What Happened to The Swinging Blue Jeans?

[@apolloknights007]

They could have been The Beatles.

[@CactusJack1021]

All the musicians I remember from different bands. 😂 Until today, I had never even heard of "The Swinging Blue Jeans" 🙂 (Except, of course, on clotheslines in back yards when I was a kid)... (Bad Dad Joke alert. 😊

[@garystackhouse5787]

Retitle suggestion: "A biography of Terry Sylvester, who played briefly with the Swinging Blue Jeans"...🤦‍♂

[@elmolewis9123]

Excellent work producing this one. I still remember these guys!

[@yesman2755]

Don’t Make Me Over was a monster record. Should have been No. 1. Don’t think it got hardly any air play.

[@SPHau]

It's one of those fantastic recordings which joins the ranks of other great songs which sadly never got the recognition they deserved , such was the talent and competition out there during that great era

[@annepollock8306]

The first record I bought was 'The Hippy Hippy Shake'.It cost 3 and 6d!

[@docheine]

Thanks for introducing me to this band.

[@whathappenedtothem_]

Any time!

[@YalWen97]

You're 60 years late to the party! 😊

[@ChrisPBacon-vf2dz]

What happened to Ralph Ellis ? Did he play the lead line in HHS that we hear on the record or was it a studio session man ? Whoever played it was at the top of their game. It still sound fantastic today. I once saw a guy in The Merseybeat Legends play it live and he did a great job.

[@TheMerseySound1]

Quit in 1966, got a regular job and yes he did play that solo

[@ChrisPBacon-vf2dz]

@@TheMerseySound1 Thanks for the info. Pity we don't know more about him as this was the best out there. Still brilliant today.

[@TheMerseySound1]

0:07 The Bluegenes were originally a quintet and strictly Skiffle. Bruce and Spud were originals but not Tommy and Norman. From 1959 to 1963 they were a pseudo-trad Jazz band

[@mando8222]

Kinda sounded like the Beatles. I wished they had more hits!

[@viggozing598]

Excellent biography and there's more info available on facebook in the "Swinging Blue Jeans Fans" group.

[@whathappenedtothem_]

Thanks for the info!

[@markjulianoriginalhooli2217]

Wow I remember them as a one hit wonder group

[@terryf5131]

Good vid again.. thanks!🤠

[@whathappenedtothem_]

No problem 👍

[@lamper2]

1:40 guitar is held as high as Gerry!

[@bryanpalmer9660]

Good band but lack of original material was a problem

[@TheMerseySound1]

Nope, they wrote plenty

[@bryanpalmer9660]

@@TheMerseySound1 they did write but most of their songs were used as B sides or album tracks, their biggest hits were cover versions that's not to criticize them but the songwriting team had difficulty writing strong material that was considered good enough to be released on its own

[@TheMerseySound1]

When people talk about commercial music success there is always too much emphasis is placed on songwriting. The general public, both then and now, buy records because *they heard and like the song(s)*, not for the fact the act themselves wrote it. Selling records is first and foremost about presentation, promotion, proactive and supportive management and labels, etc. You can sell anything if it's marketed well. Whoever wrote the song(s) is an afterthought. It's also often forgotten that bands back in the early 1960s were basically function bands. Songwriting back then was not essential component of being in a band then and did not really begin to become prevalent until the tail end of the decade. The Swinging Blue Jeans still did very well in their own right but did not always have the support of their manager and label

[@kennethdrewary1094]

Apparently the Blue Jeans were asked to recommend a group to perform at the Cavern for more variety of groups to play there, they recommend The Beatles

[@TheMerseySound1]

No they didn’t. Cavern owner Ray McFall put The Beatles on the Bluegenes guest night (21 March 1961) on Bob Wooler’s recommendation. The Bluegenes strictly wanted clean, polished Beat groups for their guest nights and the scruffy leather-clad Beatles (who were out-of-tune and unrehearsed on the night) did not fit the bill. Ray McFall: “Afterwards three of The Bluegenes tackled me in Mathew Street and they were most upset.”

[@kennethdrewary1094]

@@TheMerseySound1 I read an interview in the Echo with Ray Ennis, and that's what he said.

[@TheMerseySound1]

@@kennethdrewary1094 What date is the Echo article you saw? I’ve got two interview quotes from Ray and Ralph recounting the Beatles’ poor guest night performance. Plus a video of ex-Bluegene John Carter recalling the event, who in short says the Bluegenes never would have invited them but were struck by their charisma

[@kennethdrewary1094]

@@TheMerseySound1 it's from many years ago now.

[@ristovirtanen6396]

You digress following Sylvester in Hollies I witnessed them live with Ennis and Baird originals and with third rate replacements for drums and solo guitar and we had a party in a student disco after closing time 🎶😉👌