Because of our week-long Kenny Rogers Series, we're a full week tardy on this one ... but by now I'm sure you all know that Rick Huxley, one of the original members of The Dave Clark Five, passed away last Monday at home in England.
The Dave Clark Five were always one of my favorite British Invasion bands ... and I have several compilation DVD's of their numerous television appearances. I also had the OUTSTANDING pleasure of seeing lead vocalist Mike Smith perform live in concert several years ago ... and I've got to say, without a doubt, this was one of the GREATEST concerts I've ever seen.
Here are a couple of comments from our readers on Rick Huxley ... and The DC5 in general. (kk)
Rick Huxley, bassist with the Dave Clark Five, died Monday (February 11) at his home in rural England. The Dartford native was 72. Though he had suffered from emphysema, he was described as being in good health and no cause of death was given. Formed in Tottingham in 1957, Rick joined the group (originally as a guitarist) the following year and played on 27 charted American records, including "Over And Over" (#1 -1965), "Because" (#3 - 1964), "Bits And Pieces" (#4 - 1964) and "Catch Us If You Can" (#4 - 1965). The quintet made 18 appearances on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and appeared in their own movie, "Catch Us If You Can" (AKA "Having A Wild Weekend") in 1965. Two years after their last American hit, they disbanded in 1970. Rick worked in real estate in later years. The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. Said Dave, "He always made me smile and I'll miss that immensely. He was never arrogant and flashy. He was a gentleman and very low key. He was a very, very talented musician and a great friend." Rick's death leaves Dave and guitarist Lenny Davidson as the last remaining members.
-- Ron Smith (oldiesmusic.com)
Click here: Rick Huxley Dead: Dave Clark Five Bassist Dies at 72 - Spinner
Kent -
Don't know if you heard, but this is from the NY Times:
LONDON (AP) — Rick Huxley, a founding member of the Dave Clark Five, one of the most successful British rock bands of the 1960s, died on Monday. He was 72.
And here's the Reuters report, courtesy of FH Reader Bill Hengels ...
(Reuters) - Rick Huxley, the bassist for the 1960s British Invasion pop-rock group the Dave Clark Five, has died, the band's leader said on Tuesday. He was 72.
Here are a couple of comments from our readers on Rick Huxley ... and The DC5 in general. (kk)
Rick Huxley, bassist with the Dave Clark Five, died Monday (February 11) at his home in rural England. The Dartford native was 72. Though he had suffered from emphysema, he was described as being in good health and no cause of death was given. Formed in Tottingham in 1957, Rick joined the group (originally as a guitarist) the following year and played on 27 charted American records, including "Over And Over" (#1 -1965), "Because" (#3 - 1964), "Bits And Pieces" (#4 - 1964) and "Catch Us If You Can" (#4 - 1965). The quintet made 18 appearances on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and appeared in their own movie, "Catch Us If You Can" (AKA "Having A Wild Weekend") in 1965. Two years after their last American hit, they disbanded in 1970. Rick worked in real estate in later years. The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. Said Dave, "He always made me smile and I'll miss that immensely. He was never arrogant and flashy. He was a gentleman and very low key. He was a very, very talented musician and a great friend." Rick's death leaves Dave and guitarist Lenny Davidson as the last remaining members.
-- Ron Smith (oldiesmusic.com)
Click here: Rick Huxley Dead: Dave Clark Five Bassist Dies at 72 - Spinner
Kent -
Don't know if you heard, but this is from the NY Times:
LONDON (AP) — Rick Huxley, a founding member of the Dave Clark Five, one of the most successful British rock bands of the 1960s, died on Monday. He was 72.
And here's the Reuters report, courtesy of FH Reader Bill Hengels ...
(Reuters) - Rick Huxley, the bassist for the 1960s British Invasion pop-rock group the Dave Clark Five, has died, the band's leader said on Tuesday. He was 72.
Huxley died unexpectedly at his home in the English countryside on Monday, Dave Clark told Reuters.
The band scored No. 1 hits on both sides of the Atlantic during its decade-long run from 1960-1970.
