Because (The Dave Clark Five song)

"Because" is a song recorded by English rock band The Dave Clark Five from their third studio album American Tour (1964). Written by Dave Clark and singer Mike Smith, and produced by Adrian Clark, the song was originally the B-side to "Can't You See That She's Mine" in the UK.

"Because"
Single by The Dave Clark Five
from the album American Tour
A-side"Can't You See That She's Mine" (UK)
B-side"Theme Without A Name" (US)
ReleasedAugust 1964
Recorded1964
GenrePop rock
Length2:23
LabelColumbia (UK)
Capitol (Canada)
Epic (US)
Songwriter(s)Dave Clark, Mike Smith, Ron Ryan (claimed)
Producer(s)Adrian Clark
The Dave Clark Five singles chronology
"Can't You See That She's Mine"
(1964)
"Because"
(1964)
"Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)"
(1964)

"Because" was released as a single in the United States and reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also charted at number three in both Canada and New Zealand. Julian Lennon released a version of the song which peaked at number 40 on the UK Singles Chart in 1985.

Background and release

"Because" was written with the intention of being the Dave Clark Five's fifth US single, but the band's label, Epic Records, was initially resistant, believing the ballad strayed too far from the hit-making formula that had proven successful with the band's previous upbeat singles.[1] In May 1964, the song was released in the UK as the B-side to "Can't You See That She's Mine". Clark insisted that "Because" be released as an A-side in the US, and Epic eventually agreed.[2] The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number sixty in August, and peaked six weeks later at number three.[3][4] "Because" became the band's fifth US single to sell more than one million copies.[5] In Canada, the song reached number three on RPM magazine's singles chart.[6]

The songwriting credits on the record are given to Dave Clark and Mike Smith, but "Because" is one of several Dave Clark Five songs claimed to have been co-written by Ron Ryan, rather than by Clark.[7]

Critical reception

  • In a review for the single, Billboard described "Because" as a "warmly romantic ballad ... that should keep [The Dave Clark Five] on the chart."[8]
  • Richie Unterberger of AllMusic said the song "was on about the same melodic level as all but the best of the early Beatles' compositions". He felt the song showed a more subtle side of the band, contrasting it with the "stomping hits that were their main diet." Unterberger also complimented the track's harmony vocals, and noted the "beautiful, unusual, and irresistible chord changes" as well as the "tender, romantic lyrics".[2]

Other versions

Track listing

7" Single (US, Canada)[12]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Because"Dave Clark2:23
2."Theme Without a Name"Davidson2:05

Chart performance

References

  1. Ryan, Thomas (1995). American Hit Radio: A History of Popular Singles from 1955 to the Present. Rocklin, Calif.: Prima Publishing. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-7615-0230-2.
  2. Unterberger, Richie. "'Because' - Song Review". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  3. "'Billboard' Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 76 (31): 22. 1 August 1964. ISSN 0006-2510.
  4. "'Billboard' Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 76 (37): 22. 12 September 1964. ISSN 0006-2510.
  5. Murrells, Joseph (1984). Million Selling Records (1st ed.). London: Batsford. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-7134-3843-7.
  6. "RPM 100". RPM. RPM Music Publications Ltd. 2 (3). 14 September 1964. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  7. Richie Unterberger, "The Dave Clark Five PBS Special... and Beyond", Folkrocks, April 16, 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2020
  8. "Singles Reviews". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 76 (30): 14. 25 July 1964. ISSN 0006-2510.
  9. Strong, Martin C. (2002). The Great Rock Discography (6th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1040. ISBN 978-1-84195-312-0.
  10. "Julian Lennon - 'Because'". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  11. Steffen Hung. "Julian Lennon - Because". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  12. "The Dave Clark Five - Because (Song)". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  13. Flavour of New Zealand, 17 September 1964
  14. "Hot 100 - Billboard", Billboard, 12 September 1964, retrieved 17 September 2018
  15. "Cash Box Top 100 08/29/64". Cashbox Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  16. "Top Records of 1964". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 77 (1): 6. 2 January 1965. ISSN 0006-2510.
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