The Southlanders

{{Short description|Jamaican British vocal group}}

{{More citations needed|date=January 2011}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = The Southlanders

| image = 40-jarig bestaan NCRV gevierd in Irenehal te Utrecht, The Southlanders tijdens o, Bestanddeelnr 917-1265.jpg

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| alt = See caption

| caption = The Southlanders performing in Utrecht, Netherlands in 1964

| alias = The Caribbeans, The Southerners, The South Londoners

| origin = London, England

| genre = rhythm and blues, calypso, doo-wop

| years_active = {{Start date|1950}} – c. {{End date|2004}}

| label = Decca Records

| associated_acts =

| website =

| current_members =

| past_members = * Vernon Nesbeth (d. 2017)

• Frank Mannah (d. 1991)
• Harold (Harry) Wilmot (d. 1961)
• Allan Wilmot (d. 2021)

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}}

The Southlanders was a Jamaican and British vocal group{{cite book|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|last=Roberts|first=David|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|year=2006|isbn=1-904994-10-5|edition=19th|location=London|page=517}} formed in 1950 by Edric Connor and Vernon Nesbeth.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nl9iCQAAQBAJ&q=the+southlanders+frank+mannah&pg=PA152|first=Craig Martin |last=Gibbs|title=Calypso and Other Music of Trinidad, 1912–1962: An Annotated Discography|date=27 April 2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476619316|language=en}}

Nesbeth had received singing lessons from Connor, and when the latter decided to record an album of Jamaican songs, he asked Nesbeth to assemble a vocal backing group. Besides Nesbeth, other members of the group were Frank Mannah, and brothers Harold (Harry) and Allan Wilmot. Songs from Jamaica (Argo RG33) was released in 1954 with the group credited as "The Caribbeans". Connor persuaded the group to appear with him in cabaret in London's Celebrity Restaurant to promote the album.[https://folkcatalogue.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/songs-from-jamaica-edric-connor-with-the-caribbeans/ Notes, "(1954) Edric Connor and the Caribbeans – Songs from Jamaica"], Folkcatalogue.wordpress.com

During the following year, the group was briefly known as "The South Londoners" and "The Southerners", but when they made their second recording providing harmony vocals to Connor on Songs from Trinidad (1955, Argo RG57), the group had settled on the name The Southlanders. They later recorded a third album with Connor.[https://folkcatalogue.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/songs-from-trinidad-edric-connor-and-the-southlanders/ Notes, "(1955) Edric Connor and the Southlanders – Songs from Trinidad"], Folkcatalogue.wordpress.com

The group's biggest commercial hit, and its only appearance in the UK Singles Chart, was their 1957 cover version of "Alone", which sold more than one million copies. "Alone", released by Decca Records, entered the Chart on 22 November 1957 and spent 10 weeks in the chart, peaking at number 17 on 28 November.[http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/5434/southlanders/ The Southlanders], Officialcharts.com

The group's final single, "Imitation of Love", was released in 1961.{{cite web|url=http://doo-wop.blogg.org/southlanders-c26504464/|title=The Southlanders|website=Doo-wop.blogg.org|date=23 December 2010|access-date=10 November 2017}}

The song the group is most identified with is "I am a Mole and I Live in a Hole" (also known as "Mole", "The Mole" and "The Mole in a Hole"). The title line from the song was spoken by the group's bass voice Harry Wilmot, father of Gary Wilmot.{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1997|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0149-X|pages=417–418}} Harry Wilmot died in 1961, when his son was six years old. The song failed to make the UK Singles Chart in 1958, but has been performed at every Southlanders' event since its release. Group founder Vernon Nesbeth said that the group tried to take the song out of their set but that club managers and audiences insisted upon hearing it. "It's become protected. Untouchable. We've even sung it in Japanese," said Nesbeth.

When its profile began to wane, the group performed in cabaret on cruise ships and in hotels until it disbanded. Nesbeth semi-retired in January 2004 to reside in Spain; he died on 6 March 2017 in Torrevieja.{{cite web|url=https://www.rtnnewspaper.com/2017/03/death-of-vernon-nesbeth/|title=Death of Vernon Nesbeth|last=Nicol|first=Keith|date=7 March 2017|publisher=EWN Media Group|access-date=10 November 2017}} Allan Wilmot retired and resided in South London.{{cite AV media notes|title=1957 British Hit Parade — Part 2: July–December|others=various artists|year= 2011|first= Bob|last = Fisher|author2=Theo Morgan|type= booklet|publisher= Acrobat Music|id = ACQCD7025|location=UK}} He died on 20 October 2021, at the age of 96.{{cite web|url=https://windrushfoundation.com/featured/allan-charles-wilmot-1925-2021/ |title=Allan Charles Wilmot (1925–2021)|publisher=The Windrush Foundation|access-date=22 October 2021}}[https://editionbhm.com/2021/10/26/war-hero-allan-wilmots-story/ War Hero Allan Wilmot's Story – A Tribute]{{Cite web|last=Wadsworth|first=Marc|date=2021-11-08|title=Allan Wilmot obituary|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/08/allan-wilmot-obituary|access-date=2021-11-12|website=the Guardian|language=en}}