The Crew-Cuts

The Crew-Cuts

Company type	Vocal group
Industry	Music
Founded	1952
Headquarters	Toronto , Canada
Products	Music recordings (singles)

The Crew-Cuts (also written as Crew Cuts or Crewcuts) were a Canadian vocal group specializing in doo-wop, recognized for achieving chart success both within the United States and internationally. Their breakthrough came with a rendition of The Chords' "Sh-Boom", which sold in excess of one million copies. Along with The Four Lads and The Diamonds, they earned induction into the Canadian Hall of Fame in 1984.

Group members

• Rudi Maugeri (January 27, 1931 – May 7, 2004) (lead and baritone)
• John Perkins (born August 28, 1931) (lead and tenor)
• Ray Perkins (born November 24, 1932) (bass) (brother of John Perkins)
• Pat Barrett (September 15, 1933 – July 27, 2016) (lead and tenor)

Biography

Each member attended St. Michael's Choir School in Toronto, an institution also known for producing The Four Lads. Initially, Maugeri and John Perkins formed groups such as The Jordonaires and The Otnorots. In March 1952, they regrouped with Barrett and Ray Perkins to create The Four Tones. A Toronto disc jockey later renamed them The Canadaires, after which all four resigned from their Ontario government positions to fully dedicate themselves to music.

They began performing at clubs near Niagara Falls before heading to New York City to compete on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, where they placed second. Although early recordings like "Chip, Chip Sing A Song Little Sparrow" were released on Thrillwood Records, widespread recognition was initially elusive.

Momentum built in March 1953 following their opening act for Gisele MacKenzie in Toronto and several appearances on Cleveland's Gene Carroll show. There they encountered DJ Bill Randle, who gave them the name The Crew-Cuts and helped secure a contract with Mercury Records.

Their debut hit "Crazy 'Bout You, Baby" was self-composed; however, they became primarily known for their renditions of rhythm and blues originals. Their Mercury release of "Sh-Boom" reached the top position on U.S. charts in 1954. Additional hits included "Earth Angel", which climbed to number two and enjoyed international acclaim. While their original material resonated more strongly in Canada, it was their cover versions that propelled their U.S. success.

In September 1955, the group performed for six consecutive nights at the Liverpool Empire Theatre; among the audience were future Beatles members George Harrison and Paul McCartney.

After transitioning to RCA Records in 1958, the ensemble disbanded in 1964. They reunited in Nashville in 1977 and were inducted into the Juno Hall of Fame during the 1990s. Remaining members appeared on PBS programs such as "Magic Moments: The Best of '50s Pop".

Their version of "Sh-Boom" has been featured in video games including Destroy All Humans! and Mafia II.

Following his music career, Rudi Maugeri served as music director at Radio Arts in Burbank, California, managing syndicated playlists broadcast by hundreds of radio stations worldwide. He attributed their achievements to bridging audiences transitioning from big band to pop music during that era.

Singles

rowspan=6"|1956 rowspan=6"|1957 "Young Love"| 17 "Whatever, Whenever, Whoever"| -| -| -| -| -| -| "Susie Q"| -| -| -| -| -| -| "I Sit in the Window"| -| -| -| -| -| -| "I Like It Like That"| -| -| -| -| -| -| "Be My Only Love"| -| -| -| -| -| -| rowspan=2"|1959

Year	Single	Chart positions
		US	CB	UK	AU	BE
1953	"Twinkle Toes"	-	-	-	-	-
1954	"The Barking Dog"	-	19	-	-	-
	"I Spoke Too Soon"	24	49	-	-	-
	"Crazy 'Bout Ya Baby"	8	11	-	-	-
	"Oop Shoop"	13	13	-	-	8
	"Sh-Boom"	1	1	12	1	3
1955	"The Whiffenpoof Song"	-	-	-	-	-
	"Earth Angel"	style="text-align:center;"3	style="text-align:center;"2	style="text-align:center;"4	style="text-align:center;"-	style="text-align:center;"-
	"Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)"	style="text-align:center;"6	style="text-align:center;"3	style="text-align:center;">-	style="text-align:center;">13	style="text-align:center;">3
	"Two Hearts, Two Kisses"	style="text-align:center;">-	style="text-align:center;">-	style="text-align:center;">-	style="text-align:center;">9	style="text-align:center;">-
	"Chop Chop Boom"	flip	41	-	-	-
	"Carmen's Boogie"	-	42	-	4	-
	"Angels in the Sky"	11	10	-	36	-
	"Don't Be Angry"	14	9	-	-	-
	"A Story Untold"	16	14	-	-	-
	"Song of the Fool"	-	-	-	46	-
	"Gum Drop" b/w "Present Arms"	10	10	-	25	-
	"Slam Bam"	-	48	-	-	-
	"Are You Havin' Any Fun?"	-	49	-	-	-
	"Unchained Melody"	-	-	-	-	-
	"Mostly Martha"	31	33	-	-	-
"Seven Days" b/w "That's Your Mistake"	18	21	-	-	-
"Tell Me Why"	45	38	-	-	-
"Bei Mir Bist Du Schon"	-	-	-	-	-
"Out of the Picture"	-	49	-	-	-
"Love in a Home"	-	-	-	-	-
"The Halls of Ivy"	-	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-
1958	"Hey, Stella (Who Zat Down Your Cellar?)"
"Over the Mountain"					-"The Legend of Gunga Din"||

See also

• Music of Canada
• Canadian Music Hall of Fame

External links

• The Crew-Cuts featured on Doo Wop Heaven
• The Crew-Cuts information at Black Cat
• Entry on thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
• Profile on canadianbands.com