VARIOUS BANDS

 

As the title of this page might suggest, this section is dedicated to other bands from Hartlepool, or Teesside, of which we have just one, or maybe two, photographs. Quite naturally, if you can help us find more, then a full webpage could well be provided for them - and thank you for supporting our nostalgia pages and enjoying the sights, and sounds, of the sixties! Once in a while we do have the odd query when we ask for the name of a band member. Most times we have an answer provided. However, we are stuck on this one. Who is this band above in their smart stage uniforms? What was the year and where is the venue? Colin Burns was kind enough to send this to us but has no idea who they are. Have you? Drop us a line if you can shed some light on this mystery group. Eric Whitehouse of the Blue Caps says: "The bass player is Pete Martin. "He used to work in Burdon's Music Shop in Yarm Lane, Stockton. "He ran the Otter Hotel, near Bishop Auckland and then bought another on the Firth of Forth in Scotland." Both Eric Whitehouse and Bart Bardsley believe that Terry Russell, in the centre, could well be the lead guitarist." It has also been pointed out to us that this four-piece band is actually a five-piece. There's a keyboard player on the extreme right and almost off picture. So, the big question now is what is the name of the band?"

 

Back in 1964, the Evening Gazette in Middlesbrough, had a 20-page souvenir supplement in their Saturday night edition on March 7th which was dedicated to the bands of that era. The headline read "Fabulous focus on your local beat groups - pages and pages of pics and personalities" and all for just 4d! Some of the photographs from that supplement are featured on this slide show. You can also read a little about the bands in question, and others from this era, in the right hand column.

This was an advertisement in the Evening Gazette on that very day - March 7th, 1964. Hamiltons Music Store is long gone, but the Town Hall is still there along with the wonderful old Empire Theatre next door which still has live shows.

The band Aquarius, from Hartlepool, outside the Wesley when it was still a place of worship in 1970. The photograph shows Eric Best, Brian Edmenson, Barry Baker, Dave Hogbin all holding Linda Hogbin who was soon to marry Brian Edmenson who later formed a duo called Linda and Brian.

The Kasterways - another 60's group from the area with Mike Packham on bass, Peter Barrass on drums and Bryan Tattersall on guitar. Peter says: "This was one of the first groups I was in - from 1964 to 1966. "The founder, lead guitarist and singer was Bryan Tattersall who, I understand, came from Kenya. "His Mother was a doctor practising in Durham where Bryan was studying at the time I joined the group. "Our Bass player was Mike Packham who came from Brighton but was working has an optician in Hartlepool at the time of us getting together. "This is were I started to first work comedy into an musical act and when I changed my name from Peter Barrass to Peter de Dee. "Well Peter Dee - the small de came years later. "After we split in 1966 Mike and I formed another group from 1966 to 1968. A comedy showband called The Ballads." Bryan Tattersall lost his battle against cancer in 1975 aged just 32.

The first publicity photograph of the musical comedy act, The Ballads, who were in operation during 1966 to 1968. They were formed by Peter Barrass and Mike Packham after the trio The Kasterways disbanded. They included lead singer Newton Leith, lead guitarist and singer John Hindmarsh, Mike Packham on bass guitar, Peter Barrass on drums with organist Joe Hall. Newton, John and Joe were all from Peterlee, Peter was from Hartlepool and Mike, although from Brighton, lived and worked in Hartlepool. Peter Barrass, of course, later went on to be the stand-up comedian Peter de Dee and is still very much entertaining.

Hartlepool band, Mint, taken in 1967 at the Marine Hotel, Seaton Carew. They are Graham Estill on bass, Barry Baker on drums, Keith Edwards on rhythm guitar and Brian Edmenson on lead guitar. The band Mint started about 1965/6 with Brierton School pals Keith Edwards - singer, rhythm guitar and songwriter - Brian Edmenson, lead and bass guitar, Barry Baker drums and Graham Estill on bass. They did all the usual venues around the town at this time such as the Catcote, Red Admiral and youth club dances as well as lots of gigs in the collieries. Graham Estill went on to join Barbara Tucker in Barbara and the Estelles. Brian Edmenson did a brief spell with George Hart in Reaction before going into 70's bands in the area and then subsequently with his wife, Linda, as a duo.

