Clive Parker (born 1960) also known as Clive Parker-Sharp, is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

, active in the

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

and new wave genres. He was a member of the bands

The Members The Members are a British punk band that originated in Camberley, Surrey, England. In the UK, they are best known for their single "The Sound of the Suburbs", reaching No. 12 in 1979, and in Australia, "Radio" which reached No. 5 in 1982. Car ...

Spizzenergi Spizzenergi are an English punk/ new wave band led by vocalist/guitarist Spizz (real name Kenneth Spiers, born Solihull 1959). Formed in the late 1970s, the band changed its name every year, subsequent names including Athletico Spizz 80, Spizz ...

/Athletico Spizz 80,

Big Country Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although it has retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music incorporated Scott ...

, and

Scary Thieves Scary Thieves were a short-lived English 1980s new wave band, best known for the hits "Tell Me Girl" and "The Waiting Game". Both songs are included on the ''Hardest Hits'' compilations, which focus on obscure new wave/synth bands that have lit ...

. He went on to play with John Moore (Jesus and Mary Chain.) in The Expressway. Parker had his own bands The Planets, Lopez & the Waveriders, Kingfishers Catch Fire, Holy Trinity, Barra (Sony-ATV/English Garden Records), and electronic guitar duo Marshall Star. He went on to production and management, forming his own small record label (Furry Records UK) In 1992, Parker had a minor dance hit with UK soul singer, Kasie Sharp, co-writing as part of the pop dance production team One Horse Man, who were also released by

Arcade Records Arcade Records was a British record company specialised in multi-artist compilation albums (often in the mid-price or budget price ranges), founded in 1972. In the 1970s, it found itself in direct competition with K-tel and other compilation la ...

in Europe.

Personal background

Parker was born in

Windlesham Windlesham is a village in the Surrey Heath borough of Surrey, England, approximately south west of central London. Its name derives from the Windle Brook, which runs south of the village into Chobham, and the common suffix 'ham', the Old Engli ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

. He lives in

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...

. He is now also a writer & published author, and plays guitar and keyboards.

Professional background

From the age of nine, Parker played in local show bands and

working men's club Working men's clubs are British private social clubs first created in the 19th century in industrial areas, particularly the North of England, Midlands, Scotland and South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class me ...

's (Frimley Green;Camberley). He also joined punk rock groups in

Camberley Camberley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately south-west of Central London. The town is in the far west of the county, close to the borders of Hampshire and Berkshire. Once part of Windsor Forest, Cambe ...

, the Home Counties, and West London circuits, often as an

opening act A opening act, also known as a warm-up act, support act, or supporting act, is an entertainment act (musical, comedic, or otherwise), that performs at a concert before the featured act, or "headliner". Rarely, an opening act may perform again a ...

to groups like

, Eddie and the Hot Rods, and others who performed at The Moonlight Club in Hampstead, and Nashville Rooms in West Kensington. Parker plays with a traditional and matched grip, later double-bass drums, heavily influenced by

Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 19467 September 1978) was an English drummer for the rock band the Who. He was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour and addiction to drugs and alcohol. Moon grew ...

and

John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove,J ...

, style non-strict and sometimes experimental or chaotic. In 1979, Parker joined Spizzenergi, after auditioning at a small rehearsal room in arches at Waterloo, London. Spizzenergi was a late 1970s punk rock/new wave band that changed its name several times during its existence. Alternative names including Spizzoil and Athletico Spizz 80. In 1980, as Athletico Spizz 80, Parker played on the album, ''Do a Runner'', which spent five weeks on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

, peaking at number 27. The album was recorded and mixed at Berry Street studios in London over the spring bank holiday weekend, and featured Jim Solar, Mark Coalfield, and Dave Scott in the line up. In 1980, the group appeared at the

Futurama Festival Futurama Festival was an annual post-punk and gothic rock festival held at venues in Leeds, Stafford and Queensferry between 1979 and 1983. A sixth edition was held in 1989. It aimed for a relaunch in 2021 but, after being postponed, was forced ...

, along with Gary Glitter and

Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after attend ...

