The Hollies
Band members Related acts
|
line up 1 (1962) - Allan Clarke -- vocals - Vick Farrell -- guitar - Eric Haydock -- bass - Graham Nash -- vocals, guitar - Don Rathbone -- drums
line up 2 (1962-63) - Allan Clarke -- vocals, guitar - Eric Haydock -- bass - Graham Nash -- vocals, guitar - Don Rathbone -- drums
line up 3 (1963-66) - Allan Clarke -- vocals - Bobby Elliott -- drums (replaced Ron Rathbone) - Eric Haydock -- bass - Tony Hicks -- guitar, banjo, mandolin (replaced Vick Farell) - Graham Nash -- vocals, rhythm guitar
line up 4 (1966-68) NEW - Bernie Calvert -- bass, keyboards (replaced Eric Haydock) - Allan Clarke -- vocals, harmonica - Bobby Elliott -- drums, percussion - Tony Hicks -- lead guitar, banjo, mandolin, vocals - Graham Nash -- vocals, rhythm guitar
line up 5 (1969-71) - Bernie Calvert -- bass, keyboards - Allan Clarke -- vocals, guitar - Bobby Elliott -- drums, percussion - Tony Hicks -- lead guitar, banjo, mandolin NEW - Terry Sylvester -- vocals, rhythm guitar (replaced Graham Nash)
line up 6 (1971-73) - Bernie Calvert -- bass, keyboards - Bobby Elliott -- drums, percussion - Tony Hicks -- lead guitar, banjo, mandolin NEW - Mikeael Rickfors -- vocals (replaced Allan Clarke) - Terry Sylvester -- vocals, rhythm guitar
line up 7 (1973-81) - Bernie Calvert -- bass, keyboards NEW- Allan Clarke -- vocals, guitar - Bobby Elliott -- drums, percussion - Tony Hicks -- lead guitar, banjo, mandolin - Terry Sylvester -- vocals, rhythm guitar
supporting musicians (1975) - Tony Hymas -- keybaords - Alan Parsons - Moog
line up 9 (1983) - Allan Clarke -- vocals, guitar NEW- Alan Coates -- rhythm guitar - Bobby Elliott -- drums , percussion NEW- Denis Haines -- bass (replaced Bernie Calvert) - Tony Hicks -- lead guitar, banjo, mandolin NEW- Graham Nash -- vocals, guitar
|
- Big Picture (Bobby Elliott) - The Bread and Bear Band (Bernie Calvert) - Allan Clarke (solo efforts) - Crosby and Nash (Graham Nash) - Crosby, Stills and Nash (Graham Nash) - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Graham Nash) - Haydrock's Rockhorse (Eric hadock) - Graham Nash (solo efforts)
|
|
Genre: pop Rating: 4 stars **** Title: Dear Eloise / King Midas In Reverse Company: Epic Catalog: LN
26344 Country/State: Manchester, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: mono pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2847 Price: $40.00
|
I've always
struggled to understand why record companies saw fit to mangle so many band
catalogs by modifying English releases for American audiences and to a
lesser degree vice versa. One of the bands that repeatedly suffered
that marketing fate was The Hollies. Released under the title "Butterfly"
in the UK and most of the world, by the time their US label Epic
released the set in the States it had been retitled "Dear
Eloise/ King Midas In Reverse"; seen the track listing
revamped and reordered, and fitted with different artwork. Of the
twelve tracks on the original UK release, the US version dropped the Tony
Hicks' penned 'Pegasus', the Allan Clarke-Nash penned 'Try It' and 'Elevated
Observations?'. The US release replaced two of those tracks with a
pair of songs off the earlier UK version of the "Evolution"
album - 'Leave Me' and 'King Midas In Reverse'. When all was s
"Dear
Eloise / King Midas In Reverse" track listing: 1.) Dear Eloise (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 2:33 rating: **** stars AH, the risk of Spring-Fall relationships ... Graham Nash handled the opening and closing sections, with Allan Clarke taking the rest if the vocals. The song structure was a little strange offering up a wonderful mix of folk, pop and psychedelic influences. In the States 'Dear Eloise' was one of those lost Hollies singles. It was a song that had everything needed for massive airplay (which it got in the UK), though in the States it peaked at # 50 on the Billboard pop charts.
