David Clayton Thomas

WINNIPEG

Clayton-Thomas entered to rousing applause, sporting a charcoal grey suit and a blue open collar dress shirt.
Although maintaining the “must play” hits, the Grammy Award winner varied the set list from his previous visit, opening with the 1-2 punch of his self-penned, 1968 BS&T smash Spinning Wheel, followed by his 1970 Carol King/Gerry Goffin penned hit “Hi-De-Ho.”
The songs lacked none of his trademark power and emotion. The former BS&T frontman is still fully capable of wringing every ounce of emotion out of a slow blues, flexing his vocal muscle on a pop rocker, or scatting through a jazz number with the best of them.
In the home stretch, his tender ballad "You’re the One,"  preceded his 1969 BS&T monster hit - "You Made Me So Very Happy" and, following a thunderous standing ovation, DCT returned and finished the night with a stirring reading of Billie Holliday’s "God Bless the Child.".

See Press page (About) for review
 

CBC TV

DCT made his 2^nd appearance on CBC’s Cover Me Canada on Sunday October 30 @ 9 pm.  David performed a duet of his 1969 hit “You Make Me So Very Happy” with contestant Warren Dean Flandez.

COVER ME CANADA

David and his classic song "Spinning Wheel" was featured in the debut episode of Cover Me Canada on CBC TV, the song was performed by Warren Dean Flandez.

About The Show

Each week, the best undiscovered musicians in the country will battle it out to see who is the greatest new musical act in Canada. But, in order to win the ultimate prize, they'll have to cover the most iconic chart-topping songs from some of the greatest Canadian artists of all time and make them into their own. The winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize, a recording contract for their first original single to be released by Universal Music Canada, as well as featured airplay of their single on CBC Radio 2.

For more information on Cover Me Canada, go to

http://www.cbc.ca/covermecanada/about.html

HE'S BACK!

David returns to the concert stage.

After more than forty years on the road, David cut back on his tour schedule to recharge his batteries and devote himself to more creative projects. Since leaving BS&T in 2005, he has played only a few select concert dates but has written literally dozens of new songs, recorded 3 CDs, and taped a "Live In Concert" DVD and TV Special. He also devoted nearly two years to writing a book. His best selling memoir entitled "Blood Sweat and Tears" has been published by Penguin Books and is now available in hardcover and paperback. Now David Clayton-Thomas is returning to the concert stage with new management and a new agency. Management will be handled by Scott Morin of A440 Entertainment and bookings will be coordinated by Shaw Saltzberg and Tom Kemp  at S. L. Feldman & Associates. Contact information can be found on the Tour Info page (Booking & Publicity)

                  WORLD JAZZ FOR HAITI

 Seventy-one of Canada's top jazz musicians contributed their talents to this twenty-three track, double CD set. All proceeds from the album will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross to support disaster relief efforts in Haiti. Producer George Koller approached David with the idea of co-writing an original composition for the project. Their collaboration resulted in "Where Did They Go" a catchy little tune with a caustic message that quickly became one of the most played songs on the album. JazzFM 91 began playing the track and on October 16th, CTV asked them to perform it on Canada AM. The entire album is available on itunes, Amazon and CD Baby. For more information on how you can contribute to this humanitarian effort go to the  World Jazz for Haiti web page.

www.worldjazzforhaiti.com

 

                       SOUL BALLADS

  After nearly two years of devoting himself to the writing of his autobiography “Blood Sweat and Tears” David decided to take a break from writing and record an album of songs honoring the great soul artists that formed the foundation of that unmistakable Clayton-Thomas vocal style. The results are spectacular!  “Soul Ballads” A twelve song set of tunes by Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Gladys Knight and other iconic R&B artists. 

   David and producer/arranger Lou Pomanti weren’t looking for obscure tunes that no-one had heard before, rather they were looking for songs that everyone knows and loves and set out to give them a fresh new sound. When A Man Loves A Woman, Dock Of The Bay, You Don’t Know Me, Midnight Train to Georgia, all recorded with full orchestra and innovative new arrangements.

   This is a labor of love for David and it shows, these are the songs he sang in the bars of Toronto as a young singer. The Clayton-Thomas pipes are in fine form and the charts are beautifully conceived. This is a joyous album, a renowned singer at the peak his powers singing songs that he loves.