"Glad All Over" holds the honor of knocking the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" out of the top spot on the UK chart in 1964, while "Over and Over" topped the U.S. chart in 1965.
The cause of death was not immediately known, said Clark, who added that Huxley had been "sprightly and in good shape" despite suffering from emphysema for several years.
"I spoke to him on Friday and he was in great spirits," Clark said in a telephone call. "He went through a recent doctor's check and had a good, clean bill of health. This came totally out of the blue, and I'm just devastated."
Clark remembered Huxley for his modest demeanor and humor.
"He always made me smile and I'll miss that immensely," Clark said. "He was never arrogant and flashy. He was a gentleman and very low key. He was a very, very talented musician and a great friend."
The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
Huxley was born in Dartford, England, east of London, the same town that is home to the Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards.
Huxley is survived by two sons and a daughter.
I always liked the hard-rockin' DC5 -- who, despite rivaling the Beatles in popularity from 1964-7, slipped into relative obscurity in the U.S. because of two things. One was that rock critics who lioned The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks and Dylan never really warmed to the DC5 (inexplicably) -- and tended to ignore them when reviewing the British Invasion. The other reason - which contributed to the above -- was Dave Clark himself. Unlike most artists, Dave managed to own the DC5 lock, stock and barrel -- including owning all of their masters, which were leased to Epic in the United States. Once that deal expired, no new pressings of DC5 tracks were manufactured as Clark refused to license the material to other labels for reissue. (I know -- 'cause I tried many times!) Over time, the copies of DC5 records at radio stations wore out and were not replaced -- and with the public unable to find DC5 records in stores, potential interest in the recordings was shifted elsewhere. Meanwhile, the recordings of all other British Invasion acts continued to be available, at least in various artists compilations. Dave Clark's stubborn insistance on "moving on" continued for decades -- until finally a 2 CD set of DC5 masters was released on Disney's Hollywood Records label in 1994. Still a pain in the ass to deal with, the set was not in print all that long before Clark changed his mind and refused to renew the lease deal. That's why copies of the set today sell for $80 on amazon.
The band scored No. 1 hits on both sides of the Atlantic during its decade-long run from 1960-1970.
"Glad All Over" holds the honor of knocking the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" out of the top spot on the UK chart in 1964, while "Over and Over" topped the U.S. chart in 1965.
The cause of death was not immediately known, said Clark, who added that Huxley had been "sprightly and in good shape" despite suffering from emphysema for several years.
"I spoke to him on Friday and he was in great spirits," Clark said in a telephone call. "He went through a recent doctor's check and had a good, clean bill of health. This came totally out of the blue, and I'm just devastated."
Clark remembered Huxley for his modest demeanor and humor.
"He always made me smile and I'll miss that immensely," Clark said. "He was never arrogant and flashy. He was a gentleman and very low key. He was a very, very talented musician and a great friend."
The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
Huxley was born in Dartford, England, east of London, the same town that is home to the Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards.
Huxley is survived by two sons and a daughter.
I always liked the hard-rockin' DC5 -- who, despite rivaling the Beatles in popularity from 1964-7, slipped into relative obscurity in the U.S. because of two things. One was that rock critics who lioned The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks and Dylan never really warmed to the DC5 (inexplicably) -- and tended to ignore them when reviewing the British Invasion. The other reason - which contributed to the above -- was Dave Clark himself. Unlike most artists, Dave managed to own the DC5 lock, stock and barrel -- including owning all of their masters, which were leased to Epic in the United States. Once that deal expired, no new pressings of DC5 tracks were manufactured as Clark refused to license the material to other labels for reissue. (I know -- 'cause I tried many times!) Over time, the copies of DC5 records at radio stations wore out and were not replaced -- and with the public unable to find DC5 records in stores, potential interest in the recordings was shifted elsewhere. Meanwhile, the recordings of all other British Invasion acts continued to be available, at least in various artists compilations. Dave Clark's stubborn insistance on "moving on" continued for decades -- until finally a 2 CD set of DC5 masters was released on Disney's Hollywood Records label in 1994. Still a pain in the ass to deal with, the set was not in print all that long before Clark changed his mind and refused to renew the lease deal. That's why copies of the set today sell for $80 on amazon.
