The historic British Invasion of 1964 came in a coat of many colors. For example, the Beatles and Searchers were recognized for their brand of ringing Merseyside guitar rock, while the Rolling Stones and the Animals sang the blues. The Zombies and Manfred Mann buttered their material with jazz aspirations, where Peter and Gordon crooned sweetly-seasoned harmony pop along with Chad and Jeremy.
And then there were the Dave Clark Five, who clearly inhabited own special category. Hailing from Tottenham, London, the quintet fueled their songs with immense amounts of power and volume that was often intensified by waves of reverb. Sporting matching suits and short hair, the band may have looked wholesome, but their music boomed with force and aggression.
Starring Dave Clark on drums, Mike Smith on lead vocals and keyboards, Rick Huxley on bass, Lenny Davidson on lead guitar, and Denis Payton on saxophone, harmonica and guitar, the Dave Clark Five scored one winning single after another from 1964-66. The group was so hot they even gave the Beatles a serious run for their money.
Logically titled, All the Hits (BMG) kicks into high gear with the Dave Clark Five’s window-rattling cover of the Motown classic “Do You Love Me,” ensued by original compositions such as “Glad All Over,” “Bits and Pieces,” “Can’t You See That She’s Mine,” “Catch Us If You Can” and “Anyway You Want It” that are equally electrifying. Wired tight with pounding grooves, super-sized choruses, punchy breaks and bold and blistering vocals, these cuts were duly designed to encourage crowds to stomp, shout and work it on out.
Although the Dave Clark Five’s main concern was loud and driving rock, they were just as qualified at performing ballads. Underlined by a sparkling keyboard solo and pretty melodies, “Because” particularly exhibits the band’s softer nature.
By the time 1967 arrived, psychedelia was where it was at, but unlike the majority of their peers, the Dave Clark Five did not completely embrace the sounds and imagery. However, the group continued releasing enjoyable records until their split in 1970.
Rightfully and regularly cited as hard rock pioneers, the Dave Clark Five were inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. Serving as a solid statement of their contributions to the music industry, All the Hits snaps, crackles and pops with the kind of passion and energy real rock and roll was built on.
Songs that are fun to dance to and sing along with will never grow old, and that’s why the Dave Clark Five remains as fresh and exciting today as they did back then.
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