Record #0873: Bits and Pieces / All of the Time – THE DAVE CLARK FIVE

Columbia 45-DYC 1167 (original), Finland, spring 1964
Words & Music by:  Side A – Dave Clark, Mike Smith; Side B – Dave Clark, Mike Smith
Musicians: Mike Smith (lead vocals, keyboards, piano), Dave Clark (vocals),Lenny Davidson (guitar, vocals), Rick Huxley (vocals), Denis Payton (tenor sax,vocals), Bobby Graham (drums), Eric Ford (bass)
Recording sessions: Produced by Dave Clark and Adrian Kerridge at Lansdowne Studios, London, UK, in late 1963
Highest chart positions:  Side A - UK #2, US #4, Canada #1, Ireland #1, Australia #4, Sweden #9; Side B - none

While Dave Clark was the face, leader, and namesake of the band, he did not actually play the drums on the studio recording of these tracks. The intense, iconic drum tracks were secretly played by legendary British session drummer Bobby Graham. This was one of the music industry's worst-kept secrets of the 1960s, as Clark preferred to focus on producing and managing the band's business assets while Graham laid down the heavy beats in the studio.

The A-side features a heavy, driving "stomp" sound created by the band members and session musicians physically stomping their feet on the wooden floorboards of Lansdowne Studios, amplified with a distinct echo chamber effect. This aggressive, loud sound became the hallmark of the "Tottenham Sound." However, the stamping was so violent that it caused structural damage to the studio's ceiling below, leading the management to temporarily ban the band from doing it again.

Eric Ford plays bass as a session musician here, but he joined the group in 1970 to replace Rick Huxley.

List price: I didn’t find any prices nor sold copies of this. I’d value this at 5-10 euros in VG+ condition.

 

Record #0872: When / Three O’Clock Thrill – KALIN TWINS

Rhythm 45-BM 05751 (original), Finland, 1958
Words & Music by:  Side A – Jack Reardon, Paul Evans; Side B – Jack Keller, Noel Sherman
Musicians: Herbie Kalin (vocals), Hal Kalin (vocals) with an orchestra & chorus conducted by Jack Pleis
Recording sessions: Produced by Jack Pleis at Decca Studio A, Pythian Temple, New York, NY, 26. March 1958
Highest chart positions:  US #5, US R&B #1, US Country #13, Canada #2, UK #1

I’ve posted the original US release of this here.

Decca Records originally released the single with “Three O'Clock Thrill” as the A-side. However, during a promotional tour, the Kalin Twins noticed that radio DJs and audiences responded much better to the catchy “When”. They urged the record label to push it instead, turning the intended B-side into an international hit.

When the song crossed the Atlantic, it made history by becoming the very first number-one hit in the UK written by Paul Evans, who went on to become a legendary Brill Building songwriter.

The British retro-rock 'n' roll group Showaddywaddy revived “When” in 1977. Their energetic version became a massive success, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.

List price: I didn’t find any prices nor sold copies of this. I’d value this at 10 euros in VG+ condition.

 

Record #0871: A Lover’s Question / You Made a Man Out of Me – OTIS REDDING

ATCO 45-6654 (original), USA, February 1969
Words & Music by:  Side A – Brook Benton, Jimmy Williams; Side B – Deanie Parker, Steve Cropper
Musicians:  Otis Redding (lead vocals), Steve Cropper (guitar), Donald “Duck” Dunn (bass), Al Jackson Jr. (drums), Booker T. Jones (keyboards), Isaac Hayes (keyboards), Wayne Jackson (trumpet), Andrew Love (tenor sax), Joe Arnold (tenor sax)
Recording sessions:  Produced by Steve Cropper at Stax Recording Studios, Memphis, TN, in November and early December 1967
Highest chart positions:  Side A – US #48, US R&B #20; Side B - none

Otis Redding died in a plane crash on 10. December 1967. This is one of his posthumous singles.

The A-side is a soulful cover of a massive 1958 hit originally recorded by Clyde McPhatter. Otis Redding breathed new life into the track during his late 1967 sessions, and his posthumous version managed to climb to #20 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart in the spring of 1969.

After Otis Redding passed away the tracks were left unpolished. Guitarist and producer Steve Cropper had to meticulously sift through the unfinished Stax tapes throughout 1968. He worked alongside the M.G.'s to finish the arrangements, tweak the instrumentation, and mix the tracks, effectively shaping the sound of Redding's most successful posthumous era after the singer was already gone.

List price: Very Good+ $5, Near Mint $10.