. The festival, which was recorded for the film ''

Urgh! A Music War ''Urgh! A Music War'' is a 1982 British concert film featuring performances by punk rock, new wave, and post-punk bands and artists. Filmed in August to September 1980 it was directed by Derek Burbidge and produced by Michael White and Lynd ...

'', took place at Leeds Queens Hall.

Tours

In 1980, after signing with

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

, the band toured the United States with

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Books * ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: T ...

. During the tour, and with Solar, Spizz and

Lu Edmonds Robert David "Lu" Edmonds (born 9 September 1957) is an English rock and folk musician. He is currently, as of 2018, a vocalist and saz and cümbüş player in the Mekons and the lead guitarist for Public Image Limited. Edmonds reportedly p ...

from The Damned as the line up, they played the

Palladium Palladium is a chemical element with the symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself na ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

as support band to

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...

. ;Spizz Parker toured with Spizz, extensively in Europe and the United States, in support of

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

The Only Ones The Only Ones were an English rock band formed in London in 1976, whose original band members are Peter Perrett, Alan Mair, John Perry and Mike Kellie, they first disbanded in 1982. They were associated with punk rock, yet straddled the mus ...

, and the

Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...

. Support bands for Spizz tours included

Tenpole Tudor Tenpole Tudor are an English punk band fronted by Edward Tudor-Pole. The band first came to prominence when Tudor-Pole appeared in the Sex Pistols' film ''The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle'' and on three of the singles released from the soundtr ...

Altered Images Altered Images are a Scottish new wave/post-punk band who found success in the early 1980s. Fronted by singer Clare Grogan, the group branched into mainstream pop music, having six UK top-40 hit singles and three top-30 albums from 1981 to 1 ...

, Department S, and The Mo-dettes. The band played a week of sold-out shows at London's

Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed whe ...

, with a matinee for younger fans. ;Big Country Parker toured with

, playing at the Dunfermline Glen Pavilion (first ever BC gig), and dates with

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

Armed Forces tour. ;Scary Thieves Parker toured the UK with

and

Nik Kershaw Nicholas David Kershaw (born 1 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Kershaw came to prominence in 1984 as a solo artist. He released eight singles that entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during the ...

. ;John Moore Parker toured the UK with John Moore and

Pop Will Eat Itself Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a grebo act, they changed style to incorp ...

Crazyhead Crazyhead are an English garage punk band from Leicester, England. Though lumped in with the largely media-created grebo scene, they were more influenced by the garage rock of the late 1960s, as well as bands like The Ramones, The Stooges and ...

, and

Living Colour Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. The band currently consists of guitarist Vernon Reid, lead vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish (who replaced Muzz Skillings in 1992). S ...

. Dates in the United States, in addition to solo appearances, included performances with My Bloody Valentine. ;Kingfishers Catch Fire Kingfishers Catch Fire played support to

Deacon Blue Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop rock band formed in Glasgow during 1985. The line-up of the band consists of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond. The band released their debut album ...

, and toured the UK college circuit after a favourable showing in ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'', by writer Helen Fitzgerald.

Literary

*''The Box''. - an historical biographical novel was released by Strand Publishing in 2012. *''ConeBoy''. - A semi-autobiographical novel released October 2018 by Box Productions. ; 'Sex Drugs & Music-Hall' 2013–2014; Parker toured his show, ‘Sex Drugs & Music-Hall‘, the adaptation of his book ‘The Box’ which took a skewed view of UK cultural populist history; Bingo, and Music-Hall, using spoken-word, drama, and music, with Parker playing guitar, keyboards, and wood-blocks. This was played in unusual venues, such as Museums, Libraries, Almshouses, and some Theatres. ; 'ConeBoy' 2020 on: Parker tours his ConeBoy show; musical, dramatic and spoken-word adaptations of the ConeBoy novel.

British Library

*''Do A Runner''. - The Athletico Spizz 80 album is now housed in the British Library, as a reference tool.

Films

*''

''. Two songs from Athletico Spizz 80. *''Unbidden'' 2016 – Director; Quentin Lee. Marshall Star contribute music to this release. *''

My Name Is Lenny ''My Name Is Lenny'' is a 2017 British drama film directed by Ron Scalpello, and written by Martin Askew and Paul Van Carter. The film stars Josh Helman, Chanel Cresswell, Michael Bisping and John Hurt in his penultimate film role. It tells the st ...