- 1967's 'Dear Eloise' b/w 'When Your Lights Turned On' (Epic catalog number 5-10251) YouTube has a series of interesting videos for the song. There's a black and white promotional clip recorded for Italian television: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fME-NlydZw There's an un-credited color promotional clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_hD9IxHwYY There's a clip of the group lip-synching the song for The Smothers Brothers television show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHVrWDbKU7E 2.) Wishyouawish (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 1:58 rating: *** stars Complete with birdsong sounds and a New Orleans-styled horn arrangement, the breezy, music hall-flavored 'Wishyouawis' recalled something out of The Lovin' Spoonful's catalog. With Nash and Clarke sharing vocals, the results were sweet, if it already sounded a little dated. 3.) Charlie and Fred (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 2:54 rating: *** stars Sounding like they'd overdosed on 'Eleanor Rigby', the heavily orchestrated ballad 'Charlie and Fred' struck a similar "social commentary" vibe. The breezy melody was catchy, but the best thing here was listening to how well Clarke and Nash's voices blended. Want to see Nash riding a baby elephant? YouTube has a black and white promotional clip recorded for Dutch television: The Hollies - Charlie and Fred 4.) Butterfly (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 2:41 rating: *** stars Other than the Johnny Scott orchestration, the lysergic-tinged ballad 'Butterfly' didn't sound all that different from some of Nash's forthcoming CSN and CSN&Y catalog. Give it a spin next to his forthcoming 'Lady of the Island'. YouTube has a clip of the band (well, Nash) lip-synching the tune for The Merv Griffin television show. Be warned the quality is poor, though it's worth it to see singer Kay Stevens fawning over Nash's facial hair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqi7-KnZgYQ&list=RDOqi7-KnZgYQ&start_radio=1 5.) Leave Me (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 2:06 rating: **** stars A pounding rocker, 'Leave Me' was the first of two "carryover tracks" from the previous English "Evolution" album. The song was also interesting for featuring Bernie Calvert's keyboards. With Clarke's snarling vocals and Calvert's Vox organ it would have made a dandy single. 6.) Postcard (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 2:04 rating: **** stars I'm not a massive Nash fan, but I'd argue the breezy 'Postcard' was one of the best things he ever wrote. Great melody, lovely lyrics and his multi-tracked vocals were wonderful. Always wondered what trip inspired the song.
(side
2) The second song re-purposed from the original UK "Evolution" album, 'King Midas In Reverse' was credited to Clarke, Nash and Hicks, but was actually a Nash solo effort. The tune was written on the heels of a trip to the US and Nash's subsequent decision to try steer the band in a new musical direction. With Clarke, Nash and Hicks sharing lead vocals, the patented Hollies harmonies were there, but elsewhere the song wasn't your typical Hollies tune. Powered by Bobby Elliott's thundering drums and Johnny Scott's orchestration, the structure was far more complex and creative than your standard Hollies pop tune; the lyrics far different than a moon-in-June love song. It was an interesting choice for a single and the 45's relative poor sales played a role in Nash's decision to leave the band and join up with David Crosby and Stephen Stills in CS&N.
- 1967's 'King Midas in Reverse' b/w 'Everything Is Sunshine' (Epic catalog number 5-10234) # 51 US Billboard pop charts 2.) Would You Believe (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 3:02 rating: **** stars Nash had expressed an interest in incorporating orchestration in their sound and the Clarke sung ballad 'Would You Believe' was a great example of his vision for such a direction. Kind of a Moody Blues flavor on this one. Yes, the glistening harmonies remain safely in place. 3.) Away Away Away (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 2:19 rating: *** stars With Nash on lead vocals, 'Away Away Away' was a throwback to the group's power pop roots. I suspect this was one of the songs that drove Nash crazy. It is catchy as all though ... 4.) Maker (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 2:33 rating: *** stars Powered by Hicks on electric sitar, 'Maker' found Nash and company dipping their collective toes into raga-rock. It was an interesting detour into mid-'60s psych, but nothing you hadn't already heard. "Days of yellow saffron. Nights with purple skies. Melting in the sunbeams from my maker's eyes ..." 5.) Step Inside (Allan Clarke - Graham Nash - Tony Hicks) - 2:52 rating: **** stars If for no other reason than to hear their harmonies, 'Step Inside' was a worthy addition to The Hollies catalog. Great slice of top-40 pop with a cool Hicks solo. Not sure what the effect was. Should have been tapped as a single.
© Scott R. Blackerby January, 2025
|
|
Genre: pop Rating: 4 stars **** Title: Write On Company: Polydor Catalog: 2442-141 Country/State: Manchester, UK Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: minor ring and edge war to cover; UK pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 289 Price: $15.00
Best time to play: Sunny Sunday afternoon when nobody's around to hear you enjoying this guilty pleasure
|
And just when
virtually everyone including their record label had seemingly given up on
The Hollies they reappeared with a late inning gem in the form of 1976's
"Write On".
