The Pioneers

The Pioneers came together in 1962 through Winston Hewitt and the Crooks brothers, Sydney and Derrick, establishing themselves as one of Jamaica's standout vocal harmony ensembles. By the point they entered the studio for Leslie Kong's Beverley label in 1965, Glen Adams had already taken Hewitt's place, and after shifting to Caltone Records in 1967 the lineup had reduced to Sydney Crooks joined by fresh recruit Jackie Robinson. Operating as the Pioneers, Crooks and Robinson landed a major success with "Long Shot," a Joe Gibbs production that told the tale of a celebrated Jamaican racehorse. Once singer George Agard joined to restore trio status, they resumed their partnership with Kong, cutting "Nana" under the Slickers name before landing further strong releases with "Samfi Man" and the follow-up equine tale "Long Shot (Kick De Bucket)" credited again to the Pioneers. The second track registered enormous impact in England, leading the group to relocate there in 1970. Adopting a more straightforward pop orientation, the Pioneers reached their final major success via a reading of Jimmy Cliff's "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah." The collective has never formally disbanded, maintaining a schedule of infrequent and irregular live performances.