--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had to put me foot down with the first…" description: "\"I had to put me foot down with the first record company. It was about 1975, when singers were being given names like Gary Glitter and Alvin Stardust, s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/chris-rea-8856_business_i-had-to-put-me-foot-down-with-the-first_2132172.jpg" --- # I had to put me foot down with the first record company… ![“I had to put me foot down with the first record company. It was about 1975, when singers were being given names like Gary Glitter and Alvin Stardust, so they wanted to call me Benny Santini just because me dad's an Irish-Italian with an ice-cream business!” quote by Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/chris-rea-8856_business_i-had-to-put-me-foot-down-with-the-first_2132172.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/chris-rea-8856_business_i-had-to-put-me-foot-down-with-the-first_2132172.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d75/chris-rea-8856_business_i-had-to-put-me-foot-down-with-the-first_2132172.jpg) > “I had to put me foot down with the first record company. It was about 1975, when singers were being given names like Gary Glitter and Alvin Stardust, so they wanted to call me Benny Santini just because me dad's an Irish-Italian with an ice-cream business!” [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He resisted a record label's push to give him a stage name that ignored his heritage, asserting his identity. **In simple terms:** He refused a manufactured name to stay true to himself. Key Takeaway Stand firm on personal identity. Themes identity authenticity industry pressure self‑determination Mood defiant proud Type personal statement industry anecdote When to use this quote - music industry negotiations - family business background - public image management Key Concepts branding cultural heritage personal agency Questions to Reflect On - How does a name shape public perception? - When is it worth sacrificing authenticity for fame? A Different Perspective May limit marketability if name is less catchy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benny Santini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benny-santini-1169348/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Foot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foot/) [Gary Glitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gary-glitter-4221377/) [Glitter Alvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glitter-alvin-4399483/) [Record company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-company/) [Santini Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/santini-just-4399482/) [Singers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singers/) [Stardust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stardust/) ## Related quotes > [I feel I've had three careers in one, really. There was the 'Benny Santini' stuff; that came with a general sense of, 'Who the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/i-feel-i-ve-had-three-careers-in-one-really-there-was-the-benny/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [I don't know if it's cool to say this anymore, but I grew up listening to Gary Glitter. A majority of his songs were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-cool-to-say-this-anymore-but-i-grew-up-listening/) [Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/) > [Who wanna be next? While you a dead superstar, the record company still cashin' checks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/master-p/who-wanna-be-next-while-you-a-dead-superstar-the-record-company-still/) [Master P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/master-p/) > [I'm not into 'The Voice.' It's an affair between a television network and a record company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-sayer/i-m-not-into-the-voice-it-s-an-affair-between-a-television-network/) [Leo Sayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-sayer/) > [I have just enough people paying attention that I have the freedom to be in charge. And I have a great record company -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmylou-harris/i-have-just-enough-people-paying-attention-that-i-have-the-freedom-to/) [Emmylou Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmylou-harris/) > [I have my own record company. I have to answer to God, basically. 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When we started, there were loads of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ann-sulley/the-whole-music-industry-has-completely-and-totally-changed-from-how/) [Susan Ann Sulley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ann-sulley/) > [A record company used to be a very good thing, but they ended up soul-destroyingly trapping people in the accounting department. And you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/a-record-company-used-to-be-a-very-good-thing-but-they-ended-up-soul/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I don't have to worry about what the average record company person thinks because I am the record company person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-trent-d-arby/i-don-t-have-to-worry-about-what-the-average-record-company-person/) [Terence Trent D'Arby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-trent-d-arby/) > [I have tons of tunes, maybe 30 tunes that I still think are great, and only because some jerk at a record company didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-have-tons-of-tunes-maybe-30-tunes-that-i-still-think-are-great-and/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Bob was chosen by my record company to help with my vocals, and our relationship developed through the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-marley/bob-was-chosen-by-my-record-company-to-help-with-my-vocals-and-our/) [Rita Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-marley/) > [When you get to a point where you're not beholden to a record company, then it's up to you to say, 'OK, enough knob-turning.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-d/when-you-get-to-a-point-where-you-re-not-beholden-to-a-record-company/) [Mike D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-d/) > [My responsibility is to the artist first. There's something that artists intrinsically know about their music and their fanbase that neither the record company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nile-rodgers/my-responsibility-is-to-the-artist-first-there-s-something-that/) [Nile Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nile-rodgers/) > [Giving a record company an album is like giving a gangster your baby or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/giving-a-record-company-an-album-is-like-giving-a-gangster-your-baby/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) ## More by Chris Rea > [Eric Clapton's scales - when he comes off a high note and it's time for a refrain or a little bit of a rest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/eric-clapton-s-scales-when-he-comes-off-a-high-note-and-it-s-time-for/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [I actually, truly do love my family. It's not a public relations exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/i-actually-truly-do-love-my-family-it-s-not-a-public-relations/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [Nothing was ever clean enough for my father. You could never clean as good as he could; you could never clean as fast and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/nothing-was-ever-clean-enough-for-my-father-you-could-never-clean-as/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [Being on the road isn't hell - it's pure pleasure now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/being-on-the-road-isn-t-hell-it-s-pure-pleasure-now/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [My father used to control the wholesale of many ice-cream items in Middlesbrough. 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I'm one of only 40 people who have survived the surgery I had, and when you've been that close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/i-m-lucky-to-be-alive-i-m-one-of-only-40-people-who-have-survived-the/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [If the heads of all the music companies had known about music and about Chris Rea fans, they wouldn't have worried about 'Stony Road.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/if-the-heads-of-all-the-music-companies-had-known-about-music-and/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [I've given up my Ferrari - the idea of going through my village in a 488... You can't drive them on English roads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/i-ve-given-up-my-ferrari-the-idea-of-going-through-my-village-in-a/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [In a funny way, the illness spurred me on. I thought to myself, 'I've got to get through this operation to make a blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/in-a-funny-way-the-illness-spurred-me-on-i-thought-to-myself-i-ve-got/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) [Explore all 77 Chris Rea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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