Soul Ballads is on Universal Records

                      THE WALK OF FAME

The 13th annual Canada’s Walk of Fame has added the following Canadian icons to its current list of inductees:

•    David Clayton-Thomas
•    Nelly Furtado
•    Doug Henning
•    Clara Hughes
•    Eric McCormack
•    Farley Mowat
•    Sarah Polley

   Established in 1998, Canada’s Walk of Fame aims to educate, inform, and inspire through the permanent celebration of the achievements in Canadian music, sport, film and television as well as the literary, visual and performing arts, and science and innovation.  The annual celebration culminates in a televised tribute special that honours Canada’s finest stars from the worlds of arts, entertainment, and sports. Each inductee is immortalized, their names forever cemented into the sidewalks of Toronto’s entertainment district.  To date, 131 Canadians have been honoured including Margaret Atwood, Jim Carrey, Steve Nash, Michael J. Fox and Celine Dion. A complete list of inductees along with more information on Canada’s Walk of Fame can be found at www.canadaswalkoffame.com

                  BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS

   David's explosive memoir "Blood Sweat and Tears" has been published by Penguin Press and is in stores now.  The book can also be ordered online.  See our (Autobiography) page. 
    Blood Sweat & Tears, the jazz-rock band that rocketed to the very top of the music industry then imploded just as spectacularly. The title not only describes his years with the band but it's the perfect metaphor for his turbulent life story.
   The incredible journey from homeless street kid to Grammy Award winning recording artist. From a prison cell to a penthouse and all the triumphs and tragedies along the way.
   It's a big brawling story, from the bareknuckled bars of Canada to the Met and Carnegie Hall.  A story of survival on the streets of New York, the fantasy world that is Hollywood, his decades of life on the road and the peace he finally found.
   A compelling inside look at the music business, stardom and politics told a man who did it all. It's a story of courage and determination set in the tumultuous times in which he lived and told in his own words.
  

    Cover photo taken at Woodstock, August 17th, 1969

                            THE EVERGREENS

    Sometimes raunchy and funky and at other times touching and vulnerable these songs tell the story of his life. This is a beautifully balanced and coherent album. The songs are bluesy and honest, the lyrics are straight from the heart and the vocals are classic Clayton-Thomas. This is quite simply a great recording... Powerful and unforgettable.
   This is David's last collaboration with life-long friend and musical partner Doug "Doc" Riley.  Riley's influence is all over this record from the funky R&B influenced arrangements to his soulful keyboard work. Doc passed away in the final days of recording and this album includes David's moving tribute to his friend "A Blues For Doc"
   This collection of 13 new original compositions is available now in stores on Fontana North Records or at the (Online Store) at this site.

                           MASSEY HALL
   Toronto audiences were rewarded by two outstanding concerts at Massey Hall this Valentine's Day weekend. David's 10 piece band was blazing hot as they teamed up with the 60 piece Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The classic hits from the BS&T era sounded amazing with full symphony scores and the new songs from David's "Evergreens" album hit the hometown fans right in the heart.
   Kudos to conductor Brigham Phillips who led the orchestra through a spirited set of concerts and to several members of the DCT band who lit up the venerable old hall. Special mention goes to Colleen Allen who shone on baritone sax and flute and to tenorman Michael Stuart who rocked the house with his funky solo work on Lucretia McEvil. The entire DCT band was tight and precise and melded perfectly with the mighty TSO. Drummer Paul DeLong and bassist George Koller were rock solid throughout. David's vocals were intense and emotional but the show never lost that element of pure joy than marks a great Clayton-Thomas performance
   Massey Hall's acoustics are legendary and the 2300 seat hall was completely sold out both nights.  It was a warm and emotional weekend with a great band, a highly motivated orchestra and one of the most original vocalists in the business.

 THE BROADCAST HALL OF FAME

The Canadian Association Of Broadcasters held their annual Gold Ribbon Awards Gala at the Westin, Ottawa, Monday evening.  Each year this prestigious convention inducts national media luminaries into their Hall Of Fame.  This year in the ”Music Stars” category, the CAB inducted David Clayton-Thomas.
    Following a video presentation honoring the Clayton-Thomas career, David took the stage with “And When I Die” to an audience of Canada’s leading disc jockeys and program directors, station owners and TV executives,  a tough crowd… halfway through the first song they were singing along.
   Then he kicked into “Spinning Wheel”  the Clayton-Thomas composition was recently inducted into the National Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
   The closer was electrifying… “The Evergreens”  The new song is an intensely personal statement and it brought a hush over the audience.  It ended with a joyous “Oh Yeah”  Everybody on their feet, hands in the air.
   David was presented with his Hall Of Fame Award, gave a brief acceptance speech thanking his friends in the Canadian Broadcast industry for their support over the years and a memorable evening drew to a close.
  

