Mike Smith (Dave Clark Five)
Encyclopedia
Michael George Smith
was an English
singer, songwriter
, and music producer.
In the 1960s, Smith was the lead vocalist and keyboard player for The Dave Clark Five
. The band was a leading unit in the British Invasion
of the United States
, and were The Beatles
' main British rivals before the emergence of The Rolling Stones
.
, an only child of George and Maud Smith. His parents found he had a natural ability as a pianist that surfaced as early as age five. Smith started lessons in classical piano, and at age 13 passed the entrance exams at Trinity Music College in London.
when they were both members on the same football team for the St. George Boys Club. By his mid-teens, Smith had developed a strong vocal delivery, while idolising Little Richard
, among other American rock & roll stars. At age 17, while working for a finance company, Smith was invited by Clark to join his band, which was busy rebuilding itself around the core of Clark and rhythm guitarist (later bassist) Rick Huxley
, after having recently lost its lead singer.
Denis (Denny) Payton
and lead guitarist Lenny Davidson
, who was auditioned on Smith's recommendation.
Smith made his recording debut, at age 18, with the single "I Knew It All the Time" b/w (flip side) "That's What I Said" produced by Pye Records
in June 1962 and credited to the unknown band The Dave Clark Five featuring Mike Smith. Performed in a style midway between early British beat and the bolder 1960s sounds that were developing, it was a powerful record to be issued while The Beatles were still developing their first recording deal.
Due to his role as lead singer, Smith was considered the other star of the band, less visible by name than drummer/founder Clark but still at the centre of the group's sound as lead singer and keyboard player.
Smith's singing showed the strong influence of Elvis Presley
during the period of "The Girl of My Best Friend," "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame," and "Little Sister."
Smith's voice and keyboards were clearly evident in the band’s sound over seven years: during their two major years of success in 1964-1965 and continuing five years after the British Invasion died down in America, until the group disbanded in 1970.
," "Sweet City Woman," and "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)." They split in 1973.
singer Michael d'Abo
.
Most of Smith's work in the 1970s and 1980s, however, was as a producer and songwriter, and Smith was successful working on commercials (commercial ads), authoring jingles for many products.
circuit. Having moved to Spain
, Smith had met four musicians who shared his dedication to playing for fun above all else: lead guitarist Doug Lean; bassist Curt Sandell; drummer Paul Skelton; and saxophone player Frank Mead.
After rehearsing at each other’s houses on the Costa del Sol
, the group made their concert debut in August, 2002 when they played a benefit for a charity of abused children and raised $100,000. Beginning in March 2003, Mike Smith's Rock Engine occasional tours generated very enthusiastic responses from audiences, despite being prevented from mentioning The Dave Clark Five in his advertising, Smith appeared to be emerging as a popular star in his own right.
In June 2003, Smith's only son James died in a diving accident. In September 2003, nearing age 60, Smith was involved in a falling accident in his home in Spain, which caused severe injury to his spinal cord
. The accident left him permanently paralysed from the waist down and in his right arm, with very little movement in his left arm.
Following four years of treatment, Smith was released from hospital on his 64th birthday, 6 December 2007. On 19 December 2007, Bruce Springsteen
, a longtime friend and fan, dedicated "Born To Run
" to Smith and his wife, Charlie, who were attending his concert at The O2
in London
.
Smith died on 28 February 2008 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital
in Aylesbury
, Buckinghamshire
, at the age of 64, of pneumonia
, a complication from his earlier accident. He died only 11 days before he was to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
as a member of The Dave Clark Five.
(DC5) were written by Mike Smith and Dave Clark, including "Glad All Over
" (#6), "Bits and Pieces" (#4), "Can’t You See That’s She Mine" (#4), "Come Home" (#14), "Try Too Hard" (#12), and "Please Tell Me Why" (#28). The DC5 also had the hits "Do You Love Me" (#11), "Because
" (#3), "Reelin’ and Rockin'" (#23), "Catch Us If You Can
" (#4, by Clark & Lenny Davidson),
"I Like It Like That" (#7), "Over and Over" (#1), "You Got What It Takes" (#7) and "Any Way You Want It" (#14). Mike Smith and Clark also co-wrote and performed "Having A Wild Weekend" from one of two feature films the DC5 made, Having a Wild Weekend. They sold more than 100 million records, sold out five consecutive world tours and six in the U.S. including 12 consecutive shows at Carnegie Hall, and made a record-setting 13 appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show
" (New York City
).
When the DC5 disbanded, Smith first collaborated with singer Mike D’Abo, former lead singer of Manfred Mann
. They made one self-titled album, which has recently been reissued by Sony in Japan. Andrew Lloyd Webber
and Tim Rice
recruited Mike Smith to sing on the recording of their Evita before it ever hit the stage, earning him another gold record. Smith also produced recordings for Shirley Bassey
and four gold albums for one of Europe
’s top male vocalists, Michael Ball
.
