Frankie Clarke

In 1989, Frankie partnered with Mike Mead, who took over lead vocal duties.  That partnership resulted in an album release in 1990, entitled "Stripped To the Bone".  In 1996, the group released a second album, "Generation Why".  By the late 90's, Frankie and the Actions had morphed into an over-the-top bar band, bringing their long-haired stage antics, walls of Marshalls and army of fans to bars all over the Mid-East Region.  Ironically, this brought  them national attention, and they were soon known as "The Best Bar Band In America".  Frankie and the Actions enjoyed a long career as a popular attraction, and still plays occasional reunion shows to sold-out crowds.  As FATAL (Frankie And the Actions Live) wound down in 2015, Frankie formed  'Last Remains', playing smaller bars, and focusing on the music he grew up playing in the 1970's.  During the 70's, one of Frankie's favorite local bands was D.C. Star, and Last Remains featured the legendary drummer from that band, Glenn Jones.  As the band lineup morphed, Frankie and Glenn formed a bond with Charley Bass, a very talented guitarist and singer. 

 

In November of 2017, the three were searching for a new direction.  Playing tired music in tiny bars had grown stale.  They conspired to start playing 2-set shows, with one set being exclusively the music of Led Zeppelin, the favorite band of all three.  It quickly became apparent, however that one set would not be enough to do justice to the penultimate rock band of the 1970's: Led Zeppelin.  From January to August of 2018, Last Remains underwent a transformation from 70's cover band to a full-on Led Zeppelin tribute, called 'Last Remains: Hammer of the Gods'.  The new band debuted on August 18, 2018, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, playing in a large custom motorcycle shop to a crowd of a couple hundred people.  That 'shakedown' concert served to inform the band as to what their strong and weak areas were.  Since that initial offering, Jon Peters has joined the band on bass and keyboards, and at this writing, Last Remains: Hammer of the Gods in preparing to launch what they refer to as the endless North American Tour 1975, a reference to their desire to capture the music of Led Zeppelin, circa 1968-1977.

 

Frankie Clarke started playing bars at 16, working the D.C. and Southern Maryland area.  He started out on an old Gibson SG, but it wouldn't stay in tune.  He took it to a local repair shop in Oxon Hill, MD; a fortuitous event, because the man who fixed it would become a friend, an inspiration and a mentor to the young player.  He was Danny Gatton, a legendary guitarist who never let go of his Southern Maryland roots.  Danny let the 16-year old Frankie hang out at his shop, and even sit in on occasional jams.  Frankie credits Danny with giving him a sense of respect for other players and the instrument, as well as teaching him to refuse to be boxed-in by genre and restrictive playing styles.

In the 70's, Frankie attended Crossland High School in Temple Hills, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., just a few miles from the Southeast D.C. neighborhood where he had spent his childhood.  At Crossland, Frankie found kindred spirits to play music with, from Jim Snidero, who went on to be an internationally celebrated saxophone player, to Scott Messina, who still acts as Frankie's representation in the business.  Bands included Ashwood, Nautilus and the Maryland Marauders.  He played in the school's Jazz Ensemble as well, cutting his teeth on difficult charts and complex music theory.  His favorite guitarist was Jimmy Page, and Led Zeppelin was a huge influence on him.

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Another huge early influence for Frankie was Johnny Winter, who he opened for, and who offered sage advice as well, telling the young player that "You can learn something from everyone, even if it's what not to do" - advice Frankie has kept close to his heart over the years.  In 1978/79, Frankie worked with D.C.'s renowned "[The] Razz", again soaking up the brilliance and philosophies of both Razz frontman Michael Reidy and the many veteran players he came into contact with through that association.  As he began writing, recording and playing his own original music live, Frankie became a staple on the original WHFS radio station (championed largely by Damien, [now with WRNR] and Weasel), and often played the legendary Psyche Delly in Bethesda, becoming fast friends with D.C. area icons ranging from The Slickee Boys to Root Boy Slim.  In fact, Mark Noone, frontman of The Slickee Boys, played rhythm guitar in Frankie and the Actions for over a year.  It was in the midst of this diverse cultural explosion that Frankie honed his skills as a player, a singer, and a songwriter.  As Frankie and the Actions, he opened for the Ramones 3 times at the peak of their success, both at the University of Maryland's Grand Ballroom and at the Bayou.  He played on bills that included everyone from rockabilly icons (Stray Cats, Tex Rubinowitz, Billy Hancock) to girl groups (Martha Hull, Joan Jett).  As P.O.R. (Pockets Of Resistance), he played a small role in the now well-documented D.C. Punk scene, sharing bills with many well-known artists like Dave Grohl and Scream, and Henry Rollins.

