My Bonnie b/w The Whistling Stroll

The Bucks were a rock and roll group from Hamilton, Ontario, active around 1960. The band featured Jimmy Young on vocals and guitar, Mark Bent on lead guitar, Ben Schatz on bass, Wayne Place on drums, and Dave Robertson on piano.

The group recorded two singles for Reo Records, a Quality Records Limited label. Their first known single, The Whistling Stroll / My Bonnie, was released on Reo 8447X in 1960. The A-side, 'The Whistling Stroll', was written by The Bucks, while 'My Bonnie' was credited as public domain.

The Bucks followed later the same year with Jungle Beat / Rainbow on Reo 8508X, with both songs written by The Bucks. Like their first single, it was issued through Reo and manufactured by Quality Records Limited.

The group’s career was cut short after tragedy struck. According to family information supplied by Lyndsey Chute, the band had just finished a performance in Ontario and were driving home when they were involved in a car accident. During the crash, a can of wax or paint was thrown forward inside the vehicle and struck lead guitarist Mark Bent, who died from his injuries. The tragedy appears to have ended the group soon afterward.

Both tracks from The Whistling Stroll / My Bonnie later appeared on the Early Canadian Rockers compilations on Collector Records in the Netherlands, while 'The Whistling Stroll' also appeared more recently on the 2023 compilation Rockin’ Rollin’ USA – Visit 02 – Canada – Teenage Boogie on Pan-American Recordings in Europe. Though their recorded output was brief, The Bucks left behind two rare Canadian rock and roll singles from the early Reo catalogue, capturing a small but vivid piece of the country’s pre-Beatles rock scene.

Band photo and family information courtesy of Lyndsey Chute, who also confirmed the correct spelling of lead guitarist Mark Bent.

-Robert Williston