Alan Caddy

Who was Alan Caddy?

Alan Caddy was a guitarist, arranger, record producer and session musician.

He was born in Chelsea, London and educated at Emanuel School, and the Royal Academy of Music where he learned the violin. He was lead guitarist in the first, seven-man line-up of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, and was the only member to remain with Kidd when the singer re-invented the "stage look" of the act, alongside bassist Brian Gregg and drummer Clem Catinni. While searching for a suitable rhythm guitarist, Caddy's playing evolved into a style that played rhythm and lead in a chunkier style. The band felt this worked and Kidd liked the way he and his Pirates looked onstage, with he in front of Catinni, flanked by Gregg and Caddy, all in full Pirate regalia.

This line-up contributed to, and recorded "Shakin' All Over". Although a versatile and accomplished lead guitarist, Caddy didn't mind playing rhythm on both tracks for the resulting single, the band bringing in their friend, Scottish guitarist Joe Moretti. Moretti played the classic lead riffs and solo. "Shakin' All Over" was originally the B-side to a revival of "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", but the record company flipped the 45 and the new topside went all the way to number 1 in the UK charts. The same set-up was repeated for the follow-up, "Restless" which reached number 22. Caddy, with Gregg and Catinni left Kidd after the failure of their 1961 single "Please Don't Bring Me Down" to join Tommy Steele's brother Colin Hicks as his Cabinboys for what turned out to be a disastrous tour to Italy.