Chad and Jeremy

Chad and Jeremy, folky English duo that rode the British invasion to hitsville. membership:Chad Stuart, voc, gtr. (b. Durham, England, Dec. 10, 1943); Jeremy Clyde, voc., gtr. (b. Buckinghamshire, England, March 22, 1944). Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde met while studying at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama. They had a mutual interest in folk music and started playing together just as the Beatles were scoring their first hits. Never a huge act, Chad and Jeremy had only one hit in England. However, they managed to ride the coattails of Beatlemania to score seven Top 40 American singles, making the Mersey sound even safer for mainstream pop ears. Following on the heels of the Nov. 21, 1964 debut “Yesterdays Gone,” their career peaked later that year with the #7 “Summer Song,” still a fixture on oldies radio, especially during the hot months. With its acoustic guitars and subdued two-part harmony, it appealed strongly to middle-of-the-road pop fans.

During 1964-66, Chad and Jeremy appeared on American TV regularly, guesting on shows ranging from the music show Hullabaloo to the campy 1960s TV series Batman. As they recorded more, their music became more ambitious, like the concept albums Of Cabbages and Kings and The Ark. These albums sold poorly, however, and failed to produce hits, so they broke up to pursue other interests in 1967.

Clyde became an actor noted for his appearances on the British stage and the 1960s TV show Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. Stuart started writing musicals, worked as a producer for A&M Records, was the musical director for the Smothers Brothers TV show, and did some acting as well. During the mid-1980s, they were reunited when they happened to star together in a London run of the play Pump Boys and Dinettes. They recorded a comeback album and hit the oldies circuit, where they still pop up from time to time.

Discography

British Folk Artist Concert (live; 1964); Yesterday’s Gone (1964); Before & After (1965); Chad & Jeremy Sing for You (1965); I Don’t Want to Lose You Baby (1965); Distant Shores (1966); More (1966); Of Cabbages & Kings (1967); The Ark (1968); Three in the Attic (1969); Chad Stuart & Jeremy Clyde (1983).

—Hank Bordowitz