The Undertakers are a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

beat group, contemporaries of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

and a leading group in the Merseybeat music scene of the early 1960s. The Undertakers are still performing in 2019, led by Brian Jones.

History

Origins

The Undertakers were originally called Bob Evans and the Five Shillings, with Nugent; lead guitarist Ike X (replaced by Pete Cook (ex the Topspots); drummer Bob Evans (died March 2009) (ex the Renegades); bassist Billy Evans;

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

player Les Maguire (born Leslie Charles Maguire, 27 December 1941, in

Wallasey Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral Pe ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

) and rhythm guitarist, vocalist Mike Millward (born Michael Millward, 9 May 1942, Bromborough, Cheshire - died 7 March 1966, at Bromborough Hospital, Bromborough), who was later in

the Fourmost The Fourmost are an English Merseybeat band that recorded in the 1960s. Their biggest UK hit single was "A Little Loving" in 1964. Biography Guitarist/vocalist Brian O'Hara and best friend guitarist/vocalist Joey Bower (born Joseph Bower, 17 N ...

. Then they became the Vegas Five formed in 1959, a group led by drummer Bob Evans with Geoff Nugent, died 12 October 2014; Chris Huston (ex the Casuals); lead vocalist Jimmy McManus (ex the Topspots); bassist Mushy Cooper (born David Cooper died in 1998) (ex the Topspots) and Les Maguire, who was later in

Gerry and the Pacemakers Gerry and the Pacemakers were a British beat group prominent in the 1960s Merseybeat scene. In common with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin. Their early successes alongsid ...

, replaced by

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

/ tenor sax player, vocalist Brian (Sax) Jones (ex the Rebels) (born 27 November 1940 in Wallasey, Cheshire). This was one of the first

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

groups in the Liverpool area.

Group career

When the Vegas Five were booked to play a dance, they discovered that the local newspaper had inadvertently transposed their name with the word "Undertakers" from the adjacent column. The promoter persuaded them to develop this as a gimmick, by playing the "Death March" to start their show, and to change their name. In February 1961, Evans' group merged with another group, Dee and the Dynamites, based in Wallasey, and Evans left to be replaced by Pemberton (ex Dee and the Dynamites) in September 1961. The Undertakers developed a major local following for their live performances. This was due to the quality of Lomax's singing, the customisation of the band's instruments and amplification by Huston, and the fact that, unlike most Merseybeat groups, they were boosted by a saxophone, which enabled them to play a wider range of R&B songs including more obscure material. There is a photograph of fans queueing at

the Cavern The Cavern Club is a nightclub on Mathew Street, Liverpool, England. The Cavern Club opened in 1957 as a jazz club, later becoming a centre of the rock and roll scene in Liverpool in the late 50s and early 1960s. The club became closely asso ...

for what was thought to be the Beatles, when they were in fact queueing for the Undertakers. They played at

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

’s

Star-Club The Star-Club was a music club in Hamburg, Germany, that opened on Friday 13 April 1962, and was initially operated by Manfred Weissleder and Horst Fascher. In the 1960s, many of the giants of rock music played at the club. The club closed on 3 ...

during 1962. However, on their return, they rejected a management offer from

Brian Epstein Brian Samuel Epstein (; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was a British music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967. Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put him i ...

, and signed a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

with

Pye Records Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherhoo ...

with

Tony Hatch Anthony Peter Hatch (born 30 June 1939) is an English composer for musical theatre and television. He is also a songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer. Early life and early career Hatch was born in Pinner, Middlesex. Encouraged by his mus ...

as their

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

. The

records A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, ...

they made with Pye were weak both in terms of their sound and commercial success, although their third single, " Just a Little Bit", managed one week on the

Top 50 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "conte ...

in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in April 1964. The song was later covered by

Slade Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles ...

and Rory Gallagher.

Later years

The Undertakers split up after a tour of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in 1965, with Lomax, Huston and Pemberton all remaining in that country and developing their own careers in the

music industry The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...

. Brian Jones became a session player and is sometimes claimed to have played saxophone on

' " You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)", a claim which he denies, saying that it was "the Brian Jones who couldn't swim," and, in fact, most sources do state that the part was played by

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English multi-instrumentalist and singer best known as the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a guitarist, he went on to prov ...

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

. (These sources include the Beatles'

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

and the Rolling Stones' then-bassist

Bill Wyman William George Wyman (né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who achieved international fame as the bassist for the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member ...

