Maybellenes

Line-up 

• Dave Garlick - Drums
• Margaret Garlick - Bass
• Tony Darlington - Rhythm guitar/vocals
• John Garlick - Guitar/vocals 
• Phil Wall - Keyboards
• Rod "the sax" Symons - Sax

We started in 1962 as the Aztecs.

At the end of 1963 the Aztecs folded and we joined what was left of The Maybellenes which was Dave Garlick on drums, Tony Darlington on rhythm guitar/vocals, myself Margaret Garlick on bass guitar/vocals and my husband John Garlick on guitar/vocals. We had keyboards for a short while with Phil Wall.

After a couple of years Phil and Tony left and Rod "the sax" Symons joined us!

This proved to be the most successful line up for about 4 or 5 years. Dave and Rod left due to business commitments. We got a drummer and carried on as a trio for about 6 years using various drummers.  

In 1986 we finished and re-formed in 1998 for our daughter's 21st, amazingly with the original line-up of Dave, Rod, John and Margaret. We decided to carry on but unfortunately for Dave and Rod it was just a one off! 

We are still playing 4 drummers later! (mmm wonder why?)

Our latest drummer Alistair who joined us temporarily in April 2004 is the best yet! John says when he feels he is just going through the motions he will pack it in!

Incidentally John is still playing his 1963 Gibson 345 through a 1969 Marshall 50 and I'm still playing my 1964 Gibson EBO through a 1970s Peavey Bass amp!

Margaret and John Garlick

The group was something of a family affair (apart from me, Tony.

John is married to Mag and Dave is John's brother. John & Dave's sister Hilary can be seen on the extreme left of the photo. She played bass with Dave on drums, me on guitar and another guitarist Alan Thom. Alan and Hilary dropped out and Dave and I joined John and Mag (who were the remnants of The Aztecs) to form the Maybellenes. The Aztecs' drummer, by the way, was Alan Thom's brother, Brian.

We played lots of local venues and some farther afield during the time I was with them (from 1964 to 1967), for example:

• The Manor Lounge
• The Town Hall, Stockport
• The Tabernacle Club, Stockport
• Rowntrees Sound
• Mr. Smith's
• The Bodega
• The Oasis
• Peppermint Lounge, Liverpool

We did lots of gigs in all the function suites at Belle Vue and appeared on a few occasions at Jim Savile's Top Ten Club which was held in the Elizabethan Suite. We also gigged in places as diverse as Buxton Pavilion and Warmingham Grange Country Club in Crewe.

Tony Darlington

I was the drummer from Summer 1973 to Summer 1974, with John and Margaret. A really professional couple. John was a fund of stories about the beat scene of the '60s! We played mostly at Belle Vue suites, for works Christmas dos. Because the venue was in so much demand, these were all the year round! We always got as many sandwiches as we could eat! I had a Premier kit. 

Andrew Todd 

We are still alive and playing occasionally. John's still playing his original Gibson 345 and I've now got a Gretsch Thunderjet played through a Mark Bass setup.

We would love a roadie though!

Margaret Garlick - 7/1/11 

Hi there. I recorded my mum and dad, John and Mag Garlick (Maybellenes) and their new drummer Graham on New Years Eve. It's only a short clip but great all the same.

Sarah Quinn - 7/1/11 

Hi Marg and John, don't forget us!. I had to have a look at the site, you both way too modest, :)

Mark and Gina - 15/5/12 

In around 1967 when I called time on my band (read my blog on Studio One Band starts, in arround 1967) I joined the Maybellenes.

Studio one was a very successful band but with the pressure of management and making things tick plus just getting married it became too much for me.

John David and Margret were all good friends of mine from an early age. As boys John and I would help their grandad with the horses.
As teens we would go to outdoor swimming pools and on Johns portable record player would play the likes of Chuck Berry,Little Richard,Fatts Walla etc. We were also on the same weight lifting team winning medals together.

So joining the Maybellenes was not only a pleasure but turned out to be the happiest and most successful 5 years of my musical career.  We played top venues and never failed to wow the audience.

Our manager Mr Garlick used to say one encore and that's it but we could have played all night. We enjoyed what we did and that always put the audience on our side. I always thought its not just about playing good music but sending the punters home saying wow what a night and we certainly did that.

We played the Bamboo Club Hazel Grove one night. Everybody used to dance to the DJ then walk off when the band came on, not returning until he came back. The Dj came off with a smirk on his face in a follow that attitude. We were having non of that and by the time he returned the dance floor was packed. John and Clive Beeley who owned The Bamboo and were good friends of mine said they were surprised by such good audience participation

Played one night at Warmingham Grange Country Club (Tony Stuart's place) - what a charaicter. Did a lot of gigs in Tonys clubs.
Played there with the Bogaloo band one night and they came in with attitude. We had arrived before them and were in the number one dressing room. They wanted us to move out and them move in. I told them to Boogaloo off. We played the first spot on stage and they were watching from the front, they were definitely Boogalood.

Played a concert at Platt Fields Manchester in front of a few thousand people (love big open air audiences). At the front I spotted my uncle George. I spoke to him afterwards and said ”I didn't know you were coming to see us”. "No" he said "I came to see the brass band. Ha Ha."

George was my fathers brother and he had four sisters also, they were all piano players and singers, one of my aunties was an opera singer.
When I got married my wife's family thought I had booked a choir for the occasion.

In 1998 we reformed. It was John and Mags daughters 21st party. Great night could have played all night.

The DJ came up to me afterwards to say how much he had enjoyed it and we looked like we had enjoyed it too.

I said of course we enjoyed ourselfs and that then becomes infectious to the audience.

My original drummer, guitarist/vocalist, Brian and Alan Thom from Studio One Band were there and when they came in we were playing Roxy Music (Bryan Ferry). They thought at first the DJ was playing.

We played a lot at Belle Vue. Mr Mason was the manager and Billy Butler had the resident dance band. We always got on well together. Shared the sandwiches together back stage. They always booked us well in advance as we had a very busy scedual.

Any one remember when we played motown music and some of the numbers I used my barritone sax. Anyway we were playing to a large audience and I put my tener sax down and then picked up my barritone. It didnt sound right so I turned it upside down at which point a load of wires fell out. We all nearley fell off the stage laughing and the audience got the funny side of it to. Amy Winehouse fetured barritone sax but not in the same way.

We never ever argued in the Maybellenes, we knew what we were about and got on with the job of producing good music and entertainment. It was never like work to us as we enjoyed it so much.

Now live in the South of France near St Tropez with my wife Maureen, plus one of my sons and his family. My other son and daughter live in the uk but pop over to us and skype us.

Still gig with my Selmer mark six tenor sax and have a Yamaha keyboard to write my songs with.

Nice living here and have good neighbours but miss family , friends and the Manchester music scene. Tried to get in touch with John and Mag but cant find their current details.Can anybody help?

I had a file of photos and memorabilia of all the bands and groups that I had played with but unfortunately they went missing in the removal (should have down loaded them on computer).
Anybody got any photos out there you can let me have?

I have six grand children and some of them are asking me for photos, I still have one photo which I enclose (in the gallery).

Hope I have not gone on too much but as you may have noticed I am very passionate about my music.
All my best wishes to anybody that knew me.

ps If you read this John, Mag or David please get in touch, love to hear from you.

Rod Symons. E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.