Clarence Bekker (née Clarence Becker Milton, 11 April 1968, in Suriname and formerly known as CB Milton), is a Surinamese and Dutch vocalist, who became known in the early 1990s with the singles "It's a Loving Thing", "Send Me an Angel" and "Open Your Heart". "It's a Loving Thing" reached No. 34 in the UK Singles Chart in a remixed version in March 1995, and "Hold On (If You Believe in Love)" peaked at No. 62 in August that year.[1] He also recorded three albums, It's My Loving Thing (1994), The Way to Wonderland (1996) and From Here to There (1998) for the Byte Records label in Antwerp, Belgium.
CB Milton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) CB Milton (2018) | |
| Born | Clarence Bekker Milton 11 April 1968 |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1993–present |
He later moved to Barcelona and was identified as Clarence Bekker of the Netherlands on the disc and DVD created by Playing for Change released in April 2009. He participated with various other artists on the songs "Stand by Me"[2] (Ben E. King) and "Don't Worry" (Pierre Minetti) on the album. He is also part of the Playing for Change band, brought together to promote the disc.
Clarence Bekker's vocals have been influenced by a mix of soul, funk, and R&B traditions, shaped by his early career and collaborations. He began his singing journey with the long-running Dutch band Swinging Soul Machine, where he was the youngest singer in 20 years[3]. This experience likely exposed him to classic soul and funk influences, which are evident in his powerful and soulful delivery.
In 2016, he formed his own band alongside prominent musicians from Barcelona. Since then, the Clarence Bekker Band has appeared at numerous festivals and venues across Europe, North and South America, Northern Africa, and Australia.
In early 2020, they released their first full-length album, “Changes,” under the JazzActivist label. This was followed in 2024 by a live album recorded at Barcelona’s Jamboree club[4]. In 2026, they released the single Natural.
Discography
editSingles
edit| Year | Single | Chart Position | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET Single T100 |
BE Ultratop 100 |
SPA | SWE | UK | |||
| 1993 | "Send Me An Angel" | 10 | 17 | – | – | – | It's My Loving Thing |
| 1993 | "No One Else" | 46 | 41 | – | – | – | |
| 1994 | "It's a Loving Thing" | 16 | 3 | – | 33 | 49 | |
| 1994 | "Hold On (If You Believe in Love)" | 35 | 15 | – | – | 62 | |
| 1994 | "Open Your Heart" | 42 | 30 | – | – | – | |
| 1995 | "It's a Loving Thing (Remix)" | – | – | – | – | 34 | |
| 1995 | "A Real Love" | 47 | 34 | – | – | – | The Way To Wonderland |
| 1996 | "Show Me The Way" | – | 39 | – | – | – | |
| 1996 | "How Do I Know" | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1996 | "If You Leave Me Now" | – | 44 | – | – | – | |
| 1997 | "Time Is Up" | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1998 | "Get into My Life" | 88 | 39 | – | – | – | From Here To There |
| 1998 | "What About Me" | – | 37 | – | – | – | |
| 1998 | "We Are The One" | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1998 | "Carry On" | 90 | – | – | – | – | |
| 2020 | "These Ladies" | – | – | – | – | – | Changes |
| 2026 | "Natural" | – | – | – | – | – | |
Collaborations
edit| Year | Single | Chart Position | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET Single T100 |
BE Ultratop 100 |
SPA | SWE | UK | ||
| 2001 | "Something Going On"
Mark Van Dale feat. CB Milton |
65 | – | – | – | – |
| 2007 | "Miracle Of Love"
Tikaro & Selva feat. Clarence |
– | – | 7 | – | – |
| 2007 | "Shine On Me"
Tikaro, J.Louis & Ferran feat. Clarence |
– | – | 3 | – | – |
| 2008 | "Shine On Me (Remixes)"
Tikaro, J.Louis & Ferran feat. Clarence |
– | – | 8 | – | – |
| 2011 | "Loving Thing"
Phil Wilde feat. CB Milton |
– | – | – | – | – |
| 2012 | "I'm Going In"
Laurent Wery feat. Clarence |
– | 61 | – | – | – |
Albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDL | SWE | UK | ||
| It's My Loving Thing |
|
77 | – | – |
| The Way To Wonderland |
|
– | – | – |
| From Here To There |
|
– | – | – |
| Old Soul (as Clarence Milton Bekker) |
|
– | – | – |
| Changes (as Clarence Bekker Band) |
|
– | – | – |
| Live at Jamboree (as Clarence Bekker Band) |
|
– | – | – |
References
edit- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 368. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ "Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around The World". Official music video, YouTube.
- ↑ https://www.swingingsoulmachine.com/
- ↑ https://www.jazzactivist.com/tiendaonline/clarence-bekker-band-live-at-jamboree-2023