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DAVE CLARK FIVE SINGER-SONGWRITER MIKE SMITH Mike Smith’s Rock Engine to Play 12 Cities in March Here he comes again…catch him if you can. Mike Smith, who co-wrote and performed some of the biggest hits of the 1960s as the lead singer of the Dave Clark Five, is touring the U.S. for the first time in more than 30 years beginning in the Northeast in March. Smith, who Tom Petty calls "one of the best singers of the 60's," now fronts Mike Smith’s Rock Engine, a quintet he assembled in 2000 when he met four musicians who share his dedication to playing for fun above everything else. After gigging at each other’s houses in Costa del Sol, Spain, where Smith has lived for many years, they made their concert debut in August, 2002 when they played a benefit for an abused children’s charity and raised $100,000. “I said, let’s see if we can take it a stage further and do some proper gigs,” explains Smith. “I’ve been producing other people which I enjoy very much, but it’s very hard looking after other people, and orchestras and things, so I thought it was about time I had some fun. And the way I have always done that is by finding like-minded musicians and playing. I found some guys who are the same as me. They like to play rock and roll music and have a good time. That’s the initial starting point.” That means audiences will once again get to hear live many of the 30 global hits the Dave Clark Five racked up from 1964 to 1971, when Smith’s distinctive voice dominated the international airwaves. Many of their 17 Top 40 U.S. hits were written by Smith and Clark including “Glad All Over,” (#6), “Bits and Pieces,” (#4), “Can’t You See That’s She Mine,” (#4), “Come Home,” (#14) and “Try Too Hard” (#12). The DC5 also scored with the hits “Do You Love Me,” (#11), “Because,” (#3), “Reelin’ and Rockin’,” (#23), “Catch Us If You Can,” (#4), “I Like It Like That,” (#7), “Over and Over,” (#1), “You Got What It Takes,” (#7) and “Any Way You Want It” (#14). Smith and Clark also co-wrote and performed “Wild Weekend,” from one of two feature films the DC5 made, Having a Wild Weekend. They sold more than 100 million records, sold out five consecutive world tours and six in the U.S. including 12 consecutive shows at Carnegie Hall, and made a record-setting 18 appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” While Smith does lead the good life soaking up the sun in Southern Spain, he has never been one to rest on his laurels. When the DC5 disbanded, Smith first collaborated with Mike D’Abo, former lead singer of Manfred Mann. They made one self-titled album, which has recently been reissued by Sony in Japan. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice recruited Smith to sing on the recording of their Evita before it ever hit the stage, earning him another gold record. Smith also produced recordings for Shirley Bassey and four gold albums for one of Europe’s top male vocalists, Michael Ball. Smith has never been very far from the U.S. consciousness even if Americans didn’t realize it. He can be heard in the current Applebee’s Restaurant commercial that uses “I Like It Like That” and in Target’s campaign, which uses “Bits and Pieces,” just the latest of dozens of commercials he has made over the years, employing his distinctive “Smith sound.” And Smith is always discovering new Dave Clark Five fans from the U.S. When Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band reached Europe last fall on their tour for “The Rising,” they invited Smith to the show and out to dinner afterwards. Smith has also taped an interview and performance for a TV special on "The British Music Invasion,” which will air in the U.S. later this year on TLC. The DC5 were one of the most influential of the Brit bands and, as Steve Van Zandt points out, "they actually made the most powerful records of anybody. . . . They were a tremendous band." Mike Smith’s Rock Engine also plans to return later in the year for more touring. Helping to drive Mike Smith’s Rock Engine are lead guitarist Doug Lean, bassist Curt Sandell drummer Paul Skelton, and Frank Mead on saxophone. Mike Smith’s Rock Engine Tour March 12 The Downtown Farmingdale, NY For further information call (781) 646-4TIX (4849) or click here www.regenttheater.com |
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