Been Gi: Difference between revisions

| Cover      = Theyeastmaster-cover.jpeg

| Album      = Alone V: Before Weezer

| Length    = 2:08

| Status    = Demo circulating

| RC's last song  = "[[The Pppp And The Bppp]]"<br>(RC# 79)

| This RC song    = "Ben Gay"<br>(RC# 80)

| RC's next song  = "[[Drugs]]"<br>(RC# 81)

"'''Been Gi'''" (pronounced like "'''Ben Gay'''" and sometimes rendered as such, also known as "'''Somebody Told Me Ben Gay Doesn't Work'''") is a song written by [[Rivers Cuomo]] and performed by [[60 Wrong Sausages]] in [[1991]]. The song was performed by [[Weezer]] on one occasion in [[1992]].

The song was first demoed to 8-track by Cuomo for the band [[60 Wrong Sausages]] on [[July 6]], [[1991]] under the title "Somebody Told Me Ben Gay Doesn't Work".<ref name="rechist1">[[Recording History - Page 2|Weezer Recording History - Page 2]]</ref> Cuomo named the song for his friend and Kyokushin classmate [[Takashi Hasegawa]], who once mistakenly believed that [[Wikipedia:Bengay|Bengay]] (the analgesic heat rub) was meant for use on bruises.<ref name="talesofweezer">[[Karl Koch|Koch, Karl]]. (2021). ''[[Weezine Issue 17 - Tales of Weezer]]'' (pg. 26).</ref> The title is meant as a triple entendre: Bengay, the product; the facetious statement "been gay;" and gi, a uniform used in Japanese martial arts.<ref name="talesofweezer" />

The song, described as "utterly hilarious and catchy" by [[Karl Koch]], was recorded as a band throughout September and October for the band's ''[[60 Wrong Sausages#Cholestoral EP|Cholesterol EP]]'', while practicing the song throughout October and November.<ref name="rechist1" /> 60 Wrong Sausages dissolved shortly thereafter after a single concert around Thanksgiving Day. "Been Gi" was later performed by [[Weezer]] at [[Weezer concert: 07/18/1992|an acoustic concert at the 8121 Club in Los Angeles]] on [[July 18]], [[1992]] with [[Pat Finn]] (previously of 60 Wrong Sausages) appearing as a guest bassist and back-up vocalist.<ref>[[Recording History - Page 3#7/18/92 : 12th show Another acoustic show at the 8121.|Weezer Recording History - Page 3]]</ref>

The song was included on Cuomo's [[1992]] demo tape ''[[Yeastmaster Pt. 1]]'', and first released to fans on the digital demo compilation ''[[Alone V: Before Weezer]]'' in [[2020]].

| bgcolor="aaffaa"|[[Rivers Cuomo]]

| bgcolor="aaffaa"|<samp>15 Ben Gay.mp3</samp>

| bgcolor="aaffaa"|[[July 6]], [[1991]]

| bgcolor="aaffaa"|''[[Alone V: Before Weezer]]''

| bgcolor="ffaaaa"|[[2914 Urban Ave.]], Santa Monica, CA

| bgcolor="ffaaaa"|Been Gi

| bgcolor="ffaaaa"|[[October 20]], [[1991]]

| bgcolor="ffaaaa"|[[October 20]], [[1991]]

| bgcolor="ffaaaa"|Been Gi

| bgcolor="ffaaaa"|[[October 28]], [[1991]]

| bgcolor="ffaaaa"|Been Gi

| bgcolor="ffaaaa"|[[October 28]], [[1991]]

| bgcolor="ffaaaa"|

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