Dave Berry (musician)

Dave Berry

A partially obscured Dave Berry (1966)
Background information
Birth name David Holgate Grundy
Born 6 February 1941
Beighton, Sheffield, England
Occupation(s) Singer
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1963–present
Labels Decca Records, See for Miles Records, Blues Matters! Records, RPM Records
Associated acts Dave Berry and the Cruisers
Website www.cryinggame.co.uk

Dave Berry (born David Holgate Grundy, 6 February 1941 in Beighton, Sheffield) is a British pop singer and former teen idol of the 1960s.

He performed a mixture of R&B and pop ballads and was popular in Britain, and in Continental Europe, especially Belgium and the Netherlands, but had no commercial success in the US, where he is best known for the original versions of Ray Davies' "This Strange Effect" and Graham Gouldman's "I'm Going To Take You There".

He had an unusual ambition for a pop performer trying to make a name for himself - to appear on television completely hidden by a prop.[1] In his own words, to "not appear, to stay behind something and not come out". He often hid behind the upturned collar of his leather jacket, or wrapped himself around, and effectively behind, the microphone lead.[1]

Career

His best-remembered hits are "Memphis, Tennessee", "The Crying Game" (1964) and his 1965 hit "Little Things", a cover version of Bobby Goldsboro's Stateside Top 40 success.[2] "This Strange Effect" (1965), written by Ray Davies, became a Number One hit for him in the Netherlands and Belgium, countries where he still enjoys celebrity status, having received an award from Radio Veronica, Netherlands, for their best selling pop single of all time. B. J. Thomas's sentimental "Mama" (1966)[1] and "Don't Gimme No Lip Child", covered by the Sex Pistols,[2] were other notable recordings.

His early hits name-checked his backing band the Cruisers who at that time were John Fleet (bass and piano), Roy Barber (rhythm guitar), Frank Miles (lead guitar) and Kenny Slade (drums). Berry parted with this line-up around the time of "The Crying Game" and recruited four more local musicians - Frank White, Johnny Riley and Pete Cliff and as the second generation of Cruisers.[1] Lead guitarist White was eventually replaced by Roy Ledger. Berry regularly used session musicians Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Big Jim Sullivan and Bobby Graham.[2] Currently in the Cruisers are Daniel Martin (lead guitar since 2010), Adrian Fountain (rhythm guitar since late 2011), Dan Wright (drums, from January 2013) and Brian Wood (bass guitar, joined 24 years ago, the longest serving member of the band).

His stage act, which drew on the work of Elvis Presley and Gene Vincent, provided an inspiration for Alvin Stardust. The Geoff Stephens-penned song "The Crying Game" brought Berry's voice to his biggest international audience in 1992, when it was used as the theme song for the film The Crying Game. In the final quarter of 2010, "Little Things" was used in an advertisement campaign on British television by Andrex toilet paper.[2] Berry also regained some recognition when he was the surprise hit of the annual Alexis Korner Tribute in 1995. In 1998 "This Strange Effect" was covered by the Belgian band, Hooverphonic, on their album, Blue Wonder Power Milk.

In May 2009, Berry toured the UK and appeared in a cameo role in a theatrical production, The Mod Crop. In August that year, RPM Records issued a double CD anthology of Berry's earliest recordings for Decca, entitled This Strange Effect (The Decca Sessions 1963–1966).[3] The package added two previously unissued tracks made in 1963 (before Berry signed with Decca) with producer Mickie Most: "Easy To Cry" and "Tongue Twisting". Berry's illustrated autobiography, Dave Berry - All There Is To Know, was published in 2010 by Heron Publications Ltd. It included contributions from Joe Cocker, Ray Davies, Tony Iommi, Peter Stringfellow and Bill Wyman. A double compilation, Picture Me Gone - The Decca Sessions 1966–1974, was released in January 2011.

Discography

Singles

EPs

Original albums

"The Crying Game" / "Not Fade Away" / "I Don't Want To Go On" / "Ella Speed" / "The Girl from the Fair Isle" / "Go on Home" / "Everybody Tries" / "God Bless The Child" / "Memphis, Tennessee" / "On The Other Side of Town" / "Go Home Girl" / "My Last Date" / "St. James Infirmary" / "Just A Little Bit" / "See See Rider" / "Don't Make Fun of Me"

"Mama" / "I Ain’t Going With You Girl" / "It’s Gonna Be Fine" / "You Made A Fool of Me" / "Sticks And Stones" / "Now And From Now On" / "Same Game" / "Alright Baby" / "I Love You Babe" / "Soft Lights And Sweet Music" / "Green Grass" / "Love Has Gone Out of Your Life" / "Little Things"

"Hey Little Girl" / "Round And Round" / "Casting My Spell" / "Girl From The Fair Isle" / "Fanny Man" / "If You Wait For Love" / "Sweet And Lovely" / "Tears To Remind Me" / "Baby It's You" / "Run My Heart" / "I Love You Babe" / "Heartbeat"

"Maybe Baby" / "Coffee Song" / "She Cried" / "And The Clock on the Steeple Struck 13" / "You Can Live on Love" / "My Baby Left Me" / "Baby’s Gone" / "Dying Daffodil Incident" / "Suspicions" / "Since You’ve Gone" / "Stick To It Ivity" / "I Got The Feeling"

"Searchlight" / "Love from Johnny" / "Heart of Stone" / "Love is a Killer" / "Bring my Cadillac Back" / "God Bless the Child" / "Mountains of the Moon" / "On the Waterfront" / "My Baby Left Me" / "For a Knight to Win His Spurs" / "Boppin' the Blues" / "Tracks of My Tears"

"Mercury Blues" / "Same old Blues" / "Mean 'ol Frisco" / "Are You Going My Way" / "Memphis in the Meantime" / "Cajun Moon" / "Georgia Ray" / "Pony Boy" / "Taking the Midnight Train" / "Boppin' the Blues" / "My Baby Left Me" - Blues Matters! Records

Compilation albums

DVDs

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Dave Berry & The Cruisers : Biography and Discography". Webcitation.org. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Richie Unterberger (1941-02-06). "Dave Berry | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 55. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ↑ "Davie Berry". 45-rpm.org.uk. 1941-02-06. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  6. ↑

External links