Thursday's Top Tune Throwback: The DC5's "Over and Over"

Reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 on Christmas Day 1965, “Over and Over” was the group’s only top hit in the U.S.

A year earlier, the Dave Clark Five had dethroned the Beatles atop the UK Singles Chart when “Glad All Over” replaced “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
Appearing 18 times on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Dave Clark Five was the first English band to tour the U.S. during the British Invasion. After a reshuffling of its earlier days in 1957 when Dave Clark named his band the “Dave Clark Quintet”, the group settled on members Mike Smith (vocals and keyboard), Lenny Davidson (lead guitar), Rick Huxley and Denny Payton joining Clark.
All in all, they placed 17 Top 40 hits into Billboard’s elite listing between 1964 and 1967. Included in this run of success were these Top Ten performers in addition to this week’s featured song: “Glad All Over,” “Bits and Pieces,” “Can’t You See That She’s Mine,” “Because,” “I Like It Like That,” “Catch Us If You Can” and “You Got What It Takes.”
The group disbanded in late 1970 and some 38 years later were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Smith died just prior to induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from an unusual accident with Payton having passed two years earlier. Rick Huxley left us in 2013. Following the Beatles successful film “A Hard Day’s Night,” the Dave Clark Five introduced its own big screen premier with “Catch Us If You Can.” In the U.S., it was released as “Having A Wild Weekend.”
On a personal reflection, this writer opted not to return home to Nashville during his freshman Thanksgiving break. Departing Fort Baxter on the Ole Miss campus, brother George and I headed to the Steel City to attend back-to-back performances by this legendary band. The next day, we made our inaugural voyage into Starkville to see the 1965 Rebels destroy the Farmer Lads. All in all, it was one wild and wonderful weekend!

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.