and he's also producing modern r&b with new talents. NURLAILA , LA LUNES & SOPHIA,Other musicians who played with Leo Bennink : ROB DE NIJS,JOHNNY LION,JOE BOURNE (USA) WENDELL MORRISON (USA) ex singer of CANDY DULFER, ERIC TAGG (USA ) HANS DULFER,ANDY TIELMAN, CRAZY ROCKERS,JAN AKKERMAN BAND,HANS VERMEULEN,FRANS KRASSENBURG ( GOLDEN EARING ) MARIAN NOBLE ( RAINBOW TRAIN )LUCILLE McDONALD ,JAN CREMER, BERNADETTE(SONGFESTIVAL), DANIEL SAHULEKA BAND ,LENA LEWIS ( USA ) JUSTINE PELMELAY,EDDY CONARD (USA) OMAR DUPREE (USA ) PETE DEPOE ( REDBONE USA ) GEBRAND WESTVEEN (Alt Sax) CIRCUS TONI BOLTINI , BARRY HAY ( GOLDEN EARING) HANS vd BURG (GRUPPO SPORTIVO ) NIPPY NOYA ( MASSADA ) DONALD JONES ( USA ) ANITA MEIJER, THE HOLLIES ( UK ) GRAHAM NASH ( UK ) PATRICIA PAAY,RAMSES SHAFFY,JODY PIJPER, LOS ALEGRES,The HOLLIES ,THE BEE GEES ,HUMBLE PIE ,MOUTH & MacNEAL,HANS V HEMERT ,GUUS WILLEMSE ( SOLUTION )JOHNNY KENDALL ,MARTHA PENDLETON (USA )(RAINBOW TRAIN ) MILDRED & FRANKY DOUGLAS ( MAI TAI & SOLAT ) LILIAN DAY JACKSON (USA )(SPARGO ) and Many More.

THE MOTIONS: from The Hague were one of the bigger groups of the 1960s Dutch beat explosion. They were formed out of the remnants of Ritchie Clark and the Ricochets in 1964 and went on to become hitmakers for the next several years in the '60s. The Motions were much loved abroad, even in the USA. The Walker Brothers even recorded a song The Motions had written and helped in the production of the group's second LP; The Motions were also brought to the USA in 1969 and presented to the public as one of the world's top hit-making pop groups! The single, "Freedom",Composed by LEO BENNINK reached high in the American charts.

LEO BENNINK (scores a TOP TEN HIT in Japan 2001) thirty-two years after the release of "FREEDOM" the japanese band "TOKYO NO.1 SOUL SET"scores a TOP TEN HIT in Japan with a transcription of this "MOTIONS" single under the titel "Sunday"Composed by LEO BENNINK.

ERIC TAGG:The voice from the classic Ritenour albums ....

He is most knowned as the vocalist on the classic "Rit" albums from Lee Ritenour. But Eric Tagg is more than that. He started his career as a vocalist in Netherland in Europe where he released two albums, before he went back to US. After his 3rd album "Dreamwalkin", Eric Tagg has been away from the music scene, but in 1997 he got a comeback with the brilliant album "Through My Eyes".

