The Stereos (2) (Steubenville, Ohio)
Ref The Buckeyes
Personnel :
Bruce Robinson (Lead)
Leroy Swearingen (Tenor)
Nathaniel Hicks (Tenor)
Ronnie Collins (Bass)
Sam Profit (Second Tenor)
George Otis (Baritone)
Discography :
The Buckeyes
1957 - Since I Fell For You / By Only You (Deluxe 6110)
1957 - Dottie Baby / Begging You Please (Deluxe 6126)
The Stereos (2)
Singles:
1959 - A Love For Only You / Sweetpea's In Love (Gibraltar 105)
1961 - I Really Love You / Please Come Back To Me (Cub 9095/Astra 1032)
1961 - The Big Knock / Sweet Water (Cub 9103)
1962 - Unless You Mean It / Do You Love Me (Cub 9106)
1962 - Echo In My Heart / Tick Tack Toe (Columbia 4-42626 )
1963 - Good News / Mumbling Word (World Artists 1012)
1965 - Sweet Pea's In Love / Life (Ideal 1110)
1965 - Don't Let It Happen To You / The Best Thing To Be Is A Person (Val 2)
1967 - Stereo Freeze, Part 1 / Part 2 (Hyde 101/Cadet 5577)
1968 - I Can't Stop These Tears / I Feel Soul A'Coming (Cadet 5626)
Unreleased :
1959 - Dragstrip (Gibraltar)
1962 - A Long Time From Never (Cub)
1962 - Walkin' Along (Cub)
Biography :
This R&B vocal group can trace its roots to Steubenville, Ohio,
circa 1954. The harmony group began as the Montereys, but soon found out
about another group from New York that was using the name and recording
for the Teenage Records label. They then scored a contract with
Atlantic Records as the Hi-Fis, but nothing ever came of this
relationship, and another name change was in order. They were from Ohio
(the Buckeye State); thus they became the Buckeyes and drove several
hundred miles to New York to meet with the New York offices of
King/Federal/Deluxe Records. They auditioned and were quickly signed to
the Deluxe imprint and released two singles in 1957—“Since I Fell for
You” backed with “By Only You” (Deluxe #6110) and “Dottie Baby” backed
with "Begging You Please" (Deluxe #6126) with Howard Alsbrooks supplying
the lead vocals. He also composed “Begging You Please.” Neither single
garnered much attention, and Alsbrooks was soon gone from the group. It
took until 1959 for the group to get another shot—this time from
composer/producer Otis Blackwell for the tiny Gibraltar label. Once
again, they experienced a name change (not by choice), and the Stereos
were born. The Stereos first recorded in 1959 with Leroy Swearingen
(first tenor and ex-Buckeyes) joining Robinson, Collins, Sam Profit and
George Otis for their Gibraltar debut.
Bruce
Robinson, Ronnie Collins, Nathaniel Hicks, Sam Profit & George
Otis
Their release on Gibraltar (#105)—“A Love for Only You”
backed with “Sweetpea's in Love”—scored well in some pockets of the
country, especially Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, although it didn't chart
nationally. Its failure caused Swearingen to leave and be replaced by
Nathaniel Hicks. There would likely have been a follow-up single on
Gibraltar, but the label went out of business and Otis Blackwell jumped
to Cub Records—an MGM imprint. He took the Stereos with him, and a song
written by group member Leroy Swearingen, “I Really Love You” (Cub
#9095), became their first release in 1961, and their all-time biggest
hit. Ronnie Collins performed the lead vocals on this very catchy tune
with a walking bass singer throughout. It became a Top Twenty R&B
hit and a Top Thirty pop hit (but much bigger in the major urban radio
markets). The song was remade years later by George Harrison on his Gone
Troppo album (Dark Horse #23734). Fame, however, was fleeting for the
Stereos and they never again penetrated the Pop or R&B charts. They
even made a recording for Columbia Records, very much in the Shep and
the Limelites vein (“Echo in My Heart” backed with
“Tic-Tac-Toe”—Columbia # 42626) in 1962, but less than 100 copies were
pressed up and the project was quickly abandoned. Needless to say, the
record is quite a collector's treasure today. Other quality releases for
the Cadet, Hyde, Ideal, Val, and World Artists labels failed to sell
well , and by 1968, the Stereos called it a career and went their
separate ways.
