On BBC2 tonight....

[David Martin]

Did it tell you who played the drums on the recordings?

Bobby Graham always claimed it was him...

[dave robinson]

I too wondered about that David, but it was made to look as though he did.

[Moderne]

There is, of course, a HUGE difference between being popular and popular and influential. If one was to compare how 'influential' both the Shadows and the DC5 were and remain, I would suggest that the Shadows were far more influential and, in the pre-Beatles days, probably just as popular. Which is why I am still mystified as to why there has never been a good Shadows documentary on either BBC 2 or BBC 4.

I have a friend who works at the BBC. I shall try to get some suggestions heard by the right people. I shall say no more.

Stay tuned.

I totally agree, Chris, but I think that in the 80s-90s when one might have expected the BBC to make a documentary on the Shadows (as they did Buddy Holly, The Everlys etc. in their Arena series) there was a feeling amongst 'the people in charge' that The Shadows did not quite have the kudos/street-cred to merit one. Their final tour in 2003-4 would have been another obvious opportunity but it was not taken and shortly after that Melvyn Bragg was apparently quoted as saying "the moment has passed" or words to that effect. And now that Jerry Lordan, Jet, Tony etc. are no longer with us it seems less likely than ever. For years I was desperate for a decent Shadows documentary but now I think you could probably cobble together various clips from YouTube plus the Hank/Bruce/Brian interview from the Final Tour DVD and a few other odds and ends (Hank in the basement of what was the Two 'I's in one of the Cliff documentaries, for example) and that would pretty much 'do the job'.

Alternatively, a Dave Clark-like figure (!) could make one and sell it to BBC4... Can't think who that might be, though...

[drakula63]

Perfectly put, Clive.

It is almost an injustice that has been perpetrated against the Shadows as far as the media goes, due, I'm sure, to the facts you outline.

Just imagine how totally and completely different the musical landscape of today would look if it hadn't been for the Shadows. I'll stick my neck out here and say that without the DC5, nothing would really be that much different. And yet they get two hours of more or less prime time on a Saturday night on one of the main channels of our national broadcaster. Of course DC would have made the programme very attractive to them, but never the less.

My sincere hope is that something can be done about this before it's too late.

P.S. I went to see 'Time - the musical' in 1986 and quite enjoyed it. I recall at the time that the Shads said "Alan Jones can't be with us on this tour 'cos he's doing time..." Or words to that effect!!!

[MikeAB]

We're probably best off without a documentary as they'd only mess it up. The reaction to last year's much hyped Genesis effort still festers on with their fans - and even between band members.

[Fenderman]

It's nice to dream but it isn't going to happen.

[GoldenStreet]

It seems Dave Clark did ok for himself and has a £12 million mansion in London, whereas when Mike Smith died, I believe he left a modest £66,000!

What Dave Clark may have lacked in skill as a drummer, he more than adequately made up for as a businessman with an unerring sense for a lucrative deal. From the early days, he was the independent producer of the group's sessions, ensuring that he maintained full control over the use of their sound recordings, even with the involvement of an organisation such as EMI... thus avoiding the problems the Shads were to encounter subsequently in this respect.

Bill

[anniv 63]

There is no doubt that Dave Clark was indeed a very sharp and astute businessman within the industry.
Cant help feeling though, that in the early days, he must have had some financial backers and advisors to steer him
on the course he took i.e. full artistic control in terms of record deals and band management.
Joe Meek was one of the first producers to independently lease to the major companies, and even he would have
taken advice from others on potential pitfalls of this method, as indeed EMI DECCA PYE and Phillips were mega powerful then.
Just who Dave Clarks mentors were will probably remain a mystery?

Mike

[GoldenStreet]

Yes, it could be said to be all part of the Dave Clark 'phenomenon' . Certainly, he (and anonymous associates?) stood out at that time from all the rest by adopting such a singular and determined approach in an industry dominated by the 'big four' record companies.

Was 'Adrian Clark' a semi-pseudonym used by Clark as producer, I wonder?

DC5.JPG

(32.33 KiB) Downloaded 6815 times

Bill

[anniv 63]

The sound engineer on some Dave Clark Five recordings was Adrian Kerridge at Landsdowne Studios
West London.
An interesting potted history of the studio can be read on philsbook.com
Joe Meek was heavily involved in the design and equipment in the early days around 1957, much
of the old valve technology was still in place up to the 1970s.
Joe Meeks famous limiter and compressor design, was probably a key ingredient to the thumping trademark
sound on many DC5 recordings.

Mike