Clark Datchler

Born March 27, 1964, in London, England, Clark Datchler cut a polished figure whose brief spell in the MTV spotlight came as frontman of the British group Johnny Hates Jazz, an act later enshrined in one-hit-wonder lore for the wistful single “Shattered Dreams” that surfaced in 1987. His father, Fred Datchler, earned his living as a jazz player with ensembles such as the Stargazers and the Polka Dots, and he voiced clear reservations about the name his son had given the band. Datchler assembled Johnny Hates Jazz in 1986 together with keyboardist Calvin Hayes and bassist Mike Nocito, having already issued a handful of solo singles beforehand. His expressive timbre and memorable hooks drove the trio’s first album, Turn Back the Clock, to multi-platinum standing in both the United Kingdom and America when it arrived in 1988. Critics derided the band’s tidy appearance and glossy, unadorned pop sound, yet many devotees of new wave uncovered unexpected substance inside the record; years afterward, online word of mouth transformed the LP into a sought-after bargain-bin discovery. In summer 1988 Datchler exited the group to restart his solo trajectory. His debut album under his own name, Raindance, reached stores in 1990 and closely mirrored the style of his earlier band work, yet it met with little commercial traction. He followed it with another full-length release, Fishing for Souls, in 1992.