A lot of folks assume it was Clark who sang lead on the group's powerhouse hits. He didn't -- preferring to stay behind his pounding drums and manage the act. Mike Smith was the real lead singer on such classics as "Glad All Over," "Bits And Pieces," "Can't You See That She's Mine," "Catch Us If You Can," "Over and Over," "I Like It Like That," "At The Scene," "You've Got What It Takes" and its excellent B side, "Doctor Rhythm." In total, the DC5 charted 27 times in the U.S. between 1964 and 1968. Interestingly, nearly every one of the DC5's hits -- except for the ballad "Because" -- was a stone hard rocker, much harder than the Beatles and practically everyone else at the time. Yet when hard rock is discussed, the DC5 are almost never mentioned as the pioneers they were.
Although the DC5 generated more than enough votes to enter the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, it's dictator, Jann Wenner, refused to let them in -- preferring his own pet acts, most of whom were typically ludicrous choices. Finally, after word leaked out of Wenner's unfair actions, the DC5 were finally inducted in 2009 -- AFTER Mike Smith had died. With the passing of Rick Huxley, only two DC5 members survive today -- Dave Clark and guitarist Lenny Davidson.
Gary Theroux
Dave Clark's infinite wisdom and business savvy only served to cheat himself and his bandmates out of untold millions of dollars over the years. By keeping The Dave Clark Five catalog under lock and key, they all but disappeared from the airwaves ... this despite an INCREDIBLE track record of 21 Top 50 Hits between 1964 and 1968. And, with no material available for purchase, this legacy of recorded material earned virtually no royalties for decades.
The group never really changed with the times. It was more due to the teeny-bopper magazines playing up a rivalry to The Beatles (and the fact that these guys were also both talented and cute) that drew the greatest amount of attention to the band ... the real rock critics never took them seriously ... yet they built an impressive chart legacy in a very short period of time. (And, as Gary stated above, the bulk of their catalog was out-and-out rockers!)
Simply put, Mike Smith had one of the best rock voices EVER committed to wax ... if I had to list the ten greatest concerts I've ever seen in my entire lifetime, Mike Smith's solo show at the Holiday Star Theatre in Merrillville, Indiana, would be right up near the top of that list. Here was a guy who had not publicly performed in thirty years but just sat back down at the piano and went through his entire arsenal of hits, as well as many of the early '50's rockers that inspired him to get into the rock and roll business in the first place. Sadly, it was when he returned home for this tour that he fell and became paralyzed for the rest of his life.
He and Dave Clark cowrote most of the band's hits ... so in royalties alone locking this material away cost them big time. (Clark not only cheated himself but all of his former bandmates in this regard. It was a complete disservice to the guys who made HIM an international star.)
Not to mention the licensing they could have gotten by using their material in television commercials and movies. Think of the dvd sales that could have been generated featuring all of their great television performances ... not to mention any number of "new" compilations that could have been released to cash in on the then-new cd technology. (Clark was always guarded about the material his band recorded. Even when he bought the rights to the hit British music series "Ready, Steady, Go" ... and released a special DC5 edition ... NONE of the performance by The Dave Clark Five actually came from that program!!!) He was a COMPLETE control freak ... and the perfect example of the blind leading the blind. And clearly he STILL doesn't get it ... as this material STILL isn't "legally" commercially available.
For the most part, The Dave Clark Five were a "ballroom band" ... that's what they were used to doing, no matter how hard they rocked. (Their records were recorded SO loudly that even the very first play on your turn-table generally generated massive distortion!!!) But I loved 'em ... and I still do. Fortunately, I've got a pretty complete Dave Clark Five collection, both in terms of music and video ... it's just a shame that the world was cheated out of hearing them for so many years. One cannot help but wonder how the world would view and rank them today had we only had the chance to stay in touch with their incredible legacy of music.
