The Statesmen

The Statesmen were a five piece Manchester area band from the early sixties, who worked the UK and Manchester Club curcuit.

Headlining in all the major venues, managed by club owner Roy "Garrick" Jackson who fancied his chances as a song writer by writing strange and unappealing songs, Roy set up the recordings with Decca at Abbey Road studios and set up an appearance on 'Juke Box Jury' where they played the B side, recorded in one unrehearsed take instead of his perceived masterpiece.

It was the biggest flop ever with the panel.

The Statesmen moved on from Roy Garrick Jackson to Brian Epstein and began work throughout the Liverpool circuit of clubs and ballrooms including the Cavern and 3, 4 week residencies at the STAR CLUB in Hamburg working with American headliners Bill Haley and the Comets, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Brenda Lee, and the soon to be famous Liverpool stable of bands including The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers, King Size Taylor and the Dominoes, Tony Sheridan etc...etc...

All the stories about life in Hamburg at the Star Club and the Top Ten Club are true and gave the grounding to the new era of music that followed the early sixties activity led by young bands and musicians from the North West who were to become world famous.

Unfortunately this ultimate success by-passed the Statesmen who continued to work throughout the sixties, seventies and very early eighties as a showband.

The Statesmen appeared on 'Scene at Six Thirty,' the Granada early evening show the week before the Beatles first TV appearance, which lead to several live appearances on various magazine and variety TV shows.

Brian Epstein did not take up his option to continue with the band due to differences about the future direction of the band, drummer Dennis Halls and guitarist Alan Dyke left the band in the mid sixties which reformed as the ShowBandits working throughout the UK and Europe until finally disbanding in the early eighties having enjoyed a 20 year career with masses of memories and stories based on life in the clubs, pubs, ballrooms, theatres, studios, digs, hotels, vans, trains and boats and planes associated with a life on the road.

Dennis Halls

Discography

45s: 

• Look Around/I'm Wondering  (Decca F11687) 1963
• I've Just Fallen In Love/It's All Happening (Fontana  TF 432) 1964