Cameo Parkway Studio, Philadelphia, January 28, 1967
The Scholars were a quintet of Drexel and Temple University students from the Bridesburg, Port Richmond and Mayfair sections of Philadelphia.
Members were:
Bernie Winski – lead vocals and cordovox
Joe Macie aka Joe Macijewski (spelling?) – guitar
Bob Wilkowski – bass
Tony Tokarczyk (spelling?) – drums
Richie Dombrowski – saxophone
Bernie Winski wrote both songs on the 45, “I Need Your Lovin” and “Please Please”.
Opening with a pounding snare, “I Need Your Lovin'” is intense garage. The sound is dense, with background vocals by the Perenials [sic] and heavy swirling organ. A sax solo is followed by some great surf-type runs on the guitar. A remastering from the original tape, if it exists, might really bring out all the elements.
“Please Please” is competent but less exciting, I’m including it for the completists out there. They also cut one unreleased song, “I’m Gonna Make It”, that really shows doo-wop influence. “I’m Gonna Make It” originally appeared on the Crude PA compilation.
The 45 was released in February, 1967 on the Ruby Ray label out of Cornwell Heights (northeast of Philadelphia, I believe) and distributed by David Rosen Inc. Mastering by Frankford/Wayne.
Be sure to read the comment below from Bernie Winski’s brother Edward for more information on the Scholars.
Update, June 2011
Backing vocalist Jack Donadio wrote to me about the session with the fine photos seen here:
I am one of the Perennials who recorded the songs featured on your website: “I Need Your Lovin'”, “Please Please”, and “I’m Gonna Make It”.
The Perennials (background vocals) consisted of three doo wop singers from Philadelphia who answered a newspaper ad and auditioned to provide the background vocals for the Scholars who had recently signed a recording contract with Nat Segal. Nat was the group’s manager and contract holder, who also produced the master tape and subsequent recording under the Ruby Ray label.
Gathered around the microphone is me (Jack Donadio), Gene (don’t know his last name) and Jim Tucker (my brother-in-law). With regard to Gene, we only met him for the first and last time at the recording session. All that I remember about Gene is that he resided in Philly and sang with various doo wop groups, as we did.
Shortly following the release of the record, the Scholars appeared on the local TV show, “Summertime on the Pier”.
The was no further musical collaboration of the Perennials and Scholars following the recording session. There was not much of a musical career for me and Jim. We sang with a lot of different groups (Frankie and the Fashions, among others). We both eventually became law enforcement officers. Jim was a Sergeant in charge of the Homicide Division in Philly and retired from there about five years ago. I became the Police Chief of New Hope Pennsylvania for seven years, then Oneonta, NY (retired from there after 25 years) and finally Hawthorne, Florida for two years. I am presently retired and living in Gainesville, Florida.
Jack Donadio, 2011
Thank you to Jack for providing the photos and information on the recording session.
Nat Segal was a clarinet player who owned the Downbeat Club in Philadelphia and booked jazz shows into the Academy of Music in the ’40s and ’50s. In the early 1960’s he went into personal management for Danny & the Juniors, the Orlons, the Dovells and DJs Bob Horn and Jerry Blavat before working with the Scholars.
Sources on Nat Segal: Jersey Jazz’s December 2009 issue (PDF document) and “To the Geator, Bob Was Horn of Plenty. To this Day, Jerry Blavat Feels Debt of Gratitude to the Show’s Founder … and its Biggest Victim” by Jonathan Takiff, Philadelphia Daily News, August 5, 1997, accessed through Philly.com.
I am in the second row on the right.
Actually, 2 from Bridesburg, 2 from Port Richmond and 1 from Mayfair.
My husband was a member of “The Scholars”. He is alive and well in Delray Beach, Florida
Hi, Joan Macie. I was part of the background group the Perennials and coincidentally am now retired and living at Marina Village in Boynton Beach, FL.
It would be nice to meet and say hi.
352-226-0320
Hi , just found this site, thank you so much for your efforts.
I’m Ed Winski, the younger brother of Bernie, who founded the group. Started out as a group in High School, Bernie and a couple other members attended St Jospeh’s Prep in Philadelphia. Bernie was very talented musically, played the accordion from a very early age, and in high school the sax and clarinet in the marching band, but his principal instrument was the bassoon which he went on to major in at Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of music.
The rock band in the early 60’s was originally named the Chancellors, eventually changed to the Scholars. If you look at the picture above, bottom row left is Tony Tokarczyk (excuse my spelling on some of these), drummer. In the middle was Bernie Winski, who played mostly the cordovox, which was an accordion/organ, bottom right is Richie Dombrowski, saxaphone, above him is Joe Macijewski (sp), guitar, and top right is Bob Wilkowski, bass.
Bernie was also the lead singer and wrote/published a number of songs, three of which were used in the recording session. I helped him some of the music and lyrics, also sat in the the band a few times on the cordovox.
The group was very versatile, and had jobs every weekend from weddings to clubs, to polka festivals. The recording with Ruby Ray studios resulted from the group winning first prize in a local rock contest. I remember helping my brother decide which songs he wanted to record.
In addition to the record , they also earned appearances on a TV show at the Jersey Shore , and Ed Hurst at Aquarama.
The group broke up within a year or two after the record, everyone kind of went their own way. My brother passed away tragically in early 1972, so for me I guess you could say that was the day the music died.
Thanks for bringing back the memories ….
Ed