The Corsairs were an American
doo wop ensemble from
La Grange, North Carolina
La Grange is a town in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,873 based on the 2010 census. La Grange is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region.
Geography
La Grange is located at (35.308583, -77.792118).
Ac ...
.
The group consisted of the three Uzzell brothers, Moses, Jay, James and their cousin, George Wooten. Initially they performed as The Gleems, and toured the
East Coast, where they were overheard by Abner Spector. Changing their name in 1961 to The Corsairs, they released their first
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, "Time Waits" b/w "It Won't Be a Sin" on
Smash Records
Smash Records was an American record label founded in 1961 as a subsidiary of Mercury Records by Mercury executive Shelby Singleton and run by Singleton with Charlie Fach. Fach took over after Singleton left Mercury in 1966. Its recording artist ...
. Switching t
Tuff Records- Official Sitethey released "
Smoky Places
"Smoky Places" is a song written by Abner Spector and performed by The Corsairs. It reached #10 on the U.S. R&B chart and #12 on the U.S. pop chart in 1962.
The song was arranged by Sammy Lowe and produced by Abner Spector.
The song ranked # ...
", which became a nationwide hit after being picked up for national distribution by
Chess Records, hitting #10 R&B and #12 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1962. The follow-up, "I'll Take You Home", peaked at #62, and they continued releasing singles until 1964, none of which managed to hit the charts.
"Smoky Places" was used in the 1994
movie
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
, ''
There Goes My Baby'', and in the 2006 ''
Sopranos'' episode "
Mayham."
Jay Uzzell (born Jay Dee Uzzell) died on February 1, 2009.
Moses Uzzell Sr. (born Moses Linberg Uzzell) died on May 11, 2013, at age 80.
James Uzzell (born Deacon James Lee Uzzell on December 1, 1937 in
Lenoir County, North Carolina
Lenoir County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,122. Its county seat is Kinston, located on the Neuse River, across which the county has its territory.
Lenoir County comprises the K ...
) died on September 10, 2014, at age 76.
The Corsairs were among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the
2008 Universal fire.
Members
*Jay Uzzell
*James Uzzell
*Moses Uzzell Sr.
*George Wooten
Singles
*"Time Waits" b/w "It Won't Be a Sin" (1961)
*"
Smoky Places
"Smoky Places" is a song written by Abner Spector and performed by The Corsairs. It reached #10 on the U.S. R&B chart and #12 on the U.S. pop chart in 1962.
The song was arranged by Sammy Lowe and produced by Abner Spector.
The song ranked # ...
" b/w "Thinkin'" (1961, Pop #12, R&B #10)
*"I'll Take You Home" b/w "Sittin' on Your Doorstep" (1962, Pop #62)
*"Dancing Shadows" b/w "While" (1962)
*"At the Stroke of Midnight" b/w "Listen to My Little Heart" (1962)
*"Stormy" b/w "It's Almost Sunday Morning" (1963)
*"Save a Little Monkey" b/w "Save a Little Monkey (Instrumental)" (1963)
*"The Change in You" b/w "On the Spanish Side" (1964, as Landy McNeil & the Corsairs)
References
External links
*
Entry at 45cat.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corsairs, The
Doo-wop groups
Musical groups from North Carolina
Chess Records artists
Smash Records artists
People from La Grange, North Carolina