In the 1960s, James Weaver was the lead guitarist for a Georgia garage rock band known as Red Beard & The Pirates. Like many young musicians during the British Invasion, the band aspired to record music and achieve fame. They went to Atlanta to record their original single, “Go On Leave,” paired with “Don’t Be A Loser,” under a small label called Gaye Records. The band pressed only 500 copies of their 45 RPM record, which they promoted themselves by sending it to radio stations in hopes of gaining airplay.
As time passed, the band members went their separate ways, and Weaver thought their record would fade into obscurity. However, in the decades that followed, “Go On Leave” was rediscovered by fans of obscure garage rock. The track was later included in various compilation albums, such as the famous garage rock series Back From The Grave by Crypt Records, Psychedelic States: Georgia in the Sixties from Gear Fab Records, and Keb Darge & Cut Chemist Present The Dark Side, which was released internationally by BBE Records. The biggest surprise came when “Go On Leave” was featured as the opening music for the film Main Street Meats.
Additionally, an original copy of the single has sold on eBay for as much as $2,450. Weaver, now 77 years old, continues to write and produce music and remains surprised by the continued interest in their record nearly 60 years later.
Did you ever play in a garage band during the 1960s or record a single? What was your experience with local bands whose records later became sought after?
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Reddit source: Reddit, shared by u//u/JamesWeaverStudios