Were they of Beatles caliber as recording artists? No. The Beatles' catalog continues to outsell many of the new artists of today. The Rolling Stones are still touring after 50 years. Even at their peak of popularity, The Dave Clark Five still performed second to Herman's Hermits (after The Beatles) on the charts. But they made a viable contribution to the world of British Rock ... and deserved a better end game. (kk)
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE HIT LIST:
The Dave Clark Five were EXTREMELY popular on BOTH sides of the Atlantic, racking up hit after hit after hit on both the British and the US charts ... but looking at a recap of these chart performances shows a definite edge here in The States, where most of their records out-performed their UK counterparts. They did continue to chart longer in Great Britain, however, scoring Top 40 Hits through the end of 1970.
Here's a quick comparison as to how these records stacked up on each:
GLAD ALL OVER - US - 5; UK - 1 (and #1 here in Chicago!)
This is the record that knocked The Beatles out of the top spot on the charts ... and got The Dave Clark Five machine rolling.
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE HIT LIST:
The Dave Clark Five were EXTREMELY popular on BOTH sides of the Atlantic, racking up hit after hit after hit on both the British and the US charts ... but looking at a recap of these chart performances shows a definite edge here in The States, where most of their records out-performed their UK counterparts. They did continue to chart longer in Great Britain, however, scoring Top 40 Hits through the end of 1970.
Here's a quick comparison as to how these records stacked up on each:
GLAD ALL OVER - US - 5; UK - 1 (and #1 here in Chicago!)
This is the record that knocked The Beatles out of the top spot on the charts ... and got The Dave Clark Five machine rolling.
BITS AND PIECES - US - 3; UK - 2
I KNEW IT ALL THE TIME - US - 53; UK - xx
DO YOU LOVE ME - US - 8; UK - 30
CAN'T YOU SEE THAT SHE'S MINE - US - 4; UK - 10 (also #1 here in Chicago)
THINKING OF YOU BABY - US - xx; UK - 26
BECAUSE - US - 3; UK - xx
Incredibly, NOT released as a single in Great Britain ... and Dave Clark had to fight with Epic Records to get them to put it out here ... the label kept telling him "But you're a ROCK band!!!" Apparently nobody ever told the powers that be at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ... until they were EMBARRASSED by a public scandal into finally inducting them in 2008.
Incredibly, NOT released as a single in Great Britain ... and Dave Clark had to fight with Epic Records to get them to put it out here ... the label kept telling him "But you're a ROCK band!!!" Apparently nobody ever told the powers that be at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ... until they were EMBARRASSED by a public scandal into finally inducting them in 2008.
EVERYBODY KNOWS (I STILL LOVE YOU) - US - 14; UK - 37
ANY WAY YOU WANT IT - US - 9; UK - 25
COME HOME - US - 13; UK - 16
REELIN' AND ROCKIN' - US - 13; UK - 24
I'M THINKING - US - 128; UK - xx
I LIKE IT LIKE THAT - US - 5; UK - xx
CATCH US IF YOU CAN - US - 4; UK - 5
OVER AND OVER - US - 1; UK - 45
Their only official US #1 Record (It topped all three national charts ... yet never even made The Top 40 in England!)
Their only official US #1 Record (It topped all three national charts ... yet never even made The Top 40 in England!)
AT THE SCENE - US - 12; UK - xx
TRY TOO HARD - US - 9; UK - xx
PLEASE TELL ME WHY - US - 18; UK - xx
LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP - US - 101; UK - 50
SATISFIED WITH YOU - US - 44; UK - xx
NINETEEN DAYS - US - 45; UK - xx
I'VE GOT TO HAVE A REASON - US - 44; UK - xx
YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES - US - 7; UK - 28
YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL BABY - US - 35; UK - xx
A LITTLE BIT NOW - US - 52; UK - xx
RED AND BLUE - US - 69; UK - xx
EVERYBODY KNOWS - US - 41; UK - 2
Their "comeback hit" here in The States was their version of "You Got What It Takes", certainly one of their best singles ever. But that one topped out at #28 in the UK. They wouldn't score big again in Great Britain until this beautiful ballad "Everybody Knows", which soared all the way to #2 ... and didn't feature Mike Smith on lead vocals, a real departure for the band. (For those who don't know, this record "Everybody Knows" is a completely different song than the one shown above as "Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)" ... and is another one of my long-forgotten favorites by the band.)
