Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?

The title of the album is a reference to a name Rea’s UK record label (Magnet) had considered christening him with to make him sound more attractive commercially.

Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? by Chris Rea - Songfacts — Songfacts

Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? by Chris Rea song meaning, lyric interpretation, video and chart position

As Chris Rea tells it, when he got a record deal, his label, Magnet, suggested he change his name. He mockingly proposed “Benjamin Santini,” a name that would appeal to Jewish and Italian listeners – a big slice of the American market.
Rea won the battle to keep his name, but his label paired him with producer Gus Dudgeon in an effort to make him sound like Elton John, whom Dudgeon had worked with.

Luckily Chris Rea wasn’t a second Elton…