* En anglais uniquement
Formed in 1962 by Winston Hewitt and brothers
Sydney and Derrick Crooks,
the Pioneers were one of Jamaica's finest harmony groups. Hewitt had been replaced by
Glen Adams by the time the group began recording for
Leslie Kong's Beverley label in 1965, and following a move to Caltone Records in 1967, the group was essentially down to just
Sydney Crooks and a newly recruited Jackie Robinson.
Crooks and Robinson, as
the Pioneers, scored a big hit with "Long Shot" (produced by
Joe Gibbs), a song about a famous Jamaican racehorse. Adding singer George Agard to become a trio again, the group returned to working with
Kong, recording "Nana" as
the Slickers before scoring big with "Samfi Man" and a sequel to their horse saga, "Long Shot (Kick De Bucket)," again as
the Pioneers. The latter track became a huge hit in England, prompting
the Pioneers to take up residence there in 1970. Changing their style to reflect a more direct pop approach,
the Pioneers had their last big hit with a cover of
Jimmy Cliff's "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah." The group never officially broke up and continued to perform occasional and sporadic live shows. ~ Steve Leggett