The Dave Clark Five
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The Dave Clark Five (DC5) were an English rock and roll group in the 1960s, and one of the few that were able to present something of a commercial threat to The Beatles, the dominant group of the period. They were, in fact, the second group of the "British Invasion" after The Beatles to have a chart hit in America ("Glad All Over" #6 January 1964).
The Dave Clark Five had several more hit songs (see Discography below) in the United States during 1964-1967, including "Bits and Pieces" (#4 February 1964), "Can’t You See That She’s Mine" (#4), "Because" (#3), "Catch Us If You Can" (#4 July 1965), "Over And Over" (#1 October 1965), and "You Got What It Takes" (#7 March 1967). The group disbanded in 1970 (see details below).
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[edit] Career
Although the group was named after him, Dave Clark was the drummer; lead vocals were provided by Mike Smith who also played the keyboards. The rest of the band was Lenny Davidson on lead guitar, Rick Huxley on bass guitar, and Denny Payton on saxophone, harmonica and guitar. Songwriting credits went to Clark, Clark and Smith, Clark and Davidson, and Clark and Payton. Some early songs were also credited to Clark and Ron Ryan, who was the brother of early group member Mick Ryan.
Originating in North London, the band promoted themselves as the vanguard of the 'Tottenham Sound', a response to the Mersey Beat stable managed by Brian Epstein. They had a series of memorable hits, including "Glad All Over" that in January 1964 knocked the Beatles out of the number one position on the UK Singles Chart.
The Dave Clark Five placed 24 records in Billboard's Top 100 and 17 Top 40 United Kingdom hits between 1964 and 1967, including "Because" and "Bits and Pieces". Their song "Over and Over" went to number one in the U.S. on the Billboard Charts Hot 100 at the end of December 1965, and they played to sell-out crowds on their tours of the U.S. Heavily promoted as having a "cleaner" image than the Beatles, the Dave Clark Five holds the distinction of having made 18 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, more than any other UK group.
Unusual for a group of that (or any) era, the leader was the drummer Dave Clark who would play and sing with his drums positioned at the front of the stage, relegating the guitarists and keyboard to his rear and sides. The group was unique in the British Invasion because it was not a guitar-based sound. The beat was prominent and the DC5 was one of the few groups of the era to feature a sax. Smith's growling, blues-tinged vocals were in the lead on almost all of the hit singles.
After The Beatles released their movie A Hard Day's Night in 1964, The DC5, not to be outdone, released their own film Catch Us If You Can (film) (directed by John Boorman) in 1965; the film was released in the United States as Having a Wild Weekend. The film's title song "Catch Us If You Can" is credited as co-written by the band leader/drummer, Dave Clark, and the lead guitar player, Lenny Davidson, [1] and reached #4 in the U.S. in July 1965.
The song "Bits and Pieces" was banned from being played at their live concerts, as fans would jump up and down in time to the song's stomping beat, and promoters feared this would damage the dance hall floors.
In spite of their huge success for a period, bolstered by the movie and a TV special, the hits dried up after 1967's "Nineteen Days" and "You Got What It Takes". Their efforts to embrace the prevailing trend of psychedelia were not successful. They disbanded in 1970, having placed a further three singles on the UK chart that year.
[edit] Post break-up
Dave Clark was also the manager of the band. In recent years, rumours have circulated that Clark was not quite the multi-tasking specialist that publicity materials had suggested. Although he took a writing credit on each song, it was alleged that Clark didn't actually compose; rather, his name was on the songs as a contractual obligation with the members of the group. Then Bobby Graham, a well-known British session drummer in the 1960s, claimed in 2004 that he, rather than Clark, had played on all of the group's hit records. However, Ron Ryan, in an interview in early 2006, reasserted that Clark definitely played drums on all the recordings, except on the rare occasion when he could not produce and play at the same time. "He did bring a drummer along to play some parts at rare times, but only because he wanted to be at the control desk" (Ron Ryan, 2006). However, Ryan was not associated with the group when it was recording its biggest hits from 1964-67 and has no first-hand knowledge of the recording process on those tracks. Clark was notorious for having a closed studio, primarily to protect the secret that accomplished session players were used on the records. Ironically, most session drummers would not want to be known as "the real Dave Clark", as Clark was not a skillful drummer. He was however, a successful businessman, entrepreneur, producer and promoter - and in those capacities, he was indispensable to the success of the group.
Yet Clark's image as a "brilliant" businessman has taken a beating in recent years. He held the DC5 catalogue off the market when 'classic' material being issued on CD made headlines. When he finally got around to releasing greatest hits compilations in the U.S. and UK, they sold poorly because he missed the peak, plus the release featured poor-sounding mono mixes, while brilliant stereo versions of many DC5 songs had appeared on a couple of vinyl LPs in the 70s and 80s. There have been no legitimate issues since, and DC5 recordings are among the very few hits from the 1960s not in print. The U.S. collection was a disappointing two-CD set stretched with B-side fillers and other non-hits.
Following the break-up of the band, Clark set up a media company. In the process, he acquired the rights to the iconic '60s pop series Ready, Steady, Go!. Clark had the series re-edited so that every episode featured a performance from the Dave Clark Five. Smith returned to performing in 2003 after a layoff of 25 years. He formed Mike Smith's Rock Engine and did two mini-tours of the U.S., although he was legally forbidden from using any mention of the DC5 in his advertising. His comeback was cut short by tragedy: Just weeks after his only son died in a diving accident, Smith suffered a spinal cord injury in a fall at his home in Spain on September 12, 2003. He has been confined to a UK hospital since his accident, unable to walk and with only limited use of his arms.
