THE lurid purple programme shows that this was an impressive array of stars to be shining on Stockton. Top of the bill on December 4, 1964, were Gerry and the Pacemakers, accompanied by Gene Pitney, the Kinks, Marianne Faithful, Bobby Shafto and the Mike Cotton Sound.

The inside of the programme mentioned another act: The Roofraisers.

But it didn’t mention at all a new south London band, playing one of their very first dates outside the capital: Davie Jones and the Manish Boys. Memories 266 launched our quest to find anyone who was among the couple of hundred who saw the show at the Stockton ABC Globe cinema because about a year later, the lead singer would change his name to David Bowie and find f-f-fame.

Ray Murphy, of Sadberge, was there, and he has the programme and the autograph to prove it.

“I had gone with a friend to see Marianne Faithful and we were hanging around the stage door waiting for her to come out and Davie Jones and some of other band members came out,” he remembers. “We hadn’t heard of him before and he wasn’t even on the programme. He’d played bluesy music which me and my mate were into, and we thought they were better than Gerry and the Pacemakers.

“Davie Jones stopped to chat and I got his autograph. I was 15 then, and I was impressed by his style – I was just starting to grow my hair but his hair was long and blonde and soft. I remember thinking ‘I want to look like you’, but I got a job in a bank after that.

“It was only a very brief chat and then Marianne Faithful came out, so I ditched him and went to her.”

As well as Davie Jones’ autograph, Ray got the scrawls of guitarist Johnny Flux and trumpeter Paul Rodriguez who were also in the Manish Boys.

Rock historians had thought that the unknown band had only got their chance on the tour, who was promoted by Arthur Howes and Brian Epstein, because the Roofraisers had dropped out at the last minute, but Ray’s autograph book also contains the signature of “Roofraiser Richard”, so it looks like the Manish Boys were shoe-horned onto the congested bill.

“The Kinks closed the first half of the show,” says Ray. “They were very good. They played Waterloo Sunset but changed the lyrics to ‘Thornaby sunset’ which I thought was quite cool.”

The bands played two shows at the Globe – 6.30pm and 8.45pm – before heading to Newcastle for two more gigs the following day at the City Hall.