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Of all the albums I mention as masterpieces,"Dr. Buzzard's
Original Savannah Band" draws the most blank stares, so it's clearly a great work in
need of further celebration. The record announced itself back then in the best possible
manner: with a Top 40 single that jumped out of the background when it came on the radio.
"Cherchez la Femme" was bubbly and saucy in a way that made other hot dance
numbers of the time sound like punishment. That song and the record it came from remain as
unlikely and original as they were two decades ago.
A pair of Haitians in the Bronx, Stony Browder Jr. and his brother
Thomas (who renamed himself August Darnell), formed Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
in 1974 with singer Cory Daye as the centerpiece. Her voice was light and limber, given to
tripping scat rather than roars and moans, and the group's music was an effortless blend
of big-band swing, jump blues, show tunes, and Caribbean boogie.
The album begins with Stony hissing "Zoot Suit city!" and
Darnell has described the liberation he felt the first time he put on baggy
yellow pants and a wide-brim hat. The outfit was the perfect mask to unleash the
brothers' creativity, and "Dr. Buzzard's" was the first release in many
years to suggest that the pop-music past was not dead, an object of nostalgia or
ridicule, but held untapped freedom.
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The debut album was an optimistic glimpse of a partytime society
that never came to pass. The male and female revelers were happy chameleons who
tried on cultures, romantic roles, and historic attitudes with childlike insouciance.
Darnell sassed his lovers constantly, but he was such a layabout scamp ("Mr.
Softee" was one later persona) that he never seemed brutish. And Cory Daye
demolished every trouble with a smile, a sigh, or a shrug. She's such a joyful, confident
ironist that it can be heartbreaking to hear the old sides now, because time has brought
about a sad change.
Dr. Buzzard made a dull second record and never recovered airplay.
The brothers had a falling out and Darnell went on to make wondrous albums all through the
'80s as Kid Creole and the Coconuts. The band's manager, mentioned in the first lines of
"Cherchez la Femme," was Tommy Mottola, who went on to become the president of
CBS Records and Mr. Mariah Carey - not the sort of fellow associated with (as the song
describes him) "blowing his mind on cheap grass and wine."
It would be a sin to lump Dr. Buzzard in with one-dimensional imitators like Odyssey
("Native New Yorker"), or worse, hapless campers like Tuxedo Junction
("Chattanooga Choo Choo") from the same era. Darnell, Browder, and Daye's
cultural kaleidoscope is far too vivid and desirable to become another disco relic.
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OK. Now that you brought it up, I too was a BIG Kid Creole/Dr. Buzzard fan. I
loved the first two Dr. Buzzard albums, but I didn't go overboard 'till I saw
Kid Creole & The Coconuts in 1980 (possibly the Beacon in NYC) -totally knocked
me out of my seat. BTW - does anyone remember, they were the first act for the
Saturday Night Live '80/'81 season? Their first album picked up where Dr.
Buzzard left off, and introduced us to Fonda Rae... ''got a weakness here in my
heart. Maladie D'Amour''.
Shortly after that, I had the privilege of seeing the final reunion of Dr.
Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, which originally began around 1974, by some
Bronx schoolmates James Monroe HS, where my wife also graduated from)
The originators were Stony Browder Jr. and his brother, Tommy. They were
known as SAVANNAH. Their only recording was in 1969 on Pickwick Records titled
'Oh Black Day'. A few years later, they added Stony's girlfriend on vocals,
local drummer Mickey Sevilla, then auditioned and hired Spanish Harlem's own
Andy Hernandez. He became ''The Sugar Coated'' Andy Hernandez. Stony's
girlfriend changed her name to Corey Daye, and Tommy became August Darnell.
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By the late 70s, after their enormous success, musical differences between
Stony and August caused the break up. Corey stayed with Stony, and Andy (now
Coatimundi) went with August.
Their second phase, had replaced Fonda with Andy's girlfriend, singer/gymnist
Lori Easton (who changed her name to Lori Eastside). They opened with a bang in
June of '81 at the Ritz-NYC. They added session guitarist, extraordinaire, Jimmy
Rippertoe (who changed his name to Jimmy Ripp) and session bassist Carol Coleman
(from Teaneck, NJ) ... I had to add that. Also, two new singer/dancers, who
along with August's wife Adrianna, were the new Coconuts.