ERIC TAGG was born in Illinois U.S.A. on January 9, 1953. while he was traveling around Europe as a memory of graduation from high school, he had his baggage stolen in Netherlands. At that time, he was assisted by one of Dutch Musicians o.a LEO BENNINK and this is the reason why Eric started his carrier as a vocalist. Eric joined the band named "BEEHIVE" (1972-1974).
BANDS ARE:
1.THE REAL RHYTHM TEENS 1959t/m1961
2.THE BLACK ARROWS 1961
3.THE SKY METEORS 1962
4.THE SHOTGUNS 1962
5.THE TWANGIES 1962 T/M 1963
6.THE ROCKING SENSATION BOY'S 1963
7.THE REBELS 1963
8.THE TRAVELLERS . 1963
9.THE SPECIALS 1963
10.DANNY AND HIS FAVOURITES 1964
11.THE SPECIAL FIVE 1964
12..RENE AND THE ALLIGATORS 1964
13.THE BLACK ALBINOS 1964 T/M 1965
14.THE HAIGS 1966
15.MACK 1965t/m1966
16.JOHNNY KENDELL AND THE HERALDS 1966
17 THE JAY-JAYS 1966
18.ROB DE NIJS AND THE JAY-JAYS 1966
19.TOP TEN BAND 1967 Members are:Leo Bennink,Berry Hay,Dihl Bennink
& Tines Hage
20.THE MOTIONS 1967 T/M 1971
21.CROSSROAD 1971
22.BLUE PLANET 1971
23.FRANS HOEKE BAND (FAM. van ROB HOEKE) 1971
24.GREENHORN 1971t/m1972
25.FISHER AND FRIENDS 1971
26.BOLTINIE ORKEST 1972
27.BEE-HIVE 1972t/m1975
28.GROUP 1850 1974
29. MARIAN NOBLE BAND 1976
30.GEOBAND 1977
31.MEXICAN WHEEL 1978t/m79
32.WILL MATLA BAND 1978
33.LEO BENNINK COMBO 1979 16 mei
34.EASY 1980
35.THE CLARKS 1980
36.THE ENTERTAINERS 1980
37.GOLDEN HAIGS 1980
38.LOS ALLEGRES 1983T/M1988
39.SOESTDIJKSEKADE BAND 1982
40.BLACK JACK 1983
41.MAGIC 1983T/M 1988
42.BUDDY POOR AND THE RICH MEN. 1988T/M1990
43.THE JUMPING JEWELS 1991
44. NURLAILA BAND 1991T/M 1994
45. LA LUNES 1995 T/M 1996
46. THE BLACK ALBINOS (NIEUW) 1996 T/M 2004
47. LEO BENNINK ( SOLO ) 2004 T/M 2014

LEO BENNINK & THE JAN AKKERMAN-BAND

CD 192579 NIGHT SHIFT (fully instrumental CD) ROCK MUSIC
Tracks: Night-Shift / Soul Serenade / Moa Kowada / Pico Rico / The Invader / Black Jack / The Provider / Czardas / T. Bone Rag / Street-Jumper / Locomotive / Okiwara / The Scrapper / Yantiyaki / Crossroad Fire / Nature Boy / A Night In Spain / Flamingo / Casanova / Stingray (live) / Let's Go (live)

(from GUITAR & DRUMS #82 October 1999)

Tous les tires sauf les 5 marques sont des compositions de L. Bennink. Les Black Albinos nous offrent un super CD avec une touche tres moderne qui est fort judicieuses. Que dire de plus. Ne perdez pas de temps et achetez ce CD. Les Black Albinos sont de vrais pros fort bien inspires. (Jean Bachelerie)

(from PIPELINE #46 Winter 1999)

With The Ventures as their inspiration The Black Albino's have a lot more bite and balls than most European guitar bands. For their second Rarity CD they have gone for an almost cpmplete set of original material plus two live tracks. Leo Bennink plays most of the lead guitar but his brother Dihl takes over on three numbers. With Ritch van Gessel also contributing as rhythm guitarist they have a full sound and plenty of options for arrangements. Completing their five man line-up are FBI's big bassman Hoss van Hardeveld and one of the crispest drummers around in Leo Kappe. The steamy atmosphere of Night-Shift makes a fine opener. Despite a strong rhythm guitar and tough lead sound delivering the tune, it's the biting riffs of the intro and betwixt verses that really catch the ear. There are more catchy riffs on the light funk of Soul Serenade and some chunky chords supporting the sustained lead guitar of Moa Kowada. Pico Rico has a great flowing rhythm part plus some phrases out of La Bamba in its Latinesque delivery. The Invader is one big guitar ballad that Shads bands are sure to pick up on while pulsing double electric rhythm guitars push The Invader with its Move It feel. Hard driving guitar melodies are the order of the day, but the lenght of modern albums demands an element of variety which is provided here by T-Bone Rag, a delicate intro to Czardas, and the electronics of Okiwara. Street Jumper and The Scrapper are fuzz-led, the first buzzing along and the second having a heavier arrangement. Yantiyaki is a beefy oriental flavoured ballad - Japanese Pops with menace. Leo Bennink's skill at the Nokie Edwards style of precision picking is apparant on the likes of Crossroad Fire which burns with its light fuzz attack. The band's Ventures influence dominates Nature Boy , you can imagine this tracks on a Wild Again album. There's a solid Ventures Japanese Pops styled number in A Night In Spain and Flamingo could so easily be a Bogle-Wilson-Edwards-Taylor album track from the 60's. Casanova brings the studio tracks to a close with acoustic picking over a big beat. The live tracks are an impressive Stingray a la Shads and Let's Go done Ventures fashion. Impressive. (Alan Taylor)

