Dave Clark 5 - a lotta questions

[M.T. Wallet]

- Is there some live footage available somewhere, please? (free or for sale)
Beatles' US tours are quite well documented, too bad not the DC5' (how many tours did they do?!)
All their -great- instrumental stuff on their LPs make me wonder if they sound more like a 'live band' than the "sometimes-too-tight" fab 4 (London era)

- That band is almost unknown in France (their records were not released here for some reason...) but what about other European countries?
- How were they ranked in US & UK? right behind the Beatles & the Stones?
- Any interesting book about them around?
I always thought they actually had more influence than the Beatles on the US garage punk sound, especially because of the loud drums, the Vox organ or the "frat rock" gritty sax.

Thanks!


Interesting interview of their ghost writer: http://www.daveclarkfive.net/RRyan-1.htm
Seems like his website is down, too bad http://www.ronryanmusic.com/

 

[depravedskippy66]

The DC5 were huge here in the US, particularly during the early stages of the British Invasion. It seems funny now considering that they're still going, but it took the Rolling Stones a while to find their legs from a commercial standpoint. Early on, the DC5 enjoyed far greater success than Mick and the boys.

In terms of their standing in the UK, the general wisdom is that once they took off in the US they more or less turned their backs on their UK following. Only once their star faded in the US - You Got What It Takes, from 1967, was their last significant US hit - did they refocus on the UK market which kept them going until their breakup in 1970.

No book that I am aware of. But, then again, considering how little drama there appears to have been throughout their career, I am not exactly sure one would be warranted.

 

[Frantic]

I can't speak for other U.S. cities but the top 2 bands in Sacramento, Ca. in 1965 were

1. Beau Brummels
2. DC5.

The Stones played the auditorium that was half full.
When the Brummels played here, the auditorium was sold out with 1000's of kids outside who couldn't get it.

 

[M.T. Wallet]

Thanks for your reply!
Same idea posted here (Stones "behind" the DC5): http://blogs.canoe.ca/parker/general/dave-clark-five

 

[wildpaws]

While I can say I liked the DC5, I went to their live show here in Richmond, VA in the mid '60s and the show was completely stolen by the opening act........ Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. After Mitch and the Wheels were done, the DC5 was an anti-climax. And the bands I was playing in at the time did do DC5 tunes as well as MR/DW songs.
Clyde

 

[M.T. Wallet]

I scanned this here: http://hiddenpage.free.fr/DC5

 

[HarvestmanMan]

It's a shame they didn't do more psychedelic stuff - "Maze of Love" and "Inside and Out" are both very good songs.

 

[Dave Baldwin]

I met one of the big 1960s Epic Records promo guys back about 1981 and he was still complaining about how they could never move Dave Clark 5 records on the West Coast and how they couldn't move Yardbirds records on the East Coast.

 

[Frantic]

I met one of the big 1960s Epic Records promo guys back about 1981 and he was still complaining about how they could never move Dave Clark 5 records on the West Coast.

They were big in Sacto. A lot of 'em out here now. Unless they are clean and $1 I don't buy them.

 

[Dave Baldwin]

They were big in Sacto. A lot of 'em out here now. Unless they are clean and $1 I don't buy them.

The later LPs in true stereo are worth good money now and contain some cool fuzztone "sleepers".

 

[howlin' hoosier]

Why is there so little live material of the DC5 floating around? For such a big selling act, there seems to be a distinct lack of footage or audio of them live.

 

[M.T. Wallet]

It's a shame they didn't do more psychedelic stuff - "Maze of Love" and "Inside and Out" are both very good songs.

lead guitar on Maze of Love has a nice early Hendrix sound

one of my fave:
http://hiddenpage.free.fr/daveclarkfive-youdon'twantmyloving.mp3
killer break