The Night Riders - Eric Boon, on the extreme left, sent this rare photograph to us from 1960. Taken at the Zetland Hotel, in Redcar, it shows Eric on rhythm guitar, Peter Dowson on lead, Mark Aynsley on vocals, Jess Barker on bass and Norman Pattison, almost out of the picture, on drums. Eric has some wonderful memories about those 'good old days': "I played with the Delmonts, for a short time, then I joined the Night Riders. "I often wonder where these guys, and the likes of Colin Draper and Ron Taylor, are now. "The Night Riders would play on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Zetland Hotel Redcar, and the Magnet Hotel, Grangetown with Frank Feeney's Skyliners. "We also did gigs at Redcar Pier Ballroom, the Queens Hotel in South Bank, the Linthorpe Assembly Rooms in Middlesbrough and Jack Marwood's Maison De Dance Ballroom Stockton. "It was the now defunct Watkins Copy Cat Tape Echo that gave all of our groups a new and exciting sound during the 60's. "These were great times and everyone had high hopes of making it big time. "Like many of the bands we did not make any money from playing, all of our equipment was on HP we would meet members of the various bands each Saturday in Hamilton's Music Store, together with our little blue books to pay our HP Instalments - I think mine was six pound a month. "I remember once being invited by Granville Leacy's Midnighters to do a gig for them at the Jack and Jill in Middlesbrough. "I think they had doubled booked this particular night. "The Nightriders played to a "full to the brim house", the audience got carried away started dancing on the tables and chairs, trouble erupted and internal damage was done - hence we were never invited back. "I eventually left the Night Riders through parent pressure to concentrate on education and a career. "It would be great to have all these bands together again for a Teesside reunion to share our memories."

The Redrays at Eston & California Club with Alan Prest, Macca Booth, John Prest, Ron Taylor and Dave Skelton. Three of these young lads - Ron, Macca and John - went on to become members of The Delmonts.

The Redrays with Macca Booth, John Prest, Dave Skelton, Alan Prest and Ron Taylor who were the Talent Contest Winners at Butlins in 1958.

Stockton band The Satellites, from the 1960's, featuring Peter Cuthbert on lead guitar, Frank Garvey on bass, Billy Jarrett on rhythm guitar and vocals with drummer Ronnie Moore at the front. Thanks to Billy Jarrett for the photograph.

The Jeff Smith Show Group, from Hartlepool, with Barry Baker, Eric Best, Brian Edmenson, Eric Leighton and Mike Gorman at the front kneeling. Jeff Smith is the lady in the centre who came to Hartlepool from the United States and set up and entertainments agency in the town's Stockton Road. The photograph was taken at a night club in Surtees Street between 1969-70. The Gemini perhaps?

One from the archives dating back to 1959 and shows The Starlighters Trio with Adrian Tilbrook, aged about 13, on drums. The young man in the centre of the photograph, next to the trumpeter, is Barry McGurk, who later went on to become a member of the Toffees and Reaction. He now divides his time between Clevedon, in Somerset, and South Africa. The Starlighters used to do all the charity shows for the lady on the right of this photograph, Evelyn Harrison, who also ran a Lonely Hearts Club in Hartlepool. The gentleman on the extreme left is Evelyn's husband Tommy. Who are the other people in this photograph? Drop us a line if you know.

Barry McGurk as he is today.

The band Gospel, from Hartlepool, featuring Audrey Jones on tambourine, Ian McClure on guitar, Richard Taylor on bass, Norman Watson is the drummer, Barry Picken on guitar and John Ainsley with the microphone. Gospel formed in 1964 and were based at Regent Street Baptist Church in old Hartlepool. As the name would suggest, they mainly performed at Church affiliated events and local youth clubs. They went their separate ways in 1968.

The man on the drums here is Vic Creed, from Stockton. For many years he was resident at the Fiesta and Tito's night clubs in the town and eventually went on to work for Val Doonican. Some time later he took up flying and was reported missing over the English channel after visiting France for a music show.

© Stan Laundon.com