VARIOUS

 

This page is dedicated to the bands from Hartlepool and Teesside who were operating in the 1960's. If your band is not mentioned here and you'd like to be considered, send me an email with all the details.

I am sure many bands from the Hartlepool and Teesside area will remember the Rainbow Coffee Bar in Seaton Carew. The owner Ken Tyzack will always be remembered for the help he gave to many local groups. Ken's daughter, Anita, was kind enough to send this to us but who are they? Bob Ferry of Tony & The Meazzis says the guy second from the right does look like John Summerill who used to play with The Desperados. Please email us if you can help in indentifying the band members.

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?"

When we were putting together our page on The Globe Theatre, historian Barry Jones, from Stockton, came up with this photograph and wondered who they were? It appears it was taken outside the Bowes Moor Hotel one winter time. Any ideas please? Colin Draper, John Feldman and Nev Henderson believe the guy squatting may be Micky Peacock?

Another unknown band from Teesside or the surrounding area. Who might this be we ask? It came from the collection of Allen Rowland, former bass player with Derek and The Orbits. Tommy Harbron of The Zephyrs says it might be The Dominoes?

The advertisement, above, was in the Evening Gazette on 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.

A happy crowd of musicians and singers here - thanks to David Oliver for this gem from the past which shows Kathy Kirby at the Oak Leaf Night Club in Middlesbrough in 1964, The Addicts were the supporting group and they are, from left to right, Ray Day, their manager, David Oliver bass, Terry Davis, rhythm guitar, Kathy, Peter (Titch) Etherington lead guitar, Eric Newton drummer, John Etherington (ex-Hartlepool Ravons), centre kneeling, vocals. The two gentlemen on the right are unknown, although one is probably Kathy Kirby's manager.

The band Aquarius, from Hartlepool, outside the Wesley Church 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 jazz trio Back Door live on stage about 1969 at The Lion Inn, Blakey Ridge. It shows Colin Hodgkinson on bass and frontman, Tony Hicks on drums with Ron Aspery on tenor sax. This photograph was sent to us by Tom Ludley and came from Colin Hodgkinson' private collection. Colin still plays with The Spencer Davis Band. Tony, of course, served his time with Ron Aspery in the Eric Delaney Big Band. Ron Aspery was one of the best sax players in the country and, according to Ian Naisbitt, Tony was rated as the 7th best drummer in the world!

A bunch of guys having a good time here and enjoying a few drinks. This is a three-piece band called Blue Grass - and some of the members on the photo played in Denver Mule with Dave Coverdale. They are, left to right, Alan Todd (guitarist/bassist but not with this band, ex-Denver Mule), George Woodhouse , roadie; Mick Martin, guitarist and ex-Denver Mule), Terry Sidgwick on vocals/bass (ex- Crawdaddies, Real McCoy & Tramline), John Collins on drums (ex Denver-Mule) roadie Will Grimston (he went on to become Chris Rea’s Tour Manager and close associate), Steve Taylor a friend of the band and John Knight another roadie. Great memories here!

Blue Velvet at the Cenotaph, Albert Park, in Middlesbrough. This photograph, which was taken outside the Dorman's Museum, was sent to us by former Phantoms member, Tom Ludley. Both Tom and Dave Shearer have provided the names. From left to right they are Art McDermott on vocals, Mick Griffith on bass, Kevin Ryan on drums with the late Trevor Bullock on lead guitar. Dave believes that Kevin and his brother Desi, who was a Teesside Club keyboard player, were cousins (he thinks) to Marion Ryan the singer. Dave says: "The only one I never played alongside was Kevin - all the others I have. "I played a few years with both Trevor, in a very early Gypo set up, and also Mick in a band called Harvest." Interesting to see that the representative agent on this publicity card is Slim Miller from Middlesbrough.

The Cadillac Quartette at the Coatham Hotel, in Redcar with Frank Feeney, Gary Peckover, Brian Dixon and Brian Anderson.

The Cadillac Quartette was formed from The Condors, Chet West & The Stormers (for a brief period) then onto The Skyliners - finally Government. This photograph, taken in the downstairs coffee bar of the Coatham Hotel, in Redcar, shows Frank Feeney, Gary Peckover and Brian Dixon. Brian Anderson, the bassists, who is off photo on the second shot, actually made the bass himself. It was hand carved as a copy of the Fender Jazz bass, a really beautiful instrument.

The Clevelanders Skiffle Group taken about 1958 with Frank Feeney on guitar, George Barker on bass, Mick McGarell on vocals, Jeff Easton playing the tea-chest bass and Barry Grimwood on guitar.

This photograph of the Mike Davis Four came to us courtesy of Colin Burns. Mark Duffy, who used the stage name of Mark Quenton, was the guitarist and singer and is in the middle at the back. Two other names who are featured on our web site are Alec Geddes on the left and Ivan Thompson the bass player squaring up on the right. Both Alec and Ivan played with The Tempests and Ivan was also a member of The Delmonts. The guitarist getting all the stick in the middle is Jimmy Kennedy. This poster is from 1962 and the band were on the scene from 1960 to 1966. Mark later played in a band with three ladies who were called the The New Hi-lo`s or something similar.

