Clem Curtis

Clem Curtis (born Curtis Clements; 28 November 1940 – 27 March 2017) was a Trinidadian British singer, who was the original lead vocalist of sixties soul group The Foundations.

Early life
Born in Trinidad as Curtis Clements, he arrived in England at the age of fifteen and later found employment as an interior decorator. He entered boxing and won most of his fights as a professional boxer. His mother was a popular singer in Trinidad and Curtis claims that this contributed to his ear for music.

As a teenager he experienced racism when he and two white friends were charged with theft. As it turned out, Curtis was the only one of the three that had a custodial sentence.

Curtis also took up wrestling and weightlifting for his hobbies.

Musical
Curtis later reformed a version of The Foundations. Over the years, Curtis fronted various line-ups of The Foundations, as well as appearing on his own as a solo artist. He recorded and released records on various record labels, including EMI, Opium, Pye Records, RCA Records, Riverdale, and others.

The Ramong Sound
Between 1966 and 1967 Curtis joined The Ramong Sound. He joined the group after hearing from his uncle that Ramong, Raymond Morrison, the lead singer of the group, was looking for backing singers. Curtis initially had very limited singing experience, only singing with his uncle when he came around the house with the guitar.

After the Ramong Sound lost their original lead singer, the band took on board Arthur Brown temporarily, and went through a few name changes before they became The Foundations Arthur Brown stated in an interview that in his time with the group, he enjoyed singing with Curtis. They both sang separately as well as doing some duets.

Decades later, Arthur Brown had a recollection of when he walked into the Westbourne Grove bar for an audition, he saw Curtis holding a spear to the throat of the drummer who was bent backwards over the bar.

At some stage, Rod Stewart had sat in with the band for a night but he had other plans.

During the time of the band's evolving from the Ramong Sound to The Foundations, Clem Curtis was tied up by a protection racket gang with someone holding a knife to his throat. As a result, they had to move out with all their belongings to the derelict Mini Cab office above the old premises. This is where they were discovered by Ron Fairway.

The Foundations

 * 1960s

The group emerged in early 1967 with Curtis as their lead singer. The Foundations would go on to have worldwide hits with "Baby Now That I've Found You" and "Build Me Up Buttercup". Curtis is the lead voice on their hits "Baby Now That I've Found You", "Back on My Feet Again", and "Any Old Time (You're Lonely and Sad)".

Curtis was the guest reviewer for the Blind Date Section of the October 28, 1967 issue of Melody Maker. He reviewed singles by Stevie Wonder, The Kinks, John Walker, Lee Dorsey, Madeline Hell, Chris Barber's Band, Brian Auger and the Trinity, Arthur Conley, The Creation, Mille Small and Astrud Gilberto.

After having found success with The Foundations, two hit singles and releasing two albums, some problems started with their songwriter producer Tony Macaulay as well within the group. Curtis felt that after their hit a couple of The Foundations members were taking things a little too easy thinking that they did not need to work so hard now that they had scored a hit. After being disillusioned with the band, he along with another member, Mike Elliott, left The Foundations in 1968 just after recording a version of "It's All Right", a song that they had been playing live for some time. He stuck around long enough to help the band audition a replacement. One of the singers auditioning was Warren Davis of the Warren Davis Monday Band. His replacement turned out to be Joey Young (Colin Young).

Curtis and his Foundations toured Australia in 1975. Unfortunately, the tour was marred with a trumped up assault charge which resulted in Curtis being taken off of a Jet by the New South Wales police, put into handcuffs and put into a police cell.
 * 1970s

In 1977 Clem Curtis and The Foundations nearly got into the Eurovision final with "Where Were You When I Needed Your Love", a John Macleod and Dave Meyers composition. They came third in the heats, and were picked as a favourite to win, but an electricians' strike ruined their chances, and "Rock Bottom" by Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran was the winner.

Curtis and Alan Warner worked on a project to re-cut the original Foundations hits. The result was the Greatest Hits CD album that was released on Double Play GRF176 in or around 1994. The recordings were produced and arranged by Keith Bateman and in addition to Warner on guitar and Curtis on lead vocals, the recordings featured Andy Bennett on Drums and Vince Cross on keyboards.

