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The Dave Clark Five

From Alfawiki
The Dave Clark Five
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1958 in Tottenham, London, England
FounderDave Clark
Headquarters
Tottenham, London
,
England
ProductsRock and roll music, albums, singles
OwnerDave Clark (rights holder)

The Dave Clark Five, commonly known as DC5, was a rock and roll group originating from Tottenham, London, in 1958. The band was fronted by drummer Dave Clark, who also took on the roles of producer and co-songwriter. Their major breakthrough occurred in January 1964 with the release of "Glad All Over", which climbed into the UK top ten and famously dethroned the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" from the number one position on the UK Singles Chart. By April 1964, the single had reached number six on the US charts. Although this was their sole UK number-one hit, they achieved a US number-one spot in December 1965 with their rendition of Bobby Day's "Over and Over". Additional UK top-ten successes included tracks such as "Bits and Pieces", "Can't You See That She's Mine", "Catch Us If You Can", "Everybody Knows", "The Red Balloon", "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll", and a cover of Chet Powers' "Get Together" renamed "Everybody Get Together".

As the second British Invasion act to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show—following the Beatles—they made 18 appearances between 1964 and 1967. The DC5 enjoyed considerable commercial success in the United States, scoring seventeen top-40 hits, many of which outperformed their UK chart positions. Notable examples include "Because", "Do You Love Me", "Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)", "Any Way You Want It", "I Like It Like That", "Try Too Hard", and "You Got What It Takes". In 1965, they featured in the motion picture Catch Us If You Can, directed by John Boorman. The group disbanded in early 1970, though Dave Clark along with some members continued performing under the name Dave Clark & Friends until 1973. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

History

The ensemble began in 1958 as supporting musicians for north London singer Stan Saxon. Dave Clark handled drums and backing vocals amid a frequently changing roster. Both Clark and guitarist Rick Huxley were part of this initial lineup. In January 1962, they parted ways with Saxon and established themselves at South Grove Youth Club in Tottenham, London. The definitive lineup consisted of Clark on drums, Huxley playing bass, Lenny Davidson as lead guitarist, Denis Payton covering saxophone, harmonica, and rhythm guitar, along with Mike Smith on keyboards and lead vocals. Prior to joining, Davidson had experience with bands such as the Off Beats and the Impalas.

Marketed as innovators of the "Tottenham Sound"—a style parallel to Liverpool’s Mersey Beat—the Dave Clark Five’s music was characterized by Clark’s vigorous drumming, Payton’s saxophone contributions, and Smith’s commanding vocal delivery. Clark co-produced their records alongside engineer Adrian Kerridge at Lansdowne Studios using the pseudonym Adrian Clark.

In addition to his role as producer, Clark managed business affairs for the band, negotiating contracts that granted him production authority and ownership over master recordings. Songwriting credits were predominantly attributed to Clark or collaborations between Clark and Smith, with occasional input from partnerships involving Clark-Davidson or Clark-Payton. It is reported that session drummer Bobby Graham performed on some of their hit recordings.

Between 1964 and 1967, the group secured twelve UK Top 40 singles along with seventeen entries into the US Billboard Top 40 charts. Their version of Bobby Day’s "Over and Over" reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on Christmas Day in 1965 but only attained number forty-five in the UK charts. They appeared eighteen times on The Ed Sullivan Show, more than any other British Invasion band.

In 1965, they released Catch Us If You Can, a film directed by John Boorman featuring Barbara Ferris; it was titled Having a Wild Weekend for its US release. Additionally, a short film named Hits in Action highlighted several of their popular songs.

While tracks like "Live in the Sky", "Maze of Love", "Inside and Out", "The Red Balloon", and "Lost in His Dreams" hinted at evolving styles, they largely refrained from embracing psychedelic rock trends. Their popularity in America waned by 1967; however, they maintained chart presence in Britain for another three years. The band dissolved in 1970 following three singles charting that year in the UK—two of which reached the Top Ten. That same year saw Davidson, Huxley, and Payton depart; Alan Parker and Eric Ford joined as lead guitarist and bassist respectively. This reformed lineup performed under the name "Dave Clark & Friends" until 1972.

