Bobbie Clarke

By 1958 Clarke shifted to the flourishing rhythm and blues, and rock scene, joining Vince Eager's Beat Boys, composed of Tony Belcher (guitar), Alan Le Claire (born Alan Cocks, 26 August 1938; piano), and Tex Makins (born Anthony Paul Makins, 3 July 1940; bass), who performed at a London coffee bar.

Bobbie Clarke (born Robert William Woodman, 13 June 1940 – 29 August 2014) was an English rock drummer.

He was regarded by critics as an important figure in the configuration of early British rock and roll, although he is often chiefly remembered for his long term association as the drummer with Vince Taylor and the Playboys.

Vince Eager was born Roy Taylor (4 June 1940, Lincoln, Lincolnshire) and was a former member of the Harmonica Vagabonds, the Vagabonds Skiffle Group, Vince Eager and the Quiet Three.

With guitarist Big Jim Sullivan (born James George Tomkins, 14 February 1941), the Beat Boys for a time became Marty Wilde's Wildcats, recording three tunes "High School Confidential", "Too Much" and "Mean Woman Blues".

Subsequently, the same band again became the Beat Boys, backing up Billy Fury.

Clarke originally learned to play as a teenager with Eric Delaney, a jazz artist popular in England in the 1950s.

In about December 1958 Bobbie met 19-year-old Vince Taylor who was brought to the UK from America by his brother in law, Joe Barbera, who co-founded Hanna-Barbera.

In 1958, their first records, "I Like Love" and "Right Behind You Baby" were released by Parlophone, with Tony Sheridan (Lead Guitar), Tony Harvey (Rhythm Guitar), Brian 'Liquorice' Locking (String Bass), Lou Brian (Piano) and Brian Bennett (Drums).

In 1959 "Brand New Cadillac" was released.

In September 1960, Clarke and his band became Taylor's Playboys with Kenny Pavell (guitar), Clive Powell (piano), and Tex Makins (bass).

Powell later became notable as Georgie Fame.

When Kenny Pavel left the band to play for Cliff Richard's Drifters, he was replaced for a while by 16-year-old Jimmy Page, future guitarist of Led Zeppelin.

On 19 August 1960, Palette Records Ltd. released "I'll Be Your Hero" and the famous "Jet Black Machine" with Tony Harvey (Lead Guitar), Johnny Vance (Bass), Alan Le Claire (Piano) and Bobby Woodman (Drums).

It stayed in the charts 9 weeks and reached the top 15.

The single might have been a bigger hit, but UK teenagers of the time, under the influence of the media, were guided to listen to a more 'clean' sounding Cliff Richard and his band The Shadows.

The Noise with Bob Steele on guitar was booked to play at the Olympia in Paris on 7–8 July 1961.

The top of the bill was Wee Willie Harris.

The other artists were Dave Sampson, Vince Eager, and Nero and the Gladiators, which contained lead guitar player Tony Harvey.

Despite their differences, Vince was still friends with the band and asked, considering that he had never been to France, if he could come to Paris with his friends and if necessary, sing for free.

Vince dressed up for the occasion in his black leather gear and added a chain around his neck with a Joan of Arc medallion.

He gave such an extraordinary performance at the sound check that even the band was amazed, and the organizers decided to put Vince Taylor and his Playboys at the top of the Bill for both shows.

As a result of Vince's exciting performance and his interaction with the band at those two shows Eddie Barclay signed the group to a six-year record deal on the Barclay label, with Bobbie Woodman changing his name to Bobbie Clarke.

For the next two years, Bobbie Clarke with his band, once again called Vince Taylor and his Play Boys (Vince Taylor et ses Play Boys) toured Europe including The French Riviera, Brussels, Belgium, Spain, and The Netherlands in between recording several LP albums and numerous 45 RPM singles, at Barclay Studios in Paris, such as "Sweet Little Sixteen", "C'mon Everybody", "Twenty Flight Rock", "Love Me", "Long Tall Sally", "So Glad You're Mine", "Baby Let's Play House", "Lovin Up A Storm" to name a few.

The Noise at that time were: Ralph Danks (guitar), Johnny Taylor (guitar), Bobbie Clarke (drums), "Stash" Prince Stanislas Kosslowski de Rola (percussion), and Alan Bugby (bass) who had just finished playing with Ralph Danks in the Gladiators, and with Johnny Taylor's Strangers (three EPs on the Vega label in 1962 to 1963).

In February 1963 Bobbie Clarke left Vince and became the drummer for Johnny Hallyday's Golden Stars, resulting in three EPs released that year: in November Bob Steele was replaced by American Joey Greco on lead guitar.

Bobbie Clarke and Joey Greco with the Golden Stars also recorded the single "Memphis Tennessee" with Vince Taylor, that was released by Barclay under the title of "Vince Taylor and The New Play Boys".

Johnny Hallyday joined the French army in June 1964.

In September 1964 the new Noise recorded the first "It's Not Unusual", a demo tape with Tom Jones.

He re-formed The Noise, and with Vince Taylor played as the opening act for The Rolling Stones on their first three concerts in France, at the Olympia.

Barclay released a "fake live" LP under the name "Vince Taylor with Bobbie Clark's Noise", simply titled "Vince..!", a single from the album with "My Babe" b/w "Trouble" and a 4 track EP with "My Babe", "Long Tall Sally" "Trouble" and "My Baby Left Me", all tracks from the LP.

In mid 1965, with several bookings lined up, Vince Taylor went away suddenly and the band finally gave up and Johnny Taylor joined a religious movement.

Ralph Danks left to play guitar with Three Dog Night, and later Tom Jones, Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan.

"Stash" Klossowski (a close friend of The Rolling Stones) would later produce The Dirty Strangers album featuring Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood.

In late 1965, Clarke, "Prince Stash", and Ralph Danks moved to Hollywood where Bobbie replaced drummer Don Conka on several studio sessions with the original members of the band Love, consisting of Don Conka (drums), Bryan MacLean (rhythm guitar), Johnny Echols (lead guitar) and Ken Forssi (bass), with the addition of Vince Flaherty (vocals, harmonica).

At the same time the band was recording with Vince Flaherty, they were also playing at a club called Bido Lito's with their leader Arthur Lee, but had not yet obtained a record deal of their own.

Two recordings, "The Groove" and "Why", included Clarke as drummer, Daryl Dragon ("The Captain", of The Captain and Tennille, on the organ), and Charles Wright (on the rhythm guitar).

An EP from the sessions was later released on the Verve label entitled "Vince and The Invincibles".

In 1966 Bobbie Clarke also played with Frank Zappa, and cut a record with a band called "The Elves Themselves", augmented by members from Love and Jimi Hendrix.

The album was re-released in 1972 without the fake audience, titled "Vince Is Alive, Well And Living In Paris".