Post by Rob Durkee on Feb 28, 2008 20:38:37 GMT -5
BY ROB DURKEE
Mike Smith, the lead singer of the 1960's British Invasion group the Dave Clark Five, died Thursday (2/28/08) at an English hospital of pneumonia. He was 64.
Smith had been paralyzed from the waist down as the result of a fall in his home in Spain in 2003. He was admitted to a hospital outside of London Wednesday morning with a chest infection. The Dave Clark Five is due to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame March 10 along with the Ventures, Madonna, John Cougar Mellencamp and Leonard Cohen. Tom Hanks is scheduled to induct the group into the Rock Hall.
The Dave Clark Five joined the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Moody Blues, the Searchers, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman's Hermits, Chad and Jeremy, the Kinks, Peter And Gordon, Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas among the acts to initially usher in the British Invasion era of pop music in the mid-1960's. From 1964-68, the DC5 chalked up 25 Cash Box hits, including 17 Top 40's, a dozen top 10's and one #1 ("Over And Over" in early 1966).
Many people figured Dave Clark handled lead vocals on the group's hits but actually he played the drums. Smith did most of the lead vocals while playing keyboards. The rest of the DC5 lineup consisted of Rick Huxley (bass), Denis Payton (tenor sax) and Lenny Davidson (guitar).
Clark formed the group as the result of his interest in sports. In 1958, Clark formed the group in the North London area along with guitarist Chris Wells in an effort to raise money to fund his rugby team's travel expenses. After recording for two small labels in the early 1960's, an A&R man from EMI's Columbia label discovered the group, which led to its successful run of releases on the Epic label. Capitalizing on the so-called Mersey Beat style of music, the DC5 labeled their music the Tottenham Sound, named after the community they were from.
In the first year of the British Invasion, 1964, the Dave Clark Five gave the Beatles a run for their money as the marque British group. The DC5 had six top tenners that year with "Glad All Over" (#5), "Bits And Pieces" (#4), "Do You Love Me" (#8), "Can't You See That She's Mine" (#4), "Because" (#7) and "Any Way You Want It" (#9).
"Glad All Over" knocked the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" out of #1 on the British chart but was the DC Five's only #1 in England. "Bits And Pieces" caused audiences at DC5 concerts to react so wildly with antics like jumping up and down... that the song was sometimes banned at the group's concerts. Concert promoters were worried that the audience antics would damage floors.
The Dave Clark Five sold over 100 million records plus appeared in two movies--"Get Yourself A College Girl" and "Having A Wild Weekend." The latter movie was originally entitled, "Catch Us If You Can," which was a #6 hit in 1965 for the group.
The Dave Clark Five disbanded in 1970 although Clark and Smith continued recording together as "Dave Clark And Friends" until 1973.
Smith is the second major DC5 member in rock and roll heaven. Payton died of cancer at the age of 63 in late 2006.
Mike Smith, the lead singer of the 1960's British Invasion group the Dave Clark Five, died Thursday (2/28/08) at an English hospital of pneumonia. He was 64.
Smith had been paralyzed from the waist down as the result of a fall in his home in Spain in 2003. He was admitted to a hospital outside of London Wednesday morning with a chest infection. The Dave Clark Five is due to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame March 10 along with the Ventures, Madonna, John Cougar Mellencamp and Leonard Cohen. Tom Hanks is scheduled to induct the group into the Rock Hall.
The Dave Clark Five joined the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Moody Blues, the Searchers, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman's Hermits, Chad and Jeremy, the Kinks, Peter And Gordon, Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas among the acts to initially usher in the British Invasion era of pop music in the mid-1960's. From 1964-68, the DC5 chalked up 25 Cash Box hits, including 17 Top 40's, a dozen top 10's and one #1 ("Over And Over" in early 1966).
Many people figured Dave Clark handled lead vocals on the group's hits but actually he played the drums. Smith did most of the lead vocals while playing keyboards. The rest of the DC5 lineup consisted of Rick Huxley (bass), Denis Payton (tenor sax) and Lenny Davidson (guitar).
Clark formed the group as the result of his interest in sports. In 1958, Clark formed the group in the North London area along with guitarist Chris Wells in an effort to raise money to fund his rugby team's travel expenses. After recording for two small labels in the early 1960's, an A&R man from EMI's Columbia label discovered the group, which led to its successful run of releases on the Epic label. Capitalizing on the so-called Mersey Beat style of music, the DC5 labeled their music the Tottenham Sound, named after the community they were from.
In the first year of the British Invasion, 1964, the Dave Clark Five gave the Beatles a run for their money as the marque British group. The DC5 had six top tenners that year with "Glad All Over" (#5), "Bits And Pieces" (#4), "Do You Love Me" (#8), "Can't You See That She's Mine" (#4), "Because" (#7) and "Any Way You Want It" (#9).
"Glad All Over" knocked the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" out of #1 on the British chart but was the DC Five's only #1 in England. "Bits And Pieces" caused audiences at DC5 concerts to react so wildly with antics like jumping up and down... that the song was sometimes banned at the group's concerts. Concert promoters were worried that the audience antics would damage floors.
The Dave Clark Five sold over 100 million records plus appeared in two movies--"Get Yourself A College Girl" and "Having A Wild Weekend." The latter movie was originally entitled, "Catch Us If You Can," which was a #6 hit in 1965 for the group.
The Dave Clark Five disbanded in 1970 although Clark and Smith continued recording together as "Dave Clark And Friends" until 1973.
Smith is the second major DC5 member in rock and roll heaven. Payton died of cancer at the age of 63 in late 2006.
