A part of the reason that a few reggae acts have achieved a sort of lasting cult around them is because of their success in England. Again, the cult of skinhead spurred a few groups to the top of the pop charts while also spawning its own home grown heroes, like the larger than life Judge Dread. But the Pioneers had as bizarre a journey to success as any other group. It didn't involve drugs, sex or death, but there was a modicum of gambling involved. Even that, though, isn't enough to make this group seem like miscreants, but I suppose that's not necessary.

Beginning in the early '60s, the Pioneers experienced the ballooning popularity of ska in its first wave as the band worked with high minded producers like Leslie Kong. But even with that producer behind them, the Pioneers didn't impact the charts in JA, little lone in the United Kingdom. But a day at the race track would change that pretty quickly. Seeing as their careers in music weren't making anyone a boat load of cash, the band, one day decided to give the horse track a shot. Unfortunately, their horse fell over - that means they lost.

Fortunately, though, the band was able to turn that disappointment into a song entitled "Longshot (Kick de Bucket)." Apparently, at some point during the race another horse took a dive and inadvertently knocked over a horse called Longshot. So, there's that story. But the song served as not only the title track to the Pioneer's 1972 album, it also found a spot in the UK charts. Because of the success on that other island, the band saw fit to make the move and soon found themselves playing to enthusiastic British audiences. This move would impact not just the genre, but the future of American culture.

Bucket Hingley, a Brit by birth, but a New York transplant managing a comic book store, must have been aware of the Pioneers as the band's brief time in the spotlight coincided with his childhood. Culled from the dregs of his employees, Bucket, in early '83 recorded one of the earliest ska tracks in the States. It could be argued that the Toasters, as they stand today, don't really impact the genre any longer - and that well may be true. But the fact that Bucket was able to help lay the foundation for the New York ska scene is a peerless act in independent music.

Apart from being a member of one of the most successful and longest running US ska acts, Bucket founded Moon Ska Records, which was pretty much the only label ska acts had the opportunity to record for during a great deal of the '80s.

Regardless of the Pioneers' long term influence on music, the band served as part of that in between stage in JA music that straddled ska and reggae. And if you listen hard enough, you can hear just a bit of Glen Adams in the keyboard playing on a few of the Aggrolites' albums.