The Mars Bars

[Rhw66]

Which well known British group were once known as the Mars Bars?

[andy hughes]

The Merseybeat legends Gerry And The Pacemakers began their career as a skiffle band in the late 1950s, called The Mars Bars. Rumour has it that the band were attempting to gain sponsorhip from the famous confectioners. That is probably the sort of myth that surrounds any band with a history behind it - the notion of corporate sponsorship was probably unkown in those days, and the necessary legal and managerial clout required to set up such a deal would have been well beyond the means of a Mersey beat group at that time. What is certain is that the company that owned the copyright to the Mars Bar name was less than impressed with the band's choice of label, and a solicitor's letter was swiftly dispatched northwards demanding that the group drop the name forthwith. They did - and the rest as they say, is history.