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THE BLUE CAPS

This is Johnny and the Blue Caps (1960) taken at the Gladstone Hotel (Hammond Ales) Bridge Street, in Middlesbrough. The band, playing to a full house as usual, had a residency at this venue every Tuesday night and shows Charlie Peacock, Eric White, Mick Kemp, Johnny McNaughton and Howard Rayner.

Eric White as "Jack the Ripper"

The Blue Caps introduced the horror sketches into their act after working with Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages back in the early sixties at the Majestic Ballroom, in Darlington. Eric says: "I think Jimmy Page was with Dave Sutch back then. "This was before Ritchie Blackmore and Jeff Beck joined the band. "I often had to swing off balconies on a long rope onto the stage and "Kempy" once or twice set fire to my hair for a laugh.

The Blue Caps with some screaming fans at Deaf Hill Dance about 1964

The Blue Caps early 1966

The Blue Caps were the only Teesside band ever to perform on the main stage of the Globe Theatre in Stockton, Eric White informs me. The line up (left to right) is Les Bennet (bass guitar & vocals) Peter Embleton (vocalist and ex-Del and the Falcons, Fiesta compere, and who later worked under the name of Peter Saint) Mick Kemp (drums and vocals) Ian "Tex" Peacock (guitar & vocals) and Eric White (guitar and vocals.)

Photograph © Jack T. Marriott

Down on the steps at Saltburn Beach in 1967 - Mick, Les, Peter, Ian and Eric

Photograph © Jack T. Marriott

Ian, Les, Mick, Eric and Peter - same again in Saltburn

Photograph © Jack T. Marriott

Under Saltburn Pier

Sunny Saltburn by the Sea with an early Mick Kemp public address system!

Photographs © Jack T. Marriott

Photographed having some fun in Redcar Park in 1967

Eric, Charlie, Tony Martin, Mick and Tex

Pedro, Peter, Ian, Les and Eric at the ICI Club, in Wilton

On the left is Charlie Peacock, Eric White playing a Harmony Meteor guitar and Mick Kemp. The photograph above shows Ably Smith (alias Tony Martin,) Mick Kemp and Eric playing a Harmony Sovereign guitar.

Eric, Les, Ezza and Mick (above) with Les, Peter Embleton, Mick Kemp, Eric and Ezza Robinson - both about 1968

             Charlie, Eric and Howard around 1960 at Deaf Hill Dance and, on the right, a rare pic with Linda Kemp when she sang with the band at the Maison De Dance in Stockton, 1966/67.

Charlie, Howard and Eric on the back row with Mick and Tony Martin in the front at Deaf Hill Dance

Eric, Mick, Linda, Ian and Les at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

Old Stillington Club, about 1965

A publicity photograph showing Ian, Eric, Mick, Peter and Les

Eric, Les, Ian and Mick - note the loud trousers worn by Eric and Mick!

Howard Rainer and Eric White as Texas Moon. This was taken in 1987 when they supported Joe Sun & Solar System at the Yorkshire Trucking Spectacular at Pickering Show Ground.

Eric - the proud owner of a Fender Telecaster. He tells us it was the first Telecaster on Teesside and cost him 132 guineas which included a Fender case. It was stolen from outside the Club Fiesta, in Norton, along with a Gibson bass, two Fender amplifiers and all the Blue Caps' stage suits.

An invitation to a staff party at the Billingham Arms Hotel, January 31st, 1966 - with music from the Blue Caps and Dickie Hunter and his Band.

Try to buy an amp and foot switch for £22.50 today!

This invoice, dated 1960, came from Eric Whitehouse (Eric White) and is from John Burdon & Sons of Stockton and shows an order for one Hofner Amplifier at £21 and a foot switch for £1.50.

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