Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

CHAD and JEREMY

UK vocal duo '60s: Chad Stuart (b 10 December 1943; d 20 December 2020, Hailey, ID), Michael Thomas Jeremy Clyde (b 22 March 1944), ex-public schoolboys, met at London's Central School of Speech and Drama; an actors' union strike forced them to look for singing work, and they were discovered by John Barry. Both played guitars and sang; Chad wrote lyrics and Jeremy wrote the music, also doubling on piano, sitar, tablas, banjo, flute. Their folk-based pop was more popular in USA than in the UK, where they failed to chart higher than no. 37. In USA 'Yesterday's Gone' was no. 21 '64 as anything British was of interest, but their 'soft rock' (like that of Peter and Gordon) was a natural for the West Coast scene of the period. USA top 40 hits '64-6 were helped by TV appearances on Hullabaloo, other shows: 'A Summer Song', 'Willow Weep For Me', 'If I Loved You', 'Before And After', 'I Don't Wanna Lose You Baby', 'Distant Shores'. Clyde took a break to appear in London musical The Passion Flower Hotel '66 and the national company of Black Comedy '67. As 'progressive rock' began, they tinkered with their formula and lost sales: Of Cabbages And Kings '67 included a five-movement concept 'Progress Suite' arranged by Stuart, inevitably paled in comparison with Beatles' Sgt Pepper; similarly portentous The Ark '68 followed; they split '69 in face of critical and public indifference.

Clyde is the grandson of the Duke of Wellington, and was a page at Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953. He returned to acting, joining the National Theatre, had a good role in Conduct Unbecoming in the West End; TV work included the title role in Sexton Blake '78. In 2012 he had a bit part in episode one of season two of Downton Abbey, and in late 2011- early 2012 he was playing Lord Halifax on the London stage in Three Days In May.  Stuart stayed in USA, sang with his wife Jill, was MC for Smothers Brothers' TV show, wrote musicals (two produced in California). The duo made a comeback LP '84 for US Rockshire label, which immediately went bankrupt; they worked together in London in Pump Boys And Dinettes.