(from NEW GANDY DANCER #3867 Winter 1999)

The earlier Rarity outing by The Black Albinos, The Warrior, was a breakthrough for the label (a none-Shadows sounding band with a truiy modern edge) and this continues that analogy. It's a superb album of essentially strong original tracks by lead guitarist Leo Bennink except for puisating arrangements of minor classies like Szardas, Nature Boy, Flamingo, Stingray and Let's Go - the latter two of which are taken from the group's live performances. Flamingo incidentally, benefits from an almost Davie Allan treatment, whereas, and we've said it before, if there are group influences, they are a blend of 60's Ventures with 70's Wishbone Ash plus production excitement of the 90's. What Leo and the boys have done is the popular technique of starting the numbers with a sixties guitar sound and arrangements to begin with and add those with a sixties guitar sound from today. So many good things happening here, it's just one of the best guitar albums everto come out of central Europe.
**** (Davy Peckett)

CD 192547 PLAY THE WARRIOR (fully instrumental CD) ROCK MUSIC
Tracks: Cruel Train, Screen Wiper, Dayans Eyepatch, Way Down Yonder In New Orleans, Room Rocker, The Warrior, Okefenokee, Mango, Road Runner, Schwarze Augen, Memphis, Night Train, Needles & Pins, Gandy Dancer, Ill Never Stop Loving You, Spanish Gypsy Dance, Foot Tapper, Lovesick Blues, Silly Silly, Pipeline (live 1996)

(from PIPELINE #37 Autumn 1997)

Thanks to Piet Muys notes I can reliably inform you that, on these mostly new recordings, The Black Albinos consist of two members of the mid-sixties version of the band plus three newcomers. The CD really splits into two segments. the first ten tracks were recorded this year, whilst the other nine were cut during the late seventies and early eighties with the final bonus track being a live 1996 recording of Pipeline. The big surprise for me was that The Black Albinos reckon themselves to be a Ventures based band. This is obviously quite true listening to the earlier recordings on the latter part of this CD because The Ventures arrangements of the tunes are all slavishy followed with the exception of Gandy Dancer which, dare I suggest, may have been too difficult to replicate. However, it is the new recordings of the band which really interest me, because they sound uncannily as I would have imagined The Shadows to have sounded in the late sixties if they had not become so emasculated, or, indeed, as I wished they sounded today.

The drummer here, Leo Kapp, is as solid as Brian Bennett has alway been, while the three guitarists hold a rhythm so tight that I cant help but think of The Shads of the early sixties. The originals here, mainly from the pen of lead guitarist Leo Bennink, are startlingly good and he seems to me to sound as Hank might have done if he had not become so utterly captured (and ultimately limited) by his own style. This is a tight, hard, instrumental rock band with old crafts and modern stylings what could be better?

Surprisingly, two of Freddy Cannons old tunes Way Down Yonder In New Orleans and Okefenokee come off expecially well, mainly thanks to Kappes gutsy drumming. Mango has an irresistible rhythm, a sweet, duetted middle-eight, and a catchy refrain, even if it is based on the similarly constructed Ill Never Stop Loving You its easily the best of their seventies recordings anyway. Schwarze Augen is better known to us as Dark Eyes and is a good excuse for Bennink to show off his considerable speed and dexterity on lead guitar. Do not be pu off by a little lack of flair in the titling department (I mean, Dayans Eyepatch?!!), the first segment of this CD will reward you for months to come. and they had the good taste to round things off with Pipeline too! (Dave Burke)

(from THE VENTURES RESURGENCE #49 September 1997)

Hoss van Hardeveld, the bass player always had a dream to form a Ventures band, and this new release has lots of Ventures-type music. Also the songs composed by the lead guitarist Leo Bennink are cleverly done. You think they are about to play a familiar tune, but its completely different. You need to listen then you will know what I mean! I especially liked The Warrior and Gandy Dancer. My thanks to Hoss for the review copy. (Gerry Woodage)

(from GUITAR & DRUMS #62 October 1997)

