Fast & Frank Benbini On The New Fun Lovin’ Criminals EP “The Roosevelt Sessions,” The Band’s U.S. Tour, Future Plans & More
Fun Lovin’ Criminals began in 1993 after multi-instrumentalist Fast met Huey Morgan at The Limelight nightclub in New York City. The group’s debut album Come Find Yourself reached the #7 spot on the UK charts and was quickly certified Platinum in the UK and Gold in the Netherlands. The album’s biggest hit “Scooby Snacks” would peak at #12 in the UK singles chart in 1997 and go on to be certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry in July 2022. Further international hit singles would come from Come Find Yourself followups, like 1998’s 100% Colombian, 2001’s Loco and 2003’s Welcome To Poppy’s.
To date, Fun Lovin’ Criminals have released six studio albums, a three CD live album and four compilations of FLC hits, alternative versions and B-sides. The band — now comprised of Fast, Frank Benbini and Naim Cortazzi — has a new EP, The Roosevelt Sessions, which serves as the trio’s first new music in more than a decade. “Shake It Loose,” the second track on the EP, addresses the mental health issues that inspired FLC to create new music and continue performing after Morgan’s 2021 departure from the band. In support of The Roosevelt Sessions, FLC is hitting the road for a rare U.S. tour, which kicks off on November 3rd at Boston’s City Winery and runs through November 19th.
On October 17, 2022, I had the pleasure of speaking with Fast and Frank Benbini of Fun Lovin’ Criminals via Zoom, as embedded below. More on The Roosevelt Sessions — which is not the only recording FLC has done in 2022 — and FLC tour dates can be found by clicking here, here and here.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
