BUCCANEERS

  

The Buccaneers (Philadelphia)

 

Personnel :

Ernest "Sonny" Smith (Lead)

Richard Gregory (Tenor)

Julius Robinson (Tenor)

Donald Marshall (Bass)

 

Discography :

1953 - Dear Ruth / Fine Brown Frame (Southern 101/Rainbow211)

1953 - You Did Me Wrong / In The Mission Of St. Augustine (Rama 24)

1953 - The Stars Will Remember / Come Back My Love (Rama 21)

 

Biography :

The Bucaneers was heard by a couple of would be record producers who were students at Temple University, Jerry Halpern and Ed Krensel. In a few short days in November of 1952 a recording session was set up in a studio located in an aging movie theater in central Philadelphia. The group had practiced a tune written by Halpern called "Dear Ruth". The new recording label headed by Halpern and Krensel was called Southern Records. "Dear Ruth" was issued on Southern #101 with the  flip side called "Fine Brown Frame" featured The Buccaneers backed up by Matt Child & The Drifters, and the combination sides certainly made for a unique recording.

  

Southern Records now located in Philadelphia began as best they could, to support their new record by making the rounds of all the local R & B programmers in Philadelphia, and soon expanded to include New York and Baltimore-Washington. Their efforts resulted in some success as the Buccaneers began to sell in these areas. New York based Rainbow Records liked what they heard and soon took over national distribution for the record and re-released it on Rainbow #211.

(L to R) S.Johnson (Arranger & Pianist),E. Smith, J.Halpern (Manager), J. Robinson, George Goldner (Rama) & R.Gregory.   Seated : D. Marshall

Soon after Ed Krensel was drafted into the army and Jerry Halpern decided to carry on alone, The Buccaneers were offered to George Goldner and he signed them to his Rama Records label in September of 1953. Soon in the recording studio for Rama, The Buccaneers recorded the pop song "In The Mission of St. Augustine" on Rama #24. A typical jump tune of the time "You Did Me Wrong" was put on the flip side. The record did not do much on the sales charts and so Rama tried again with "The Stars Will Remember" and "Come Back My Love" on Rama #21 (released later despite the numbering system). The third and last single by The Buccaneers was also a failure in sales and airplay. This ended the recording career of the group.

Thanks to Marv Goldberg 

Songs :

    

                              Dear Ruth / Fine Brown Frame           In The Mission Of St. Augustine / You Did Me Wrong              

  The Stars Will Remember / Come Back My Love