The Palace Guards

A British Invasion-influenced garage band popular in the New Orleans region in the late '60s, the Palace Guards were formed in 1966 by singer Les Gray, drummer Frank Bua, bassist Richie Faber, and guitarists Glen Acombe and Jeff Miller. Their first single, "Better Things to Do" b/w "Sorry," was released that same year on Frank Udoe's local U-DOE Records imprint and both sides of the single became popular on local radio stations, leading to four more singles with the label. Ray Morant on piano and organ and Doug Davis on 12-string guitar were added to the group in 1967, fleshing out the sound and giving it a more soulful edge, although the group always maintained a kind of Byrdsian jangle. Faber and Acombe left the band a year later in 1968 and the Palace Guards worked with a lineup of Bua, Morant, Miller, and new bassist Bobby Fonseca until finally calling it quits in 1970. Gear Fab Records released the group's entire recorded output, including both sides of all five singles and additional unreleased and alternate tracks, as the single disc Complete Recordings in 2007. ~ Steve Leggett