Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2010) |
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Soul, big band, disco |
| Years active | 1976–1979 |
| Labels | RCA |
| Past members | Cory Daye Stony Browder Mickey Sevilla Andy Hernandez August Darnell |
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band was a big band- and swing-influenced disco band, formed in the Bronx, New York. They are best known for their #1 US dance hit, "Cherchez La Femme/Se Si Bon", from their self-titled debut album.
History
The band was conceived by half-brothers Stony Browder Jr. (February 7, 1949 – October 6, 2001)[1] and Thomas Browder (also known as August Darnell, born August 12, 1950), with the former writing music and the latter lyrics. They started the band in 1974 with singer Cory Daye (born April 25, 1952), drummer Mickey Sevilla, and percussionist Andy Hernandez (Coati Mundi).[2] They released three albums between 1976 and 1979. Their music blended disco beats with rhythms from genres including calypso, rhumba, cha-cha-chá, and compas. The Browders, who were both multiracial, wrote songs embracing multiculturalism over stories about tragic mulattoes.[3] A smaller lineup known as Dr. Buzzard's Savannah Band (omitting the word "original") also released a fourth album in 1984. They were frequent performers at Studio 54. Darnell and Hernandez went on to form Kid Creole and the Coconuts and Elbow Bones and the Racketeers. Daye also pursued a successful solo career.
Their 1976 song, "Sunshower", has been sampled by a number of artists, including A Tribe Called Quest, M.I.A., Ghostface Killah, De La Soul, and Doug E. Fresh.[4] It was remixed by Japanese recording artist Fantastic Plastic Machine. It was remixed by Korean musical group The Green Tea. It was featured in the 1991 film, Boyz n the Hood. The song "Cherchez La Femme" was covered by Gloria Estefan on her 1994 Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me album and was covered by rapper Ghostface Killah in 2000, as "Cherchez La Ghost" on his Supreme Clientele album.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Record label | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [5] |
US R&B [5] |
AUS [6] |
CAN [7] |
NLD [8] | ||||||||||
| 1976 | Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band | 22 | 31 | 39 | 87 | 13 |
|
RCA | ||||||
| 1978 | Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Meets King Penett | 36 | 23 | — | 29 | — | ||||||||
| 1979 | Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Goes to Washington | — | — | — | — | — | Elektra | |||||||
| 1984 | Calling All Beatniks! | — | — | — | — | — | Passport | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
- The Very Best of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (1996, RCA)
- The Disco Kids (2005, Sony BMG)
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [5] |
US R&B [5] |
US Dan [5] |
AUS [6] |
CAN [7] |
NLD [8] | |||||||||
| 1976 | "I'll Play the Fool" | 80 | 92 | 1 | — | 100 | 19 | |||||||
| "Cherchez La Femme" | 27 | 31 | 49 | 23 | 2 | |||||||||
| "Sour and Sweet" | — | 72 | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1978 | "Mister Love" | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | |||||||
| "Organ Grinder" | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Auf Wiedersehen, Darrio" | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Transistor Madness" | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1979 | "Didn't I Love You Girl" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Notes
- ^ Stony Browder, Death Record
- ^ Shapiro 2005, p. 174.
- ^ Shapiro 2005, p. 176.
- ^ "Sunshower - Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band". WhoSampled. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "US Charts > Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ a b David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b "CAN Charts > Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band". RPM. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b "NLD Charts > Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band". MegaCharts. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
- ^ "US Certifications > Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
References
- Shapiro, Peter (2005). The Secret History of Disco: Turn the Beat Around. New York: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-21923-0.
External links
- "Savannah Band Is Waiting for You, American" by Kevin McMahon
- The band's MySpace page
- Coati Mundi's MySpace page
- August Darnell interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' August 2011
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