Mike Smith Interview
Oct. 1968, in the New Musical Express:
(Thanks RL from Cincinnati for sending this!)
Negative Press / Musical Ability / Playing Live / Getting Along
NME - "Why have the DC5 taken such a hammering from the musical critics over the
last five years, and why is it that some journalists seem to take a delight in taking them apart.?"
Mike - "Yes I suppose Hermans Hermits and ourselves are at the top of the knockers charts.
It's probably because our attitude has always been: why cut a record that is not likely to sell? And maybe we try
too hard to be nice to people. We can usually spot the "sharkie" reporter but there's nothing you can
do because the first 'boob' you make will be taken all out of context and slapped all over the paper the next day.
It's always amazed me that with so much "love and flow" about the (music) business, there is so much
spite in the papers. Strangely enough, I understand reporters need for a sensational story - people have been more
interested in the nasty than the nice. We're seldom upset by critics. We often invite them back and try to get
the point over again. Maybe we're gluttons for punishment."
NME - Whereas Dave Clark has always been regarded as the front man for the DC5 (the business
brain), Mike has been tagged as as "the musician." In view of this, I asked Mike why he had not felt
the need to play more progressive music than "The Red Balloon?"
Mike - "Well first of all, what is a musician? I've studied piano since I was five,
and I probably know more about music than Dave, but that does not make me a Brian Auger. I regard myself as a session
organist - that is, I know what is going on in the studio and the techniques involved in producing a record. We've
never produced anything that has not involved a hundred per cent effort and I think we have progressed in so far
as things like record production. There are too many people trying to run before they can walk in this business.
I don't feel any tremendous need to prove to the show business world what a wonderful musician I am - maybe that's
a lack of ego. Also, I don't really have the time to strike out on independent venture."
MNE - "Have the DC5 reached a position like many other groups, where it is unlikely
we will se them on a live stage appearance again?"
Mike - "It would have to be something really enormous to get us back out on stage again.
Even if we were to play somewhere like Shea Stadium in America, that's only so many thousand and we would rather
concentrate on TV spectaculars that can reach millions. Then again there is the time factor. You have no idea how
long it would take to rehearse a new stage act, and get all the lighting and "getaways" organised for
a live concert. It takes time to work out your PA system on stage so that you don't get 240 volts down your nose!
Time to work out how you can prevent all the kids from getting hurt, and we would not want to put on any kind of
show that was not one hundred per cent. Everything must be perfect or we don't want to do it."
NME - "The Dave Clark Five have been with us now for some six years, apparently without
dispute or a major difference of opinion within the group. Other groups come on the scene with one hit record and
immediately there is a split. What has kept the Five together?"
Mike - To begin with, I think we realised the need to have one man making the decisions for
us. We all agreed that Dave should have the last word, and that has solved a lot of disruption. Then I think there
is the fact that none of us are ego-maniacs. None of us really worry too much that we didn't get too much camera
coverage of such and such a show, or that we were not interviewed for so and so paper. We just get on with the
job."