The Undertakers (band)

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The Undertakers are a British beat group from Liverpool who helped shape the Merseybeat sound in the early 1960s. They began as Bob Evans and the Five Shillings and, after a few lineup changes and a name change prompted by a newspaper mistake, became The Undertakers.

They built a strong live following in Liverpool, helped by Lomax’s singing, the band’s amplified sound, and the use of a saxophone, which let them play a wider range of rhythm and blues material. They even performed in Hamburg in 1962.

The Undertakers signed with Pye Records, with Tony Hatch producing. Their records didn’t become big hits, but their third single, “Just a Little Bit,” reached the UK Top 50 for one week in April 1964 and was later covered by Slade and Rory Gallagher.

In 1965 they toured the United States and then split up. Some members stayed in the US to pursue music careers. Their saxophonist Brian Jones became a respected session musician (not to be confused with the Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones). The band later reappeared in various forms, with Geoff Nugent leading later versions as the New Undertakers. Lineups changed over the years.

Jackie Lomax died in 2013, Bugs Pemberton died in 2013, and Geoff Nugent died in 2014. In 2018 Brian Jones published a book about his experiences in the music industry. The Undertakers are remembered as one of the early Liverpool groups that helped popularize Merseybeat.