The Dave Clark Five - The Very Best Of (1976) (Double LP) [Vinyl Rip]

British Invasion's Second Wave: Dave Clark Five. (By Robert Fontenot. Updated March 25, 2019)
They were never as celebrated as the Beatles or the Stones, but the DC5 (as they were sometimes abbreviated) arguably rocked as hard as any of the more famous British Invasion bands, and they were doing so from the beginning. They even gave the Beatles a run for their money back in their formative years.

Where You Might Have Heard Them:
"Glad All Over" was featured in the 2006 comedy Garfield 2: A Tale of Two Kitties, and "Catch Us If You Can" is featured in the 1990 sequel Look Who's Talking Too, sung by sperm as they fertilize an egg. No, really.

The DC5 began life as a side project, a way for Clark to raise money for his soccer team. Although not a musician, he bought a set of drums, taught himself to play them, and formed a band, which soon found a steady gig backing up singer Stan Saxon in a North London club. Soon they were signed to Britain's Pye Records, and even enjoyed a small hit with their cover of the Contours' "Do You Love Me." But their next single, the original "Glad All Over," hit big, knocking the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" out of the top spot in their native country. Clark's primitive, self-produced tribal drum sound was a smash.
Soon, the group was getting airplay in the States, thanks to promoters looking for the logical follow-up to the Beatles. But the "Tottenham Sound" of the DC5 was harder and more raucous than the "Merseybeat" sound of the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Swinging Blue Jeans, etc. Clark, a natural businessman, managed and produced his own band, and made several smart business decisions which ensured the group would hang on to the money it made. Before the Stones, Kinks, and Who arrived in 1965, the Dave Clark Five were considered the Beatles' chief British Invasion rival, scoring 15 top 20 hits in three years.

Facts and Trivia:
Clark actually started out as a movie stuntman
Sold out 12 shows at Carnegie Hall in three days
"Bits and Pieces" created such stomping from crowds live that it was often banned from performance
"Over and Over" was originally performed by Bobby Day as the b-side of his hit "Rockin' Robin"
Clark owns the rights to the legendary British TV pop series Ready Steady Go!
The very successful London musical Time (1986) was written by Clark
Mike Smith went on to produce several successful artists, including Shirley Bassey
Session drummer Bobby Graham has claimed he, not Clark, played drums on the DC5's hits; this has been disputed
(Full version: www.liveabout.com/dave-clark-five-bio-and-discography-2522162)