For those of you who have seen them you knew they'd have you boppin' and
dancin', all night. They really were amazing to hear, and especially see. I
caught every one of their shows between 1981 and 1985.
When I lived in midtown Manhattan, I would always see them in my neighborhood.
In fact Stony lived four blocks south of me (51st.) and August lived four blocks
north (59th). Several times I 'd eat a sandwich with Andy at the Blimpies on my
corner at 55th. Over the years I've spoken to most of them - good people, who
are as unique as their special style of music.
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I was bopping in the Barrio back in the 50's & 60's. It
represents the most important episode in my life. Lived in Wagner Prjt (50 Pal)
& schooled @ OLQA [Our Lady Queen of the Angels] (112th) class of '63 and
RICE High ('67).
Went to school with the Machito's kids and used to hang
out at his apartment on 111th bet 3rd & Lex. Still miss him. My sister Miriam
also went to OLQA ('64). My cuzns were Joe & Ling.
My musical journey began with Eddie Hernandez Band , La
Preferida (we jamed for "The Y. Lords" @ the church) , Louie Rey then later on
Joe Bataan & Ralfi Pagan before moving on to Savannah & Kid Creole. Pete Terrace
was my mentor.
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Always loved checking out the New Swing , Johnny Colon ,
King Nando ,La Compania , Kent Gomez and Ray Rodriguez. Got to see Arsenio
Rodriguez @ the American Legions Club on 116th , Cal Tjader @ 107th & Lex
Theatre , El Rey Tito Puente @ OLQA CYO dance. Never can forget Casita Maria ,
Ponce De Leon , Cosmo , Eagle , Ben Franklin , Pleasant Ave , Jefferson Pool ...
Salsa Museum ... La Marqueta.
Kicking it in the City of Angels now but "mi corazon" is
always in El Barrio. Paz y Palante Coati Mundi (aka Andy Hernandez)
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The group looks like they could have been time-machined
right out of a George Raft movie of the forties-three piece suits, shoulder
pads, bow ties, oversized fedoras...And they dress this way off stage as well as
on!
The Savannah Band's music seems to force you to dance to it but even those who
enjoy its disco qualities have become aware that the album can also be listened
to alone in their living rooms on quiet evenings at home.
We have to attribute much of our success to voodoo...There's something very
powerful about drums and rhythm. We use drums very upfront in our music, and it
seems to pull people in. It's voodoo!
The band's name was chosen as a tribute to the group's first manager, Dr.
Buzzard, who was from the south and told the young musicians stories about his
own band days in the 1940's in places like Savannah. "This is the craziest group
I've ever seen", said Andy Hernandez. "When I auditioned to join the group, they
didn't even ask me to play any music. They gave me a questionaire to fill out
instead". The questionaire asked for information like: What is your political
affiliation? What type of women do you go out with? Would you be willing not to
wear tight pants? Do you consider yourself straight or a brat? Andy scored 48
out of a possible 100 points---higher than dozens of others that applied and he
was invited to join the group. The group consisted of lead singer, and the only
female, Cory Daye, guitarist/pianist Stony Browder Jr. bass player August
Darnell and drummer Mickey Sevilla.
The origins of the group date back to the early 1970's
when Stony and August began playing together in a South Bronx band called The
Strangers . The pair cut a very forgettable record for Roulette Records. In 1972
Cory joined forces with August & Stony after launching her own career at age 17
at a Halloween party "after a life of crime proved unrewarding". Mickey, a
former teacher at The Manhattan School Of Music, joined in 1974 and Andy gave up
social work in 1975 to round out the group as it's vibe player.
