Clover


Band members                             Related acts

  line up 1 (1967-71)

- Alex Call -- lead vocals, rhythm guitar

- John McFee -- vocals, lead guitar, pedal steel guitar, violin

- John Ciambotti -- vocals, bass

- Mitch Howie -- drums, percussion

- Huey Lewis -- lead vocals, harmonica

- Sean Hopper -- keyboards, backing vocals

 

  line up 1 (1973-77)

- Alex Call -- lead vocals, rhythm guitar

NEW - Marcus David (aka Marcus Grossman) -- drums, percussion

  (replaced Mitch Howie)

- John McFee -- vocals, lead guitar, pedal steel guitar, violin

- John Ciambotti -- vocals, bass

- Huey Lewis -- lead vocals, harmonica

- Sean Hopper -- keyboards, backing vocals

 

  line up 3 (1977)

- Alex Call -- lead vocals, rhythm guitar

- John McFee -- vocals, lead guitar, pedal steel guitar, violin

- John Ciambotti -- vocals, bass

- Huey Lewis -- lead vocals, harmonica

- Sean Hopper -- keyboards, backing vocals

NEW - Mickey Shine (aka MMIckey Shine, aka Michael Schreiner)

  (RIP 2012) -- drums,  percussion  (replaced  Marcus David)

 

  line up 4 (1978)

- Alex Call -- lead vocals, rhythm guitar

- John McFee -- vocals, lead guitar, pedal steel guitar, violin

- John Ciambotti -- vocals, bass

- Huey Lewis -- lead vocals, harmonica

- Sean Hopper -- keyboards, backing vocals

NEW - Kevin Wells -- drums, percussion (replaced Mickey Shine)

 

 

 

 

- 5000 Volts (Kevin Wells)

- Burnng Rome (Mickey Shine)

- Alex Call (solo efforts)

- The Doobie Brothers (John McFee)

- Hereford Hartstringers (Sean Hopper)

- The Nick Gravenites/John Cipolina Band (Marcus David)

- Jennie Takes a Ride (Marcus David)

- Huey Lewis and the News (Huey Lewis and Sean Hopper))

- Mighty Sons of Adam (Marcus David)

- Monday Night Live (Huey Lewis)

- The Outfit (John Ciambiotti)

- Skokie Survivors (Marcus David)

- Southern Pacific (John McFee)

- Tiny Hearing Aid Company (Alex Call, John Ciambiotti,

  John McFee, and Mitch Howie)

- Tommy Tutone (MIickey Shine)

- Twiggy

- The Valley Boys (John Ciambiotti)


 

Genre: country-rock

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Clover

Company: Mercury

Catalog: SRM-1-1169
Year:
 1977

Country/State: Mills Valley, California

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 1336

Price: $15.00

 

Five years after recording their last album for Fantasy Records, in 1976 Clover said  goodbye to California, hello England.   

 

Their timing proved a mixed blessing.   On one hand, the band's country-rock/pop sound was a good fit for the pub-rock sound that was popular throughout the UK.  With help from English music managers Jack Riviera and Dave Robinson that certainly helped the band score a contract with Phonogram's vertigo label, as well as opening act slots for the likes of Graham Park and the Rumour, Thin Lizzy, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.   The downside was the band were totally unprepared and unsuited for the forthcoming punk rock explosion.

 

Vertigo catalog number 6360145

 

Produced by Robert Mutt Lange, the band's 1977 comeback was entitled "Unavailable" in the UK and throughout Europe.   Mercury marketing apparently found the title and packaging inappropriate for the US market and chose to release the set with different art work under the clever title "Clover".  Featuring ten group-penned originals, musically the album offered up a decent mix of pub-rock, country-rock, and pop-flavored material.  The band was certainly gifted with more than their share of talent.   On the vocal front Alex Call and Huey Lewis provided a pair of strong singers, though the two had such different vocal styles, you were frequently left to wonder how they could co-exist in the same line-up.  Call had the smoother, pop and country oriented instrument and was featured on the majority of tracks. In contrast, Lewis had the gruffer, more blues and rock oriented voice (making it funny to think about his forthcoming pop successes).  Elsewhere, years of playing the club circuit gave the rest of the band a tight, take-no-prisoners sound with multi-instrumentalist John McFee seemingly taking every opportunity available to plug in a guitar, or pedal steel lick.   The big problem with the album was it lacked a true knock-out song and these guys couldn't figure out what they wanted to be - country-rockers, pub rockers, pop band, etc.   The end result was so diverse that nothing here really jumped out and stuck with you.  Nothing but my opinion, but perhaps because he wasn't showcased as much as Call, Lewis made the bigger impression, turning in most of the album highlights including the album's most commercial rocker 'The Storm' and the album's best pop tune - 'Fairweather Fan '.  Was it a great album ?  Nah, but it was still worth checking out.  

