The Swinging Blue Jeans

The group had its origins in 1957, when Bruce McCaskill formed a jazz-influenced skiffle sextet called the Bluegenes. Besides guitarist/vocalist McCaskill, the original line-up also included banjo player Tommy Hughes, washboard player Norman Kuhlke, and oil drum bass player Spud Ward. There were a number of early personnel changes, as guitarist Ralph Ellis joined the band and Ward was replaced by Les Braid. Johnny Carter and Paul Moss entered the band to replace Hughes and McCaskill. They were a fully working band by 1962, playing skiffle at venues in Liverpool and at the Star Club in Hamburg. The German audiences booed them off the stage, however, and the group rapidly changed direction and focus.^[5]

The band switched to rock and roll, and with a name change to reflect their attire, to the Swinging Blue Jeans. This earned the band, then a quintet featuring Ennis, Braid, Ellis, Kuhlke and Moss, a recording contract with HMV with record producer, Walter Ridley. The quintet's first recording, "It's Too Late Now", which was written by Ennis, made the British Top 30. After the departure of Moss, the band became a quartet. In December 1963, a cover of the song "Hippy Hippy Shake" took the band to number two on the UK chart and established them as stars.^[5]

They had a three-year spell of success, rising and falling with Merseybeat itself.^[5] The Swinging Blue Jeans had the standard Shadows line-up of two guitars, a bass guitar and drums and achieved local fame with their appearances at the Mardi Gras Club and the Cavern Club.

An album Blue Jeans a-Swinging was released in 1964 by HMV; a contemporaneous American LP composed of 45 and EP tracks, Hippy Hippy Shake included the released-in-the-US-only instrumental, "Wasting Time".

 

In early 1966, Terry Sylvester from The Escorts replaced Ellis, who had shared songwriting duties with Ray Ennis.^[5] The band drifted into a middle of the road direction which failed to bring them any success. In 1967, the band's producer Ridley decided to try and transform Ennis into a solo star, cutting the disc "Tremblin'" with session musicians and backing vocals by Madeline Bell and Kiki Dee, but it was ultimately released under the band's name. Also in that year the band went to a five piece unit with the introduction of another member from The Escorts, bass player Mike Gregory, with Braid moving on to keyboards. Sylvester left at the end of 1968 to replace Graham Nash in The Hollies.^[5] The band eventually retired to the cabaret circuit.^[5]

Early in 1999, Alan Lovell deputised for guitarist Colin Manley due to his deteriorating health. Manley died in April 1999 and Lovell became a permanent member of the band as lead guitarist/vocalist. When Les Braid died in 2005, Peter Oakman took over on bass guitar/vocals.

At the end of The Solid Silver Sixties tour in May 2010, Ray Ennis officially retired, announcing his retirement on radio and to the general public. During and prior to the tour, Ennis offered Lovell the opportunity to continue with the band under the name "The Swinging Blue Jeans". Initially Lovell declined but subsequently registered the trademark of the name "The Swinging Blue Jeans" without Ray Ennis's knowledge. Phil Thompson (drums) was unable to continue with band for personal reasons so, in June 2010, two new musicians joined, Graham Hollingworth (drums) and Jeff Bannister (keyboards/vocals).^{[citation needed]}

Ennis then decided to challenge Lovell for the ownership of the trademark but a Court decision ruled that Lovell had exclusive legal rights to the name. A subsequent appeal was lodged but was also dismissed. Meanwhile, Ennis came out of retirement to make occasional appearances with another band under the name "Ray Ennis's Blue Jeans". The Swinging Blue Jeans continue to perform today, with no original members, under the leadership of Lovell.^{[citation needed]}

• Alan Lovell (born 5 January 1952, Newtown, Wales) – guitar (1999–present)^[6]
• Jeff Bannister (born Jeffrey Bannister, 7 January 1943, Slough, Berkshire) – keyboards (2010–present)^[7]
• Graham Hollingworth – drums (2010–present)
• Roger Flavell – bass (2023–present)^[8]