THE CANADIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION

The concert at the CNE was a high spirited, fun show with a dramatic closer. As the last notes of the encore died away and the band took its bows, the heavens opened and the rain came down in buckets. The timing was perfect. The audience delivered a final standing ovation and ran for cover.
The set was hot… playing at home with friends and family in the audience. The band was fired up and David was loose and comfortable. It was a great show (nearly 2 hrs.) and he moved easily through his own history, a natural storyteller, interjecting stories from the times that gave birth to his songs.
The voice is as unique and expressive as ever... he is quite simply one of the best singers in the business. The phrasing and timing have matured over the years and his delivery is immaculate.  You can see why great musicians love to play with him.  He drives the band with an unshakable groove and bang-on pitch but more that, he gets inside a lyric and gives it the fire and emotional context that raises the music to another level.
A lovely Labor Day evening with a surprise ending...  Toronto’s music lovers were treated to a stellar performance by an all-star group of musicians and a legendary vocalist.

                THE HAUGESUND JAZZ FESTIVAL

Haugesund is a small fishing village on the fjords of Norway an hour's flight from Oslo. Every year the little town welcomes thousands of music lovers to the Haugesund Jazz Festival. The streets are packed round the clock with fans from all over Europe. It's a 24 hour a day party for one week featuring the biggest names in jazz. Norwegian hospitality is legendary and the festival is beautifully produced. David and his band played to a sold out Maritime Hall (1200 seats) and the concert was a joy... The Canadians were obviously having a great time in Norway and it showed in their performance. The National Press gave the concert a rare 6 star review.

See (Press) page

 

CONCERTS IN RUSSIA

David and the band just back from Russia... sold out concerts in St. Petersburg and Moscow attest to the long standing fan loyalty in Russia and the Eastern European countries.
This goes back to the historic BS&T tours in the early 70's and has continued down through the years, to DCT concerts today.
The St. Petersburg show was in a beautiful old symphony hall, 1,800 fans gave David and his Canadian band a rousing welcome to Russia. The set was outstanding... and the encore, "God Bless The Child" left the capacity crowd cheering for more.
On to Moscow and a jam packed rock hall, to a standing audience of mostly young people... shoulder to shoulder, right up to the edge of the stage. David and the band gave an explosive 2 hour performance and again left the young Russian audience screaming for more.
A special thanks to concert organizer Alex Ivanov and his son Andrew, for attending to every detail and for making it a smooth and successful visit.

             THE NATIONAL JAZZ AWARDS

David and singer Dione Taylor co-hosted this year's National Jazz Awards at Toronto’s Palais Royale. The legends of Canadian Jazz were honoured, Phil Nimmons, Guido Basso and Peter Appleyard along with exciting contemporary figures on the Canadian music scene like Mike Murley, Diana Krall and Michael Buble.
Two members of David’s band, George Koller (bass) and Russ Little (trombone) received their own 2007 National Jazz Awards.
It was a warm and wonderful evening filled with old friends, brilliant talent and the who’s who of the Canadian music business.
Also receiving National Jazz Awards were Justin Time Records as "Jazz Label Of The Year" and its President, Jim West, for his outstanding contributions to the Canadian music industry

Photo by Bill King

THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

David's jazz/rock classic “Spinning Wheel” was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame on January 28, 2007. The induction Gala was held at The Toronto Convention Centre and will be aired on CBC/TV on March 5th at 8:00pm.

Photos by Grant Martin

THE MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

The historic Spectrum Theatre was the site for David's appearance at the 2006 Montreal Jazz Festival. The set opened with “And When I Die.” Then a stunning change of pace as David delivered a gripping rendition of Billie Holiday’s “Don’t Explain” sitting alone on a stool in a single spotlight, accompanied by Doug “Doc” Riley with an acoustic jazz trio. The song brought a hush over the crowded room and when the last note died away, the hardcore jazz fans rose to their feet in the first standing ovation of the evening. The show was filmed for a Bravo TV Special and a DVD to be released early in 2007 by Justin Time Records.

A MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY

The new CD, “David Clayton-Thomas In Concert.... A Musical Biography" is now available in stores, at JustinTime.com or at the (Online Store) on this site. This is David Clayton-Thomas at his best, recorded live with his 11 piece big band at The Opera House in Toronto in October 2005. The album sizzles with energy and covers the entire Clayton-Thomas career, from his early compositions like “Spinning Wheel” “Go Down Gamblin” and “Lucretia MacEvil”, to brand new songs written especially for this recording.

AURORA

The new David Clayton-Thomas CD... entitled ”AURORA” was released March 16, 2005 on Justin Time Records.
  One is immediately taken by the spirit and personality of this album, forget about labels and formats... jazz and rock, blues and soul, all live together in complete harmony on this extraordinary recording. This is just great music... cut “live” in the studio... a summit meeting of great musicians, with a gifted vocalist and a collection of unforgettable songs.