''. 2017 - Director; Ron Scalpello. The British Sports drama movie features the Athletico Spizz 80 track 'Red & Black' (writer 'Spizz'), along with a Marshall Star song 'The Narcissist', (Parker).

Discography

Singles

;Spizz * Athletico Spizz 80: June 1980 "No Room" "Spock's Missing" Rough Trade * Athletico Spizz 80: July 1980 "Hot Deserts" "Legal Proceedings" A&M * Athletico Spizz 80: October 1980 "Central Park" "Central Park" (Dr. & Nurses dub version) A&M * The Spizzles: February 1981 "Risk" "Melancholy" A&M * The Spizzles: April 1981 "Dangers of Living" "Scared" A&M Athletico Spizz 80, BBC John Peel session 30 April 1980 Athletico Spizz 80, BBC Mike Read session 2 October 1980 ;Scary Thieves * "Tell Me Girl" (3:48)/"Only Fascination" (3:45) (7" Parlophone, 1984) * "Tell Me Girl" (6:37)/"Tell Me Girl" (3:48)/"Only Fascination" (3:45) (12" Parlophone, 1984) * "Dying In Vain" (3:11)/"Behind The Lines" (4:00) (7" Parlophone, 1985) * "Dying In Vain" (Extended Version)/"Dying In Vain" (Remix)/"Behind The Lines" (12" Parlophone, 1985) * "The Waiting Game" (Extended Version) (6:19)/"The Waiting Game" (Radio Version) (4:13)/"Live In Another Day" (2:55) (12" Parlophone, 1985) – first pressing with limited edition poster * "Tell Me Girl" (Extended Version) (6:29)/"Tell Me Girl" (Radio Version) (3:54)/"Only Fascination" (3:45) (12" More Disco, 1994) ;Kingfishers Catch Fire * "Radio Kampala"/"Bella"/"Battle Scars", 12" vinyl EP, 1986 Furry/Rough Trade * "Blushing Red"/"Never Never", vinyl limited edition double A-side, 1987 Furry/Rough Trade ;Kasie Sharp * "Pulling the Strings" (mixes by Stonebridge, Sharp Boys, Kamasutra), Undiscovered, 1996 ;One Horse Man * "Fuego"/"Bamba Generation", double A-side 12" vinyl, Royal/Arcade ;Marshall Star * "Get On"/"Heaven Help Me", 2000, Furry, promo CD and download only * "Any Second Now"/"Dream On", double A-side vinyl, Furry, 2003

