“Having A Wild Weekend” by The Dave Clark Five - album review

features in: (B-list) Album Chart of 1965(B-list) Album Chart of the 1960s

TJR says

Following in the footsteps of the Beatles and Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Dave Clark Five released a feature film, in co-operation with Warner Brothers, called “Having A Wild Weekend” which premiered Stateside in August 1965. (It had previously been released as “Catch Us If You Can” in Britain.) The film follows stuntman Steve (Dave Clark) as he and his model girlfriend hit the road for some crazy adventures, making time throughout for a few musical numbers. Lenny Davidson is the only one of the DC5 who doesn’t utter a single word in the movie, usually because the others don’t let him get a word in edgeways. Before shooting commenced a producer of “Catch Us If You Can” contacted the BBFC in January 1965 for advice on a draft screenplay of the film that was to be directed by “newcomer” John Boorman. The first response to the screenplay picked up on various potential classification issues. References to drugs, suggestive dialogue and “shots of nudity or titillating semi-nudity” were flagged, as was a scene featuring “Guy driving a car with his eyes shut. This might give dangerous ideas to some of the young.” A note on dialogue needing to avoid reference to “queers” is also offered. The Sexual Offences Act 1967, which decriminalised certain homosexual acts, was still some two years away at this time. Dinah is a model whose face appears in an ad campaign for meat. While shooting a TV commercial, she and Steve, one of the stunt men, run off together. The advertising executives use their disappearance to generate more publicity for… meat. The film concerns itself with the frailty of personal relationships, the flimsiness of dreams, and the difficulty of maintaining spontaneity, authenticity and integrity in a stage-managed “society of the spectacle.”

The soundtrack LP “Having A Wild Weekend” (Epic LN 24162) was released in the USA in August 1965. From an American perspective it featured 12 brand new tracks, 4 of which were made especially to feature in the film. However, since I compile my discographies from a “one world” view, 6 tracks are new and 6 are compiled from the preceding UK LP “Catch Us If You Can”, hence the “b-list” status. The four from the film are: “Having A Wild Weekend”, “Catch Us If You Can”, “Sweet Memories” and “On The Move”. Opener “Having A Wild Weekend” sets the tone - we’re gonna rip it up and have a ball tonight! “Dum-Dee-Dee-Dum” is a blast - a Duane-like vibe, mainly instrumental with plenty tribal yelping. Well I’ll be darned. If this ain’t The Fall’s “Fiery Jack” route square one then I’m a direct descendant of the Kickapoo… “No Stopping” serves up an unlikely monster surf stormer - guitars, sax, organs and drums collide and the sparks fly. Who can resist belting out “Batman” while it’s playing? (or at least THINKING it…) The harmonica-fused swinger “Catch Us If You Can” was a Top 10 smash “both sides of the pond”. It’s completely groovy. “Don’t You Realise” serves up some Walker Brothers classiness and album closer “On The Move” (the b-side to “Catch Us If You Can”) nails down the bad-ass side of the DC5. If only they’d brought it out to play more often…

The Jukebox Rebel
23–Mar–2013

Tracklist
A1 [01:56] 6.6.png The Dave Clark Five - Having A Wild Weekend (Dave Clark, Mike Smith) Rock n Roll / Rockabilly
A2 [01:52] 5.5.png The Dave Clark Five - New Kind Of Love (Dave Clark, Mike Smith) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
A3 [02:27] 8.3.png The Dave Clark Five - Dum-Dee-Dee-Dum (Dave Clark, Denis Payton) Rock n Roll / Rockabilly
A4 [01:50] 5.2.png The Dave Clark Five - I Said I Was Sorry (Dave Clark, Lenny Davidson) Pop
A5 [03:01] 7.8.png The Dave Clark Five - No Stopping (Dave Clark, Lenny Davidson) Rock n Roll / Rockabilly
A6 [02:04] 6.2.png The Dave Clark Five - Don’t Be Taken In (Dave Clark, Lenny Davidson) Pop
B1 [02:25] 7.0.png The Dave Clark Five - Catch Us If You Can (Dave Clark, Lenny Davidson) Pop
B2 [02:30] 4.6.png The Dave Clark Five - When I’m Alone (Dave Clark, Mike Smith) Pop Ballad
B3 [02:52] 4.9.png The Dave Clark Five - If You Come Back (Dave Clark, Lenny Davidson) Pop
B4 [02:43] 4.3.png The Dave Clark Five - Sweet Memories (Dave Clark, Lenny Davidson) Pop Ballad
B5 [03:37] 5.6.png The Dave Clark Five - Don’t You Realise (Dave Clark, Mike Smith) Cerebral Pop
B6 [02:24] 8.4.png The Dave Clark Five - On The Move (Dave Clark, Denis Payton) Proto-Punk
© The Jukebox Rebel 2005-2020 All Rights Reserved