Mar 7, 2008

Smith fated for greatness

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee remembered

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

Mike Smith, the lead singer, keyboardist and primary songwriter for iconic British Invasion band the Dave Clark Five, felt he led a charmed life. Girls all over the world screamed wildly when he performed such hits as "Glad All Over" and "Because." In the early years, the band's success rivaled that of the Beatles. The Dave Clark Five sold over 100 million records.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing this gracious gentleman with the gloriously rockin' voice.

In recent years, Smith had reunited with his true love, after losing touch for decades. Incredibly enthusiastic response to his comeback tours surprised him. Grand plans were made.

He viewed his happiness as a gift from destiny. Explaining his fatalistic philosophy during a former interview, Smith said, "You can fight against it - it will happen. You can't change it - what is written, is written. I just roll with the flow."

But fate can be cruel, as well. Smith's grown son died in a scuba diving mishap. Then Smith himself suffered a terrible accident that left him paralyzed. Though hospitalized for years, he never lost his zest for life. He eagerly arranged to attend the upcoming March 10 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies, which will feature, at last, the Dave Clark Five's induction. Tragically, he died of pneumonia on Feb. 28.

At least he knew that his musical contributions were not forgotten. Such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Billy Joel cited Smith as a key influence.

Smith began studying classical piano at 5 years old, but was awakened to rock upon hearing "Heartbreak Hotel."

"I'd never heard anything like that before," Smith said. "Someone asked if I could play that. I said, 'I don't think I'd find that too difficult after Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Brahms.' So he said, 'Would you like to play in my pub? I'll pay you five bucks.' I couldn't believe that (someone) would pay me money to just sing and play. It was phenomenal.

"Rock 'n' roll was a strange creature. I know many, many fine musicians who are much much better than me. But the one thing about rock 'n' roll is - it doesn't matter how technically good you are; if you don't have the feel for rock 'n' roll, it won't work. That feel - you can't learn it from books. No one can teach you that. You either have the feel or you don't."

Smith's remarkably soulful voice made him a natural to cover the songs of Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Fats Domino. His vocals, some of the best ever heard in rock, could segue smoothly from raucous to poignant. The keen-eared Dave Clark, drummer and bandleader, wisely invited Smith to join his group.

The Dave Clark Five honed their rock chops playing in pubs, clubs and American Air Force bases. Clones of the Beatles were multiplying at an alarming rate. But the Dave Clark Five had a high-energy, power-packed, exhilarating sound all their own. The keyboards and sax gave them a very different sound from the guitar bands. Smith's eclectic tastes, which encompassed classic pop, jazz, reggae, country and blues, enabled the band to add diversity to their albums. He also had a knack for writing instantly catchy songs.

While still working his day job at a finance company, Smith would take Fridays off to do 'Ready, Steady, Go!' England's biggest pop program. "On Monday I'd come back to the office and say I'd had a cold, which was quite mad - all the company were watching me on TV," he said.

Their song "Glad All Over" knocked the Beatles off the top of the charts. "David said, let's make sure it's not just a one-hit wonder," Smith said. "I went home, wrote 'Bits & Pieces' and that went high on the charts. So he said, 'OK, pack your jobs in, we'll go off and do something."

Smith took his first airplane trip to New York to appear in front of 70 million people on "The Ed Sullivan Show." "You can't really take it in. I was 19 years old. It's just a blur."

The Dave Clark Five went on to perform a record-setting 18 times on Sullivan's show. In the 1960s and early '70s, the band created enough hits to fill not one, but two greatest hits albums.

Among the most memorable are "Can't You See That She's Mine," "Do You Love Me," "I Like It Like That," "Come Home," "Anyway You Want It," "You've Got What It Takes," "Over and Over" and "Catch Us If You Can," the title tune from their feature film.

Mania for the band followed them to every corner of the globe. "I didn't hear a concert for years," he said. "You couldn't hear anything onstage, because once the kids saw you, that was it, screaming from beginning to end."

Nevertheless, the Dave Clark Five were electrifying in concert. But they couldn't enjoy the touring offstage. The sight of them set off screeching, hair-pulling, clothes-ripping mob madness. "We were locked away either in our private plane, the limousine or the hotel. You couldn't go anywhere without fuss and bother," Smith said.

So when the band decided to dissolve while still at the top, Smith resolved to find a quieter existence. He went behind the scenes to produce such prominent artists as Shirley Bassey and Michael Ball.

Smith didn't miss the limelight. "Rudyard Kipling said, 'If you can meet triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same ...' As far as I was concerned, it was wonderful while it lasted, we had a good time, but you know it's not going to last forever. Rock 'n' roll music will live on, but it doesn't mean your fame will."

In later years, Smith was surprised to hear from Arlene "Charlie" Gorek, a girlfriend he hadn't seen since the '60s. She was an actress, appearing in several Elvis movies. So their careers kept them apart at the time. They married in 2001. "Another dream come true," Smith said.

The following year, Smith was asked to perform at a charity ball to benefit abused children. He put together a band - Mike Smith's Rock Engine - and had such fun he resolved to play a few U.S. dates.

The reaction amazed him. "The shows are sold out. The audiences are dancing in the aisles," said Smith, in the midst of the tour. "It's just gone beyond one's wildest dreams."

Smith's last concert took place in Sacramento. He planned to return for a major tour and to record a new album. His fire for performing was rekindled. "Now, when I finish, I go back to Spain, where we live in the countryside, by the sea, and it's peaceful and quiet again. I couldn't do that before. Even when I got home to where I lived, there were always fans camped outside and I could never go out. I'm grateful, but it was a little difficult not having a private life. Now I can have the best of both worlds."

In 2003, having forgotten his key, Smith attempted to climb a fence at his home in Spain. He fell and suffered a grievous spinal cord injury. A terrible ordeal ensued.

However, Smith considered himself a lucky man, because of the encouragement from fans and friends, as well as the unwavering devotion of his wife Charlie.

Finally allowed to move to a specially prepared home near the hospital last December, he was invited to attend a Springsteen concert at a London arena. The Boss, Steve Van Zandt and Max Weinberg are huge Dave Clark Five fans who had become friends of Smith's. They parked Smith's wheelchair at the side of the stage and dedicated "Born to Run" to Mike and Charlie.

Buoyed by this outing, Smith was determined to attend the Hall of Fame ceremony. Tom Hanks, another fan, is scheduled to induct the Dave Clark Five live on VH1 Classic.

But a chest infection, a complication caused by his injury, took Smith's life at age 64. His fame and immeasurable contributions to rock 'n' roll will live on. When millions of fans hear him belting out the Dave Clark Five smash "Do You Love Me?" they'll answer with a resounding "Always!"