Thank you to Gloria for providing the names in her comment below.
The Cruisers came from Harlingen, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, like Noe Pro and Simon Reyes.
The Cruisers released at least eight singles on local south Texas labels. I didn’t know the lineup of the band until Gloria commented (see below) that the members on the sleeve above were:
E.J. Ledesma – lead vocals & guitar
Rafael “Kai” Saldana – lead guitar
Manny Carmona – sax
Bobby Ledesma – bass
F.G. Renaud – drums
Arnold Cano – trumpet, keyboards
Other members may have included Joe Rodriguez. More info on the band would be appreciated.
They had five 45s on the Pharaoh label from nearby McAllen, Texas, some of which are very pop oriented. The third 45 on Pharaoh, “My Place” fetched a lot of money when it sold recently, but I have no idea as to its quality.
Arnold Cano wrote to me with information about his time in the Cruisers:
The Cruisers were the first band I played with. The person most directly responsible for me joining my first professional band was Carlos (Charlie) Ledesma. He is EJ Ledesma’s younger brother and was in the Harlingen Coakley Band when I met him. Carlos is the one I will thank for the rest of my life for getting me involved in music.
I came to Coakley halfway through 8th grade from a private school in Brownsville. Lived in Harlingen and wanted to play in the school band. Ended up playing French horn and sat next to Carlos, who played saxophone. He was the one that told me that the band (Cruisers) needed a trumpet player and asked me if I thought I might be able to fill that spot. Even though I had just started playing the French horn that year I decided to give it a try. Asked my parents if they would help me monetarily with purchasing a trumpet and they did. Went to Bledsoe’s Music and bought one, to this day I still thank them for the support they gave me all through the years in music.
Carlos and I were considered younger brothers to the guys and we looked up to them as such. I was 15 and in the 9th grade when I recorded “Oh Sweetness” with the guys, I luckily wrote the month and year on the 45 back then or else there would be no way I would remember now.
I eventually moved on to playing keyboard, again asking my parents for the help. They never hesitated and soon I was playing keyboards with the band. What I don’t remember are the circumstances of leaving the band.
I also played with Noe Pro for a bit … Ray and The Carousels (formerly The Belaires), Los Hermanos Ramos, La Justicia, Tequila Sunrise, Kaos (this was at The Helipad), The AllNighter’s, Tequila Mockingbird and then moved to San Antonio with my AT&T job and played with a Texano band there. I transferred to the Dallas area to follow my telephone job and met an old musician friend I had played with in the valley (Henry Lee). Played in his band, Slick, for a couple of years and then got a call from another friend (Kevin Martin) that I had played with in Kaos Band back in the valley. He was going to contract event gigs and already had a couple of agents. I jumped at the opportunity to get away from the nightly club gigging. Started playing with his band (HitSquad) in Houston. It is a drive but we just do corporate and better paying events. I’ve played many years and still love the music.
E.J. Ledesma, who has had a long career in Tejano music wrote many of their songs including “My Place”, “Another Lonely Night”, “Please Let Me Be (The One for You)” and “Oh! Sweetness”. If anyone has scans or mp3s of the other Pharaoh records, please let me know.
The Cruisers had two releases on the ARV International label, also from McAllen, “Just Having Fun” and “Movin’ Man” were written, arranged and produced by Bobby Ledesma. The b-sides to each are lighter, with “Lucky Man” featuring horns.
List of 45 releases:
Pharaoh 125 – An Angel Like You / The Lonely (1964)
Pharaoh 128 – Another Lonely Night / Please Let Me Be (The One For You)
Pharaoh 139 – My Place / Walkin’ and a Ridin’ (1965)
Pharaoh 148 – The Fire’s Gone / Oh! Sweetness (Aug. 1966)
Pharaoh 155 – Celina / Baby Doll (February 1967)
ARV 5004 – Just Having Fun / Lucky Man (May 1967)
ARV 5010 – Movin’ Man / Children Playing In The Sun
Impacto IM-178 – Down By the River / I Can’t Believe It (1968)
For more on the Pharaoh label see the article on this site.