Post break-up

Following the dissolution of the group, Clark established a media enterprise and secured the rights to the 1960s pop television series Ready Steady Go!. He also took on the roles of writer and producer for the 1986 London stage musical Time – The Musical, where he directed the final performance of Sir Laurence Olivier. The production was accompanied by a two-disc vinyl album, which included contributions from artists such as Julian Lennon (performing a cover of the DC5's "Because"), Freddie Mercury, Stevie Wonder, Cliff Richard, Ashford & Simpson, along with Olivier’s spoken parts. This album underwent digital remastering and was reissued on iTunes in May 2012.

Mike Smith collaborated with former Manfred Mann vocalist Mike d'Abo on an album released in 1976. He later issued a limited CD titled It's Only Rock & Roll in 2000 and resumed live performances in 2003 after a quarter-century break, touring the United States twice with Mike Smith's Rock Engine. Smith passed away in February 2008 due to complications linked to a spinal injury.

Denis Payton succumbed to cancer in December 2006, while Rick Huxley died from emphysema in February 2013. Meanwhile, Lenny Davidson has dedicated himself to teaching guitar in Cambridgeshire.

From 1978 through 1993, no official DC5 recordings were commercially accessible because Clark retained exclusive licensing rights. In 1993, Clark produced the CD Glad All Over Again, which EMI UK released. After securing a 1989 agreement with Disney Channel to rebroadcast Ready Steady Go!, Clark collaborated with Disney-owned Hollywood Records to issue a double CD entitled History of the Dave Clark Five in 1993. Official DC5 releases did not reappear until Universal Music launched the 28-track compilation The Hits in the UK in 2008. A selection of these tracks became available on iTunes in 2009.

In 2014, Dave Clark took on writing, producing, appearing in, and co-presenting duties for the documentary The Dave Clark Five and Beyond: Glad All Over. While it contained archival footage of Smith, it did not feature interviews or participation from Lenny Davidson, Denis Payton, or Rick Huxley. The film included appearances from prominent figures such as Paul McCartney, Whoopi Goldberg, Elton John, and Gene Simmons of Kiss.

By 2019, almost the entire DC5 catalogue, including their original studio albums from the 1960s, was made available on Spotify. On 24 January 2020, in partnership with Clark, BMG Rights Management released a new greatest hits collection called All the Hits, based on the earlier 2008 compilation The Hits, offered in two different formats.

Induction into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Dave Clark Five were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's class of 2008 and were officially announced as inductees on 13 December 2007. The ceremony took place on 10 March 2008, with actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks, known for creating and starring in the 1996 film That Thing You Do!—which centers on an American one-hit wonder band during the British Invasion—serving as their presenter.

Present at the event were three surviving band members alongside family representatives of Lenny Davidson and Rick Huxley, as well as Denis Payton’s two sons. Mike Smith had intended to attend but passed away just eleven days before the ceremony. Opening his acceptance remarks, Dave Clark compared the honor to receiving an Oscar. Davidson recalled that they arrived in New York City for the induction on 8 March, exactly forty-four years after their debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Joan Jett paid tribute to The Dave Clark Five by performing "Bits and Pieces" accompanied by John Mellencamp’s band. For their song "Glad All Over," Jett was joined by artists including John Fogerty, John Mellencamp, Billy Joel, and other performers featured at that night’s event.

Members

The Dave Clark Five consisted of the following individuals:

Primary line-up

  • Dave Clark – drums, backing vocals, and occasional lead vocals (1959–1970; continued with Dave Clark and Friends from 1970 to 1972)
  • Mike Smith – lead vocals and keyboards (1961–1970; part of Dave Clark and Friends from 1970 to 1973; passed away in 2008)
  • Lenny Davidson – lead and rhythm guitars, backing and lead vocals (1961–1970)
  • Rick Huxley – bass guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1959–1970; deceased 2013)
  • Denis Payton – tenor and baritone saxophones, harmonica, rhythm guitar, backing and occasional lead vocals (1962–1970; died in 2006)

Initial members

  • Stan Saxon – saxophone and lead vocals
  • Mick Ryan – lead guitar
  • Chris Walls – bass guitar

Dave Clark & Friends line-up

Studio albums

External links

  • [ Dave Clark Five biography at AllMusic].
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