ALBUM REVIEW (by Rob Bolton):
It's the first album I ever owned. Thirteenth birthday present, September 1964. So already my review is biased by that sentimentality, plus the fact that I love to have fun, and this album is pure joy. Its title fits more than just the first song. The LP was issued by Epic in early 1964, initially with a less-interesting cover, and without the fore-knowledge of Dave Clark himself. The boys were touring in the States, when they found out that their earlier British singles and EPs had been compiled onto their first album. But hey, the Beatles had two fast-selling LPs out, and with three DC5 hit singles already launched, it was time to catch the economic wave. The result was a #3 in the USA album charts (which is worth more money than a number one anywhere else), and a classic, difinitive signature for the British Invasion. Let's talk about the songs:
GLAD ALL OVER - A bright blast of energy in an otherwise confused world, this simple piece has fantastic and fun sound quality. With the deep beat, the believable chorus, and the inviting verse-response vocal arrangement: the listener is compelled to be involved. If anyone was going to knock the Beatles out of first place in the charts, it had to be somebody with something tremendous: and this song is it! I once read a foolish review that said "The DC5 were handed the biggest break in show business, because they happenned to follow on the heels of the Beatles". Well, if the DC5 had the only other record available in the stores at the time, that might be true. But if the Beatles are as overwhelmingly wonderful as everyone says, and there are hundreds of other artists to choose from too, then whoever wins the race to the top in that environment gets the trophy of the year, maybe the decade! And this song earns it.
ALL OF THE TIME - Again simple, but again great sound. Long live analog recordings on vinyl records! Lenny's blue-notes on the guitar introduce a beautiful rock-ballad. Mike's vocals sound very sincere. The use of reverb brings a beautiful character to the song. Another Clark-Smith composition, this was the B-side of "Bits And Pieces".
STAY - Mixed review. First, I like it: great energy, lotsa fun. The drums are excellent, the pumping organ is sweet, and the guitar-climb before the middle-8 verse is superb. And the vocals: "All the ta-oo-wa-oo-wa-ime!" But the backing vocal arrangement, tho' well excecuted, didn't suit US audiences then or now. The "ooo-aahh" and the falsetto portions made the song sound weird to me, and to my friends back in the 60s. This, and a couple others on the album, were quickly skipped over at parties, as they sounded very old-fashioned, even then. A better choice here might have been their recording of "Poison Ivy", (from their British EP) which employed many of the same sounds, and tho' it didn't have quite the precision or the energy, was still easier to digest.
CHAQUITA - We always skipped this one. None of us could stand it. I've since learned to appreciate the decent musical performances, and the timing in it shows great musical "togetherness". Actually, this upgrade of the classic "Tequila" song was released twice before in England, including a spooky-sounding 1962 single.
DO YOU LOVE ME - Their first UK hit of significance, retro-released in the USA after "Bits And Pieces", is where the DC5 truly defined their musical style, (in my humble opinion). Trademark mix of instruments, giving the massive sound that assaults from the deep bass to the slightly overplayed cymbals. And the vocals are again compelling the listener to join in. The ascending "Tell me"s" building to the title climax, and the "Watch Me Now!" hook everybody within driving distance of the record player. Interesting sidenote: the DC5 invited an inordinate number of people to their final recording session of this song. Someone perceived the greatness of the song itself, and raced the song to another band, who rush-released it, and beat the DC5 to the stardom that time around. Since then, Dave limited access to their recording.
BITS AND PIECES - This was their third UK hit, and the final encouragement for the boys to "quit their day jobs" and turn pro. The "stomping" of those black British boots marches this mega-beat sing-along through another simple melody, full sound, and pure fun. There's tremendous stage presence to Mike Smith's double-tracked vocals. The words are irrelevent, and don't match the feel of the song, but who cares. While most DC5 fans realize that this one's no "musical technical masterpiece", it's still a classic.
I KNOW YOU - Originally recorded before Glad All Over (it's on the 1963 British EP with Poison Ivy & two others), this became the b-side to GAO, and I must also mention, this was my favorite song for nearly a year, back then. Lenny's opening guitar is again great, and the DC5 standard verse-response vocal arrangement is displayed better here than anywhere else. The melody and harmony on "You don't love me anymore" are just valiant, and the cute ending finishes off a brillant, howbeit simple, piece.
NO TIME TO LOSE - Another grab from the 1963 British EP, Mike Smith carries this re-write of "Twist And Shout". It's fast, wild, cool. The sound quality itself is a bit sloppy, but for this particular rocker, they get away with it. This song was later chosen as the b-side to "Can't You See That She's Mine".
DOO DAH - Does anybody like this one besides me? Back in 1964, my friends all hated it, for some of the same reasons outlined in the review of "Stay" (see above). And yes, I know it's a melody-steal from the USA childrens song "Camptown Races", (by Stephen Foster). But it's still a dance-along, single-along, well-played, very engaging number. Crank it up and act it out, I dare ya! It's great. (In the UK, this was the b-side of "Do You Love Me") I'll mention here, that the DC5 recorded a similiar song in early 1963, "The Mulberry Bush". (not the same as the 1968 "Mulberry Tree"). Another melody-steal, this also had great instrumentation, and a similiar message and spirit as "Doo Dah".
TIME - A beautiful piece of art, co-written by Lenny (tho' the song showcases every instrument EXCEPT the guitar). This bluesy instrumental immediately creates a unique, yet somehow very familiar mood. It was a bit over-my-head when I first owned the album, but one that I deeply appreciate today.
SHE'S ALL MINE - Back to trademark sound, with a few extra and massive cymbal crashes. This simple piece serves as an appropriate encore to a splendid collection of early DC5. The Tottenham sound here is genuine: commercial only in its appeal, not in its being contrived. Further albums would be more refined, more thought-out. But this album is the real thing. The working-class guys with their instruments hustled from the trunks of their cars - belting out their neighborhood favorites at the local hall. This final song propheticly concludes "Our love will last."
(reviewed by Rob Bolton, 4/99. E-mail me with your comments:)