Giving You The Benefit – Pebbles | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#4), R&B (#1 for 3 weeks), and Dance (#10); 1990
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
In 1988, Pebbles – so nicknamed by her family after Fred and Wilma Flintstone’s cartoon daughter – reached the top of the R&B chart with Girlfriend and Mercedes Boy; both of which also landed in the pop Top 5.
A third, Take Your Time, made #3 R&B, yet, failed to dent the pop Hot 100. After Do Me Right stalled at #67 R&B and was a pop no-show, it was back to the studio for album number two.
There she was joined by L.A. Reid and Babyface, who’d been responsible for Girlfriend. Babyface came up with the rough track for Giving You The Benefit, the lead-off single from her sophomore album, and Reid helped polish it off.
In the studio, Babyface handled the keyboards, Reid contributed percussion, and Kayo (who knew Babyface and Reid from The Deele) manned the bass. Pebbles, Natisse “Bambi” Jones, and After 7 laid down the backing vocals. Benefit benefited Pebbles; becoming her third R&B #1.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- L.A. Reid
- Babyface
Lyrics Written by:
- Kenneth Edmonds
- Antonio Reid
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).