Mike Clifford
Encyclopedia
Mike Clifford, is an American singer, songwriter
and actor. He is best known for his 1962 pop hit, "Close To Cathy", which reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
Mike Clifford was born in Los Angeles
, California. His father, Cal Clifford, was a professional trumpeter, who took him to many of his engagements. Mike soon developed an interest in music and began taking voice lessons. While in school, Mike began to entertain at school and community functions, and by the age of 15 was performing at local nightclubs in Los Angeles. After singing for just a short time period, Clifford signed with Liberty Records
in 1959. He recorded his first single that year, titled "Should I". The song was mixed by Mark McIntyre and featured additional vocals from Patience and Prudence and Eddie Cochran
on guitar.
Clifford met Helen Noga through an introduction by a friend and she agreed to become his personal manager after hearing him sing. Helen Noga and her husband John managed the career of Johnny Mathis
, and were able to get Mike signed to Columbia Records
. Later, after much hard work and rehearsing, Helen Noga brought Mike to meet Ed Sullivan
who was so impressed with Mike’s poise and stage presence that he booked him for his TV debut, the first of three appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Mike Clifford's first taste of success came at age 18 when "Bombay" became a hit in Venezuela. He appeared on the state owned Venevision in his own TV special.
However, Clifford's recordings for Columbia received little buyer’s attention, and in July 1962, Clifford signed with United Artists Records
. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller produced several songs for Clifford, including his biggest hit "Close To Cathy", written by Earl Shuman and composed by Bob Goodman
. The song reached number 12 in September of that year, and stayed there for 2 weeks and remained on the charts for 12 weeks. On December 29, 1962, "What To Do With Laurie" entered the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number #67. "One Boy Too Late" entered the Billboard Hot 100 on May 11, 1963 and was to be his last nationally charted record. He subsequently, had several songs that were regional hits in the U.S.A.
He had hit records in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Germany as well as "It Had Better Be Tonight" in Chile, "See You In September" in the Philippines and "How To Murder Your Wife" in Japan.
In 1965, United Artists released Mike Clifford’s debut album For The Love Of Mike which was reviewed and a spotlight pick in the February 13, 1965 issue of Billboard.
Mike appeared in the films Village of the Giants
in 1965, Lord Of The Rings
in 1978, In the 1978 film Sextette
, Mike Clifford sang "Love Will Keep Us Together" with Mae West
, while actor Timothy Dalton
lip synched the words.
The 60's and 70's saw Mike Clifford tour over one hundred cities during 1964 and 1965 with the Dick Clark Caravan Of Stars and perform in Canada, France, Puerto Rico and Mexico. He did commercials for Black Cow and Slowpoke suckers, Ortho Mattresses and MJB coffee. American International Pictures purchased cartoon films from Japan and had the dialogue and songs translated into English. Mike recorded the Guy Hemeric-produced song "Rose Color Sky" and another song for the soundtracks. They were released to movie theaters and television.
The 1970s also saw Clifford play the dual role of Teen Angel and Johnny Casino in the first national tour of the Broadway musical, Grease
that also starred John Travolta
.
Clifford recorded the songs "Pretty Little Girl in the Yellow Dress" from the Universal Pictures
The Last Sunset
in 1961, "Look in Any Window" from the Allied Artists picture Look in Any Window
in 1961, "Joanna" from the TV production Peter Gunn in 1961, "At Last" for the United Artist release The Last Time I Saw Archie
in 1961, "It Had Better Be Tonight" from the Mirisch-G&E Production The Pink Panther
in 1963, "Barbara’s Theme" from the motion picture Diary Of A Bachelor in 1964, "How to Murder Your Wife" and "Here's To My Lover" from the motion picture How To Murder Your Wife in 1965, "Magic Night" for the movie soundtrack Mondo Hollywood in 1967, "It’s a Dream Away" for the American International Pictures
film The Glass Sphinx in 1967, "The Golden Breed" for the Hollywood International Production movie The Golden Breed in 1968, "Mary Jane", the title song for the American International motion picture Mary Jane in 1968, "You Say Love" for the Trans-American Film Dagmar’s Hot Pants Inc. in 1971, "The Morning After" for the Cinerama-Zenith International Production, and the theme for Necromancy in 1972.
