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.^[1]

Curtis also took up wrestling and weightlifting for his hobbies.^[2]

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.^[3]

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^[4] 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.^[5]

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.^[6]

At some stage, Rod Stewart had sat in with the band for a night but he had other plans.^[7]

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.^[8][9]

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.^[10]

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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^[11] He stuck around long enough to help the band audition a replacement.^[12] One of the singers auditioning was Warren Davis of the Warren Davis Monday Band. His replacement turned out to be Joey Young (Colin Young).^[13]

1970s

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.^[14]

In 1977 Clem Curtis and The Foundations nearly got into the Eurovision final with "Where Were You When I Needed Your Love",^[15] a John Macleod and Dave Meyers composition.^[16] 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.^[17]

Curtis and Alan Warner worked on a project to re-cut the original Foundations hits.^[18] 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.^[19][20]

With The Foundations

With The Corporation

Solo