Mike Smith, Dave Clark Five – A Tribute
Everyone at CTS Lansdowne was greatly saddened by the recent news of Mike Smith’s death, at the age of 64. Back in the 1960s and 70s, Mike was the lead singer and keyboard player of the Dave Clark Five (DC5), who recorded their numerous hits at Lansdowne Recording Studios. Mike had been a friend of the company ever since. Much liked by all who met him, Mike co-wrote many of the band’s hits, with his distinctive voice and song-writing talents contributing to the sales of some 100 million records during the DC5’s meteoric career.
The DC5 became a pivotal part of the “British Invasion” of the US market, not far behind the Beatles in terms of record sales at the time. The band appeared on US TV’s The Ed Sullivan Show 13 times, more than any other British act.
CTS Lansdowne chairman Adrian Kerridge, who engineered the DC5’s records (and also co-produced the first hits with Dave Clark, including Glad All Over and Bits and Pieces), commented:
“One of the nicest people in the music industry, Mike became a good friend to us all. He took the immense success of the DC5’s early years in his stride, and continued to pursue a long-term career as a performer, songwriter and composer, and producer. I can still remember the fun and sheer energy that went into the band’s hits in the sixties, as we worked with each other to create the ‘Tottenham Sound’ – Mike’s musicianship played a key role in the process. We will all miss his unpretentious charm and personable character, and send our heartfelt condolences to his wife and friends.”
On March 10th 2008, at a ceremony held in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, the Dave Clark Five were inducted by actor Tom Hanks into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band’s three surviving members paid tribute to Mike – who had fortunately known about the forthcoming induction before his death – and to Denny Peyton, the DC5’s saxophonist, who died in 2006.
Pictured above: Mike Smith (left), with Adrian Kerridge engineering, at Lansdowne Recording Studios during the 1960s (photograph © Peter Hitchcock)