Thank you to Fred Hoyt for the scans of “Another Lonely Night” / “Please Let Me Be” and the sleeve, to Westex and Max Waller for additions to the discography, and to Danny and Gloria for the info on the band in their comments, below. Thank you to Arnold Cano for his story on the group.
The Cruisers were pretty much a South Texas Chicano group that played the sounds of the day. The two Pharaoh 45s I have are lite-weight pop, with horns even. Probably of interest ONLY to those wanting to run the label. In addition to the ones you have listed above they also had a two more Pharaoh releases…
An Angel Like You / ???? (Pharaoh 125)
Celina / Baby Doll (Pharaoh 155)
They also had at least one release on Carlos Guzman’s Impacto label out of McAllen (Can’t Believe It / Down By the River, 178). Ain’t heard it. Guzman himself cut a nice tejano version of “96 Tears” and a funky workup of Ray Charles’ “The Train” for the Bego label.
(Disco. info above from Ruben Molina’s “Chicano Soul” book).
hola, are u from the valle?i have the cruisers “the fire is gone”do you have the record “another lonely night”i was like 4 years old but my brothers and sisters loved the cruisers music.any info on the inn keeper band.they have a rio grande valley.texas hit w/ ” i could never hurt you girl”
gracias and have a fabulous day
yahnna
Wow ty for all the info, so who are the members now? I believe I went to a party with a band called The Cruisers about Two years ago in Hgn.
Do you know anywhere to buy the 45 of An Angel Like You?
Josh, I can burn you a copy!
The Cruisers were from Harlingen Texas, My wife’s uncle played with them, I played in a band and we would play intermission for the Crusiers, They are still around and still do gigs. On the two songs you have there just havng fun I believe the lead guitar was Joe Rodriguez, I recognize his style, the second song the keyboard was Arnold Cano. Thanks for making my day!!!!
On the record cover. F.G. Renaud, on bass Bobby Ledesma, on lead vocals & guitar (inside the car) E.J. Ledesma, on sax Manny Carmona & on lead guitar Ki Salazar. I knew E.J. F.G. pretty well back then. Met Ki a few years later. I have digital copies of several of their songs. A little over used (u know, the scratchy sounds but still decent copies). I have Another Lonely night, an angel like u, the lonely one. A few more.
Yeh I misspelled Kai’s first name. His name is actually Rafael but known as Kai & his last name is actually Saldana. I just gave him his niece’s last name. One of those association things. But I met him THROUGH his nieces which is why I accidentally called him Salazar instead of Saldana. The other info is correct. Sorry about that. Just a brain fart
I was married to the Sax player for 40 years till 2007 When he decided to go play with all the great musicians that left this world. Thank you for all the memories. We met right after they posed for that sleeve cover picture. I know he left his collection just need to find it.
Hi Teri, wished I would have been around back then. I would have loved them and the music.
Great songs, great dancing , romantic music.