Groupe fond en 1960 et dissout en 1966. Se reforme en 1996 sous la direction de deux fondateurs: Leo Bennink, le soliste et Leo Kapp, le batteur. Ils nous offrent ce trs bon CD, harmonieux, avec un rpertoire vari truff de crations comme Cruel Train, Road Runner, Screen Swiper, Dayans Eyepatch, The Warrior, Mango, etc.et de reprises toniques comme Memphis, Night Train, Pipeline, Foot Tapper. Vous pouvez acheter les yeux fermset les oreilles grandes ouvertes! (Jean Bachelerie)

CD 192620 THE BOGEYMAN (fully instrumental CD) ROCK MUSIC
Tracks: Guitar Mania / The Dancing Torero / Inner City / Bronzy Brown / Princess And Monkey / The Bogeyman / Tropical Samba / Nyoman Sunadi / Space Shuffle Boogie / Tico Tico / The Hug / Rin Tin Tin / Nitty Gritty / Journey To The Sixties / Summer Breeze / Rambo / Flamingo Wings / Pina Colada / 124 Spider / A Creep In The Deep

(from PIPELINE #49 Autumn 2000)

This is The Black Albinos' third CD and the band has earned a solid reputation as a lean, high quality unit. The standard of musicianship is very high, as you might expect with guys who have been toiling at their craft since the late fifties and early sixties. The band have worked hard at creating their own sound, perhaps originally indebted to The Ventures but now their style is very much their own - modern yet at the same time faithful to the past too.
For me the third CD really comes alive with "Bronzy Brown", a dirty, let's get down and funk it up boogie, which even owes just a little something to The Rolling Stones in spirit. Even dirtier in tone and style is the grungy sounding "Rambo" which uses fuzzed up guitar and could almost be Jimi Hendrix! Cooling things down a little, tracks like "Flamingo Wings", "Princess And The Monkey", "The Dancing Torero" and "Summer Breeze" illustrate the band's impressive knack for combining a plaintive melody with a sensitive performance.
Much of the credit must go to lead guitarist Leo Bennink who has written nearly all of the material here. There really is so much to savour: the title track with its chilling feel and affectionate nod to The Ventures' "The Fugitive"; a splash of American rhumba with "Tropical Samba" and "Tico Tico"; "Rin Tin Tin" with its dexterous fingerpicked touches; "Nitty Gritty" for its compelling rhythm guitar and crisp, precise drums from leo Kappe; "Journey To The Sixties" for its twin lead and multi-guitared climax; "A Creep In The Deep" for its agressive, fuzzy lead and Hoss Hardeveld's everbusy bass - in fact Hoss plays a vital role througout the entire CD. Credit too to Leo's brother and fellow guitarist Dihl Bennink who takes the lead role in "Tico Tico" and "124 Spider", as well as rhythm guitarist Ritch Gessel.
Together they have created a first class CD with a wealth of original material which grows in stature with every play. (Dave Burke)

CD 192662 ROCKIN' RABBIT (fully instrumental CD) ROCK MUSIC
Tracks: New Orleans / Jazz Buster / Carrots And Onions / Hazuki / Fireside / Juke Box / Big Noise Of The Jungle / Stretching Out / Bandenera / Splish Splash / The Moon Of Shailalima / Tango Django / Sunday (Freedom) / Strattin' / Shadow Catcher / Shango / Siciliano / Rockin' Rabbit / Frenesi / Tonkodop / Shanice

(from PIPELINE #53 - Autumn 2001)

