Michael "Robbie" Robinson (bass)
Robbie's full name was Michael Robert Robinson, so naturally everyone called him Robbie. He played bass guitar and joined the group as he was a school friend of Johnny's. Robbie played very well and also did a bit of backing singing. Once the group split up he carried on playing for a few years, notably in a popular local band called Autumn States. This band moved more into playing rock, soul and Tamla Motown which was en vogue during 1966/67. Interestingly it was Robbie’s ex Gravel Camp bandmate Dave O’Donnell who came up with the name! In the USA the Autumn States are states where the autumn colours of the local fauna is quite spectacular. Those states include Vermont, the Carolina’s, Maine, Michigan etc. The singer in the band was Ray Jackson, later to gain fame as the lead singer, harp and mandolin player in the north east band Lindisfarne.
The Autumn States lasted a couple of years and Gravel Camp drummer Garry actually played with them on one number just once!! That was on Friday February 18th 1966 at the Howdon Boys School dance in Wallsend. Why does Garry remember the date? Well the person who ran these dances was a gentleman called Ernie Evans who was the Deputy Head of the school and the father of Garry’s best friend then Billy Evans. We were at the dance and Ernie asked the band if I could play a number with them! And the reason for remembering the date was that the following day Garry was at Billy's house and along with Ernie we listened to Newcastle United being beaten 3-1 by Northampton Town in the league!!
By 1970 Robbie was planning to get married, so he sold his gear and bought a house and never played in groups again. In later life he went into the family business, which was in scrap metal and for a while in the late 90’s, early 2000’s Robbie was a director at Whitley Bay Football Club. When Steve, Dave and Garry got together in 2000 to re-record “Tell Me”, they met up with Robbie in a pub in Whitley Bay, where they had a chat and catch up. Since then we all lost touch again until earlier this year, 2025 when Steve, Robbie and Garry updated their life stories for each other.
from left: Robbie, Steve, Garry, Dave, Johnny