The song "Glad All Over" has been adopted by the English football club Crystal Palace F.C. as their anthem. It is played at the start of all home games, when Palace score, and at the end of the home games, providing Palace win. A cover version, sung by the squad at the time, was released as part of their FA Cup run (where they reached the final of the competition) in 1990. It is also played at football clubs Port Vale F.C. and Blackpool F.C. whenever they score a goal.
[edit] Band personnel details
The final members of the Dave Clark Five, with birthdate and instruments, were the following: [2]
- Dave Clark (born David Clark, 15 December 1942, in Tottenham, North London, England)[2] was the drummer.
- Mike Smith (born Michael George Smith, 6 December 1943, in Edmonton, North London), was the lead vocalist, who also played the keyboards.
- Lenny Davidson (born Leonard Arthur Davidson, 30 May 1942,[3] in Enfield, Middlesex) (ex The Off Beats, The Impalas) on lead guitar.
- Rick Huxley (born Richard Huxley, 5 August 1942, in Dartford, Kent) (ex The Riverside Blues Boys, The Spon Valley Stompers) on bass guitar.
- Denny Payton (born Denis West Payton, 11 August 1943, in Walthamstow, East London) on tenor and baritone saxophones, harmonica, and guitar.
[edit] Discography
[edit] U.S. Albums
| Album Title | Label & Catalog No. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Glad All Over | Epic LN-24093/BN-26093 | 1964 |
| The Dave Clark Five Return | Epic LN-24104/BN-26104 | 1964 |
| American Tour | Epic LN-24117/BN-26117 | 1965 |
| Coast To Coast | Epic LN-24128/BN-26128 | 1965 |
| Weekend In London | Epic LN-24139/BN-26139 | 1965 |
| Having A Wild Weekend | Epic LN-24162/BN-26162 | 1965 |
| I Like It Like That | Epic LN-24178/BN-26178 | 1965 |
| The Dave Clark Five's Greatest Hits | Epic LN-24185/BN-26185 | 1966 |
| Try Too Hard | Epic LN-24198/BN-26198 | 1966 |
| Satisfied With You | Epic LN-24212/BN-26212 | 1966 |
| More Greatest Hits | Epic LN-24221/BN-26221 | 1966 |
| 5 By 5 | Epic LN-24236/BN-26236 | 1967 |
| You Got What It Takes | Epic LN-24312/BN-26312 | 1967 |
| Everybody Knows | Epic LN-24354/BN-26354 | 1968 |
[edit] U.S. singles
| Song Title | Highest US Chart Position |
Peak Month |
|---|---|---|
| "Glad All Over" | #6 | January 1964 |
| "Bits and Pieces" | #4 | February 1964 |
| "Do You Love Me" | #11 | April 1964 |
| "I Knew It All The Time" | #53 | April 1964 |
| "Can’t You See That She’s Mine" | #4 | June 1964 |
| "Because" | #3 | July 1964 |
| "Everybody Knows I Still Love You" | #15 | September 1964 |
| "Anyway You Want It" | #14 | November 1964 |
| "Come Home" | #14 | January 1965 |
| "Reelin’ And Rockin’" | #23 | April 1965 |
| "I Like It Like That" | #7 | June 1965 |
| "Catch Us If You Can" | #4 | July 1965 |
| "Over And Over" | #1 | October 1965 |
| "At The Scene" | #18 | January 1966 |
| "Try Too Hard" | #12 | March 1966 |
| "Please Tell Me Why" | #28 | June 1966 |
| "Satisfied With You" | #50 | August 1966 |
| "Nineteen Days" | #48 | October 1966 |
| "I've Got To Have A Reason" | #44 | January 1967 |
| "You Got What It Takes" | #7 | March 1967 |
| "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby" | #35 | June 1967 |
| "A Little Bit Now" | #67 | August 1967 |
| "Red And Blue" | #89 | October 1967 |
| "Everybody Knows" | #43 | December 1967 |
[edit] Notes
- ^ "The Lyrics Library - Dave Clark Five" (lyrics for "Catch Us If You Can"), Lyrics Library, webpage: Mathematik-DC5-Catch.
- ^ a b "1960s British Rock and Pop Chronology - Birth of a Nation" (birthdates), Gordon Thompson, 2006-09-17, webpage: Skidmore-BritRock.
- ^ The IMDb biography for Lenny Davidson had his birth year incorrectly stated as "1944" while other sources confirm "May 30, 1942" (noted 2006-10-01).
[edit] References
- Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 16th Edition - ISBN 0-85112-190-X
- The Book of Golden Discs - 2nd Edition - ISBN 0-214-20512-6
- Goldmine Standard Catalog Of American Records 1950 to 1975 - 3rd Edition - ISBN 0-87349-471-7
[edit] External links
- Classic Bands on The Dave Clark Five.
- Most famous DC5 albums.
- Dave Clark Five biography at the AMG web site.
- Dave Clark Five website: plays jukebox of actual recordings.
- Video "Catch Us If You Can": YouTube video & other song video performances.