Mike Smith can be heard in the Applebee’s Restaurant commercial that uses "I Like It Like That" and in Target’s campaign, which uses "Bits and Pieces" : one of dozens of commercials he has made over the years, employing his distinctive "Smith sound."
Mike Smith also taped an interview and performance for a TV special on "The British Music Invasion" which aired in the U.S. on TLC
in 2003. The Dave Clark Five are known as one of the most influential of the Brit bands and, as Steve Van Zandt points out, "they actually made the most powerful records of anybody. . . . They were a tremendous band."
was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer, songwriter
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 music producer.
In the 1960s, Smith was the lead vocalist and keyboard player for The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
. The band was a leading unit in the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and were The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' main British rivals before the emergence of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
.
Biography
Smith was born in Edmonton, North LondonEdmonton, London
Edmonton is an area in the east of the London Borough of Enfield, England, north-north-east of Charing Cross. It has a long history as a settlement distinct from Enfield.-Location:...
, an only child of George and Maud Smith. His parents found he had a natural ability as a pianist that surfaced as early as age five. Smith started lessons in classical piano, and at age 13 passed the entrance exams at Trinity Music College in London.
Career
Smith first met Dave ClarkDave Clark (musician)
David 'Dave' Clark is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the leader and drummer of the 1960s beat group The Dave Clark Five, the first big British Invasion band to follow The Beatles to America in 1964....
when they were both members on the same football team for the St. George Boys Club. By his mid-teens, Smith had developed a strong vocal delivery, while idolising Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, among other American rock & roll stars. At age 17, while working for a finance company, Smith was invited by Clark to join his band, which was busy rebuilding itself around the core of Clark and rhythm guitarist (later bassist) Rick Huxley
Rick Huxley
Rick Huxley was the bassist in The Dave Clark Five, he was born on 5th August 1942 in Dartford, Kent.Rick Huxley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March, 2008 along with fellow surviving band members Lenny Davidson and Dave Clark....
, after having recently lost its lead singer.
Dave Clark Five
With Smith on vocals, piano or organ (and occasionally playing guitar in later years), the new Dave Clark Five was completed with the additions of saxophonistSaxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
Denis (Denny) Payton
Denis Payton
Denis Archibald West Payton was an English saxophonist. He was a member of The Dave Clark Five, where he played both tenor and baritone saxophone.-Course of life:...
and lead guitarist Lenny Davidson
Lenny Davidson (musician)
Leonard Arthur 'Lenny' Davidson was the guitarist of 60s' pop rock group the Dave Clark Five.Lenny Davidson was inducted as part of the group into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March, 2008 along with fellow surviving band members Rick Huxley and Dave Clark and deceased band members Denis...
, who was auditioned on Smith's recommendation.
Smith made his recording debut, at age 18, with the single "I Knew It All the Time" b/w (flip side) "That's What I Said" produced by Pye Records
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
in June 1962 and credited to the unknown band The Dave Clark Five featuring Mike Smith. Performed in a style midway between early British beat and the bolder 1960s sounds that were developing, it was a powerful record to be issued while The Beatles were still developing their first recording deal.
Due to his role as lead singer, Smith was considered the other star of the band, less visible by name than drummer/founder Clark but still at the centre of the group's sound as lead singer and keyboard player.
Smith's singing showed the strong influence of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
during the period of "The Girl of My Best Friend," "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame," and "Little Sister."
Smith's voice and keyboards were clearly evident in the band’s sound over seven years: during their two major years of success in 1964-1965 and continuing five years after the British Invasion died down in America, until the group disbanded in 1970.
Clark & Smith
Smith continued working with Clark in the early 1970s, mainly to help the drummer/bandleader fulfill contractual commitments, as "Dave Clark & Friends." Smith & Clark released cover versions of popular hits such as "Rub It InRub It In
"Rub It In" is a song written and originally recorded by Layng Martine, Jr., and credited as Layng Martine. His version, released on the Barnaby Records label, was produced by Ray Stevens and was a chart single in 1971. Billy "Crash" Craddock covered the song in 1974, on the album Rub It In, taking...
," "Sweet City Woman," and "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)." They split in 1973.
Producer
In 1976, Mike recorded with former Manfred MannManfred Mann
Manfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...
singer Michael d'Abo
Mike d'Abo
Michael David "Mike" d'Abo is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the former lead vocalist of Manfred Mann.-Biography:...
.
Most of Smith's work in the 1970s and 1980s, however, was as a producer and songwriter, and Smith was successful working on commercials (commercial ads), authoring jingles for many products.
Mike Smith's Rock Engine
Smith returned to performing in the late 1990s, and discovered he still had many fans on the oldiesOldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
circuit. Having moved to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Smith had met four musicians who shared his dedication to playing for fun above all else: lead guitarist Doug Lean; bassist Curt Sandell; drummer Paul Skelton; and saxophone player Frank Mead.
