The Dave Clark Five -

The Dave Clark Five were an English beat group from Tottenham, named after drummer/businessman Dave Clark and fronted by keyboardist/singer Mike Smith. As part of the 1964–1966 British Invasion, they scored 13 Billboard Top 20 hits, including “Glad All Over,” “Bits and Pieces,” “Can’t You See That She’s Mine,” “Because,” “Over and Over,” and “Catch Us If You Can.”

Members: Dave Clark (drums, percussion, vocals), Mike Smith (keyboards, lead vocals), Denis Payton (saxophone, harmonica, acoustic guitar, vocals), Lenny Davidson (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals), Rick Huxley (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals)

Background

The Dave Clark Five formed in 1958 in Tottenham, north London, when drummer Dave Clark assembled a skiffle group that soon backed local singer Stan Saxon. Clark and bassist Rick Huxley remained through subsequent personnel changes as the act performed as Stan Saxon and the Dave Clark Five.

In 1959, they welcomed singer-keyboardist Mike Smith, followed by the 1961/62 arrivals of guitarist Lenny Davidson and saxophonist Denis Payton. Smith assumed lead vocals after Saxon left the group and played piano and organ alongside Davidson, Huxley, Payton, and Clark.

The group built a north London following through dance-hall appearances and a regular engagement at Tottenham Royal. Clark managed the group, financed recording sessions, and retained control of the resulting masters for licensing to record companies.

Early Singles

The Dave Clark Five made their recording debut with the June 1962 Piccadilly single “That’s What I Said” (b/w “I Knew It All the Time”). They followed on Ember with the August single “Chaquita” (b/w “In Your Heart”), and returned to Piccadilly “First Love” (b/w “I Walk the Line”), issued in December.

The quintet moved to EMI’s Columbia label with their March 1963 fourth single “The Mulberry Bush” (b/w “Chaquita”), followed in September by a version of the Contours song “Do You Love Me” (b/w “Doo-Dah”), which reached No. 30 on the UK singles chart.

Clark and Smith wrote “Glad All Over” for the next Columbia single. Clark produced the recording at Lansdowne Studios in London with engineer Adrian Kerridge. Columbia issued “Glad All Over” (b/w “I Know You”) in November 1963, and the single reached No. 1 on the UK chart the following January.

Clark secured an American licensing arrangement with Epic Records as “Glad All Over” established the group on both sides of the Atlantic. The success of the single led Columbia and Epic toward the first Dave Clark Five albums in 1964.

Discography:

Glad All Over (US, 1964)
The Dave Clark Five Return! (US, 1964) / A Session with The Dave Clark Five (UK, 1964)
American Tour (US, 1964)
Coast to Coast (US, 1964)
Weekend in London (US, 1965)
Having a Wild Weekend (US, 1965) / Catch Us If You Can (UK, 1965)
I Like It Like That (US, 1965)
Try Too Hard (US, 1966)
Satisfied with You (US, 1966)
5 By 5 (US, 1967)
You Got What It Takes (US, 1967)
Everybody Knows (UK, 1967) / Everybody Knows (US, 1968)
5 by 5 = Go! (UK, 1969)
If Somebody Loves You (UK, 1970)
Good Old Rock’n’Roll (UK, 1971)