In the early 1970s, Clifford and Lu Ann Simms were called in to record a new version of the Beach Party album music after Frankie and Annette recorded the final versions for the films. Interestingly these recordings were released as Summer Fun by the Columbia House
mail order division as a bonus gift.
Mike Clifford continues to have a very successful nightclub and concert career that began on his 18th birthday at the Elegante Club, Brooklyn, New York co-starring with Totie Fields.
He currently tours with his singing partner Sandy Zacky. The two released a collaborative album in 2007, titled Love Is Everything. In 2010, Mike Clifford recorded a brand new mp3 release, "Mack The Knife", on the Hired Gun Records label.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and actor. He is best known for his 1962 pop hit, "Close To Cathy", which reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Mike Clifford was born in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California. His father, Cal Clifford, was a professional trumpeter, who took him to many of his engagements. Mike soon developed an interest in music and began taking voice lessons. While in school, Mike began to entertain at school and community functions, and by the age of 15 was performing at local nightclubs in Los Angeles. After singing for just a short time period, Clifford signed with Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
in 1959. He recorded his first single that year, titled "Should I". The song was mixed by Mark McIntyre and featured additional vocals from Patience and Prudence and Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
on guitar.
Clifford met Helen Noga through an introduction by a friend and she agreed to become his personal manager after hearing him sing. Helen Noga and her husband John managed the career of Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
, and were able to get Mike signed to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Later, after much hard work and rehearsing, Helen Noga brought Mike to meet Ed Sullivan
Ed Sullivan
Edward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was broadcast from 1948 to 1971 , which made it one of the longest-running variety shows in U.S...
who was so impressed with Mike’s poise and stage presence that he booked him for his TV debut, the first of three appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Mike Clifford's first taste of success came at age 18 when "Bombay" became a hit in Venezuela. He appeared on the state owned Venevision in his own TV special.
However, Clifford's recordings for Columbia received little buyer’s attention, and in July 1962, Clifford signed with United Artists Records
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller produced several songs for Clifford, including his biggest hit "Close To Cathy", written by Earl Shuman and composed by Bob Goodman
Bob Goodman
Robert "Bob" Goodman is an American boxing matchmaker, publicist and promoter. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. since 2009, the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame. and the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, since 1990 and recipient of the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of...
. The song reached number 12 in September of that year, and stayed there for 2 weeks and remained on the charts for 12 weeks. On December 29, 1962, "What To Do With Laurie" entered the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number #67. "One Boy Too Late" entered the Billboard Hot 100 on May 11, 1963 and was to be his last nationally charted record. He subsequently, had several songs that were regional hits in the U.S.A.
He had hit records in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Germany as well as "It Had Better Be Tonight" in Chile, "See You In September" in the Philippines and "How To Murder Your Wife" in Japan.
In 1965, United Artists released Mike Clifford’s debut album For The Love Of Mike which was reviewed and a spotlight pick in the February 13, 1965 issue of Billboard.
Mike appeared in the films Village of the Giants
Village of the Giants
Village of the Giants is a 1965 science-fiction/comedy movie with many elements of the beach party film genre. It was produced, directed and written by Bert I. Gordon, and based loosely on H.G. Wells's book The Food of the Gods...
in 1965, Lord Of The Rings
The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is a 1978 American fantasy film directed by Ralph Bakshi. It contains both animation and live action footage which is rotoscoped to give it a more consistent look throughout the length of the movie. It is an adaptation of the first half of the high fantasy...
in 1978, In the 1978 film Sextette
Sextette
Sextette is a 1978 Crown International Pictures comedy/musical motion picture that starred Mae West. Other actors in the cast included Timothy Dalton, Dom DeLuise, Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, George Hamilton, Alice Cooper and Walter Pidgeon....
