Warren Bennett is an English musician, composer and performer. He was educated at Mill Hill School and is the son of Brian Bennett, the Shadows' drummer. He has played keyboards on tour with the Shadows from 2004 until the present day with and without one-time front man Cliff Richard. Warren's professional musical career began in 1977 when, aged 15 his first composition for television was used for ITV's Summer Promotional Campaign. Also that year he co-wrote ‘The Girls Back Home’, which was released as a single from the ‘Rock Dreams’ album by the Brian Bennett Band. This initial success, especially in television, led to him becoming not only an accomplished musician, writer and producer but also as an established composer for feature films.
Music credits
His feature credits include: Chaos & Cadavers, the black comedy for Matador Pictures starring Keeley Hawes, Rik Mayall and Nick Moran, Wuthering Heights, Dear Roy Love Gillian and Access Hollywood. He has also composed and performed the title songs for The American Way, The Harpist, Ruth Rendell's classic drama Some Lie And Some Die and Decadence.
As a performer, Warren’s career began in 1980 when his group ’Glass Ties’ were signed to EMI Records. During this period they released two singles and toured extensively. This then led to his first association with The Shadows when he co-wrote ‘You Rescue Me’ for their ‘Life in the Jungle’ album. As a solo artist, Warren had a year-long stint as support act for Alan Price’s 1984 UK tour.
Collaborations
Warren has also released two critically acclaimed new age albums of which ‘Pathways to Love’ topped the new age charts. From 1991–2000, Warren worked as arranger/performer on Hank Marvin’s solo albums and also wrote the title track from Hank’s first album of this period ‘Into the Light’. He was a member of Hank’s touring band on each of his six solo tours between 1994 and 2002. In 1995, he arranged and performed with Mirage and scored a top ten album hit in the UK with ‘Classic Guitar Moods’. Warren’s arrangements can also be heard on the 2001 top ten Englebert Humperdinck album ‘I Want To Wake Up With You’ and Darren Day’s album from the musical ‘Summer Holiday.’ In 2004, Warren arranged and produced the first new Shadows recording for fourteen years; the Jerry Lordan penned ‘Life Story’ which reached number 7 in the UK charts. Following on from this success Warren toured as keyboard player with The Shadows on their 2005 tour of Europe. This was followed by arranging and performing on 'Reunited' the 50th Anniversary celebration album by Cliff Richard and The Shadows. After the album was released a 50th anniversary tour was announced, which included Warren on keyboards and percussion. The tour began in September 2009 with 36 shows throughout the UK and continental Europe, extending to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in 2010.
Record label
Warren’s own label, Waffles Music, has released three albums by his band The Vibratos, collaborations with Mark Griffiths and Ben Marvin and a solo album 'Left To My Own Devices'.
Television soundtracks
His television soundtrack credits include New Tricks, The Ambassador, Wuthering Heights, Can't Buy Me Love, London's Burning, The Knock, Staying Alive, Dirty Work, Holby City, Birds of a Feather and Close to Home.
Film
His film credits include Chaos and Cadavers and The American Way.
