"Bits and Pieces" is a song by British beat group

The Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark was the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964, they had their first UK top-ten single, ...

. The single hit number 2 in the UK and number 4 in the US, as well as being a success in other countries. It was number 2 or 4 in Australia, number 1 in Canada and

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, and number 4 in the Netherlands. In Germany, it reached number 20. Lead vocals are sung by Mike Smith, who also co-wrote the song. The song is in

antiphon An antiphon ( Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are usually taken from the Psalms or Scripture, but may also be freely compo ...

al style, with Mike Smith singing a solo line and the whole group responding. The drums have a very prominent part in the accompaniment. Additionally, some of the song's unique percussion was supplied by builder’s scaffold boards, which two of the band members (reportedly quite intoxicated) stamped on, not always perfectly in time to the music.

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

, writing in 1969, called the song "a wonderfully serviceable rock throwaway, raucous and meaningless, perfect for shouting into the night." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as "a hard-hitting rocker that the boys pound out in a steady, heavy beat style." The song's distinct stomp-like pattern has been sampled by numerous musicians. The Dave Clark Five performed "Bits and Pieces" in an appearance on the ''

Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Nig ...

''.

References

{{authority control 1964 songs 1964 singles Songs written by Mike Smith (Dave Clark Five) Songs written by Dave Clark (musician) The Dave Clark Five songs RPM Top Singles number-one singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Columbia Graphophone Company singles Epic Records singles Capitol Records singles