He was born Delecta Clark in Blytheville, Arkansas, and moved to Chicago in 1941. His mother, Essie Mae Clark, was a gospel singer and encouraged her son to pursue his love of music. Clark made his first recording in 1952 as a member of the Hambone Kids, who enjoyed some success with a recording of "Hambone" on the OKeh label. In 1953, he joined an R&B group called the Goldentones, who later became the Kool Gents and were discovered by Chicago radio DJ Herb Kent upon winning a talent competition. Kent had the Kool Gents signed to Vee-Jay label's subsidiary Falcon/Abner. The group recorded for Falcon/Abner in 1956, and also recorded a novelty record as "The Delegates".
Clark embarked on a solo career in 1957, initially following the styles of Clyde McPhatter and Little Richard. When Little Richard temporarily abandoned his music career to study the Bible, Clark fulfilled Richard's remaining live dates and also recorded with his backing band, the Upsetters. Over the next four years he landed several moderate hits, two of which ("Just Keep It Up" and "Hey Little Girl") reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100). His records for Abner and Vee-Jay were orchestrated by Riley Hampton. His biggest single, "Raindrops," a power ballad augmented by heavy rain and thunder sound effects and Clark's swooping falsetto, was released in the spring of 1961 and became his biggest hit, soaring to number two on the pop chart and number three on the R&B charts. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. "Raindrops" was also an international success, reaching number one in New Zealand and reaching the top ten in South Africa and Belgium, and selling well in Japan. "Raindrops" remains a staple on oldies and adult standards radio station playlists to this day, and has also been covered by several other artists in the years since, including David Cassidy, Tony Orlando and Dawn, and most notably Narvel Felts, who took the song to number 30 on the country chart in 1974. Clark himself recorded an updated version of "Raindrops" in 1973.
However, Clark's biggest hit was also his last. The follow-up to "Raindrops," "Don't Walk Away From Me," was a flop, and he made the pop charts in America only twice more, with "I'm Going Back to School" (1962) and "Crossfire Time" (1963). By the time "Crossfire Time" came out, Clark had moved from Vee-Jay to the Constellation label. Though he continued to record for Constellation through 1966, none of his records charted nationally. He had considerable local success in Chicago with such standout recordings as "Come Closer" (1964), the double-sided hit of "Warm Summer Breezes" and "Heartbreak" (1964), and "TCB" (1965). He later recorded for the Columbia, Wand, Liberty and Rocky labels, without success. Clark had a brief revival in 1975 when his song "Ride a Wild Horse" became a surprise Top 30 hit in the UK Singles Chart, becoming his first chart hit in the UK since "Just Keep It Up."
Afterwards, Clark performed mostly on the oldies circuit. By the late 1980s, he was in dire straits financially, living in a welfare hotel in Toccoa, Georgia. Despite suffering a stroke in 1987 that left him partially paralyzed and with a mild speech impediment, he continued to perform until his death on December 7, 1990, in Smyrna, Georgia, from a heart attack at the age of 52. His last concert was with the Jimmy Gilstrap Band at the Portman Lounge in Anderson, South Carolina.
In My Apartment
Dee Clark Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ni sitter vid det där Ventrilo och spelar dota.
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
(I hear you man)
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
(I feel you man)
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
å pushar på å smeker,
Med motståndet vi leker
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
å springer runt å creepar,
Och motståndet vi sleepar
(Let′s get it on!)
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
å pushar på å smeker,
Med motståndet vi leker
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
å springer runt å creepar,
Och motståndet vi sleepar
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
å pushar på å smeker,
Med motståndet vi leker
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
å springer runt å creepar,
Och motståndet vi sleepar
(Have one on the house)
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
(I hear you man)
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
(I feel you man)
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
(That's more like it)
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
(Excellent choice)
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
å pushar på å smeker,
Med motståndet vi leker
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
å springer runt å creepar,
Och motståndet vi sleepar
(Let′s get it on!)
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
å pushar på å smeker,
Med motståndet vi leker
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
å springer runt å creepar,
Och motståndet vi sleepar
The lyrics to Dee Clark's "In My Apartment" describe a group of people who spend their days sitting in front of their computers, playing the popular video game Dota. The song portrays the addictive nature of the game and the sense of camaraderie among the players. The line "Vi siter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA" (translated as "We're sitting here in the vent and playing Dota") is repeated multiple times throughout the song, emphasizing the central theme. The lyrics also mention the players "pushing on" and "stroking" as they engage with the opposing team, highlighting the competitive nature and the satisfaction of defeating their opponents.
Overall, the song reflects the intense dedication and enjoyment of playing Dota with friends. It captures the energy and excitement of being immersed in a video game, forming connections with fellow players, and the thrill of victory.
Line by Line Meaning
Det är det enda ni gör på dagarna,
Playing DOTA is the only thing you do all day.
Ni sitter vid det där Ventrilo och spelar dota.
You sit in the Ventrilo voice chat and play DOTA.
Vi sitter här i venten och spelar lite DOTA
We are sitting here in the voice chat and playing some DOTA.
(I hear you man)
(I understand and empathize, my friend.)
(I feel you man)
(I completely relate to what you're saying, my friend.)
å pushar på å smeker,
We continue to aggressively attack and dominate our opponents,
Med motståndet vi leker
While we play around with the resistance they try to put up.
å springer runt å creepar,
We move around and kill the weak computer-controlled units,
Och motståndet vi sleepar
And we put the opposing players to sleep with our skills.
(Let's get it on!)
(Let's keep playing and giving our all!)
(Have one on the house)
(Here's a drink on the house for you.)
(That's more like it)
(Now that's what I'm talking about!)
(Excellent choice)
(You made a great decision!)
Writer(s): Barksdale, Strong, Mcgill, Geaves
Contributed by Jordan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sm_ile9
SUPER morceau... j'en ai des frissons... :D Souvent quand j'aime un tune... c'est que le rythme pour le danser est assez entrainant pour en faire une belle chorégraphie... :) En plus j'adore les voix fortes comme ça... Continue à nous faire partager tes SUPER's morceaux... Et encore merci... :) Mario
alphonso ROLANDO
Il n'y a pas de mot pour définir cette PURE MERVEILLE !!!
chantal DECUYPER
Superbe !
ALAIN DEWAELE
superbe postes mon ami mais comme tjrs te remercie bcp
themightydells
Writer (s) Larry Graves, Michael 'Mickey' McGill,
Barrett Strong, Charles Barksdale