The Undertakers

Possessing several clear advantages, the Undertakers ranked among the more formidable acts on the Liverpool scene, given Wallasey's position directly across the Mersey, the Beatles' admiration for them, a deal with a prominent British label, and even the chance to issue a single plus perform stateside, though under far from ideal conditions. Jackie Lomax, widely regarded as one of England's finest white soul vocalists, belonged to their ranks. Yet the band navigated persistent setbacks, registering only a single British chart entry before fading from view in 1966.

Formed in 1961 after two leading Wallasey outfits dissolved, the group and Dee & the Dynamites emerged from the split. The Undertakers' founding members included Bob Evans on drums, Chris Huston handling lead guitar, Geoff Nugent on rhythm guitar, Brian Jones (distinct from the Rolling Stone) on saxophone, Dave "Mushy" Cooper on bass, and Jimmy McManus as vocalist. Evans exited late that year, succeeded by Bugs Pemberton from Dee & the Dynamites; Cooper joined Faron's Flamingos in January 1962, prompting Jackie Lomax's arrival despite his complete lack of bass experience, which led to an instrument being placed in his hands immediately. Within months McManus, notorious for confronting audience members, was phased out, allowing Lomax to assume lead vocals.

The band cultivated a devoted local audience in Wallasey and Liverpool through Lomax's exceptional voice and their willingness to tackle ambitious big-band-style R&B alongside standard obscure American rock & roll numbers, bolstered by Jones's saxophone at a time when few Merseybeat outfits featured the horn. Rejecting Brian Epstein's management overtures, they instead aligned with Ralph Webster, whose venue ties guaranteed steady bookings. Their summer 1962 Star Club residency in Hamburg exposed them directly to Ray Charles and Little Richard, sharpening their performances. By spring 1963 a Pye Records contract followed, capturing the most commercial elements of their live repertoire.

The debut single "(Do The) Mashed Potatoes" backed with "Everybody Loves a Lover" failed commercially, as did "What About Us" paired with "Money," though the latter ranked among the era's most potent British beat covers, matching the Beatles' version in intensity. Their third release, "Just a Little Bit" b/w "Stupidity," reached the Top 20 in England during summer 1964. The saxophone and favored pounding rhythm lent a faint resemblance to the Dave Clark Five, yet Jones proved more expressive, the lead guitar added textural depth, and Lomax delivered charismatic soul singing that positioned him as the Mersey-side counterpart to Eric Burdon, if not superior.

Despite that breakthrough, tensions with Pye persisted. The label supplied favorable financial terms and assigned Tony Hatch, producer for Petula Clark and the Searchers, but the band clashed with him over creative direction; their contractual right to choose material allowed them to sidestep his input until relations collapsed by late 1964, leaving them without a deal until the next year ushered in their most unusual phase. While performing on the continent they answered an advertisement offering American work for a British act. Reduced to a quartet after rhythm guitarist Geoff Nugent's departure, they headed to New York, signing with entrepreneur Bob Harvey, who simultaneously contracted ex-Beatles drummer Pete Best. Harvey prioritized Best's more marketable ex-Beatle status for prime engagements, forcing the Undertakers to stretch visa limits while playing low-paying shows across America and Canada; financial strain eventually required them to sleep in the midtown Manhattan studio where they worked with producer-arranger Bob Gallo.

One single, "I Fell in Love" penned by Bob Bateman, saw release. Between gigs they contributed to a Gallo-produced track credited to the "You-Know-Who-Group," which later surfaced as an unofficial British Invasion artifact. Alongside members of the Pete Best Combo, who faced comparable neglect except for Best himself, the Undertakers completed a full album in the studio that remained unreleased until 1995. They severed ties with Harvey once funds dried up. Brian Jones returned to England, Chris Huston joined the Young Rascals, and Bugs Pemberton became the resident Englishman in the New York-based Mersey Lads before reuniting with Lomax in the Lost Souls. Spotted by Brian Epstein while based in New York, the latter group recorded an unreleased Columbia album whose momentum ended with Epstein's death in summer 1967; a year later admirer George Harrison signed Lomax to Apple.

Though the band issued no album during its existence and charted only a handful of singles, the Undertakers retain warm regard in England, particularly around Liverpool. In 1995 Big Beat Records released a CD compiling their recordings, among them the long-unheard American album.