 

"Clover" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Love Love  (Alex Call - John McFee - John Ciambotti - Huey Lewis - Sean Hopper - Mickey Shine) - 3:55  rating: *** stars

Featuring Alex Call on lead vocals, 'Love Love' was the kind of country-rock tune a pub rock band would favor.   In this case it meant a Huey Lewis and the News styled pop tune that was cloaked in a bunch of country-rock touches, including John McFee's pedal steel guitar.   It got better when the group harmonies kicked in.

2.) Take Another Look  (H. Gregg - Alex Call - John McFee - John Ciambotti - Huey Lewis - Sean Hopper - Mickey Shine) - 3:20  rating: *** stars

Clover gets West Coast funky ...   not necessarily a good thing, though with Call and Huey Lewis sharing lead vocals, it was easy to see which of the two was the better singer.  I'll let you guess.   Interestingly, this one would have easily fit on a Huey Lewis LP.   Mercury tapped the track as a US promo single:

- 1977's 'Take Another Look' b/w 'Take Another Look' (Mercury catalog number 73935) 

3,) Streets of London  (M. Schriner - Alex Call - John McFee - John Ciambotti - Huey Lewis - Sean Hopper - Mickey Shine) - 4:31   rating: **** stars

Nice, autobiographical, we're-homesick lyric on what was one of their prettiest ballads.   The song also showcased the band's wonderful harmony vocals.  

4.) Lie Awake (and Dream of You)  (Alex Call - John McFee - John Ciambotti - Huey Lewis - Sean Hopper - Mickey Shine) - 4:20  rating: *** stars

Pretty, '50s tinged ballad.  Way too sappy for my tastes, though I could certainly appreciate their tight harmony vocals.  Can't say I appreciated McFee's pedal steel guitar as much.    

5.) The Storm  (Robert Lange - H. Gregg - Alex Call - John McFee - John Ciambotti - Huey Lewis - Sean Hopper - Mickey Shine) - 5:57   rating: **** stars

With Lewis featured on lead vocals and harmonica and showcasing John Ciambotti's rumbling bass, 'The Storm' was the album's most conventional rocker and another album highlight.    

 

(side 2)
1.) Child of the Streets   (
Alex Call - John McFee - John Ciambotti - Huey Lewis - Sean Hopper - Mickey Shine) - 3:42  rating: *** stars

Surprisingly jaunty country-rocker with a set of somewhat troubling lyrics.  YouTube has an interesting black and white clip of the band performing the tune at a December 1975 concert at San Francisco's Winterland:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwSqJ_PyJNs    

2.) Leavin' Is   (Alex Call - John McFee - John Ciambotti - Huey Lewis - Sean Hopper - Mickey Shine) - 4:05  rating: ** stars

Big, radio-friendly pop ballad that sounded cold and calculated to my ears.   

3.) Fairweather Fan      (Alex Call - John McFee - John Ciambotti - Huey Lewis - Sean Hopper - Mickey Shine) - 3:26   rating: **** stars

Another tune showcasing Lewis' voice and harmonica (Call handled alternative versus), 'Fairweather Fan' found the band returning to more straightforward pop sound with impressive results.  This was probably the tune that should have been tapped as the US single.

4.) Santa Fe     (Alex Call - John McFee - John Ciambotti - Huey Lewis - Sean Hopper - Mickey Shine) - 3:21  rating: *** stars

Straight-ahead country tune with some of the most depressing lyrics I've heard in a long time.  Nevertheless, I've always found thisone surprisingly enjoyable.  Here's another live track from their 1975 Winterland concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyhkKAcmDuo    

5.) Show Me Your Love (live)   (Alex Call - John McFee - John Ciambotti - Huey Lewis - Sean Hopper - Mickey Shine) - 2:58  rating: ** stars

'Show Me Your Love' ended the album with a strange country-jazz live tune ...   I know, country-jazz?  What the hell?  You'll just have to listen to the track.

 

In the UK, the album spun off two singles:

 

- 1977's ' Lie Awake' b/w 'Take Another Look' (Vertigo catalog number #6059 164)

- 1977's 'Love Love' b/w 'Leavin' Is' (Vertigo catalog number #6059 171) 

 

Clover's also another band with a high mortality rate.  

- Following surgery, Ciambotti died of an abdominal aneurysm in March, 2010.

- In February, 2012 Shine died in a one car accident.

 

Though it hasn't been updated in awhile, for anyone interested, Stephan Petersen has a nice Clover website at: http://www.clover-infopage.com/

 

 

 

 

BACK TO BADCAT FRONT PAGE

BACK TO BADCAT CATALOG PAGE

BACK TO BADCAT PAYMENT INFORMATION