Thursday, February 28, 2008
SAD ALL OVER
It wasn’t too long ago that I questioned the inclusion of the Dave Clark Five in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.And I suppose I still do.
But this is sad.
Less than two weeks before their induction, lead singer Mike Smith has died.
Smith gave the DC5 its sound…a little harder-edged, a little more rockin’ than the Beatles.
At the height of their shared popularity, everybody knew John, Paul, George and Ringo. Each had distinct personalities and images.
But everybody was less sure who was who in the DC5. As a matter of fact, there were people who thought Smith WAS Dave Clark, because he was the lead singer and keyboard player. Clark was the drummer.
(In the picture, Smith is second from the left, Clark in the middle.)Still, for a while in the mid-to-late 60’s, the DC5 gave the Beatles a run for their money on the charts, and for appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show” (a dozen!).
They broke up in 1970, and unlike the individual Beatles, never again achieved international success.
Mike Smith’s passing didn’t make our newscast Thursday night.
Turns out I was the only person in the newsroom who knew who he was.
Damn.
Posted at 10:05 PM by Gerry
5 Comments:
It's sad that this news didn't make the newscast, when every detail of Britney's life is repeated over and over again in every medium. I liked the DC5 a lot. There were so many groups from that era that just fizzled out. It's not that they weren't as good as the Beatles or Stones. Maybe they just didn't have the right business/management sense. Thanks for passing along the news.
Linda
I remember the DC5 and I liked 'em! I agree with what anonymous said about every detail of Britney's life is thrown at us over and over, but this news didn't make the broadcast.
In all fairness to our esteemed 11pm producer Darwin, I had him convinced to run a brief story, but the NBC video service had no pictures of Mike Smith or the DC5.
And believe it or not, I can sometimes talk Darwin out of running Britney Spears (BS for short) stories. Not always, but sometimes, which is better than never.
I like the BS for short! I hope you have a great vacation.
And yes, the DV 5 were so popular. I remember their first album, and I remember going to the movie theater in Hartford (when there were movie houses there). The Strand (across from G Fox on Main), the E. M. Lowes and the Asylum) to mention just a threesome, and my little brother and I saw HAVING A WILD WEEKEND (clearly a take-off on A HARD DAY'S NIGHT). It was enjoyable, but I still miss walkin' down Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut and seeing the banners of the three main theaters, right there.
I guess those days have passed, but there is one memory that stands tall and proud in my limited memory. The Strand Theater, a beautiful place across from the old G. Fox on Main. They screened for many weeks Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS. My Mom and Dad took my brother Bob and me to see it the first weekend that it was released, and I will never forget it. After the movie, the four of us walked out, a little shell shocked. I, as an 11 year old (or something like that) was spellbound by the great film. And sure enough, a flock (a bunch, a gathering?) Put it this way...just a whole lot of winged animals picked THAT exact time, while the taste of real buttered popcorn was still so fresh in my mouth, decided to take off as one. I screamed (well, maybe a little yelp) and knew that Hitch had done such an unbelievabable job, much like Speilberg would do in the suummer of '75. But that's another story.
Gerry, I hope your vacation has been great, and hi to Mrs. Brooks. We miss the on-air Gerry, but the ladies are doing just great. BE WELL. ALWAYS. Peter N.
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