Sydney Crooks
Encyclopedia
Sydney Crooks also known as Sidney Crooks, Sidney George, Luddy Pioneer, and Luddy Crooks, is a Jamaica
n singer and record producer
, and a member of The Pioneers
since 1962.
at his record shop, which helped get the group studio time, and they became successful after Jackie Robinson
joined as lead singer. The Pioneers had a series of hit singles between 1968 and 1971, and continued to release albums until the mid 1970s.
Crooks, who had been based in London
since 1970, moved into production
, and worked with some of reggae
's biggest names in the 1970s, including Dennis Brown
(Superstar), Dennis Alcapone
(Belch It Off), and Gregory Isaacs
(All I Have is Love). He also produced skinhead reggae tracks with a science fiction
/comic book
theme, such as "Outer Space" and "Return of Batman", these credited to the Sidney All Stars, and early records by Junior English
. In the 1980s, he went on to produce work by Justin Hinds
, Owen Gray
, and Marcia Griffiths
(Rock My Soul).
Crooks returned to Kingston, Jamaica
in 1996 to become the in-house arranger and engineer at Joe Gibbs' recording studio
. Crooks continued performing and recording with The Pioneers until 1989, when they split up to concentrate on separate careers. They reformed in 1999 and have continued to perform.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n singer and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and a member of The Pioneers
The Pioneers (band)
The Pioneers are a Jamaican reggae vocal trio, whose main period of success was in the 1960s. The trio has had different line-ups, and still occasionally performs.-Founding and early years: 1962-1967:...
since 1962.
Biography
Crooks was born in Westmoreland and after moving to Trench Town aged 17, entered the music business in 1962 first as a member of The Spectaculars, and The Counts, and finally as a member of the vocal trio The Pioneers, along with his brother Derrick and Winston Hewitt. Crooks began working for Joe GibbsJoe Gibbs (record producer)
Joe Gibbs born Joel A. Gibson was a Jamaican reggae producer.-Biography:Joe Gibbs worked as an electronics engineer in the United States before his career in music started. Gibbs eventually returned to Kingston, Jamaica and opened an electrical repair shop with television repairs and sales as its...
at his record shop, which helped get the group studio time, and they became successful after Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson (musician)
Jackie Robinson is a Jamaican singer, best known as the lead vocalist with The Pioneers, but who has also recorded solo material both under his own name, and under the pseudonym Harry Hippy.-Biography:...
joined as lead singer. The Pioneers had a series of hit singles between 1968 and 1971, and continued to release albums until the mid 1970s.
Crooks, who had been based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
since 1970, moved into production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and worked with some of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
's biggest names in the 1970s, including Dennis Brown
Dennis Brown
Dennis Emmanuel Brown was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae...
(Superstar), Dennis Alcapone
Dennis Alcapone
Dennis Alcapone is a reggae DJ and producer.-Career:Smith initially trained as a welder and worked for the Jamaica Public Services...
(Belch It Off), and Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....
(All I Have is Love). He also produced skinhead reggae tracks with a science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
theme, such as "Outer Space" and "Return of Batman", these credited to the Sidney All Stars, and early records by Junior English
Junior English
Junior English is a Jamaican-born reggae singer who began his career in the early 1960s before relocating to England.-Biography:English was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1951...
. In the 1980s, he went on to produce work by Justin Hinds
Justin Hinds
Justin Hinds was a Jamaican ska vocalist, with his backing singers the Dominoes.He is best known for his work with Duke Reid's Treasure Isle Records, where his most notable song, "Carry Go Bring Come" recorded in late 1963, went to number one in Jamaica...
, Owen Gray
Owen Gray
Owen Gray also known as Owen Grey is one of Jamaica's 'Foundation' singers whose work spans the R&B, ska, rocksteady, and reggae eras of Jamaican music, and he has been credited as Jamaica's first home-grown singing star....
, and Marcia Griffiths
Marcia Griffiths
Marcia Llyneth Griffiths is a successful female singer, also called the "Queen of Reggae". One reviewer described her noting "she is known primarily for her strong, smooth-as-mousse love songs and captivating live performances".Griffiths started her career in 1964...
(Rock My Soul).
Crooks returned to Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
in 1996 to become the in-house arranger and engineer at Joe Gibbs' recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
. Crooks continued performing and recording with The Pioneers until 1989, when they split up to concentrate on separate careers. They reformed in 1999 and have continued to perform.
External links
- Sidney Crooks at Roots Archives