Dave Clark Five - Come Home

(Epic, 1965)

Reckon a light bulb went on in Dave Clark’s noggin when he saw the smash-crash-yippee success of the group’s previous ballad, as here are two more slow’uns that are clearly in the mold of “Because.” Again, they’re perfectly inoffensive radio confections with Beatle-inspired vocal harmonies and a whiff of DC5 pep in the upfront bass/percussion. Pleasant. Sweet. Forgettable. I think that one of the biggest problems with these love songs is that they de-emphasize Mike Smith’s great rock ’n’ roll voice, which is a shame since his howlin’ was always a chief strength for the band. The mini-crescendos in “Come Home” do allow him a few bluesy cries, but it’s frustrating to hear him have to rein it in on such singles, particularly on castrated pop candy like “Your Turn to Cry.”

Both songs, by the way, are taken from Weekend in London, an album birthed in such a spirit of artistic purity that it is named for the grand prize offered (in 1965) to the winner of Revlon’s “Natural Wonder Swingstakes” contest. No kidding.