Albums

;Spizz * ''Do a Runner'' (as Athletico Spizz 80) (July 1980: A&M) * ''Spikey Dream Flowers'' (as The Spizzles) (April 1981: A&M) * ''Do a Runner'' (as Athletico Spizz 80) (February 2014; Furry Records UK) – Touched, New Species, Intimate, Effortless, European Heroes, Energy Crisis, Red and Black, Rhythm Inside, Personimpersonator, Clocks are Big, Airships, Brainwashing Time, Five Year Mission, Dangers of Living, Robot Holiday, Soldier Soldier, Downtown, Risk, Central Park, Melancholy, Scared ;Big Country * '' 'Rarities IV' TRA1037'' (October 2003) – Lost Patrol, The Crossing, Echoes, Wake * '' 'And... in the Beginning', KCF116'' (December 2012) – Lost Patrol 4:20, Wake 4:18, The Crossing 4:21, Echoes 3:20, BBC Radio Interview 0:42, Echoes 6:23, Inwards 3:56, Lost Patrol 5:58, Balcony 5:13, Round & Round 6:16, Close Action 3:20, Porrohman 5:21, The Crossing 7:18, Heart & Soul 4:53, Harvest Home 3:57, Angle Park 4:14 ;Scary Thieves * Scary Thieves – FURRY RECORDS April 2015 catalogue No. KCF118 – Inside the Night (3:46)/ Game of Love (4:19)/ Tell Me Girl (3:57)/ The Waiting Game (4:27)/ Halloween (3:08)/ Live In Another Day (2:55)/ Dying In Vain (3:17)/ Fascination (3:45)/ Somebody Somewhere (3:54)/ Thieves of Virtue (5:19)/ Behind the Lines (4:09)/ Dying in Vain (Single Edit) (3:25)/ The Waiting Game (Extended) (6:15)/ Dying in Vain (Extended) (5:80)/ Tell me Girl (Extended) (6:35)/ Dying in Vain (Remix) (5:08) ;Barra * Eternal Magus – English Garden/Hi-Note Music, (Sony-ATV) 2002 – Eternal Magus, Gifts for Violet, Gnosis, Green Man, Journey, Palestine, Seafever, Universe, Battlescars, Badda, Never Never, Silverman, Blushing Red, Power of Three, Seafever ersion 2 ;Marshall Star * Uncontrollable – Furry KCF 114, 2004; Everybody, Fallen Angel, Wish I, My Love, Never met a Man, Love is All, Dream On, Will you (turn it up), Superstar, Sweet Sensation, Never Mind * Cosmos – Furry KCF 115, 2008; Goodbye Truly, Hopes & Aspirations, Indiana, The Pleasure Seekers, A promise for Tomorrow, The Visionary, Slipped Away, Keep it Up, Seagull, The Dotted Line, My Last Goodbye, Take Me ;ConeBoy 15 track Soundtrack album to ConeBoy shows released 2020, FURRY RECORDS UK, CAT No. KCF119. track listing - 1) THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME 2) FLAME HAIR GIRL 3) DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN 4) IT'S CHRISTMAS - RING THE BELLS 5) HOME 6) SEND DELETE 7) SOMETHING HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY 8) HELLS ANGEL 9) SHE IS FROM THE CITY 10) ONE IN A MILLION 11) DAYS OF WONDER 12) NOT TO FUNNY NOW 13) THE NARCISSIST 14) LOVE IS ALL 15) DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN - REPRISE

Compilation albums

;Spizz * ''Spizz History'' (November 1983: Rough Trade) * ''The Peel Sessions'' (February 1987: Strange Fruit) * ''Unhinged'' (March 1994: Damaged Goods) * ''Spizz Not Dead Shock: A Decade of Spizz History 1978 – '88'' (May 1996: Cherry Red) * ''Where's Captain Kirk'' (May 2002: Cherry Red) * ''Urgh! A Music War'' (October 1989: A&M Records) * ''Various – New Wave Soft Class-X 1'' (AS5085: Antler Subway) * ''Ausweis – Ausweis'' – Red And Black (Spizzenergi) (Paris – Théâtre De L'Eldorado Concert WW – 30/03/84) (No.13: V.I.S.A) * ''Various – Checkout'' – SpizzEnergi / Athletico Spizz 80 – (Rough Trade – RTL-11) * ''Various – Foreplay'' – Athletico Spizz 80 – (A&M Records – SP-17128) * ''Various – London Heat Wave'' – Athletico Spizz 80 – (A&M Records – AMP-28008) * ''To The Outside Everything – A Story of UK Post Punk-1'' – 1977-1981 – (Cherry Red – CRCDBOX44) * ''Various – Scheisst Auf Cover-Versionen - Hier Sind Die Originale!'' - Raketen-Tapes – Nr.2) * ''Various – Ροκ! Μουσικός Πόλεμος'' - Home Video Hellas - 1982) * ''Various – BBC Top Of The Pops - 823'' - 13 August 1980/147085 S & 147086 S) * ''Different Kinds of Dub'' - (Get Baque Records GBR 047) * ''Earthling – Radar'' - (Cooltempo – 7243 8 33382 4 5) * ''1980 - Brand New Rage'' (Cherry Red 2022, cat no. AHOYBX387) 3 x CD release, compilation ;Scary Thieves; * December 84 – Previews (1984) – ''Tell Me Girl'' 12" * Hardest Hits Volume One (1991) – ''The Waiting Game'' 12" * Hardest Hits Volume Two (1992) – ''Tell Me Girl'' 12" * Techno Pop 2 (Contraseña 1998) – ''Tell Me Girl'' 12" * Deejay Time Colour (EMI – 2605951) – ''Tell Me Girl'' 12" ;Kasie Sharp * Full On House, 1997 (DCI – DCBX 104), (featuring mixes by

Fat Boy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist f ...

) * Masters of House (DCI – DDCD 613), 1997