Wow, what an opener! The Ventures' blast through U S Bonds' legendary New Orleans has always been a personal favourite and here The Black Albinos tear through the number like a hot Harley through clogged traffic! Set against Leo Kappe's pounding drums we have an arsenal of guitars, fuzzed and unfuzzed, distorted and undistorted, while Hoss Hardeveld's bass powers the cut along with ruthless determination. Phew! In absolute contrast the following track, Jazz Buster, is a low-key, cool delight. All shades, fluid jazz runs, relaxed percussion and a late-night groove that chills. Next out of the box is Carrots And Onions, a spirited down-home romp through what is Little Richard's Lucille in all but name. Hazuki is an excellent original from the pen of guitarist Leo Bennink, a deep, dark theme twanged in the lower register, moodily joined by a second higher-pitched guitar later, the two combine to suggest at first a subtle sadness but, then, a growing strength that builds up to a powerful climax between the two surging guitars, finally joined by a third soloing wildly. An exceptional performance and composition. Fireside owes something of a debt to Back Home by The Shadows, as does Stretching Out which is closely modeled on Driftin' - but neither are exact copies - it's more like seeing a signpost and going in that direction but then ending up somewhere else which is slightly new and just as good! Talking of managing difficult feats, there's also a version of Sandy Nelson's Big Noise From The Jungle which dispenses with both the original's sax and drum solos yet still retains the feel and character of Nelson's classic jungle epic. Bandenera - from the pens of the brothers Bennink, Leo and Dihl - is an intriguing little number that seems to circle around its own melody, forever spiraling off this way and that while spinning an hypnotic web around the listener. A great rockin' version of Bobby Darin's Splish Splash returns us to simple dancing mode and it's difficult not to join in on air guitar or jump around the room a little! Dancing - aah, there's also the wittily titled Tango Django which is, in fact, a real tango so here's another good reason to take up those dancing lessons you've been thinking about - although I doubt you'll have tangoed to anything quite as good as this before. In a similarly exotic mood is Frenesi, another Latin-ish number from the writer of Perfidia which displays much of the appeal and charm of its better known cousin. Strattin' is based on the early Rolling Stones sound and is a dead ringer for their It's All Over Now, it's dirty, and very definitely very groovy. The CD ends with another terrific original from Leo Bennink titled Shanice. Leo Kappe delivers a crisply executed march on the snare while the band pounds out a solid stomping beat filled out with piano and a restrained fuzztone guitar which provides a counterpoint to the main melody which is memorably powerful and melodic. A knockout track! It all adds up to another cracking CD from The Black Albinos - a great sound, expertly performed, and crammed full with excellent tracks - it's their best yet! Dave Burke

CD 192697 EL CHOLICO (Fully Instrumental CD ) ROCK MUSIC
Tracks: Driving Guitars / Obsession / Ghetto Blaster / Adios / Rarity Break / The Sting / My Prayer / El Cholico / Rap City / Eboney / Panhandle Rag / The Wick Wicker Cha Cha / Caravan / Rincon / Innovation / It's Party Time / Anitra's Dance / Rio Bravo / Walk Don't Run (live) / Bolero Gonzales / Red Cloud / Spanish Fly / Pin Up Girl

(from PIPELINE #57 - Autumn 2002)

The Black Albinos have produced a succession of very fine instrumental CDs and this certainly maintains the high quality of its predecessors. It kicks off with a supremely aggressive version of The Ventures' Driving Guitars, on which drummer Leo Kappe comes closer to anyone that I've ever heard in replicating Howie Johnson's amazing rim-shot sound - bravo Leo. By complete contrast the next track, Obsession, has a bright Latin swing which any ballroom dancers would gladly welcome out there on the floor. The following Ghetto Blaster rings the changes yet again with a dirty, low-down, hard-rock workout that grinds powerfully along. Adios takes us back to the Latin sound and this definitely has the feel of The Shadow's version of Perfidia, and very nice it is too. Rarity Break takes its inspiration from Chuck Berry and all of those great American R&R instros which never had too much melody but would instantly whip up incredible excitement. Great stuff. Every one of us must have hummed Scott Joplin's The Sting at one time or another, and I can't imagine why no-one has ever thought of doing a guitar version of it before (or if they have I haven't noticed it) and the Albinos do this totally infectious melody proud. Interesting to compare the version of Rap City here with The Ventures own newly re-recorded one, and I have to say I think this, by virtue of its higher energy level, just slips in as the winner. If that's not enough for Ventures fans then just check out a dynamite Panhandle Rag with Leo now sounding like Mel Taylor. Even more so on Caravan where Leo manages to catch Mel's tom-tom sound perfectly, while guitarists Leo and Dihl Bennink and bassist Hoss Hardeveld excel in re-creating The Ventures' time-served, high-octane show-stopper. There are some excellent originals too. Innovations is a sneaky little tune which gets better and better with every play; Rio Bravo conjures up the great western film themes of yesteryear, Red Cloud puts a new spin on the Bo Diddley beat, Spanish Fly returns us to the Spanish theme that winds through several tracks on the CD, and Pin-Up Girl rounds the set off in an engagingly bright, poppy, fashion. Another undoubted winner from the formidable Black Albinos. Buy with absolute confidence. Dave Burke