 After failing the 11plus (school exam) Clarke attended St. John's Secondary Modern School, Margate, UK, a school aimed at children that would probably not go on to higher education.This could have been an early setback for a musical career, however the school had a strong emphasis on music and in particular brass playing.He went on to be a junior musician (bandsman) at the Royal Marines School of Music in Deal, Kent in 1977, but was unable to complete the course successfully for musical reasons.