Reverberations

Reverberations: The Pallbearers

By Stoney ⋅ March 5, 2009 ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

(l-r) Lewis Jones, George Croft, Rudy Wilkes, Jimmy Maples, Jack Graves, Steve Allen

Augusta Music History 201: Reverberations

The Pallbearers

1966 – 1971

With rare exception, it can easily be concluded that the average Augusta band life span lies somewhere between 2 – 5 years which arguably is on par with bands found in just about every nook and cranny of the United States. While some stand as merely a minor footnote, others have managed to stomp a piece of themselves into the fabric of local music history.

One such group was sixties rock band The Pallbearers.

Formed in 1966 by veteran singers George Croft and Lewis Jones, The Pallbearers immediately took off running and didn’t slow down until the Hearst was finally put to rest in 1971. From good rocking boys to major label band to eventual UK cultural icons, The Pallbearers were to real life what The Wonders were to cinema in the movie “That thing You Do”, but for longer.

“The first gig was at the Army Navy club out on Peach Orchard Road past the old Wise Drive-In,” said original drummer Steve Allen during an interview at downtown hangout Metro A Coffeehouse & Pub. “We put somebody at the door to collect a buck a head but no one came through the door because they had a big rollup door between the bar and the dancehall so they rolled up that door and everybody just played pool and listened to the band without paying any money. But we got free beer because the tap broke and they couldn’t shut it off.”

Through some of the Croft’s contacts the fledgling band jumped immediately into a weekly Wednesday night gig at the Shamrock, where the Silver Bullet Lounge is currently located on Milledgeville Road. In between gigs also included appearances at Teen Town and High School proms before the band found their way onto the college circuit.

“That was where the good money was,” said Allen. “One of the frats had a list of good party bands and we managed to work ourselves to the top of that list. We got top draw. $1,200 was nothing for us for a frat party.

From there, with the help of a North Carolina booking agent, the group spread out to play clubs in Myrtle Beach and Greenville before deciding to venture into original music starting with the song “Music With Soul” written by Roy Smith.

“We recorded the song that Roy wrote for us,” said Allen. “The funny thing about that song was we didn’t even have a flip side for it and we already had the studio booked in Atlanta. We looked in the studio catalog and found Love Is a Many Splendored Thing for twenty bucks.”

Working from midnight until five in the morning (the only time slot they could afford) the band financed the recording and pressing of their first 45 with one purpose in mind-to get signed to a recording contract. Armed with 500 copies the group set about selling copies at area stores and shortly after enjoyed the thrill of getting played on then top Augusta radio station WBBQ.

“When we heard it on WBBQ my God, that was like Heaven,” said Allen. “There was a great thrill there but the reality was it was business too. We sent it off to every record company we could think of and we got picked up by Mercury on a very tentative contract.”

That contract in 1967 called for six songs spread over three 45” singles, the first of which would be a remixed and remastered version of the bands original self-produced record. The second single, financed by the label and recorded at the same Atlanta studio as the band’s first release, contained the band’s first self-penned original “Get Fired Up” backed by another Smith composition.

Following the second Fontana release tensions started to creep in with the band even splitting to cover overbooked shows on the same day, one in McCormick, South Carolina, the other in Massillon, Ohio. The Ohio trip would be the determining factor in Allen leaving the band in 1968.

“I got drafted in 1968,” said Allen. “The reason I got drafted is because I dropped out of college and I lost my deferment in order to go to Ohio. By June I was in the service.”

Shortly after Allen being drafted the bands second single was played on American Bandstand but sadly the record label showed no interest in a third release. Jones would soon leave the band and by the time Allen returned from Germany three years later, The Pallbearers were no more.

Allen would find out in 1973 that “Music With Soul”, a record never released outside of the United States, had become a huge hit with deejays in many all-nighters in Great Britain.

Croft continues to perform hits from the band’s heyday and is occasionally joined by Allen who most recently was a member of Augusta country act the Dew Hickies. Allen recently joined area band 48Volt as a percussionist joining his son, drummer Brian Allen.

“Lewis is till kicking around town,” said Allen. “Art Benton lives in Charleston. I had kept in touch with Jimmy by email for a while about one odd project or another but lost track of him. Jack’s till around of course. That’s Joe Graves’ (singer for Joe Graves and The Dirty left Hand) uncle.”

Sadly, Rudy Wilkes passed away in a house fire in mid-90’s.

Band Members:

Jimmy Maples – Bass

Rudy Wilkes – Guitar

George Croft – Singer

Lewis Jones – Singer

Steve Allen – Drums

Jack Graves – Keyboards 1966 – 1967

Art Benton – Keyboards 1967 – 1971

This articles can also be found in the March issue of Verge at downtown Augusta businesses.