Their "comeback hit" here in The States was their version of "You Got What It Takes", certainly one of their best singles ever. But that one topped out at #28 in the UK. They wouldn't score big again in Great Britain until this beautiful ballad "Everybody Knows", which soared all the way to #2 ... and didn't feature Mike Smith on lead vocals, a real departure for the band. (For those who don't know, this record "Everybody Knows" is a completely different song than the one shown above as "Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)" ... and is another one of my long-forgotten favorites by the band.)
PLEASE STAY - US - 88; UK - xx
NO ONE CAN BREAK A HEART LIKE YOU - US - xx; UK - 28
RED BALLOON - US - xx; UK - 7
LIVE IN THE SKY - US - xx; UK - 39
PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART - US - xx; UK - 31
GOOD OLD ROCK AND ROLL - US - xx; UK - 7
Cat Mother and the All-Night Newsboys had the hit with this song here in The States
Cat Mother and the All-Night Newsboys had the hit with this song here in The States
EVERYBODY GET TOGETHER - US - xx; UK - 8
HERE COMES SUMMER - US - xx; UK - 44
MORE GOOD OLD ROCK AND ROLL - US - xx; UK -34
MORE GOOD OLD ROCK AND ROLL - US - xx; UK -34
Another oldies hits medley, much in the same style as the track listed above
One of the greatest and most anticipated Christmas presents I ever got was The Dave Clark Five's first Greatest Hits album, Christmas, 1965. I must have picked that album up 50 times at the store, holding it in my hands and just WISHING I had the money to buy it. My Mom evidently picked up on my desires and, sure enough, there it was under the tree that year. I played it non-stop ... there was NO filler on this LP ... EVERY track had been a HUGE hit ... and I couldn't get enough of it.
Ironically, I HATED "Glad All Over" and "Bits and Pieces" when they came out ... and I STILL consider them to be amongst the band's weakest tracks ... but when "Do You Love Me", "Can't You See That She's Mine", "Because" and "Everybody Knows" all came out in quick succession, I was hooked. (Back then it was not at all unusual for a group to release as many as four or five singles in a single year. In fact, The Dave Clark Five scored their first 13 Hits in 1964 and 1965 alone!!!
TODAY'S FORGOTTEN HITS:
We've got THREE of them for you today ... GREAT Dave Clark Five tracks that radio no longer plays.
First up, a bonafide Top Ten Hit ... ANY WAY YOU WANT IT ... Tell me that THIS one wouldn't sound great coming out of your radio every now and then!!!
And finally, since I've already sung its praises, here's the 1968 ballad "EVERYBODY KNOWS", featuring guitarist Lenny Davidson on lead vocals, a real departure for this band.
ALSO SAYING GOODBYE:
Sadly, we lost a few other music luminaries this past week, too. Here's the scoop on a few others who have recently left us:
From The Rinso Kid:
Tony Sheridan, who has died aged 72, was the hard-driving rock and roll guitarist and singer teamed with the Beatles on their first recording session, when they backed him on the hoary old standard My Bonnie in 1961.
It was that record that first piqued Brian Epstein's interest in the band. When kids kept coming into his record store asking for a copy of the record by Liverpool's very own Beatles ... and he didn't have a copy ... or know anything at all about it ... he decided to go check out the group himself at an afternoon session at The Cavern. The rest, as they say, is history.
He cleaned up their act (putting them in matching suits and ties, doing away with the leather jackets they were wearing at that point) and then pedaled their efforts to every record label in London, being turned down flat by all of them until Parlophone finally decided to give them a shot. Teamed up with Producer George Martin, The Beatles went on to record a catalog of material unrivaled by any other artist, much of which still outsells much of today's music over 50 years later.
He cleaned up their act (putting them in matching suits and ties, doing away with the leather jackets they were wearing at that point) and then pedaled their efforts to every record label in London, being turned down flat by all of them until Parlophone finally decided to give them a shot. Teamed up with Producer George Martin, The Beatles went on to record a catalog of material unrivaled by any other artist, much of which still outsells much of today's music over 50 years later.
