(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please refer down below)
The Dave Clark Five - "Over and Over"
Hit Number 1: December 25, 1965
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
The Dave Clark Five were the closest thing to the Beatles' wannabees. There was a staggering amount of British acts in the mid-60s dominating the charts, with each bringing a unique sound to them. The Dave Clark Five certainly had their "own sound" to them, but the way they looked, dressed, and acted was just like the Beatles, and it wouldn't be far fetched to say they tried to "copy" the Beatles. However, if you're going to try to copy the greatest band to ever live, you better have a great idea on what you're doing, and not make fools of yourselves. Many have tried and failed miserably. The Dave Clark Five at least managed to do well, and they were one of the more popular bands in the mid-60s during the British Invasion. Surprisingly, they only had one number hit on the Hot 100; that being "Over and Over".
The DC5 were not the first ones to get somewhere with "Over and Over", but they were the ones who gave us the most SUCCESSFUL version. The song was written by singer Bobby Day, and he got to #41 on the Hot 100 in 1958 with the song. (His version is a 5) But the DC5's cover is way better. It rocks out harder, and their signature sound that they put on all their songs works like a charm on "Over and Over", despite them omitting the last verse. You get Dave Clark's snapping snare drum, a wailing saxophone solo, and there's some pretty good harmonies in the chorus that can't be overlooked. Also, "Over and Over" is one of the rare DC5 songs that keyboardist Mike Smith sings lead, and it's pretty hard to imagine Clark's voice working quite the same on it. Maybe I'm just used to Smith singing it.
Anyway, despite the rocking quality to "Over and Over", our narrator of the song is having, well, not the greatest night. He first is at a dance he doesn't want to be at, and calls it a drag "over and over again". His night seems like it might be taking better turn after he spots "the prettiest girl in the world". However, she turns him down after he asks her out, and she tells him she's waiting for her own date to arrive. It's a real unfortunate chain of events for the narrator. But at least the song's good right?
The other change the DC5 made to the song was slightly altering the lyrics in the first verse. In the original Bobby Day version, the line goes "Well I went to a dance just the other night, everybody there went stag". In the DC5 version, they change that line to the questionable "everybody there was there". I've never gotten over that lyric, and it's one of the more stupider lyrics I might have ever heard in a song, cause of course everybody there is there. That's really the only concern I have here though. The DC5 twist on "Over and Over" is really fun, catchy, and lighthearted. Where the Day version lacks any real excitement, the DC5 version gives us plenty of it. It's a very simple song, so that means putting a simple sound to it, which the DC5 give us. There's no strings, guitar riffs, organ bleeps, or anything like that. It's just a quality, simple banger of a song by one of the more notable British Invasion groups. I'll say that over and over again.
GRADE: 8/10
SONG REFERENCED:
"Over and Over" (Bobby Day's version)
MY INSPIRATION / MORE INFORMATION:
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