Biography
Earl Stanley served as lead guitarist in a New Orleans group that took its name from his cousin Roger Leon. The same cousin devised the title for the band’s debut single, “Pass the Hatchet.” Although the track functioned chiefly as a dance instrumental, its driving rhythm, striking guitar lines, and sharp tambourine accents made it irresistibly catchy. The recording proved strong enough to register as the first hit on Joe Banashak’s Seven-B label around 1969. Eddie Bo handled production and arrangement duties; his contributions on the Roger and the Gypsies session led directly to his appointment as the label’s staff music director.
Albums