Dave Berry

Dave Berry, born David Holgate Grundy, was a Sheffield singer who became one of the distinctive British pop stars of the 1960s. He was born in Woodhouse, Sheffield, on 6 February 1941. Berry grew up with music around him. His father was a professional jazz drummer and taught him to play drums. Dave developed a particular interest in American rhythm & blues and rock 'n' roll, including the music of Chuck Berry, whose surname he eventually adopted as his stage name.

In the early 1960s he became the vocalist and leader of Dave Berry and the Cruisers. The group developed a strong following around Sheffield and the surrounding area, playing an R&B-based repertoire. A contemporary 1963 Disc magazine report described Berry as having a "huge following in the Sheffield area" and noted that the band had been together for several years. Around 1964, when Berry's original Cruisers split from him, Berry recruited Frank White and other Sheffield musicians to form the next version of the Cruisers - the lineup is variously documented as Frank White (guitar), Alan Taylor (guitar), Pete Cliff/Cliffe (bass) and John Riley (drums). They are not known to have played on his records, though of course, it's possible.

Berry was spotted performing at a ballroom in Doncaster by talent scout Mickie Most, which eventually led to a recording opportunity with Decca. His first single, "Memphis, Tennessee", was released in 1963 and reached No. 19 in the UK Singles Chart.

His major breakthrough came with "The Crying Game" in 1964. The song reached No. 5 in Britain, making Berry a major pop star and bringing him appearances on television programmes including Top of the Pops, Ready Steady Go! and Thank Your Lucky Stars. It also featured future Led Zeppelin star Jimmy Page on rhythm guitar and Big Jim Sullivan with perhaps the first commercial use of a wah pedal (actually a De Armond Tone/Voleme).

Berry also became famous for his highly distinctive appearance and stage manner. He generally dressed in black leather and performed with his jacket collar raised, sometimes almost disappearing behind the microphone and its cable. His striking visual style became an important part of his identity as a performer.

Although his main chart period was concentrated in the 1960s, Berry continued performing for decades, including extended periods working with different versions of The Cruisers. The band's musicians over the years included figures who later became prominent in British rock, including Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Tony Iommi and Rick Wakeman. His reputation also received an unexpected boost from the Sex Pistols, who unexpectedly recorded "Don't Gimme No Lip Child", originally the B-side of The Crying Game. In 1992, The Crying Game gained another generation of listeners when the recording was associated with Neil Jordan's film The Crying Game.

Berry subsequently continued making music and performing, including the album Memphis...In The Meantime in 2004. More recently, he has appeared with an Interview Show, discussing his career and experiences during the 1960s and the decades that followed.

Singles
Year A-side B-side UK peak
1963 - Memphis, Tennessee Tossin' and Turnin' 19
1964 - My Baby Left Me Hoochie Coochie Man 37
1964 - Baby It's You Sweet and Lovely 24
1964 - The Crying Game Don't Gimme No Lip Child 5
1964 - One Heart Between Two You're Gonna Need Somebody 41
1965 - Little Things I've Got a Tiger by the Tail 5
1965 - This Strange Effect Now 37
1965 - I'm Gonna Take You There Just Don't Know
1966 - If You Wait for Love Hidden
1966 - Mama Walk, Walk, Talk, Talk 5
1966 - Picture Me Gone Ann
1967 - Stranger Stick by the Book
1967 - Forever And I Have Learned to Dream
1968 - Just as Much as Ever I Got the Feeling
1968 - (Do I Figure) In Your Life Latisha
1969 - Huma-Lama Oh What a Life
1970 - Change Our Minds Long Walk to D.C.
1970 - Chaplin House Trees
1972 - Moving On (Turn Around) Don't Bring Me Down
1973 - I Can Make You Cry Midnight Stage
1974 - My Baby Left Me Memphis, Tennessee
1980 - Pebble to Pearls Anyone Else But You for Me
1988 - Out of Time Serenade for Alice

EPs
Me-O-My-O — Decca DFE 8601, 1964
Me-O-My-O / St. James Infirmary / If You Need Me / Ella Speed
Can I Get It from You — Decca DFE 8625, 1965
Can I Get It from You / Why Don't They Understand / Always, Always (Yesterday's Love Song) / He's With You

Albums
Dave Berry — Decca, 1964
The Special Sound of Dave Berry — Decca, 1966
One Dozen Berrys — Ace of Clubs, 1966
'68 — Decca, 1968
Hostage to the Beat — Butt, 1987
Memphis....In the Meantime — Blues Matters, 2004