Original Promo “ I FELL IN LOVE / THROW YOUR LOVE AWAY GIRL ” THE UNDERTAKERS

$

776

Once, in a lifetime opportunity to own an original Promotional 45 hit single by the British Rock Band “The Undertakers” . Plug Side “I Fell In Love” (for the very first time).

Flip Side “ Throw Your Live Away Girl”.

This 45 is in excellent condition. Just a very few tiny faint scratches. Radio station original copy. There is no known copy of this promo 45 single for sale on the internet. No Reserve.

* SPEED 45 RPM

* RECORD SIZE 7”

* RECORD LABEL Black Watch 5546

* ARTISTThe Undertakers

* RECORD GRADING Ex. Con.

* COUNTRY/REGION OF MANUFACTUREUnited States

* LANGUAGEEnglish

* SLEEVE GRADINGgeneric

* GENRER&R

* STYLE Florida Garage Rock

* EDITION Promo

The Undertakers were one of the hardest-rocking Liverpool groups, although they were handicapped by the lack of songwriting ambition that hampered most Merseybeats outfits.

More than any of the other Merseyside bands, they opted for hard R&B and soul material in the Ray Charles/James Brown mould, employing a saxophonist as well as the usual guitar/bass/drums line-up.

No notable commercial success awaited them on either side of the Atlantic, although they managed to record nearly half a dozen singles before breaking up in the mid-60s.

On the evidence of their energetic 45s, they were most likely an excellent club band, and on record at least, they were better than the other Liverpool band that was noted for pursuing a tougher, blacker sound than the usual Mersey groups - The Big Three

But they didn’t have the originality to compete either with the early British invasion groups that wrote their own material, or the more ferocious and imaginative R&B bands based in London.

Whatever press they got in the United States was due to their publicity stunts of dressing up in real undertaker costumes, and after three singles (including a raving version of Solomon Burke’s Stupidity) The Undertakers decided that their name – and the coffin they carried on stage with them at every performance – might be harming their image.

So they streamlined themselves to The Takers . . . and were promptly allowed on the telly, appearing on Thank your lucky stars in September 1964. A drama teacher was recruited to teach them to smile – something not required in their previous incarnation.

The final chapter of The Undertakers’ story was a strange one. After letting their Pye deal lapse, they went to America at the behest of a promoter looking for British bands to work in the States (Pete Best’s group was taken in by the same offer).

Unable to play in the US because of visa problems (although they did perform in Canada), The Undertakers spent much of their American visit working in New York City studios.

One very rare US-only single emerged from this period on a tiny label. As it happened, it was their most impressive one, presenting the first Jackie Lomax original to make it onto record (Throw Your Love Away Girl).

The Undertakers dissolved at the end of 1965. Jackie Lomax went on to make an album for Apple in the late ’60s with George Harrison producing.

Jimmy McManus

Vocals

Chris Huston

Guitar

Geoff Nugent

Guitar, vocals

Jackie Lomax

Bass, vocals

Bugs Pemberton

Drums

Brian ‘Boots’ Jones

Saxophone, vocals

Dave ‘Mushy’ Cooper

Bass

Bob Evans

Drums

JACKIE LOMAX says '… our guitarist, Chris Huston, answered an ad in a magazine, and coincidentally so did Pete Best. The promoter was Bob Harvey, whose idea was, he'd get Pete Best over there, promote him as the ex-Beatle suing for $8 million, and make a fortune. He didn't care about us. He put us up in a sleazy motel for a couple of weeks, and then we ended up sleeping in a recording studio, fighting for the desk to get away from the cockroaches! We did a lot of sessions there (as hired hands), but I don't remember who most of them were for. There was no plan for an album, it was us just looking for something to do - why not record all those tunes that we liked by the Miracles, Shirelles etc, that were part of the Liverpool scene. Eventually Harvey abandoned us after a gig in Ontario, Canada, saying "I've got no more money, you're on your own". I think the Undertakers really split up when Brian went home that Christmas of '65. He was sick with bronchitis and was missing his mum…'

Before they split up though, they released one single in America on the Black Watch label, I Fell In Love / Throw Your Love Away Girl, which featured, as a B-side, the first appearance of a Jackie Lomax composition. The rest of the recordings would have to wait thirty years to see the light of day.

Although Beatles fans will most likely remember Lomax for recording a George Harrison-penned track called "Sour Milk Sea" in 1968, Lomax originally rose to prominence as a member of a Merseybeat group called the Undertakers in the early ’60s.

That band's success led to their quickly acquiring the services of Beatles manager Brian Epstein, which eventually led to a friendship with the Beatles and a recording contract with their label, Apple Records.

In 1969, Lomax released a highly regarded solo album, Is This What You Want?, on Apple. It was produced by Harrison and featured contributions by Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton. However, despite its impressive guest list, the album didn't make it past No. 145 on the Billboard album chart.

I had to relist this because I only had US shipping but I wanted to ship internationally .

So I want bidders to know that this item is ow available to international bidders and I will ship it worldwide