Trottenham Sound
“BUZZ Newspaper Article: Jun- July 2014 (#39-dC)
Back in the “Olden Days” before the Intronets & The Youtubes, a lot of us youngsters discovered new music from the older brothers & sisters in my case, it was my Aunts & Uncles. When I was a toddler my Aunt Debby used to baby sit me & play her 45 singles on her record player, her favorite band at that time was the “DAVE CLARK 5” while I am not exactly sure what here favorite songs were, there is an 8mm film of me dancing to a yellow label 45 playing on her record player I would say about Dec 1965 or so.
Being from Sioux City, Iowa our home town Hero is one Tommy R. Bolin, I am working on a book on Tommy due out 2016 (the 40th anniversary of his passing) I have written several articles on Tommy Bolin, one of which caught the eye of his former childhood friend John Eckhart in California. John called me last month to talk to me about Tom Bolin & turns out he is the current manager of thee Dave Clark & Sam the Sham ! With the new PBS documentary “Glad All Over” that just came out in April 2014, I thought I would cover the 1st British Invasion band that toured the USA.
> Bits And Pieces < 1958- 1962 David "Dave" Clark was born 15 Dec 1942 in Trottenham, N. London, started out as a film extra in the films "The VIP's" & "Pink Panther: Shot In The Dark" then using the money he earned, purchased a set of drums & taught himself how to play. Clark started a skiffle group in 1957 called the "Dave Clark Quintet" with Guitarist: Dave Sanford, Bassist: Chris Walls, Pianist: Don Vale, in order to raise money to fund his Soccer Team. In 1958 Rick Huxley (5 Aug 1940- 11 Feb 2013: Dartford Kent) replaced Sanford, & the "DAVE CLARK FIVE" was born, then with a series of musicians who joined & left until the lineup stabilized in 1962, with Pianist: Mike (Michael George Smith: 6 Dec 1943; Edmonton, N. London – 28 Feb 2008) & Guitarist: Lenny (Leonard Arthur Davidson: 30 May 1944 Enfield, Middlesex) & Saxophonist: Denny (Denis Archibald West Payton: 11 Aug 1943: Walthamstow– 17 Dec 2006). Their music was labeled as the “Tottenham Sound” in reference to the area of Northern London from which they came about 8 miles north of Charing Cross.The 2nd British Invasion Band to appear on the famous Ed Sullivan Variety Show beginning 8 Mar 1964. Initially the DC5 were more popular in the USA than their native UK, probably because they made a record breaking 13 appearances on the Sullivan Show. The band released 36 singles from 1963- 1973 with no less than 15 Top 20 Hits in just 2 years as well as 17LPs during that same time. > I Knew It All The Time < 1964 As with almost all UK Bands at this time their USA releases differed vastly from the original UK releases, the 1st UK LP in 1964 was titled "A Session With" however in the USA the DC5 released 3 LPs in 1964 "Glad All Over" with the #6 Hit "Glad All Over" in Apr 1964 & "Bits And Pieces" a #4 hit in May 1964 (later covered by Joan Jett in 1981) & the #11 Hit "Do You Love Me" also in May 1964. Their 2nd USA LP was "Return!" (the USA equivalent to "Session") with "Can't You See That She's Mine" a #4 Hit in Jul 1964. Then the band's 3rd USA release "American Tour" with the #3 Hit "Because" in Aug 1964. Their final hurrah in '64 was appearing in their 1st Film "Get Yourself A Collage Girl" Metrocolor Dec 1964 performing “Whenever You're Around,” & “Thinking of You Baby." The Remco Toy company put out dolls of the DC5 just as they had earlier in 1964 with The BEATLES, except these had Dave Clark at 5" tall & the other 4 members at 3" tall. The DC5 was the 1st British Invasion Band to Tour the USA in starting in May 1964, they eventually performed in MPLS. Interesting note; Clark 1st Rogers drums then switched to the German made Trixon Drum Kits. Here is the Setlist (to the best of my knowledge) for the MPLS show. *27 Nov 1964 Minneapolis Armory: $4.oo*
Peter Gunn
Can’t You See That She’s Mine?
Glad All Over
Anyway You Want It
Bits and Pieces
Because
Reelin’ and Rockin’
I Like It Like That
Come Home
Caravan: (drum solo)
Do You Love Me?
Shout!
