#22: Dig A Hole by the Hans Staymer Band

City: Kingston, ON
Radio Station: CKLC
Peak Month: July 1972
Peak Position in Kingston ~ #7
Peak position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “Dig A Hole”

Hans Stamer was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1938. He discovered jazz, blues and the music of Django Reinhart in 1955, which inspired him to play guitar. In 1957, Stamer heard Louis Armstrong while on tour in Europe. He studied the craft of goldsmithing from 1957 to 1962, –a trade he still practices today—before moving to Edmonton. In 1964 he formed a blues band that eventually became The Famous Last Words. They toured the Canadian prairies until they split up in 1967. Stamer formed The Mighty Preachers in Edmonton later in 1967. He moved to British Columbia in 1968 and formed a jazz band called Django. As his name was often mispronounced, he added a “y” to his surname, becoming Hans Staymer.

In 1971, he formed The Hans Staymer Band and released a self-titled album, The Hans Staymer Band, in 1972. In addition to Staymer on harmonica and lead vocals, the band consisted of Robbie King on piano and organ, Eddie Patterson on lead guitar, Paul Burton on drums and percussion, and Wayne Kozak on saxophone. Eddie Patterson was born In 1968, he was part of a band called Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers. They had a double-sided hit titled “Does Your Mother Know About Me”/”Fading Away”. In 1969, Patterson was part of a Vancouver band called Trilogy. From 1970 to 1971, he was in a band called Brahman.

Before he joined the Hans Staymer Band, Paul Burton was a member of a Calgary band called The Adanac Reply. They released a single in 1966. In the late ’60s, Burton moved to the west coast to join the Vancouver psychedelic rock band Spring before joining the Hans Staymer Band. Wayne Kozak was born in North Cowichan, British Columbia.

Robbie King was born in Malartic, Quebec, in 1947. He joined Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers in 1968 after leaving his first band, The Good Shepherds. He also toured with The Supremes. He founded Brahman in 1970.

The Hans Staymer Band released the single “Dig A Hole” from their debut album.

In the song, written by Hans Staymer, he instructs: “Dig a hole, drop the Devil in…. never let him out again.”

“Dig A Hole” peaked at #7 in Kingston (ON) and #10 in Summerside (PEI).

After playing with the Hans Staymer Band, Wayne Kozak was a studio musician on recordings by Denise McCann, Loverboy, Ann Mortifee, folk singer Rick Scott, and others. He became a member of Powder Blues who had a 1983 hit in Canada titled “Thirsty Ears”. In the summer of 2019, Wayne Kozak was performing on saxophone as part of the jazz-blues band Birds of Fire, at 39 Days of July in Duncan, British Columbia.

Paul Burton concurrently was a member of Calgary bands Cheyenne Winter and Painter. In the early 90s, he was part of a band called The Unusuals.

Ed Patterson appeared playing guitar on studio recordings with Tom Northcott, The Hometown Band, Nigel Olsson, Danny Peck, Albert & Gage and on Denise McCann’s hit single in Vancouver titled “Tattoo Man“. Patterson has won a Juno Award and taught guitar, bass and ukulele.

Concurrent to his work with the Hans Staymer Band, Robbie King founded the Vancouver band Skylark. In 1973, they had an international Top Ten hit titled “Wildflower”. He also did session work with The Incredible Bongo Band. From 1980 to 2000, King was a member of the Cal Batchelor Band. In addition, he was with the Terry Edmunds Band from 1985–2003. Robbie King died of throat cancer in 2003 at the age of 56.

After the Hans Staymer Band dissolved in 1975, once RCA lost interest in the band. For the next ten years Stamer played with the R&B All Stars, as well as working as a goldsmith. In 1995, Hans Stamer founded The Hans Stamer Band (dropping the “y” from his 1970s band). They released a Live Blues album in 2011. In 1997, Hans teamed up with Andreas Schuld to form an acoustic blues duo Schuld & Stamer. In 1998, Mr. Stamer earned a Juno nomination with Bill Bourne and Andreas Schuld for best blues album for No Special Rider.

Staymer has performed with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, John Lee Hooker, Kenny Blues Boss Wayne and Long John Baldry, and many others. In 2015, he was inducted into the Edmonton Blues Hall of Fame. Hans Stamer was featured in a Globe & Mail article in 2011. The Vancouver man makes bracelets and brooches, engagement rings and wedding rings. “A lot of times when I finish a piece and it is handed to the lady who is getting married to the gentleman, I get a big hug,” he said.

Hans Stamer died in May 2024 at the age of 85.

December 6, 2024
Ray McGinnis

References:
“Hans Stamer,” Edmonton Blues Hall of Fame, 2015.
Tom Hawthorn, “Goldsmith’s voice remains untarnished,” Globe & Mail, November 30, 2011.
“Robbie King: B.C. Musician Helped Create Motown Sound,” Obituaries, Times-Colonist, Victoria, BC, October 22, 2003.
Ed Patterson – Music Lessons Burlington, Long & McQuade, Burlington, Ontario.
“The Chicken“, Birds of Fire, 39 Days of July, Duncan, British Columbia, July 6, 2019. (with Wayne Kozak on saxophone).
“R.I.P. Hans Staymer (1938-2024),” Code Blue, CITR 101.9 FM, Vancouver, June 1, 2024.

CKLC 1380-AM Kingston (ON) Top Ten | December 9, 1972