Clark Datchler
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| Clark Datchler | |
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 Clark Datchler
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Clark Wynford Datchler |
| Born | March 27, 1964 |
| Origin | Surrey, England |
| Genre(s) | Rock, Folk-Rock, Pop, World |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, Electric and Acoustic Bouzouki, 12-String Guitar, Bass, Drums, Percussion |
| Years active | 1981 to Present |
| Label(s) | InterAction Music, Virgin Records, RAK Records, Bluebird Records |
| Website | www.clarkdatchler.com |
Clark Datchler (born Clark Wynford Datchler, 27 March 1964, Sutton, Surrey, England) is a English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He first came to fame in 1987 as the lead singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in the band, Johnny Hates Jazz.
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[edit] Early career
Clark Datchler’s father was Fred Datchler, singer and saxophonist in the popular jazz bands of the 1950s, the Polkadots and the Stargazers. He also sang backing vocals for The Beatles and Frank Sinatra. Fred encouraged his son to learn to play piano, guitar and flute from the age of 7 years old. The young Clark attended Downsend School, Ashtead and St. John’s School, Leatherhead where he started many bands.
He released his first single when he was 17, “You Fooled Him Once Again”, on the London soul label Bluebird. The record featured Julie Roberts of Working Week, and two members of the reggae band Aswad: drummer Angus “Drummie Zeb” Gaye, and bassist George “Ras Levi” Oban. The single was not a success.
Shortly after, he signed a music publishing deal with Warner Bros. Records, and moved to LA when he was 18 to write for other artists. The following year he returned to London and joined the band Hot Club, signed to RAK Records. His fellow band members were Calvin Hayes (later part of Johnny Hates Jazz), Glenn Matlock of the Sex Pistols, and Generation X guitarist James Stevens. They released one single (“It Ain’t Me, Girl”), before Clark was signed to RAK as a solo artist. He subsequently released the singles “I Don’t Want You” and “Things Can’t Get Any Worse,” both produced by Mickie Most (producer of The Animals, Donovan, Hot Chocolate and Kim Wilde). However, success continued to elude him.
[edit] Johnny Hates Jazz
Datchler became a member of Johnny Hates Jazz alongside production team Calvin Hayes and Mike Nocito in 1986. The band released their first single, “Me And My Foolish Heart” on RAK Records in that year. The single did not achieve success. However soon, as Clark began to write the songs for the band, a showcase was held at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club where the group performed in front of several record labels. They signed with Virgin Records, and Clark’s most well-known song “Shattered Dreams” was released in Spring 1987. The single was an overwhelming success worldwide. It was a European top 5 hit, a Japanese #2, and in 1988 it became a Billboard US #2 and AOR US #1. Several international hits followed, including the anti-war anthem “I Don’t Want To Be A Hero” and “Turn Back The Clock”. The album “Turn Back The Clock” was a UK #1 and went double platinum. Clark wrote most of the songs on this album, including all of the band’s hits. However, “I Don’t Want To Be A Hero” had its detractors at Virgin Records. The song’s overt social statement caused a rift between Datchler and the label, that deepened with time.
It was during the promotion of “Shattered Dreams” that Datchler met his future wife, the well-known Dutch journalist, radio/TV host and actress Simone Walraven.
Along with being signed to Virgin Records, Datchler signed a music publishing agreement with Virgin Music Publishing.
[edit] Solo work
Datchler left Johnny Hates Jazz in 1988 at the height of his fame. After internal differences within the band had led to a painful separation, he sought to rediscover a deeper sense of purpose in his music. He moved to Amsterdam and began work on a solo album called “Raindance”. The album featured some renowned LA musicians, including bass player Nathan East, drummer JR Robinson and percussionist Paulinho Da Costa. Also featured was guitarist Dave Gregory of XTC. The album also saw Clark’s first environmental song, “Raindance” – one of many to follow.
The “Raindance” album was released in 1990 on Virgin Records, with an epic track called “Crown Of Thorns” being the first single. However the song, which suggested that Jesus was a courageous mortal man and not the son of God, and which criticized organized religions in the process, was shunned by radio and failed to chart. Consequently, the album was only released in Japan, where it did achieve commercial success.
In 1991, Datchler went back into the studio to record some tracks with Rupert Hine, producer of Tina Turner, The Fixx and Howard Jones. The new album was titled “Fishing For Souls”. However, when the relationship between Virgin Records and Datchler deteriorated further, he left the record label. Shortly after, Virgin Records became part of EMI, and the consolidation of the world’s media began. “Fishing For Souls” was never officially released, but was eventually made available as a bootleg, and is so sought after now that it occasionally appears on E-Bay for a sale price of between $500 and $1000.
In the mid 1990s, Datchler and his family had moved back to Britain, where he based himself at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios outside the city of Bath. There, he taught himself to play the bouzouki, drums and percussion, and refined his abilities as a pianist, keyboard player, bassist and guitarist. He also began to experiment with combining world and folk instruments with contemporary instruments and modern grooves. The recordings he did at Real World formed part of a project called Evolution, which has yet to be released. These recordings eventually led to the beginning of the writing and recording of the album Tomorrow.
At the same time, Datchler studied the philosophy of indigenous peoples. He became a Green Party member, and focused his songwriting skills on social issues that concerned him.
In 1998, Datchler signed a music publishing agreement with BMG Music.
In the 2000s, Datchler and his family based themselves in California and Ireland. He decided to make an album dedicated to the protection of the planet, as well as featuring many songs about love and hope. So he began work on Tomorrow, on which he played many of the instruments as well as producing, engineering and mixing. He invited several outstanding musicians to guest on the album, including Phil Gould (drummer of Level 42), David Rhodes (guitarist with Peter Gabriel), James McNally (Irish whistle and bodhran player of the Afro Celt Sound System), Hugh Marsh (fiddle player with Loreena Mackennit), Phil Beer (mandolin player of Show Of Hands) and Joji Hirota (shakuhachi player). He recorded much of the 12-track album in a state-of-the-art studio powered by solar energy. One of the songs was a new recording of his first hit with Johnny Hates Jazz, "Shattered Dreams".
[edit] Current activities
In 2006, Clark Datchler formed his own record label and publishing company, InterAction Music. The completed version of Tomorrow was released on InterAction Music in May 2007. This album was originally released under the pseudonym of Nightfoxx, but Datchler has since returned to recording and performing under his original name.
Clark Datchler is presently promoting Tomorrow, as well as working to complete Evolution and re-releasing his solo work from the early 1990s.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Turn Back The Clock 1987
- Raindance 1990
- Fishing For Souls 1992
- Evolution
- Tomorrow 2007
Singles
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| "You Fooled Him Once Again" | 1981 |
| "It Ain't Me Girl" (with Hot Club) | 1983 |
| "I Don't Want You" | 1984 |
| "Things Can't Get Any Worse" | 1985 |
| "Me And My Foolish Heart" (with JHJ) | 1986 |
| "Shattered Dreams" (with JHJ) | 1987 |
| "I Don't Want To Be A Hero" (with JHJ) | 1987 |
| "Turn Back The Clock" (with JHJ) | 1987 |
| "Heart Of Gold" (with JHJ) | 1988 |
| "Don't Say It's Love" (with JHJ) | 1988 |
| "Crown Of Thorns" | 1990 |
| "Raindance" (Japan only) | 1990 |
