About The Stereos
Hometown
Steubenville, OH, United States
Formed
1957
Genre
Jazz
Not only was Steubenville, OH, Dean Martin's stomping grounds, the city situated on the Ohio River also spawned the Stereos, a quintet consisting of Bruce Robinson (lead), Nathaniel Hicks (first tenor), Ronnie Collins (bass), Sam Profit (second tenor), and George Otis (baritone). The group's roots began in the mid-'50s when Robinson and Collins formed the Buckeyes (Ohio's nickname) who released two singles on Cincinnati's Deluxe Records in 1957: "Since I Fell for You" b/w "Be Only You" and "Dottie Baby" b/w "Begging You, Please."
The Stereos first recorded in 1959 with Leroy Swearingen (first tenor and ex-Buckeye) joining Robinson, Collins, Profit, and Otis for their Gibraltar debut, "A Love for Only You" b/w "Sweetpea's in Love." Its failure caused Swearingen to leave and be replaced by Hicks. The revised lineup had three singles on Cub Records from 1961-1962, with ex-member Swearingen penning their most successful record "I Really Love You" (15 R&B/29 pop); two follow-ups floundered. Two 1962 Robins Nest's singles: "My Heart" and "Don't Cry Darling" also didn't do diddly. A World Artists' single "Mumbling Word" surfaced in 1963, trailed by "Life" as the Sterios (sic) on Ideal Records (1964) and "Don't Let It Happen to You" in 1965 for Val 2 Records. Good records, but the Stereos were a transition group with ingrained doo-wop roots and never fully forsake the sound for full-blown '60s harmonies, but Robinson's gospel-inspired leads made them interesting.
They resurfaced on Hyde Records in 1967 as a self-contained outfit adding Stanley Brown, Solomon Huffman, Don Walters, and Ronnie Parris. Profit and Otis left. The revamped Stereos made enough noise with "Stereo Freeze Parts 1 & 2" that Cadet Records plucked it for mass distribution; but "I Can't Stop These Tears" b/w "I Feel Soul A'Coming" pulled up lame in 1968; a third Cadet single, "Your Memory," never got started, forcing permanent disbandment and the end of the Stereo's chase for that elusive royalty check. ~ Andrew Hamilton
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