Kool Kat Musik To Re-Release The FRINGE BENEFIT’s Self-Titled LP

When you think of Capricorn Records, what type of music comes to mind?  Southern Rock, right – Allman Brothers, Sea Level, Marshall Tucker Band et al? 

When label head Phil Walden handed the reins over to label co-founder Frank Fenter from the UK (he helped launch the legendary Fleur de Lys career there) to run the label, things changed a bit. In 1976, a record by British poppers Easy Street was released (they later released a second record on the label and both are well worth seeking out), followed in 1977 by another band of Brit poppers – Fringe Benefit!  Both band’s releases were licensed from Polydor Records in the UK. 

The Fringe Benefit LP could eventually be found in every cut-out bin around the US.  We remember seeing the record, but never heard or read anything about the band to risk picking it up. 

Flash forward to 2022, and thanks to a phone conversation with IPO’s David Bash who suggested Kool Kat consider re-issuing the LP on CD.  And are we sure glad he did!  

“I first heard the very catchy ‘All In Vain’ while recording Hot Chocolate at Morgan Studios.  By the first eight bars, I thought it deserved to be a big hit.” – Mickie Most 

“Lovely music John. Will you write one for me?” – Viv Stanshall/Bonzo Dog Band 

“Fringe Benefit were a groundbreaking band!  Combine Joe John Jones ‘Rod Stewart with a velvet glove’ vocals with some beautifully intelligent, soft quirky melodies, and you get one of the best heretofore criminally forgotten records of the 70’s!  Highlights include the single ‘Darling’, the ‘could have been the ‘Love American Style’-theme, ‘Wanna Be With You’, a wonderful, uptempo version of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Suzanne’, and the gorgeous ‘Let A Light Shine’.  You don’t want to miss this one!” – David Bash/IPO 

The Kool Kat edition features four previously unreleased, original bonus tracks, which were all recorded by the band around the same time as the original LP. 

Kool Kat Musik – preserving pop’s forgotten past one release at a time!