Solo career and other ventures
Curtis went on to pursue a solo career in the United States. This was probably helped along by the encouragement of his friend Sammy Davis Jr.
 * 1960s

According to the October 12, 1968 issue of Melody Maker, Curtis' first solo disc was to be "Just for Tonight" which was a Tony Macaulay composition. He was also rehearsing his backing group in preparation for a some one-nighters in about a fortnight time.

In 1969 he was signed to Cowsills Productions and had a debut single with "Marie Take a Chance". The single was reviewed in the January 18, 1969 issue of New Musical Express. A Tony Macaulay and John Macleod composition, it was arranged by Des Champ. Reviewer Derek Johnson said that it was "a busy, bouncy extremely exhilarating number" and that it sounded that Clem was back with his former group. He said that he wasn't sure if the song was strong enough.

After some well-received club appearances and hanging out with artists such as Wilson Pickett, and staying with The Cowsills, he did not receive enough work and decided to return to England in the early 1970s. He did some work with Donnie Elbert and Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon.
 * 1970s

Curtis recorded "I've Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)". Backed with "Point of No Return" it was released on Pye 45150. It was reviewed by Peter Jones in the June 24, 1972 issue of Record Mirror. Jones said that it had a good off-beat that would lead to hand clapping and foot stomping. He couldn't elaborate on the lazy feeling of the song but said that it was a good production and that Clem had the feel and that it was a chart chance.

He recorded "I Don't Care What People Say" bw "Shame On You" which was released on EMI EMI 2159 in May 1974. Both sides were composed by Biddu and Lee Vanderbilt. It was reviewed by Peter Jones in the May 25 issue of Record Mirror. Jones said that the Biddu production was good and noted the gently building performance but said that it was a hard one to assess and that it wasn't a strong enough song, almost but not quite.

In 1979, he recorded his version of "Unchained Melody" which was released in both 7" format (RCA PB 5175) and 12" format (RCA PC 5175). It was to be available from July 16. His disco version of the song spent three weeks in the Record Mirror UK Disco Chart, peaking at no. 75.

Curtis had a part as a member of the congregation in the Anton Philips production of the James Baldwin play, The Amen Corner which ran in March 1987 at the Lyric Theater in London.
 * 1980s

In the late 1980s, Curtis joined the line-up of "The Corporation", also referred to as "the Traveling Wrinklies", which was a parody of sorts of the popular Traveling Wilburys. The Traveling Wrinklies were composed of Curtis, Mike Pender, Brian Poole, Tony Crane, and Reg Presley, former lead singer of The Troggs. They released a single "Ain't Nothing But A House Party" on the Corporation label in 1988.


 * 1990s - 2000s

Curtis appeared on stage as the Lion in The Wiz at the Lyric Hammersmith. His performance was singled out by a critic for The Guardian who said it was "fiercely comic and touching". He has also appeared on TV chat shows, the British reality television series Airport, and had a bit part in the ITV series The Bill.

In 2004 Curtis toured the UK as part of a soul package tour with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds. At the end of a show he was invited back on stage by Jimmy James who said "I don't like him and he don't like me but that's all right. Here's Clem Curtis." They then did "Love Train" together.

With Newham Mag referring to Curtis as the Godfather of English Soul, Clem Curtis & the Foundations along with Hot Chocolate were appearing at the Under The Stars Festival on Saturday night, 15 August 2015.

Curtis recorded and performed until near the end of his life; he was regularly seen as part of the "soul explosion" night with former Flirtations singer Earnestine Pearce and Jimmy James at resorts such as Butlins and Warner Leisure Hotels in the United Kingdom. He also appeared on cruises such as the cruise ship "Azura", which docked in Southampton.

Outside of music Curtis had established a side occupation for himself, dealing in antiques.

Personal life and death
He was the father of seven children, six sons and a daughter from previous relationships. Curtis died on 27 March 2017 at the age of 76, after a short battle with cancer.

Curtis has been referred to on various occasions, informally as "The Godfather of English Soul".

His brother is Hot Chocolate percussionist and backing singer Derek Lewis. Lewis was also a member of Clem Curtis & The Foundations.

7" single

 * "Ain't Nothing But a House Party" / "Ain't Nothing But a House Party" (1988)

12" single

 * "Ain't Nothing But a House Party" (1988)