Biography
Roger & The Gypsies was a one-off New Orleans-based collaboration between Earl Stanley & The Stereos and Eddie Bo (Edwin Joseph Bocage (1930 – 2009). They recorded one single in 1966, Pass The Hatchet, which was the very first record released on Joe Banashak's Seven B label. The group was named after lead guitarist Earl Stanley's cousin Roger Leon, who had thought up the riff and title of the track. More of a dance instrumental than a song, "Pass the Hatchet" was an infectious piece of music highlighted by a great beat and beautiful guitar playing (and even some mean tambourine), and it was good enough to become the first hit for the Seven-B label. Lore seems to indicate that Bo was brought in after the fact to work his vocal magic, though some claim he also produced and arranged the track, and that he was hired as Seven-B's resident music director as a result of his work with Roger and the Gypsies.
According to Earl Stanley, "Li'l Joe came up with the beat, Nicky Bodine came up with the bass riff, Art Sir Van played the piano, Hector Nieves played the maracas and Roger Leon played a little rhythm guitar."
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.