Teri. What is the saxplayer’s name??!!! jolvera27@gmail.com 09/2018
We lived around Jefferson elementary school on J. St. went to high school with Bobby lesma and Penny Saldana brother of Kai I NOW LIVE IN
MISSION, BUT I DO MISS THOSE DAYS IN HARLINGEN WITH THE CRUISERS ROCK N ROLL I LIVED ON J AND WEST HANSON
Hi, I attended Jefferson too, back in the 50’s I used to live on Filemore street next to the Zamora family. I remember all these guys. Manny and I were cousins. I saw Bobby a few years back and he remembers me as a bass player. I played bass with Ray and the Ambers, the original band members were Ray, Joe Rodriguez, Jesse Perez, Fred Donez and myself. I will never forget those wonderful years on the 60s’. Do you remember one of the greatest guitar player Vido Ledesma who also played with the great Cruisers. It is nice to hear from the old music guys
My name is Ralph Escobedo and currently front the band ‘Ralph & The Cruisers’ . The original members of the band were E.J. LEDESMA on rhythm guitar, RAFAEL ( KAI )SALDANA on lead guitar, myself on drums and ADAM ( BB ) NAJAR on bass (Killed In Action , Vietnam 1968 ) KAI and myself are Vietnam veterans and he was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received while in Vietnam. Both EJ and I served in the U.S. Navy ..and while I was home on leave in January of 1965 , we ( EJ, KAI, BOBBY LEDESMA, MANNY CARMONA, FRANK RENUAD & ARNOLD CANO went to record our first record which was AN ANGEL LIKE YOU and on the flip side, THE LONELY ! KAI and I do the background voices on AN ANGEL LIKE YOU and I am the lone voice on THE LONLY. In the last 3 years , I have recorded 3 CDs of oldies cover songs and currently performing at various RV Parks here in the valley. EJ has retired and still writing material for different Tejano bands and KAI has retired as well. If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact me @ rescobedo@rgv.rr.com.
I would like your schedule for 2016. Love your band and would go to dance any time you are playing. You were great at Mission Bell !! Thank you- treva316@cox.net
This is amazing! I just found about this website and in particular regarding The Cruisers . I’m not sure if someone in Ralph’s family is still handling this website because I just found out that sadly Ralph passed away 3 years ago . I just wanted to thank someone for his kind words about the original band . Adam S. Najar (BB) was my brother . It deeply touched my heart that Ralph mentioned n honored my brother in his comments. I was about 13 years old when I first heard them play in Primera. Such Sweet memories of The Cruisers that I will treasure forever. I greatly appreciated the band playing at my brother’s Primera Community Center . Thank you ! ❤️Alma Najar Cisneros
was your band , that played a song with the lyrics Green Eyes fasciate me ,
Dolores i’am under your spell , you”ve got in a trance wtih that magic that you do well , or was it another band , don’t remmber the name of the song !
Thanks ,
Arnold
San Bentio
This is the best news on the Cruisers I have heard from a band from the 60 ‘s .I was about 15 years old when I first heard them in Harlingen,thank you !
Can any of The Cruisers historians tell me about their “Bego” label output? I have a picture sleeve for the Bego BG-205 release “A Nuestras Madres” / “Madre Mia Del Alma Hoy Que Regreso” — it has exactly the same picture as Pharaoh P-128.
Thanks,
Fred
Hello Fred…..I have the same one@
Great site, I do have a question. It’s been such a lot time since high school, but I do remember E.J. saying that he wrote the song” Bestida de lance”. Did he really?
Hey Julian,
This is Arnold Cano. I actually played with the Cruisers back in the 60’s and know that he did write “Vestida de Blanco” for Carlos Guzman. Even Sunny & the Sunliners did a version of EJ’s song. There are quite a few versions with the same name (Vestida de Blanco) but with different lyrics by artists like Rocio Durcal, Luis Santiago, and Toby to name a few. Hope this helps.
Arnold,
Good morning,it’s Yoli from San Benito
Carlos (Charlie) Ledesma was a saxophone player for the Cruisers.
After E.J. moved to California Carlos and Bobby Ledesma became the lead singers for the group. Carlos was with the Cruisers from 1965 – 1970. He went on to become one of the lead singers for the group “Lysistrata” with Rick Nelson, Robert Fry, Leo Garcia and Nancy Pylant in 1970. Carlos also sang with the group “Stone Age.”
Does anyone have an mp3 of Please Let Me Be (The One for You), I need it for a show on TopShelf Oldies. Many thanks in advance!
Arnold i Google you guys an found this information the cruisers
remember me George Villarreal. I play with Ray an the Bellaire I play the organ like to hear from you I heard you move to Dallas, I was in Houston, Austin, Corpus Christi, Florida. villarrealgeorge88@gmail.com
I hear they will be playing at the 55th reunion HHS don’t know the details.