Ron Ryan - the story of an un-sung musical hero of the Sixties!
In the late Fifties, Dave Clark and a group of four mates from the north London area formed a band called The Dave Clark Five. Clark, as well as being the drummer and leader of the group, most importantly saw the band as a business enterprise, and, as such, he paid his fellow band members a weekly salary.
By 1959 the group had become "The Dave Clark Five featuring Stan Saxon", and comprised of Dave Clark (drums), Stan Saxon (vocals), Mick Ryan (lead guitar), Rick Huxley (guitar), Chris Walls (bass) and Jim Spencer (sax). They were gradually building a great reputation as a very good "covers" band, but Clark was eager for greater fame.
Mick Ryan’s brother, Ron Ryan, was a very good friend of Clark's, and they discussed at great length how to get the band off the ground. Ron said that in order to achieve success, the band would have to have its own original material, and when Clark asked where new material could be found, Ron suggested that he could supply it.
The early Sixties brought many changes in the band's personnel - Mike Smith became lead vocalist. Chris Walls and Mick Ryan left the group, and Huxley had switched to bass; Lenny Davidson replaced Ryan's brother Mick and finally Denis Payton joined on sax. And so the classic DC5 line-up was formed: Dave Clark (drums), Mike Smith (vocals/keyboard), Lenny Davidson (guitar), Rick Huxley (bass) and Denny Payton (sax).
At that time, Ron Ryan was lead singer and songwriter in a band called The Walkers, whose personnel also included Mick Martin (bass), Allan Churchill (keyboards) and Roy Saint (drums). Also joining the group, on lead guitar, was Mick Ryan - he had been having some arguments with Dave Clark, which prompted his departure from the DC5.
Following his brother’s departure from the DC5, Ron Ryan continued his association and friendship with Clark and his group.
When writing songs for the DC5, Ron Ryan would work on his compositions at home then Clark and Mike Smith would come round for a listen. Sometimes Ryan would work on the songs with Smith, but to make it look as if the band were penning their own material (ala Lennon/McCartney), Ryan agreed that Clark would receive the song writing credit. A deal was struck on a handshake between Ryan and Clark that, as soon as the money started rolling in, the songwriter would get a percentage of whatever his songs made.
It was felt that the DC5 also needed a 'sound' and one day Ron brought a record by Doug Sheldon along to a session called "Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night" - the band were duly impressed! All the DC5 trademarks were contained in this one track, from the pulsating beat and drum breaks to the sound of the sax. This record was used as the template for the so-called "Tottenham Sound", London's answer to Merseybeat.
Around that time, The Walkers’ set included a Ron Ryan song called “Keep On Stomping” - this song involved the band “stomping” their boot-heels on stage to a four in the bar beat – a sound which would become synonymous with another London group!
Ron Ryan had suggested to Clark that the Band should ‘branch out’, and record in other musical styles, such as country music and in this vain, Ryan had written a country-flavoured song called “Bits And Pieces”. Mike Smith, using that song as a base, mixed it with The Walker’s “Keep On Stomping” and the Doug Sheldon track to come up with the classic “Bits And Pieces” we all know today
By 1959 the group had become "The Dave Clark Five featuring Stan Saxon", and comprised of Dave Clark (drums), Stan Saxon (vocals), Mick Ryan (lead guitar), Rick Huxley (guitar), Chris Walls (bass) and Jim Spencer (sax). They were gradually building a great reputation as a very good "covers" band, but Clark was eager for greater fame.
Mick Ryan’s brother, Ron Ryan, was a very good friend of Clark's, and they discussed at great length how to get the band off the ground. Ron said that in order to achieve success, the band would have to have its own original material, and when Clark asked where new material could be found, Ron suggested that he could supply it.
The early Sixties brought many changes in the band's personnel - Mike Smith became lead vocalist. Chris Walls and Mick Ryan left the group, and Huxley had switched to bass; Lenny Davidson replaced Ryan's brother Mick and finally Denis Payton joined on sax. And so the classic DC5 line-up was formed: Dave Clark (drums), Mike Smith (vocals/keyboard), Lenny Davidson (guitar), Rick Huxley (bass) and Denny Payton (sax).
At that time, Ron Ryan was lead singer and songwriter in a band called The Walkers, whose personnel also included Mick Martin (bass), Allan Churchill (keyboards) and Roy Saint (drums). Also joining the group, on lead guitar, was Mick Ryan - he had been having some arguments with Dave Clark, which prompted his departure from the DC5.
Following his brother’s departure from the DC5, Ron Ryan continued his association and friendship with Clark and his group.
When writing songs for the DC5, Ron Ryan would work on his compositions at home then Clark and Mike Smith would come round for a listen. Sometimes Ryan would work on the songs with Smith, but to make it look as if the band were penning their own material (ala Lennon/McCartney), Ryan agreed that Clark would receive the song writing credit. A deal was struck on a handshake between Ryan and Clark that, as soon as the money started rolling in, the songwriter would get a percentage of whatever his songs made.
It was felt that the DC5 also needed a 'sound' and one day Ron brought a record by Doug Sheldon along to a session called "Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night" - the band were duly impressed! All the DC5 trademarks were contained in this one track, from the pulsating beat and drum breaks to the sound of the sax. This record was used as the template for the so-called "Tottenham Sound", London's answer to Merseybeat.
Around that time, The Walkers’ set included a Ron Ryan song called “Keep On Stomping” - this song involved the band “stomping” their boot-heels on stage to a four in the bar beat – a sound which would become synonymous with another London group!
Ron Ryan had suggested to Clark that the Band should ‘branch out’, and record in other musical styles, such as country music and in this vain, Ryan had written a country-flavoured song called “Bits And Pieces”. Mike Smith, using that song as a base, mixed it with The Walker’s “Keep On Stomping” and the Doug Sheldon track to come up with the classic “Bits And Pieces” we all know today
Ron Ryan Music
