REMEMBERING CHAD STUART–After a musician leaves this mortal coil, the power of their music goes on giving and living. With that, I celebrate the life and music of Chad Stuart, who passed away last weekend. He’s best known from the British pop-folk duo Chad & Jeremy (Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde), the charming harmonizers who rode into the USA on The British Invasion with their 1964 Top Ten hit, “A Summer Song.” Their success grew on a string of high profile television appearances (including Batman) and elegant records that fused Brit-pop with goth-folk. Both were gifted songwriters, and Chad was an outstanding fingerstyle guitarist who should be feted next to guitar legends John Fahey, Bert Jansch, and John Renbourn.
After a few years of charting singles and LPs, Chad & Jeremy made their soundtrack for the 1967 “Summer of Love” with OF CABBAGES & KINGS, a literate album of songs informed by psychedelia and British satire. That was followed by their production marvel, THE ARK, a magnum opus that drifted in the seas as Chad & Jeremy dissolved in 1968. Great albums are like campfires, drawing those who seek heat, comfort, and sustenance. In my circle, THE ARK was one such record, bringing joy and edification to a cadre of close friends.
Outside of the duo, Chad made records as Chad & Jill Stuart (his then-wife) and became a musical director for the Smothers Brothers TV show as well as a staff producer for A&M Records. He periodically reunited with Jeremy for recordings and tours (including acting in a West End musical).
In May 2010 I was working in Pittsburgh PA with Davy Jones (The Monkees), doing a 2-day filming for a PBS-TV special with Chad & Jeremy, Jackie DeShannon, Gary Lewis, Roger McGuinn, The Miracles, Paul Revere & the Raiders, and others. Of all the tales I could tell from that gig, a highlight was breakfasting with Chad (Jeremy was at the table but had to leave early). This was my big opportunity to tell Chad how much THE ARK meant to me, and he regaled me with stories about that period and updated me on how he and Jeremy reappraised it all. Before we left I told him he should be lionized as a “guitar hero,” to which he modestly chuckled. Today I’m extremely glad I had this chance to tell him how much his music reached me.
To pay tribute, I chose this Drop-D guitar showcase, “Pantheistic Study For Guitar & Large Bird.” Chad recorded this while his newborn son, James Patrick Stuart, was close by. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRmO4NvPshw
James is a successful actor-musician who recently released, THE APPLE TREE, an album dedicated to his father (I highly recommend it).
Like your song, “Rest in Peace” Chad.
#chadstuart #chadandjeremy #britishinvasion #folk #pop #Britpop #gothfolk #fingerstyleguitar #guitar #acousticguitar #johnfahey #bertjansch #johnrenbourn #psychedelic #summeroflove #60srock #cabbages #kings #theark #garyusher #jamespatrickstuart #appletree
singeratlarge