Colin Dale and the Boston Movement were in existence from 1968 to around 1972 and the personnel was, left to right, Alan Todd (who sent us the photograph) on bass guitar, Mick Martin on guitar, Colin Dale on vocals and Ricky Strickland on drums. Later members were guitarist Chris Holden, and drummers Stuart Mott and Kevin Ryan. Alan says: "There were a couple of 'deps' on guitar, Neville Reed and, I can't be sure of this it was so long ago, Dave Burton, who went on to join Chris Rea and played on the Benny Santini album".

Colin, whose real name was Colin O'Roarty, died a few years ago and his son, Aaron, has created a web site on YouTube where you can hear him singing Danny Boy.

Alan says: "I remember that we did two separate weeks at the Fiesta Club as second billing! The first with Geno Washington as headline act and the second with a Tranvestite act! The resident band at the Fiesta was one of the best I had ever heard with Bob Peacock (keyboards) Jack Gibson (vocals) Graham Spring (drums) and Roy Babbington (bass) who eventually taught me to play bass properly and consequently I turn pro. Roy moved to London and was the resident bass player with the BBC Radio Orchestra. A fine player and I will always be grateful to him".

Another rare photograph for our collection - this is Denver Mule, with David Coverdale, dated 1968. The photograph shows, left to right, Alan Todd on guitar, John Collins on drums at the back, Dave Coverdale on vocals, Mick Martin on guitar and vocals - although no guitar in the picture - and Jeff Tisbury on bass. Thanks to John Taylor for this photograph.

This is certainly a very rare photograph. It's The Dogpatch Five - John McCoy's first band at the Red Island Holiday Camp, Dublin, in 1958. John McCoy, who's in the centre on the microphone and playing guitar, says: "I formed the band in 1956 at the Blackrock College in Dublin where I was at school between 1951-58. Bob Geldof was also there - many years later! It was probably the most mixed race band in Ireland, playing a mix of country blues, country and western, early rock 'n' roll, calypso, reggae and acapella spirituals. We split in 1958 and went our seperate ways. I met Luke Kelly and Dominic Behan and got into Irish folk music before returning to the Boro!"

The Dominoes, from Stillington, around 1964-ish with Dennis Horton on bass, Frank Feeney with a Guild Starfire guitar, Gloria Knowles on keyboards, Lol Story on vocals, John Snowball on drums and Brian Wills on rhythm guitar. Eric Whitehouse, ex-Blue Caps, says: "John Snowball often debbed with us when Mick Kemp was ill. "Kenny Potts took over from Frank. "I think Frank only played with them for about a year or 18 months".

Electric Plums

Another one from the past - the Electric Plums from Hartlepool. They are, left to right, Derek Collins on vocals, Dave Simon rhythm, Les Turner on bass, Kevin Irish at the back on drums with Terry Smith, lead guitar, at the front right. The photograph, from 1965/66, was taken in the workshop of the Town Hall Garage (where they practiced) in Raby Road. Linda Wilkinson also had a spell on vocals with the band with Jim Sculley on lead for a while.

The man with the guitars is Les Turner - a member of The Electric Plums or The Mariners? I have been told both bands in the 1960s.

The Fireballs - with George Harper on rhythm guitar, Bart Bardsley on vocals, Terry Russell on lead guitar, Malcolm Buckton on bass and Alan Richardson on drums.

Thanks to Paul Delplanque of the Evening Gazette's Remember When column for this photograph of The Five Amps. The band, from Redcar, are pictured from around 1964 at Dormanstown British Legion Club. We are still requesting more inf0rmation from the band but, so far, they haven't responded. We have a few more images of them, thanks to The Gazette, and enough to make a special feature page. Are you featured on the photograph? Drop us a line if you are and give us the names.

It's nice to see some of the 'old' musicians getting together to talk about their memories of the 60's. As part of a project being created on the History of Hartlepool by Derrick Rowbotham of Masspro, this photograph shows some of the old school with Alan Lindridge (ex-Trakkers, Rock-Avons, Toffees and Reaction Road Show) on the top along with Harry Bilton and John Hart of The Hartbeats. Stan Laundon of The Trakkers, Derek " Jo Jo" Thompson and Roly Thompson of The Hartbeats are on the bottom row.

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.

"Preparing To Sound Charitable Note" says this newspaper cutting about The Mariners. It came from the Northern Daily Mail dated Wednesday, October 23rd, 1963. It shows, in the front row, Geoff Donaghy and Jim Sculley who shared lead and rhythm guitars with Les Turner on bass. The drummer is Kevin Irish and, next to him on the right is Alan Bowles who played the bongos. Missing from the band photograph is singer Christine Amerigo. The Mariners played on Teesside between 1962 and 1964.

