Midwest Rock-Clocks

I grew up hearing that rock bands don’t come from around here. A band that made that philosophy a tad untrue was Clocks, from Wichita, Kansas, which was fairly close to “here” — Joplin, Missouri. The band consisted of Jerry Sumner (lead vocals/bass guitar), Lance Threet (lead guitar), Gerald Graves (keyboards), and Steve Swaim (drums/harmony vocals). When they played in the Joplin area, it was usually at a large dance venue just across the state line in Galena, Kansas, called Sgt. Pepper’s, where 18-to-20-year-olds could legally purchase 3.2 beer.

Clocks had stage presence — the kind that made listeners think, “What’s this concert act doing in here?” Lead singer Jerry Sumner was tall, wore sharkskin suits, played a commanding bass, and had a powerful voice that was both melodic and strong. Keyboardist Gerald Graves, who often wore a doctor’s lab coat, added a comedic element, but his musicianship convinced any doubters he was the real deal. Towering guitarist Lance Threet played ear-catching riff after ear-catching riff with a defining humbucker/Marshall-stack sound. Chief songwriter and drummer Steve Swaim played big rock drums with no wasted licks in his arsenal and also sang pitch-perfect harmonies.

They had originals that left you asking, “Who wrote that last one? They did? Cool!” And when they played a cover, it carried a distinct Clocks stamp. I remember finally hearing "White Punks on Dope," by The Tubes after first hearing Clocks perform it and being a little underwhelmed. "When I Was Young," by The Animals was another standout. For an aspiring guitarist and songwriter, Clocks was one of those bands that showed me how it was done. And despite all this professionalism, there was something self-effacing and likable about their onstage banter and crowd work.

They reached No. 69 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the summer of 1982 with their debut CBS Records/Boulevard Records release. Their video for She Looks a Lot Like You received airplay on MTV. They toured with Rick Springfield and Cheap Trick, among others. The band disbanded in 1984, with Sumner joining the Wichita band Dogs? and Graves later playing with a country band out of Wichita. Clocks reunited in 2004 and recorded The Black Box, which included re-recorded songs from the original album as well as new studio versions of originals that previously had only been heard live. They were inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2012.

From a live show at Sgt. Pepper's, 1984.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPWxc66tosA

Interview with Clocks' guitarist Lance Threet from 2014 by Casey Chambers:

https://www.thecollegecrowddigsme.com/2014/05/interview-lance-threet-clocks.html