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CADETS   

“STRANDED IN THE JUNGLE“

(James Johnson, Ernest Smith)    

Modern 994

No. 15    August 4, 1956

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They started in L. A. in 1954, with the intent of being a spiritual group.  For a moment, they called

themselves the Santa Monica Soul Seekers.  Their main man and manager from Arkansas, baritone

Lloyd McCraw, had a gospel-belting history dating back to the mid­ ’40s; he had sung with the Royal

Four and the Dixie Hummingbirds.   Soon after their formation, McCraw, lead vocalist Aaron Collins,

second tenor Willie Davis, bass Will  “Dub” Jones, and first tenor Austin “Ted” Taylor shifted to secular

singing.   As the Jacks, they approached the Bihari brothers at Modern/RPM/Flair.

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Joe Bihari was impressed with their abilities, and in April of 1955, he walked the group into Modern’s

studios in Culver City, California.   Joe had heard and picked NAPPY BROWN’s “Don’t Be Angry” for the

group to record.  In an effort to capture some action on the happening tune, Bihari had McCraw and his

music movers cover the tune as “The Cadets.”   “Angry” did not chart for the unit, but a cover of the

Feathers’ “Why Don’t You Write Me?” (#82), released just weeks later under the”Jacks” name, did.

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For the next year and a half, the public–and, more importantly, the nation’s radio programmers had

no idea that the very same group was issuing disks under two different names.  “Cadets” records were

pressed on the Modern label; according to music researchers Donn Fileti and Marv Goldberg, these

usually featured either Aaron Collins or “Dub” Jones on lead vocals.   Smoothies  and jumpers by “The

Jacks” were issued on RPM, and usually featured Willie Davis.

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The Cadets/Jacks became Bihari’s house band, cutting ballads, jump tunes, or calypsos.  They accom-

panied other Modern acts such as Donna Hightower, Young Jesse, and possibly even Paul Anka.  As

“Kings of the Covers,” they rerecorded happening disks by Elvis (“Heartbreak Hotel”), Peppermint

Harris (“I Got Loaded”), JOHNNIE & JOE (“I’ll Be Spinning”), the Marigolds (“Rolling Stone”), the

Willows (“Church Bells May Ring”), and for their most publicly known pinching, the JAYHAWKS

(“Stranded in the Jungle”).

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After “Stranded,” not one of the group’s fine records ever managed to regain a spot on the nation’s pop

or R&B listings.   The Jacks name was shelved in mid’56 when McCraw and Taylor left the group.  Thomas

“Pete” Fox and sometime member Prentice Moreland were brought in as their respective replacements.

Shortly after, Jumpin’ With the Jacks, one of the very first albums by an R&B group, was released.

With this line-up, the Cadets continued on for another half-dozen singles and a highly sought-after

album, Rock and Rollin’ With the Cadets.

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By 1958, the Modern Record Company complex was in financial difficulties.  McCraw, Jones and Collins

formed their short-lived NUC label and issued one single as the Rocketeers.   Minus Collins, the

dwindling group (with George Hollis and Tommy Miller of the FLARES) recorded as the Cadets for the

Sherwood (“Looking for a Job”) and Jan-Lar (“Car Crash”) labels.  In 1962, they cut two singles as the

Thor-Ables for McCraw’s own Titantic label.

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Ted Taylor went on to solo success; before his death in an auto accident on November 22, 1987, a

number of his hard-soul singles–“Stay Away From My Baby” (#14, 1965), “It’s Too Late” (#30, 1969)

and “Something Strange is Going on in My House” (#26, 1970)–placed quite well on the R&B charts.

“Dub” Jones joined the Coasters in 1958, remaining with the classic comedians until 1968.   In 1961,

Buck Ram, the Platters’ producer and manager, asked Collins and Davis to write some tunes, and he

eventually invited them to join his Flairs/FLARES group.

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A to-be-noted footnote:  Aaron Collins’ sisters, Betty and Rose, gained their own spot on the charts as

THE TEEN QUEENS with the original take on “Eddie My Love.”