Biography
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Years Active
1958 – 1970 (12 years)
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Founded In
Tottenham, Haringey, London, England, United Kingdom
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Members
- Dave Clark
- Denis Payton
- Lenny Davidson
- Mike Smith
- Rick Huxley (1958 – 1970)
The Dave Clark Five (DC5) was an English rock and roll group of the 60s, known as one of the few that were able to present something of a commercial threat to The Beatles, the dominant group of the period, during the beat music craze. They were, in fact, the second group of the 'British Invasion' after the Beatles to have a chart hit in America with "Glad All Over", a sort of 'signature song' of the band that continues to receive airplay. DC5 sold over 100 million records, appeared the most of any group on the Ed Sullivan Show, and were the pioneers in introducing the concept of music videos, a la MTV, decades before it went into fashion. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 in a ceremony officiated by fan Tom Hanks.
The band, from London, UK, started out as The Dave Clark Quintet in 1957, with Dave Clark on drums, Dave Sanford on lead guitar, Chris Walls on bass, Don Vale on piano (and arranger) and a saxophone player. By 1962, the band had changed its name to The Dave Clark Five and settled on the line-up that continued until the band called it a day in 1970: Dave Clark (drums, vocals; born December 15, 1939), Lenny Davidson (guitar; born May 30, 1944), Rick Huxley (bass; born August 5, 1942; died February 11, 2013), Denis Payton (saxes, harmonica, vocals; born August 11, 1943, died December 17, 2006), Mike Smith (keyboards, vocals; born December 6, 1943, died February 28, 2008).
Between 1964 and 1967, the band had 17 records in the US Billboard Top 40, with 12 Top 40 United Kingdom hits.
The DC5 disbanded in 1970, having placed three singles on the UK chart that year, two of which reached the Top Ten. That same year, Davidson, Huxley and Payton left and Alan Parker and Eric Ford joined on lead guitar and bass; this line-up, renamed "Dave Clark & Friends", lasted until 1973.
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