 

In the mid-80's, that old Gibson SG started to wear out, and again, Frankie found himself the beneficiary of lucky timing.  In 1986, he found a barely-used pearl white PRS guitar at Gil Southworth's shop.  Gil was already a friend, and he gave Frankie a deal on it.  That moment would prove to be a pivotal one for Frankie, as that guitar became a fixture in his hands for the next 20 years.  Paul Reed Smith was another local Maryland player.  Frankie had met him a few times, and heard his name mentioned often in the circle of talented players that had emerged locally. 

Frankie recorded the first Frankie and the Actions album ("Stripped To The Bone") using Casper exclusively, and then found that he needed another PRS as they played live supporting "Stripped".  He visited Paul's shop in Annapolis many times, becoming friends with John Ingram (who still works on Frankie's guitars), Bonnie and Paul.  Paul modified Frankie's Marshall head, and eventually found him another PRS guitar to use as a live backup.  It is Casper, however, that fans and players alike associate most closely with Frankie.  For over 25 years, PRS was to Frankie what the Telecaster was to Danny Gatton; the two images are inextricably linked in the public consciousness. 

 

He again used Casper on the second Frankie and the Actions album, "Generation Why", released in 1997, and has since acquired several other 1986 Paul Reed Smith guitars (including one identical to Casper) to use as Casper ages. 

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In the waning years of Frankie and the Actions, Frankie started to gravitate back to the guitars he played early in his career - Gibson SG's and Les Pauls.  Eventually, his Mesas made way for a return to Marshalls, and since the formation of Hammer of the Gods, Frankie has purchased a Gibson EDS-1275 double-necked guitar.  He primarily plays Les Pauls, and his #1 is currently a 1957 Gibson Les Paul.

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In the process of learning the Led Zeppelin catalog from 1968 to 1977, Frankie has become obsessed with Led Zeppelin, and in particular, Jimmy Page.  He's fascinated by the alternate tunings, competing time signatures, stylistic blendings and tonal constructions of Page.

In addition to his live performance history, Frankie has worked for years as a session guitarist, and is planning the eventual release of multiple albums.

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Stylistically, Frankie Clarke’s solo renderings are easily classified as rock, but if the listener scratches the surface, they will find substance.  Frankie is a recognized poet, with honors from the University of Maryland (1993 Poet Laureate).  His prowess as a guitarist is well known in the Washington area, but he is not a technical player.  Famed finger-picking phenom Ronnie Rhoads has called Frankie’s style “Blood and Guts”, because he plays with raw emotion and ferocity, much closer to his idols Jimmy Page and Johnny Winter than typical shredders.  He is a 7-time “Wammy”(Washington Area Music Association) nominee in the “Best Singer” and “Best Guitarist” categories.  Frankie’s vocals are smooth and identifiable. His original music is solid, hook-laden, modern rock, peppered with sometimes stunning guitar work.  Although Last Remains is primarily a Led Zeppelin tribute, they have played originals, including “Black 45”.

Frankie holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Maryland, and a PhD in Rock Music from Hard Knocks U.  His post-graduate vocation is studying the collective works of Jimmy Page at a deep level,  hoping to uncover a secret passage to the Misty Mountains.  In all seriousness, Frankie has always considered Led Zeppelin to be the penultimate rock band, and re-creating their music is the natural culmination of a life-long respect and love of their work.