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Old School Go-Go • Washington, D.C.

LITTLE BENNY
& THE MASTERS

Little Benny: Anthony Harley (1963–2010) • trumpet, vocals • earlier member of Rare Essence
Old SchoolRare Essence lineageHorn-driven1980sLive archive
Explore History

Artist overview

Little Benny & The Masters grew out of Anthony “Little Benny” Harley’s central role in the early Rare Essence story. After leaving Rare Essence in the mid-1980s, Harley formed the Masters and carried his trumpet, vocals, stage energy and call-and-response style into a group that became a major part of 1980s Go-Go.

Rare Essence connectionLittle Benny emerged from one of Go-Go’s foundational band lineages before forming the Masters.
Who Comes to BoogieThe group’s 1984 single crossed into the UK chart and peaked at No. 33 in 1985.
Live reputationHarley was known for an energetic stage presence and for moving between multiple Go-Go stages in one night.

Music

Who Comes to BoogieReleased in 1984; Official Charts records a seven-week UK chart run with a No. 33 peak in March 1985.
CHART VERIFIED
Cat in the HatA signature Masters recording and live number documented in Washington Post coverage of the 1987 Capital Centre Go-Go concert.
HISTORICAL SOURCE
The KingLate-1980s catalog lead retained for discographic follow-up; no on-site playback is implied.
CATALOG LEAD

Live & PA archive

The Masters page combines formal releases with the live-performance record because Little Benny’s importance cannot be reduced to studio singles.

1987 Capital CentreLittle Benny & The Masters were part of the historic all-local “Tribute to Go-Go” lineup captured for video.
PA tapesCollector catalogs and surviving tapes are indexed by full date and venue when confirmed.
Cross-band historyLater Little Benny appearances with Proper Utensils and Rare Essence reunions stay connected rather than being treated as unrelated careers.

Timeline

Leaves Rare Essence
The Washington Post reports that Harley left Rare Essence in the mid-1980s and formed Little Benny & The Masters.
“Who Comes to Boogie” travels
The single is released in 1984 and reaches the UK Official Singles Chart, peaking at No. 33 in 1985.
Capital Centre
The Masters join Chuck Brown, Rare Essence, E.U., Junkyard and other local acts for the historic all-Go-Go Capital Centre program.
Cross-band legacy
Harley later performs with Proper Utensils, reunites with Rare Essence alumni and continues appearing with Chuck Brown.

People & connections

Anthony “Little Benny” HarleyTrumpeter, vocalist and bandleader; a major bridge between Rare Essence, the Masters and later collaborations.
Kevin “Kato” HammondGuitarist with the Masters from 1988–1992 who later became a Proper Utensils rapper and founded TMOTTGoGo.
Rare Essence alumni networkThe Masters are part of a larger personnel tree that also feeds Proper Utensils, the Legends and other Go-Go formations.

Sampling & wider influence

Little Benny’s musical influence includes horn-driven Go-Go performance, frontline showmanship and a personnel network that connects several major D.C. bands. Specific sample claims are being researched separately so influence is not mislabeled as direct sampling.

Source trail

The Washington Post — Anthony “Little Benny” Harley obituaryBiographical account of Harley, Rare Essence, the Masters, Proper Utensils and later Chuck Brown performances.Newspaper source
Official Charts — “Who Comes to Boogie”Official UK chart history: No. 33 peak and seven weeks on chart.Chart source
The Washington Post — “Go-Go, Alive and on Tape”Contemporary documentation of the 1987 Capital Centre all-Go-Go concert and video.Newspaper source
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Connected archive records

Move directly between the artist, surviving show evidence, sampling/reuse research and screen placements.

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Poster record

RFK Stadium · Aug 29, 1987

Confirmed artifact record

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Proper Utensils

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Live & PA trail

Physical Audio

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Visual trail

Posters & Shows

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Context

Go-Go History

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