The lady in the dress is Evelyn Harrison who ran The Lonely Hearts Club in Hartlepool as well as running her own concert party by staging various charity shows. Thanks to Jim Sculley for providing this photograph.

This cutting came from the collection of John McCoy. It celebrated the opening of Mister McCoy's Club in Middlesbrough. As you can see, forthcoming acts included Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames, The Who, 'Little' Stevie Wonder as he was known back then, The Small Faces and The Hollies. Brain Swales, a regular visitor to our Bands' pages, tells me that the opening year was 1965.

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, Eric 'Jezz' Barker on bass and Norman Pattison, almost out of the picture, on drums. Eric has some wonderful memories about those 'good old days' he says: "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."

Derek & The Orbits with Charles Whyte on lead guitar, Joseph Whyte on rhythm, Allan Rowland on bass and Derek Smith on drums. Thanks to Allan Rowland for the use of this photograph. A recent reunion of this band in 2012 was covered by Hartlepool Mail.

Happy times in the 60's! Thanks to Hartlepool Mail's "Memory Lane" this photograph was sent to us of three happy girls at the Rainbow Coffee Bar in Seaton Carew, Hartlepool about 1963/64 time. They are Jean O'Connor, Pat Nicholson and Margaret Jeffries.

Our thanks to Ian Naisbitt for this one of The Raiders from Teesside with Ian on drums, Pete Mason on bass on the extreme left with Dick Hadfield, in the centre, on guitar and vocals. This dates to about 1965.

The Ravons pictured at the KD Club in Billingham in the 1960s. It came from the collection of Julian Rafferty, the nephew of Bob Thompson who played drums with the Phantoms. The line up on this picture is, from left to right, Brian Sewell on bass, Phil Wells on guitar, Robert "Bob” Thompson on drums and the late Brian Wheatley on lead guitar who died about 2008. The KD Club was the Kave Dwellers.

Founder member of The Ravons is Steve O'Boyle who played bass in the band and says: "I was a Buddy Holly nut which is where I got the name from. Brian Wheatley played lead (I remember when he got his Watkins Copycat), John Scaife on rhythm guitar and Dave Nicholas on drums. Our singer was John Etherington (Evers) and our first gig was St Mary's Youth Club in Norton for the princely sum of £5. In 1965 I left to go to college and, I believe, Les Bennett took my place. John Scaife left and was replaced by Phil Wells who is in this photo".

The Ravons above are not to be confused with a Hartlepool band of the same name (below) who also did the rounds in the 1960s.

The Ravons, from Hartlepool, with band members (left to right) Dave 'Griff' Griffiths on rhythm guitar and vocals, Dave Thomas on drums, Alan Webb the lead vocalist, Clive Gallagher on lead guitar and Derek Wallis on guitar. This photograph was taken at the Touchdown Hotel in West View Road. Note the Hi-Tec amplification system - also no bass guitar. Dave Griffiths, who sent us this photograph says: "Alan Webb is the brother of Marian - who was vocalist with the Comets. John Pontone being in the same band. Alan is now living in Australia, Dave Thomas lives in London. The last I heard about Shane was that he had moved to New Zealand but can't verify that unfortunately. Clive, Derek and myself are all still in Hartlepool.

This is Shane and The Ravons also at The Touchdown Hotel in Hartlepool. The line up here is Griff on bass guitar - a Rossetti Solid 7 - a "horrible beast" he says. Others on this photograph are Michael Hart, Derek Wallis on rhythm, Dave Thomas on Premier drums, Clive Gallagher on lead guitar (Vox Phantom-quite a punchy sound actually) and in front, of course, Shane doing his Elvis thing. Note the Selmer (Truvoice) amps - probably about 10 Watts each I would guess. The PA system was the pub's microphone set up. A far cry from the systems in use now - but fun days. Thanks to Dave Griffiths for the photographs and background information on the Hartlepool Ravons.

Three more items from this venue can be seen in the right hand column and our thanks to Colin Burns for the jazz club items on this page.

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

Soul Supply doing a live show at Whinney Banks Youth Club in December, 1967. Soul Supply member John Taylor tells me that Hartlepool's Carnaby Rags were top of the bill that night and Billy Collier (RIP) bassist with the Rags is on the left of the picture slapping the lips on an unknown female fan!

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 trumpeter Peter Whittet, is Barry McGurk, who later went on to become a member of the Toffees and Reaction. He now divides his time between Harperley, in County Durham, 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?

A cousin of Barry McGurk found this in a pile of his old photos. It's the The Starlighters - or Star Lights - from circa 1961-ish with Barry, aged about 14, playing the piano, Adrian Tilbrook on drums, Peter Whittet is the trumpeter with Leslie Davis the vocalist. Barry says: "Leslie, I was told many years ago, died when she was 19. Perhaps someone out there might know? Peter is in Hartlepool and, thanks to former Toffees and Trakkers member Alan Lindridge, we have been in touch after all these years".

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