The Swinging Blue Jeans

by Richie Unterberger
Although theyre only remembered today for their 1964 hit Hippy Hippy Shake, the Swinging Blue Jeans were actually one of the strongest of the Liverpool bands from the 60s British Invasion. Hippy Hippy Shake — a cover of an obscure 50s rocker that was actually done much better by the Beatles on tapes of their BBC performances — was their only Top 30 entry in the U.S. But the band enjoyed some other major and minor hits in the U.K., including a top-notch Merseyization of Betty Everetts (and later Linda Ronstadts) Youre No Good, which they took into the British Top Five in 1964. They also wrote some catchy and energetic, if slightly sappy, originals in the purest Merseybeat style. While it doesnt add up to an enduring legacy, theres a lot to be said for the naive energy of the best of their early tunes.