> Don’t You Know < 1965 The unusual thing about the DC5 was the fact they usually only put 10 or sometimes 11 songs per LP when most bands at the time put out 12 per LP, the result of this was DC5 could put out way more LPs than even The BEATLES did at that time. The 4th release was "Coast to Coast" in 1965 with the #14 Hit "Any Way You Want It" from Dec 1964 (this song was covered by KISS in 1977), followed by their 5th LP "Weekend in London" also in 1965 with the #14 Hit "Comin Home" in Feb 1965.I am constantly referring to Non-LP 45 Singles their next big hit was just that "Reelin And Rockin" a #23 Hit in Apr 1965. At this point the band start putting out so many 45 Singles, it was taking a awhile for the Hits to be put on an LP. Their 6th LP "Having a Wild Weekend"in the USA 1965 or "Catch Us If You Can" in the UK 1965 with 5 songs by the DC5, including"Catch Us If You Can" a #4 Hit in Oct 1965, this album also contains my favorite DC5 song "Don't Be Taken In “this LP is the soundtrack to their film, (as The BEATLES had "Hard Day's Night" & "Help") Their film "Having A Wild Weekend" originally titled "Catch Us If You Can" from April 1965 on Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors in UK & WB in the USA Directed by; John Boorman, starring Barbara Ferris as Dinah,(Ferris replaced actress Marianne Faithful). Interesting story here, the films shooting schedule was halted slightly when Clark complained about the film's costumes to Asst. Producer Alexander Jacobs whose wife was the designer, Jacobs responded by punching Clark in the face giving Clark a swollen nose, which resulted in Clark not being able to photographed for a few days. Their 7th LP "I Like It Like That" also released in 1965 contained the #7 "I Like It Like That" from Jul 1965, followed by the Christmas #1 Hit "Over And Over" in Dec 1965.Sometime in 1965 the LP "DC5 & The Washington DC's" 1965 Ember Records #FA-2003 containing "Chiquita" "In Your Heart" "Where Did You Go" "Shimmy Shimmy" was released, these were the band's 1st two 45 singles & the only ones not controlled by Dave Clark, so they were released several times, however this is the rarest version on the LPs, as I was informed by Clark's Manager John Eckert. > Looking In < 1966- 1967 As 1966 kicks off DC5 release "Greatest Hits" #LN-24185. The 1st big hit for them this year is the Non-LP 45 Single "At The Scene" a #18 in Feb, then followed by their 8th LP "Try Too Hard" 1966, with the #12 Hit "Try Too Hard" in Apr 1966. Their 9th LP "Satisfied with You" with the #28 Hit "Please Tell Me Why" in Jun 1966. You can see a pattern has developed, where the band release an album with essentially1 maybe 2 hits contained on it. As the Psychedelic era is ushered in, the DC5 by in large stick to what they do best, so consequently they do not continue to rack up as many Top 40 hits moving forward. To finish out the year "More Greatest Hits" #BN-26221 is released. Their 1st release in 1967 is their 10th LP "5 By 5" this is the 1st DC5 LP to not have a Top 40 hit, soon followed by "You Got What It Takes" bouncing back with the #7 Hit "You Got What It Takes" in May 1967. Then in Nov 1967 "Everybody Knows" becomes a #15 Hit, followed by the 11th LP of the same name "Everybody Knows" this LP came out in the UK in 1967, however not released until 1968 in the USA. This marks the end of the DC5 's heyday, as there are no more original studio LPs released in the USA by the band. > Break Down & Cry < 1969- 1972 Starting in 1969 the band release "5 by 5 = Go!" then followed by "If Somebody Loves You" both released in 1969 & only released in the UK. In 1970 the band release "Good Old Rock'n'Roll" again this LP only comes out in the UK. Thus marks the end of the "DAVE CLARK FIVE" as the next LP released was released under the title "Dave Clark & Friends" in 1972 & released only in the UK, there were however 3 different "Best Hits" Packages released in 1971, 1975 & finally in 1978. Dave Clark a shrewd businessman owned the rights to all but the 1st two 45 singles recordings, so between 1978 & 1993 NO Music from this band was commercially available, as Clark was no longer proud of the music form that time, as well as not being a fan of the compressed sound of music on CD, in addition to not being offered the financial compensation he was looking for until a New Disney record label made an offer he felt was amicable, (they made the same offer to “QUEEN”) so a 2CD & Cassette "History of Dave Clark Five" 1994 Hollywood Music was finally released, however this had a strict 5 years production clause. In 2008 the DC5 was inducted "Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame" And so there you have it ... The History of The DC5 the 1st true rival of The Beatles! Until the next time... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdkTF5m0UFk RLSchwinden aka: MrZer0 Mr. Zero’s Inc. www.MrZeros.Com 1744 Lexington Ave. N. Roseville- St. Paul, MN. 55113 651. 489. 0207
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