The Blue Caps a local pop and rock n roll group from the 60s. Photograph courtesy of Eric Whitehouse. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
The Blue Caps a local pop and rock n roll group from the 60s. Photograph courtesy of Eric Whitehouse.
I was good friends with Les Bennett in out teens. Went to where ever they played. Les was a good base guitarist and double base player when he played in the Fiesta resident band. Met some famous names at the Fiesta thanks to Les.
Les and I closed the Billingham Arms every Thursday night, walked home with Les hiccuping all the way, after we finished off with Tomato Juice laced with Worcestershire Sauce.
Keith Davison started me playing when I was 16 …. I’ve had 41 great years so far ….. thank you Keith wherever you are x
Patrick Quinn here. Eric and Peter I am remembering the old times. Great nostalgia many thanks. I am living in Florida …great
Hi Pat, Nice to hear from you again. I wondered where you’d gotten to. Please get in touch for a catch up.
I replaced Rob Mckenzie as singer and lived in Alliance Street. Mick Kemp lived the same side and the hotly contested battle of the bands was very much on going between the Blue Caps and the Zephrons. I changed all that when I got Dave Watkin in on bass guitar straight out of the Zephrons. Mick was going off it… “look man, hes a Zephron”… but I got him in and the Blue Caps won the players no 6 talent competition, only to be beat in the nationwide semi final by Showaddywaddy – no gripe there – they deserved it! After Dave Watkin I got another ex Zephron bass player in – Alan Rose. Finally the rifts were healed. I was probably one of the only people to budge Sir Michael, even the home built pa by mick, “ya gotta move on Mick, we need a 200 watt wem pa”, at which he retorts, “200 watt – you’ll kill someone man”. But he did it. Muso’s will get this one, we worked on harmonies but were never harmonious…
I met KEITH a long time ago and he taught me about the music business and what he taught me served me well – now 55 still playing and would love to meet Keith again and thank him…a great vocalist and man…thanks Keith,
He’s on facebook as Kay Dee
CHRIS HILL – I HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU THAT MICK KEMP WAS A GREAT DRUMMER, I NEVER SAW THEM AT THE YORKSHIRE DRAGOON, BUT I DID SEE THEM REGULAR AT THE JUBILEE HALL WITH THE ZEPHRYS, DO YOU REMEMBER WERE WE USED TO MEET, OUTSIDE SNOWDENS OFF LICENCE, YOU WITH YOUR BSA BANTAM, WE HAD SOME GREAT TIMES IN THOSE DAYS, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN, PICTURE STOCKTON WILL PASS ON MY EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU ASK THEM.
Nobody has mentioned Mick Kemp the drummer, what a drummer he was. Funny guy aswell. I used to be the band”s roadie when there was Mick Kemp, Eric Robinson, Jimmy Pugh and robbie was the singer. Any body remember them and the Saturday night gigs at the Yorkshire Dragoon, Maltby? Chris Hill
Eric Whitehouse – Eric thanks for the info takes me back to my “salad days”. If my memory serves well, and maybe if he has access Les can conirm something for me, his nephew was older than he was. I believe the family lived, looking down Derwent Street, on the left at the bottom, just before the turn into Chadburn Road. Ray Buck, do you remember the family?
Eric, I finally got round to seeing your comments.It”s nice to know someone remembered Howie. He was indeed an excellent musician. My e.mail is keith.roberts8@ntlworld.com. Contact me re-Southern Border Dances bumph.
1967 Lineup. Ian Peacock, myself, Mick Kemp, Peter Embleton, Les Bennet.
It is Les Bennett Mike, he was born in Norton before moving to Billingham where he still lives today.
1966 lineup as follows :- Ian “Tex” Peacock, myself, Mick Kemp, Peter Embleton, Les Bennett
Eric Whitehouse – Eric apart from your good self what is the the rest of the line up in this shot? I ask because the lad on the far right looks like Les Bennett who lived near me when I was young.
Hi Keith, Howard was a gentle giant and one of the most underated guitarists in the North East and sadly missed. Johnny McNaughton is still living in Australia as far as I know. Charlie Peacock our bass player lives just outside of Manchester.I”d love to meet up and have a look at the Southern Border Dances info.I”m still trying to find out who supported Johnny Gentle at the Jube around 1960/61 because the backing band was never billed, but they had just come back from playing in Germany and were from Liverpool.I think it possibly could have been the Silver Beatles but can”t prove it
I formed The Cresta”s in the late fifties early sixties and Mick and The Blue Caps supported us and The Zephyrs at the Jubilee Hall, on a number of occasions. 1960 – 63 ish. I”m a bit disappointed as there never seems to be a mention of their first lead guitarist the late great Howard Rayner. He was the guy with the first Hofner Futurama in Stockton. Then of course it was “Johnny and The Blue Caps. John McNaughton from Eastbourne. Rock on above, Mick old mate. We could have wrote a book. I”ve got some old corrospondance from Joe Postgate for Duncan Mckinnons “Southern Border Dances” in the form of bookings sent to me outlining the venues and the groups who were to appear with us. They have the headed note paper at the top of the letters. I have one informing us of a gig at the Jubilee Hall supported by The Bluecaps. I”ll try and put them on this site. Old, Old stuff but someone might be interested.
John. McNaughton lived 2 doors away from me not in Eastbourne but Newham Grange just round the corner from Mick Kemp John’s sister Janet and Mick’s sister Linda hung around together
Eric is still going down a storm in the local clubs as a country singer
I believe Eric, second from left, ejoyed the sobriquet “Horse” for a time at school. The Blue Caps were one of the more talented groups that emerged locally in the explosion of the early 1960s, doing well, as I recall, in the “battles of the bands”, organised I think by the Gazette.