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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCLARK, DaveLeader of the Dave Clark Five: Clark (b 14 December 1942), drums; Mike Smith (b 12 December 1943; d 28 February 2008) vocals, organ; Lenny Davidson (b 30 May 1944) guitar; Dennis Payton (b 1 August 1943; d 17 December 2006), sax; Rick Huxley (b 5 August 1942), bass. Clark had been a stuntman with over 40 film credits when he formed an enormously popular local band in North London suburb of Tottenham. It's hard to believe now, but at first they were considered equal to the Beatles; the press talked about a 'Tottenham Sound' as an answer to 'Mersey Beat'. The DC5 held the record for number of appearances on the Ed Sullivan show. First single was top 40 'Do You Love Me' '63, but Brian Poole's Tremeloes had the no. 1; by October DC5 made it with 'Glad All Over', followed by no. 2 'Bits And Pieces' early '64 (both top ten USA). Film Catch Us If You Can '65 was an imitation of Beatles' A Hard Day's Night '65, though it marked the debut of director John Boorman, who went on to better things (such as Deliverance '72). Former drama student Clark produced and directed UK TV spectacular Hold On It's The Dave Clark Five, a big hit at the time; wrote most of the band's hits and retained ownership of the records; bought exclusive rights to UK TV series Ready Steady Go! which presented all the UK and US stars of the '60s. As the Beatles and Rolling Stones went on to use studio technology and psychedelia, DC5 had top ten hits with syrupy 'Everybody Knows' '67, mawkish 'Red Balloon' '68, singalong 'Good Old Rock And Roll', 'Everybody Get Together' '69-70, but split '71. At the height of the '77 punk summer, a compilation LP Thumping Great Hits shot to no. 1 on UK LP chart. The first video cassette from Ready Steady Go! '83 was a no. 1 video '83 and stayed in that chart six months; two more volumes were followed by compilations Otis Redding Live and The Sounds of Motown; The Beatles Live entered the video chart at no. 2; he produced TV series of Ready reruns that quadrupled viewing figures for UK's Channel 4 '85. He also produced the futuristic London musical Time with Cliff Richard in his first musical stage role; the single 'She's So Beautiful' '85 by Richard with backing by Stevie Wonder, video directed by Ken Russell; two-disc LP of the score '86 including Richard, Wonder and Julian Lennon; the show opened in April and Irving Wardle in The Times wrote 'sets a new record in the gap between imaginative poverty and Babylonian material resources'. Clark always reckoned to be a better businessman than musician. Lead singer Smith resumed his music career in the 1990s and had a band called Mike Smith's Rock Engine when he injured his spinal cord climbing over a locked gate behind his home in 2006 and was paralyzed from the ribs down. He died of pneumonia. |