Clover
Formed in Mill Valley, California when bassist Johnny Ciambotti joined John McFee (b. 18 November 1953, Santa Cruz, California, USA; guitar/pedal steel guitar/vocals), Alex Call (guitar/vocals) and Mitch Howie (drums) in the Tiny Hearing Aid Company. Having decided on a less-cumbersome name, the quartet made its debut as Clover in July 1967 and soon became a popular attraction in the region's thriving dancehalls. CLOVER consolidated their reputation as a feisty bar-band, although a primitive production undermined its charm. FORTY-NINER was a marked improvement, but although its informality was both varied and infectious, the group was unable to break out of its now stifling good-time niche. The band were featured in an early Levis television advertisement singing Route 66. A dispirited Howie left the line-up which was then bolstered by the addition of Huey (Louis) Lewis (vocals/harmonica), Sean Hopper (keyboards/vocals) and Mickey Shine (drums) but fortunes remained unchanged until 1976 when the group came to the UK at the urging of Nick Lowe. Clover quickly became a popular attraction in their adopted homeland, during which time they accompanied Elvis Costello on MY AIM IS TRUE. However, despite completing two promising albums, Clover were unable to make a significant breakthrough and returned to the USA in 1978 where they folded. McFee subsequently joined the Doobie Brothers while Lewis and Hooper eventually achieved considerable commercial success as Huey Lewis And The News.