After rehearsing at each other’s houses on the Costa del Sol
Costa del Sol
The Costa del Sol is a region in the south of Spain, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the Mediterranean coastline of the Málaga province. The Costa del Sol is situated between two lesser known costas: Costa de la Luz and Costa Tropical...
, the group made their concert debut in August, 2002 when they played a benefit for a charity of abused children and raised $100,000. Beginning in March 2003, Mike Smith's Rock Engine occasional tours generated very enthusiastic responses from audiences, despite being prevented from mentioning The Dave Clark Five in his advertising, Smith appeared to be emerging as a popular star in his own right.
Later life
Mike Smith was divorced from his first wife Jill Smith, a Royal hairdresser. They had one son, James. He lived with his longtime partner, Jane Geerts, for 18 years between 1980 and 1998. In October 2001, he married "Charlie" (real name: Arlene Gorek), with whom he had reestablished contact in 1999, having dated thirty-five years earlier.In June 2003, Smith's only son James died in a diving accident. In September 2003, nearing age 60, Smith was involved in a falling accident in his home in Spain, which caused severe injury to his spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
. The accident left him permanently paralysed from the waist down and in his right arm, with very little movement in his left arm.
Following four years of treatment, Smith was released from hospital on his 64th birthday, 6 December 2007. On 19 December 2007, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, a longtime friend and fan, dedicated "Born To Run
Born to Run (song)
"Born to Run" is a song by American singer songwriter Bruce Springsteen, and the title song of his album Born to Run.- Songwriting :Written at in Long Branch, New Jersey in early 1974, the song was Bruce Springsteen's last-ditch effort to make it big. The prior year, Springsteen had released two...
" to Smith and his wife, Charlie, who were attending his concert at The O2
The O2 (London)
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Smith died on 28 February 2008 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Stoke Mandeville Hospital is a large National Health Service hospital within Aylesbury Urban Area to the south of the town of Aylesbury, near the village of Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire...
in Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, at the age of 64, of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, a complication from his earlier accident. He died only 11 days before he was to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
as a member of The Dave Clark Five.
Compositions
Many of the seventeen (17) Top-40 U.S. hits for The Dave Clark FiveThe Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
(DC5) were written by Mike Smith and Dave Clark, including "Glad All Over
Glad All Over
"Glad All Over" is a song written by Mike Smith and recorded by The Dave Clark Five. In January 1964, it became the British group's first big hit, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart. In April 1964, it reached number 6 on the American U.S. pop singles chart, becoming the first British...
" (#6), "Bits and Pieces" (#4), "Can’t You See That’s She Mine" (#4), "Come Home" (#14), "Try Too Hard" (#12), and "Please Tell Me Why" (#28). The DC5 also had the hits "Do You Love Me" (#11), "Because
Because (The Dave Clark Five song)
- Weekly charts :- Year-end charts :...
" (#3), "Reelin’ and Rockin'" (#23), "Catch Us If You Can
Catch Us If You Can
"Catch Us If You Can" is a 1965 song from The Dave Clark Five, written by group's drummer Dave Clark and guitarist Lenny Davidson. The song was one of DC5's top hits, reaching number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in the late summer of 1965 and number 4 on the U.S...
" (#4, by Clark & Lenny Davidson),
"I Like It Like That" (#7), "Over and Over" (#1), "You Got What It Takes" (#7) and "Any Way You Want It" (#14). Mike Smith and Clark also co-wrote and performed "Having A Wild Weekend" from one of two feature films the DC5 made, Having a Wild Weekend. They sold more than 100 million records, sold out five consecutive world tours and six in the U.S. including 12 consecutive shows at Carnegie Hall, and made a record-setting 13 appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
" (New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
).
When the DC5 disbanded, Smith first collaborated with singer Mike D’Abo, former lead singer of Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...
. They made one self-titled album, which has recently been reissued by Sony in Japan. Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
and Tim Rice
Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
recruited Mike Smith to sing on the recording of their Evita before it ever hit the stage, earning him another gold record. Smith also produced recordings for Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
and four gold albums for one of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
’s top male vocalists, Michael Ball
Michael Ball (singer)
Michael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
.
Mike Smith can be heard in the Applebee’s Restaurant commercial that uses "I Like It Like That" and in Target’s campaign, which uses "Bits and Pieces" : one of dozens of commercials he has made over the years, employing his distinctive "Smith sound."
Mike Smith also taped an interview and performance for a TV special on "The British Music Invasion" which aired in the U.S. on TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
in 2003. The Dave Clark Five are known as one of the most influential of the Brit bands and, as Steve Van Zandt points out, "they actually made the most powerful records of anybody. . . . They were a tremendous band."
See also
- Discography of The Dave Clark Five
- http://www.TheDaveClarkFive.com The Legendary MIKE SMITH
- http://dc5bitsandpieces.com/
External links
- YouTube - Live in the Sky: Video of Mike Smith singing with The Dave Clark FiveThe Dave Clark FiveThe Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
. - http://www.TheDaveClarkFive.com The Legendary MIKE SMITH