• Bruce McCaskill^[9] (born Bruce Thomas McCaskill, 15 January 1940, Liverpool – died 24 December 1993, Los Angeles, California) – guitar, vocals (1957–1961)
• Tommy Hughes (born 7 May 1938 – died 21 September 2013^[10]) – banjo, vocals (1957–1959)
• Norman Kuhlke^[11] (born 17 June 1942) – drums (1957–1969)
• Spud Ward (born Albert James Ward, 2 November 1940, Walton, Liverpool) – bass (1957–1958)^[12]
• Kenneth Metcalf – lead vocals, guitar (1957)^[10]
• Arthur Griffiths – guitar (1957)^[13]
• Norman Houghton (born 18 September 1940, Liverpool) – washboard (1957)^[14]
• Jimmy Hudson – Double bass (1957–1958)^[15]
• Ray Ennis (born Raymond Vincent Ennis, 26 May 1940, Huyton, Liverpool) – lead vocals, guitar (1957 – 2010)^[16]
• Les Braid (born William Leslie Braid, 15 September 1937, West Derby Road, West Derby, Liverpool – died 31 July 2005, Fazakerley Hospital, Fazakerley, Liverpool) – bass (1957–2005), keyboards (1967–1972)^[17]
• Ralph Ellis (born 8 March 1942, Liverpool) – guitar (1958–1966)^[18]
• Paul Moss – banjo (1959–1963)^[19]
• John E. Carter (born 21 May 1938, Liverpool) – lead vocals, guitar (1959–1961)^[20]
• Terry Sylvester –(born 8 January 1946, Allerton, Liverpool) – guitar, vocals (1966–1969)^[21]
• Mike Gregory (born Michael Gregory, 7 November 1946, Liverpool Maternity Hospital, Liverpool – died 27 April 2023) – bass (1967–1972)^[22]
• Kenny Goodlass – drums (1968–1973)^[23][24]
• Michael Pynn – guitar, vocals (1972–1975)^[14]
• Hedley Vick^[25] (born 24 April 1952, Bromborough, Merseyside) – guitar (1975–1976)
• Colin Manley (born Colin William Manley, 16 April 1942, Old Swan, Liverpool – died 9 April 1999) – guitar, vocals (1977–1999)^[26]
• John Ryan (born 5 April 1953, Pinehurst Avenue, Liverpool) – drums (1980–1983)^[27]
• Phil Thompson (born 18 October 1947, Liverpool – died April 2018) – drums (1983–2010)^[28]
• Jim Rodford (born 7 July 1941, St Albans – died January 20, 2018) – bass (regular guest, 2005–2010)^[29]
• Pete Oakman (born Peter Andrew Oakman, 12 December 1943, Cuffley, Hertfordshire – died 29 September 2023, Greece) – bass (2005–2023)^[30]

• Hippy Hippy Shake (1964) – US no. 90^[31]
• Blue Jeans a'Swinging (1964)^[32] Hippy Hippy Shake (1964) [Capitol T 6069] Canada.
• Tutti Frutti (1964) [Regal SREG 1073] Export only issue of first album
• Live aus dem "Cascade Beat Club" in Köln (1965) [Electrola SME 83 927] Germany only
• Don't Make Me Over (1966) [Capitol T 6159] Canada only
• The Swinging Blue Jeans (1967) [MFP 1163] Reissue of first album
• Hippy Hippy Shake (1973) [Grand Prix, GP 10025] Swedish label; includes tracks not available in the UK
• Brand New and Faded (1974) [Dart, BULL 1001]
• Jump 'n' Jeans (1979) [Mace Records, ACE 001]
• Best of the Swinging Blue Jeans [NUT 15] Compilation album, 1963–67^[33]

• List of bands and artists from Merseyside
• List of performers on Top of the Pops
• List of British Invasion Artists

• Official website