In the early days the quintet played gigs wherever they
could be found, mainly in upstate New York. Their big break came when they were
offered a contract with RCA Records. But it wasn't without it's problems. "RCA
gave us 30 days to make our first album" recalled Stony. "And we just don't
create well under that kind of pressure. After 30 days, we didn't have anything
finished. Finally, when the album was four months overdue, RCA threatened to
call the whole thing off. We finally finished the album almost seven months
after we had started it. We spent 620 hours in the studio on that album!". Once
the album was released, no one bothered to tell the group about it. They heard
the news from friends who had seen it in the record stores.
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RCA initially gave the album very little promotion, and it
received a minimal amount of airplay. The disc seemed destined for a rapid trip
into oblivion. But the few people who initially bought it, (I being one of
them), began playing it for friends who played it for their friends and so on
and the rest is history. "Actually we never thought of ourselves as a disco act
in the beginning" remarked Stony. "But the album really got it's start in the
disco (read GAY) community. We were unknown artists, and if the record hadn't
caught on in the discos, it might never have gotten anywhere". Ironically
despite the lack of a 12" single release and poor promotion the album went on to
Gold status and even merited a re-release on compact disc in 1988.
However their follow-up releases didn't fair as well.
1978's Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Meets King Penett had the full
support of RCA but lacked the luster of it's predecessor. A label change brought
their third and final album, 1979's Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Goes To
Washington, a somewhat higher quality product with disappointing sales.
After the groups break up Cory went on to record her only
solo album 1979's Cory & Me. Highly successful, spawning the hits Green Light
and Pow Wow. She also resurface in 1986 and 1987 on Profile Records with a few
12" singles that didn't set the world on fire.
Stony Browder reformulated the band and dropped the
"Original" from it's moniker. This incarnation, with Cory at the vocal helm,
released an album on Passport Records in 1984. Calling All Beatniks also
featured "Original" band member Mickey Sevilla on drums.
August Darnell and Andy Hernandez found the most success
after the "Savannah Band" with their creation of Kid Creole & The Coconuts.
Releasing 17 albums since 1980 with 2001's Too Cool To Conga being their latest.
August Darnell was also prolific as a writer for others, most notably Machine's
1979 hit There But For The Grace Of God Go I. Cory Daye can also be heard on the
early Kid Creole albums as a guest vocalist.
If for no other reason Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band earned their place
in the Discomuseum for "Sour & Sweet/Lemon In The Honey" and "Cherchez La
Femme". A "Thank You" to Cory and the boys...
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They don't make songs like this anymore (-sigh-). Scene
gives props to the most strobelight-fabulous old school masterpiece this side of
polyester wrap dresses and platform wedges. Straight sunshine, y'all.
It usually goes something like this: During a conversation, you mention Dr.
Buzzard's Original Savannah Band. In return, you get blank stares. Moving onto
Plan B, you begin to sing the words to their 1976 hit single, "Cherchez la
Femme" ("You know...'Tommy Mattolaaaa...lives on the rooaad...'") Watch their
formerly clueless expressions brighten as they squeal, "Oh, that joint!"
Yes, children, "Cherchez la Femme" was (and still is) the shit. Cory Daye's
light, airy, scat-prone voice? Nothing like it, baby. It was the perfect
compliment to a joyful, extravangantly lush rhythm that was equal parts big-band
swing, Broadway gaudiness and Afro-Carribbean flavor, created by a pair of
Haitian brothers from the Bronx, Stony Browder Jr. and August Darnell.
Although I was barely old enough to keep the beat when this song came out, I
remember at least trying--thankfully being able recognize good music when I
heard it even then. The perfect moment: New Year's Eve '98, at a live Harlem
loft party where everyone was totally vibing and taking it back to the old
school, doing the hustle to "Cherchez." Pure dopeness. Simply put, how could you
not love this song? When it was released nearly a quarter-century ago, there
wasn't anything like it on the airwaves or in the clubs. And people dug it
because of its sheer disco sunshine. Even today, the track, with its multiple
string and horn arrangements, sounds tighter than a black hole in space. The
definition of classic.
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Dr. Buzzard inevitably bred several copycat singles with "Cherchez," such as
Odessey's "Native New Yorker" and (shudder) Tuxedo Junction's "Chattanooga Choo
Choo" (damn--I hated just writing that).
