P.B. & the Staunchmen cut this rare 45 on Lee, the same label as the Ascendors “I Won’t Be Home” in 1966. The label was located out of Hornell, New York, 40 miles south of Rochester but the band was from Dansville, another 20 miles south/southeast.

P.B. is Paul Beecher, credited along with the Staunchmen for writing both sides of the 45. Members were:

Paul Beecher – lead vocals
Doug Smith – sax
Paul Nagle – lead guitar
Barry McLean – rhythm guitar
Eric Young – organ
Don Cox – rhythm and bass guitar
George Harvey – drums

“Mean Willy” is a driving track with some wild guitar breaks and screams between repetitive lyrics and droning saxophone.

All the girls they can’t sympathize,
They know that he goes around telling ’em lies,
When he looks into their big brown eyes.

The flip, “Lost Generation”, sounds like it has roots in “Eve of Destruction” (though it actually came out earlier – see Don Cox’s comment below). The lyrics are defeatist and downright depressing, if I am reading them right:

This poor war is here to say,
There’s nothing you can do to keep it away,
My brother’s dead, there’s no denying,
This lost generation has me cryin’.
‘Cause it’s lost, this generation, it’s gone away,
It’s lost no matter what you say.

The kids are turnin’, their cards are burnin’,
Trying to escape this war,
The game they’ve lost and now they’ve found,
It doesn’t matter anymore.

Thanks to Don Cox for the lyric correction. Band photos courtesy of George Harvey, and Don Cox (top photo).

If anyone has more photos of the group, please contact me.