). Pemberton lived in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. They had many changes. When Brian Jones returned from America he and Geoff Nugent formed the New Undertakers with three members of the Newtowns: , , , Geoff Nugent , , , , vocals rhythm/lead guitar , - , , , Brian Jones , , , , tenor sax/vocals , - , , , Jim Jones , , , , bass guitar , - , , , Bob Frazer , , , , keyboards , - , , , Bob Williams , , , , drums , , -, , Dennis Barton , , , , Lead Vocals Geoff Nugent re-formed the band for the Liverpool Garden Festival and in 2007 settled on a line-up of When he was home from the US, Jackie Lomax would team up with the band to give three originals in the line-up. Lomax died on the Wirral in September 2013, followed shortly after by Bugs Pemberton who died in Los Angeles on 13 October 2013; both died from cancer related illnesses. Geoff Nugent died 12 October 2014. In 2018, Jones published his book ''Sax, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll'' about his experiences in the music industry.

Members

Their best known line-up was: *

Jackie Lomax John Richard Lomax (10 May 1944 – 15 September 2013) was an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his association with George Harrison, who produced Lomax's recordings for the Beatles' Apple record label in the late 1 ...

- (lead vocals, bass) (born John Richard Lomax, 10 May 1944, Wallasey, Cheshire - died 15 September 2013,

Port Sunlight Port Sunlight is a model village and suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside. It is located between Lower Bebington and New Ferry, on the Wirral Peninsula. Port Sunlight was built by Lever Brothers to accommodate workers in it ...

, Wirral) *

Chris Huston Christopher John Huston (born 25 June 1943) is a British born record engineer, record producer and guitarist. Huston arrived in Wallasey, near Liverpool, toward the end of World War II from an orphanage in North Wales. As a teenager he began stu ...

- (lead guitar, vocals) (born 25 June 1943) *Geoff Nugent - (solo, rhythm guitar, vocals) (born Gordon Geoffrey Nugent, 23 February 1943,

Garston, Liverpool Garston is a district of Liverpool. Historically in Lancashire, it is bordered by the suburbs of Grassendale, Allerton, and Speke. It lies on the Eastern banks of the River Mersey. History In medieval times, Garston was home to a group of ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

- died 12 October 2014) *Brian Jones - (alto, tenor saxophone, vocals) (born 27 November 1940, Wallasey, Cheshire) *Bugs Pemberton - (drums) (born Warren Pemberton, 7 January 1945, Liverpool - died 13 October 2013, Los Angeles, California) After Geoff Nugent and Jackie Lomax passed away, The Undertakers are now run by Brian Jones. The current line up consists of: *Brian Jones - (alto/tenor sax, vocals) *Tony Schofield - (rhythm guitar, lead vocals) *Les Jones - (lead guitar) *Kevin Murphy - (bass guitar) *Colin Gort - (keyboards, vocals) *Mike Bennett - (drums)

Discography

UK singles

Everybody Loves a Lover "Everybody Loves a Lover" is a popular song which was a hit single for Doris Day in 1958. Its lyricist, Richard Adler, and its composer, Robert Allen, were both best known for collaborations with other partners. The music Allen composed, aside ...

" (Adler/Allen) / "

(Do the) Mashed Potatoes __NOTOC__ "(Do the) Mashed Potatoes" is a rhythm and blues instrumental. It was recorded by James Brown with his band in 1959 and released as a two-part single in 1960. For contractual reasons the recording was credited to "Nat Kendrick and the ...

" (Rozier) Pye 7N15543 (1963) *"

What About Us What About Us may refer to: * ''What About Us'' (Livin Out Loud album), or the title song * ''What About Us?'' (Ruth-Ann Boyle album), or the title song * "What About Us?" (Brandy song), 2002 * "What About Us" (Jodeci song), 1994 * "What About ...

" (Leiber/Stoller) / "

Money (That's What I Want) "Money (That's What I Want)" is a rhythm and blues song written by Tamla founder Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford, which was the first hit record for Gordy's Motown enterprise. Barrett Strong recorded it in 1959 as a single for the Tamla label, ...

" (Bradford/Gordy) Pye 7N15562 (1963) *" Just a Little Bit" (Thornton/Thompson/Bass/Washington) / "Stupidity" (Burke) Pye 7N15607 (1964) *"If You Don't Come Back" ( Leiber/Stoller) / "Think" (Pauling) Pye 7N15690 (1964)

US singles

*"Just A Little Bit" / "Stupidity" Parkway 909 (1964) *"Think" / "If You Don't Come" Interphon 7709 (1964) *"I Fell In Love" / "Throw Your Love Away Girl" Black Watch 5545/6 (1965)

CD compilation

*''The Undertakers Unearthed'' (Big Beat CDWIKD 163, 1996)

References

External links

"The Undertakers"
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Undertakers, The English pop music groups English rock music groups Musical groups from Liverpool Musical groups established in 1961 Musical groups disestablished in 1965 Beat groups 1961 establishments in England 1965 disestablishments in England