Unfortunately, Dr. Buzzard's hits didn't last--actually, they pretty much began
and ended with "Cherchez." I believe the group's second release went, like,
cardboard, and it never really recovered airplay after that. Shortly thereafter,
the brothers had a falling out and went in separate directions. Darnell found
success for a while during the 80s as Kid Creole and the Coconuts. But many fans
(myself included) wonder whatever happened to lead singer Cory Daye (are you
listening, VH1?). Side note: Yes, in the song they ARE speaking of THAT Tommy
Mattola, president of CBS Records (aka "the former Mr. Mariah Carey"), who was
the group's manager at the time.
Wherever they are now, let's thank them for giving us the chance to get away
from the "bling-bling" and "I'm creeping with your honey" assembly line that
saturates the airwaves right now. Every one in a while, you'll hear "Cherchez"
on 98.7 or 105.1, and I swear it's like an oasis in an early 21st century R&B
(read: "Repetition and Bullshit"). It's the kind of refreshment that's
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Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band was one of the most
original musical ensembles of the disco era.
They were formed in the Bronx in 1974 by Stony Browder, Jr.
(b.1949), his brother August Darnell (born Thomas Browder, 1951), singer Cory
Daye (b.1952), Andy Hernandez (b.1950), and Mickey Sevilla (b.1953). The concept
of the group was the re-creation of a '30s dance band...a la Cab Calloway, with
witty lyrics and a disco beat.
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All of this was in evidence on their debut album, Dr.
Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, released in 1976. It produced the dance-floor
hit "Cherchez La Femme" and went gold. A follow-up album, Dr. Buzzard's Original
Savannah Band Meets King Pennett, was less successful.
After the release of a third album, James Monroe HS
Presents Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Goes to Washington, the group
fragmented, with Darnell and Hernandez going off to form Kid Creole & the
Coconuts. Browder reorganized and issued a Dr. Buzzard's Savannah Band (dropping
the "original") album titled Calling All Beatniks! in 1984.
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August Darnell, a proud
New Yorker, has not only had the horrors of the World Trade Centre attack to
contend with, but also a tragedy closer to home. August's older brother, Stony,
died two months ago of alcoholism. It was Stony we can thank for the very
existence of the character Kid Creole and all the fun he has given us.
Without the older
brother's youthful ambition, his younger sibling would never have figured on the
show business Richter scale. "It was quite difficult because he was the big
influence on my life," says August, remembering his big brother. "It happened
just as the tour was kicking off. We were in Scotland and there was a point
where I thought: this is the worst thing that could possibly have happened. I
didn't know if I could continue. "But after a while I realised it was my destiny
to continue and that it could be a tribute to him if I did so."
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Without the intense
rivalry between the two brothers, there would never have been a Kid Creole, says
the man behind the alias. "My brother was always the musician in the family. He
was the first to follow his Bohemian dream and did music while I was still a
conventional school teacher." In the end August joined the band, writing the
lyrics for the songs. "But in my silly, youthful head, I thought it was the guy
who wrote the music who would get the accolades. He thought you couldn't do the
music and the lyrics and so he wanted things to continue as they were. The more
he restricted me, the more I rebelled. "When things really started falling
apart, I suggested I could do it all on my own. They all laughed and I left."
The brothers parted and
followed different courses. "His lifestyle was quite the opposite to mine," says
August. "He liked the Bohemian lifestyle and he always liked to drink. I have
never wanted to. "We tried to steer him away from alcohol but we never managed
to do it. We could see the way he was going but couldn't do anything about it.
It's strange because Mum and Dad brought us up the same way. "It's just amazing
how two people can be brought up the same and go such different ways. It has
taught me an extremely important lesson.
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Stony and Signey (Stony's wife at the time) at the
Magique Club in New York, August, 1980, where the Savannah Band played a show.
(Thanks to John Rynsky)
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Songs from the Calling All Beatniks! cassette
(This is a totally different mix to the LP version)
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Stills from the 'Cherchez la Femme' video
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All rights reserved. All layouts and original artwork Copyright ©1998 - 2011 - Tony Sables (The Chameleon).
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors. |
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