Here's the complete Telegraph article:
When released here in America in 1964, "My Bonnie" became a #26 Hit ... it was a time where ANYTHING with The Beatles' name on it was sure to sell ... so MGM Records put it out (in a plain green picture sleeve with The Beatles name in HUGE type and Tony Sheridan's in much smaller type ... not at all the way the session was booked ... HE was the recording star and they were simply brought in as his backing band) and off it went.
At that same session, The Beatles were allowed to cut a couple of their own numbers ... one was the instrumental "Cry For A Shadow" (a tribute to Cliff Richard's band, written by John Lennon and George Harrison) and the other was a GREAT, rock and roll vocal by John Lennon on the old standard "Ain't She Sweet", one of my early Beatles favorites.
At that same session, The Beatles were allowed to cut a couple of their own numbers ... one was the instrumental "Cry For A Shadow" (a tribute to Cliff Richard's band, written by John Lennon and George Harrison) and the other was a GREAT, rock and roll vocal by John Lennon on the old standard "Ain't She Sweet", one of my early Beatles favorites.
From the New York Times ...
Shadow Morton, a songwriter and producer who for a brief, luminous period in the 1960s poured the discontents of adolescence into original hit songs, including “Leader of the Pack” and “Remember (Walking in the Sand),” died on Thursday in Laguna Beach, Calif. He was 71.
-- Mike DeMartino
Mark Kamins has died of a massive heart attack ... and I havent seen any Madonna comments yet.
Mark Kamins has died of a massive heart attack ... and I havent seen any Madonna comments yet.
But also Shadow Morton is dead.
Is there a definitive answer if Billy Joel played on Remember Walking in the Sand? Seems as though he'd have been too young?
Here's a piece from a Shadow Morton interview I found on the net.
I didn't know he produced Iron Butterfly or Vanilla Fudge.
Maybe I lived under a rock?
Bill
As far as I know, that whole Billy Joel / "Remember (Walking In The Sand)" was just a rumor ... unless he did the session when he was just 15 years old! (I know it's come up a few times now in FH). But if you read that Goldmine interview with Morton, who knows. (Then again he says that the piano player later turned out to be who he believes to be Billy Joel ... or so he's heard ... so it sounds like even Morton himself wasn't sure ... he was just going with the flow of what everybody else had been telling him. I seem to remember disproving that story quite some time ago. Anybody else able to weigh-in on this with any certainty???) Meanwhile, I've got to admit that that's quite a wide range of musical talent for Shadow Morton ... from The Shangri-Las to Iron Butterfly and Vanilla Fudge?!?!? (kk)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shadow Morton, a 1960s pop-song writer and producer whose biggest credits include "Leader of the Pack" and "Remember (Walking in the Sand)," has died. He was 71.
Family friend Amy Krakow confirmed with The Associated Press on Sunday that Morton, born George Francis Morton, died Thursday in Laguna Beach, California.
Shangri-Las, the girls group from Queens, N.Y., gained fame after recording both "Remember" in 1964, and then "Leader of the Pack," which Morton co-wrote with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. Shangri-Las became famous starting in 1964 with Morton's hits.
Morton was born in Brooklyn and moved to Long Island as a teenager.Krakow said he is survived by three daughters, a sister and three grandchildren.
His death was reported Friday by The New York Times.
-- Rinso Kid
Here's the Billboard report, courtesy of FH Reader Tom Cuddy:
Hi Kent;
Here is some information on Tandyn Almer in case you didn't hear:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/2013/02/16/76d3ebba-5f44-11e2-a389-ee565c81c565_story.html
Hope all is well with you. I read every one of your blogs.
All The Best!
John Blazier
Carmel, Indiana
Here is some information on Tandyn Almer in case you didn't hear:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/2013/02/16/76d3ebba-5f44-11e2-a389-ee565c81c565_story.html
Hope all is well with you. I read every one of your blogs.
All The Best!
John Blazier
Carmel, Indiana
