Determined to concentrate on rock 'n' roll, several leading figures in Liverpool's skiffle scene founded the Bluegenes in 1958. They were singer and lead guitarist Ray Ennis (b. 26 May 1942, Liverpool, England), bass player Les Braid (b. William Leslie Braid, 15 September 1937, Liverpool, England, d. 31 July 2005, Liverpool, England), drummer Norman Kuhlke (b. 17 June 1942, Liverpool, England) and Paul Moss (b. Liverpool, England; banjo). Moss was replaced by rhythm guitarist Ralph Ellis (b. 8 March 1942) in 1960. This line-up became one of the leading attractions on the Merseyside beat group scene and also played in Hamburg. Following the Beatles' first successes, the Swinging Blue Jeans (as they had been renamed) signed a recording contract with the HMV Records label. The Beatles-sounding "It's Too Late Now", was a minor hit the following year, but it was the band's third single, "Hippy Hippy Shake", that provided their biggest success when it reached number 2 in the UK charts and reached the US Top 30. This rasping rendition of a Chan Romero song remains one of the era's finest performances, invoking a power the band never quite recaptured. Their version of "Good Golly Miss Molly" nonetheless peaked at UK number 11, while the reflective rendition of Betty Everett's soul ballad "You're No Good" reached number 3. An excellent reading of Dionne Warwick's hit "Don't Make Me Over" stalled outside the Top 30. It was, however, the quartet's last substantial hit despite a series of highly polished singles, including "Promise You'll Tell Her" (1964) and "Crazy 'Bout My Baby" (1965). The Blue Jeans were unfairly dubbed anachronistic. Several personnel changes also ensued, including the induction of two former Escorts, Terry Sylvester (b. 8 January 1947, Liverpool, England) and Mike Gregory, with the former replacing Ellis in 1967 and the latter joining the following year (with Braid moving to the organ to accommodate Gregory on bass). Neither this, nor a brief change of name to Music Motor, made any difference to their fortunes. In 1968, the band was briefly renamed Ray Ennis And The Blue Jeans but when Sylvester was chosen to replace Graham Nash in the Hollies, the remaining members decided to split up.

Listen to The Swinging Blue Jeans at Finetune.

• (2009)  The Very Best Of
• (2004)  The Hippy Hippy Shake
• (2001)  Hippy Hippy Shake (The Definitive Collection)

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