, Mike Clifford sang "Love Will Keep Us Together" with Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
, while actor Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
lip synched the words.
The 60's and 70's saw Mike Clifford tour over one hundred cities during 1964 and 1965 with the Dick Clark Caravan Of Stars and perform in Canada, France, Puerto Rico and Mexico. He did commercials for Black Cow and Slowpoke suckers, Ortho Mattresses and MJB coffee. American International Pictures purchased cartoon films from Japan and had the dialogue and songs translated into English. Mike recorded the Guy Hemeric-produced song "Rose Color Sky" and another song for the soundtracks. They were released to movie theaters and television.
The 1970s also saw Clifford play the dual role of Teen Angel and Johnny Casino in the first national tour of the Broadway musical, Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
that also starred John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
.
Clifford recorded the songs "Pretty Little Girl in the Yellow Dress" from the Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
The Last Sunset
The Last Sunset
The Last Sunset may refer to:* The Last Sunset , an album by the band Conception* The Last Sunset , a 1961 western film* "The Last Sunset" , an episode of the British TV series Space: 1999...
in 1961, "Look in Any Window" from the Allied Artists picture Look in Any Window
Look in Any Window
Look in Any Window is a black-and-white film starring Paul Anka, Gigi Perreau, and, in his film debut, Jack Cassidy. The film was directed by William Alland and released by Allied Artists.-Plot:...
in 1961, "Joanna" from the TV production Peter Gunn in 1961, "At Last" for the United Artist release The Last Time I Saw Archie
The Last Time I Saw Archie
The Last Time I Saw Archie is a 1961 comedy film set in the waning days of World War II. Robert Mitchum stars as a lazy, scheming American soldier based on Arch Hall Sr. who is in an avaition school for pilots too old to fly aircraft but not too old to fly military gliders...
in 1961, "It Had Better Be Tonight" from the Mirisch-G&E Production The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther is a series of comedy films featuring the bungling French police detective Jacques Clouseau that began in 1963 with the release of the film of the same name. The role was originated by, and is most closely associated with, Peter Sellers...
in 1963, "Barbara’s Theme" from the motion picture Diary Of A Bachelor in 1964, "How to Murder Your Wife" and "Here's To My Lover" from the motion picture How To Murder Your Wife in 1965, "Magic Night" for the movie soundtrack Mondo Hollywood in 1967, "It’s a Dream Away" for the American International Pictures
American International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
film The Glass Sphinx in 1967, "The Golden Breed" for the Hollywood International Production movie The Golden Breed in 1968, "Mary Jane", the title song for the American International motion picture Mary Jane in 1968, "You Say Love" for the Trans-American Film Dagmar’s Hot Pants Inc. in 1971, "The Morning After" for the Cinerama-Zenith International Production, and the theme for Necromancy in 1972.
In the early 1970s, Clifford and Lu Ann Simms were called in to record a new version of the Beach Party album music after Frankie and Annette recorded the final versions for the films. Interestingly these recordings were released as Summer Fun by the Columbia House
Columbia House
The Columbia House brand was introduced in the early 1970s by the Columbia Records division of CBS, Inc. as an umbrella for its mail-order music clubs, the primary incarnation of which was the Columbia Record Club, established in 1955. It had a significant market presence in the 1980s and early...
mail order division as a bonus gift.
Mike Clifford continues to have a very successful nightclub and concert career that began on his 18th birthday at the Elegante Club, Brooklyn, New York co-starring with Totie Fields.
He currently tours with his singing partner Sandy Zacky. The two released a collaborative album in 2007, titled Love Is Everything. In 2010, Mike Clifford recorded a brand new mp3 release, "Mack The Knife", on the Hired Gun Records label.