Apparently
"Write On" track listing: 1.) Star (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks) - 3:39 rating: **** stars One of their most pop oriented tracks in years, 'Star' had everything going for it. It was tapped as the single in the UK and a couple of other countries:
- 1976's 'Star' b/w 'Love Is The Thing' (Polydor catalog number 2058 719)
1.) Write On (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks) - 4:48 rating: **** stars Starting out as a patented Hollies ballad, 'Write On' underscored what a talented ballad singer Clarke was. Being linked to their pop hits didn't exactly help his reputation, but the guy had a great voice. 'Write On' also benefited from the rock-oriented mid-section. Great tune and easy to see why Epic tapped it as the US single:
- 1975's 'Write On' b/w 'Crocodile Woman (She Bites)' (Epic catalog number 8-50204) YouTube has an interesting television performance of the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bzie21IW3Q 3.) Sweet Country Calling (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks) - 3:06 rating: ** stars Unfortunately 'Sweet Country Calling' pushed the band too far in the corny country direction ... why do British band's seemingly feel the need to delve into American country ? Clarke sounded uncomfortable on the track and the rest of the band sounded like they were just going through the motions. Forgettable. 4.) Love Is the Thing (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks)- 3:45 rating: *** stars Other than their patented sweet harmonies and some weird synthesizer effects (sounding like an Indian snake charmer), 'Love Is the Thing' never really kicked into gear. 5.) I Won't Move Over (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks) rating: *** stars Initially 'I Won't Move Over' didn't do much for me. A pouty ballad, the track picked up speed and a bit of energy as it went along. It got better with a couple of spins and Hick's wah-wah guitar was a nice touch. Not great, but one of the better ballads on the album.
(side
2) Yeah, 'Narida' was way too cutesy for their own good (putting them dangerously close to ABBA-styled top-40 dance material, though maybe that was the goal), but with the goofy lyrics, second grader rhyming scheme, golden chorus (na-na-na-na-na-rida), Bernie Calvert's pounding bass, and Tony Hicks guitar solos what wasn't their to love here ? Should have been a massive international hit for the group. 2.) Stranger (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks) - 3:29 rating: **** stars A mid-tempo rocker that seemingly reflected a bit of Bruce Springsteen influences in the lyrical department, 'Stranger' was actually an enjoyable effort by the band to reflect a tougher, more contemporary sound. 3.) Crocodile Woman (She Bites) (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks) - 3:35 For a band not particularly known for their rockers, The Hollies could occasionally surprise you and 'Crocodile Woman (She Bites)' stood as a perfect example. Kicked along by Pete Wingfield's barrelhouse piano and Clarke's growling vocal, this was a rollicking '50s-tinged number that was easily as good as 'Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress'. Perhaps the best rocker they ever recorded ? rating: **** stars 4.) My Island (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks) - 4:22 rating: *** stars 'My Island' was an easy-going, this-side-of-cocktail-jazz radio friendly pop song that really didn't have a great deal going for it outside of Pete Wingfield's cheesy ARP synthesizer lines. The song became a staple in their live show and appears on the subsequent "Hollies Live Hits" collection. YouTube has the band lip syncing the tune for some forgotten TV show at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmGXdEWQ-CA 5.) There's Always Goodbye (Randy Richards) - 4:15 rating: *** stars The lone non-original, 'There's Always Tomorrow' was a classic Hollies big--ballad. Unfortunately, even though it was given the full Hollies treatment (strumming acoustic guitars, waves of harmony vocals, and a catchy chorus), this one wasn't all that good. Someone online described it as "another home alone on a Saturday night song ..." which struck me as the perfect description for the track.
© Scott R. Blackerby January, 2025
|
|
Genre: pop Rating: 4 stars **** Title: Hollies Live Hits Company: Polydor Catalog: 2383
428 Country/State: Manchester, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: English pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 286 Price: $15.00
Best time to play: relaxing Saturday evening when you don't feel like doin' much more than hangin' around the house
|
Drawn from international dates the band played in support of the 1975 "Another Night" album "Hollies Live Hits" was a surprisingly engaging concert set. (I've read elsewhere that most of the tracks were recorded in Australia and New Zealand; a fact seeming reinforced by Clarke's reference to Christchurch in 'Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress'). Pulling together 15 tracks, the album offered up a career-spanning mixture of hits, lesser known numbers, and a handful of "new" (for 1975) tracks drawn from then-recent albums. Live albums are frequently nothing more than an easy way to pad an act's bottom line and while there may have been a bit of that here, the overall results were surprisingly engaging and enjoyable. Clarke remained one of rock's most overlooked singers - his instantly recognizable voice was a major treat throughout these songs and when Clarke, Tony Hicks, and Terry Sylvester blended their voices, it was frequently almost magical. The rest of the band were equally impressive - particularly bassist Bernie Calvert. While it was nice to have so many of the hits in one place, personally I liked the album's lesser well know offerings including their cover of the old Doris Troy hit 'Just One Look', the overlooked single 'Another Night', and Hicks' sweet 'Too Young To Be Married'. Apparently under the impression the band had lost their audience to punk and new wave acts,, Epic Records elected not to release the album in the States.
At least on the opener 'I Can't Let Go' the audience applause sounded like it was added in post-production, but that was a minor quibble given how bright the performance sounded. How could you not surrender to the jangle guitars and those patented harmonies (Terry Sylvester sounding amazingly like Graham Nash). rating: **** stars - Their Hollies-fied cover of the old Doris Troy hit 'Just One Look' was pleasant. Perhaps not one of the album highlights, but still lots of fun. Seriously, these guys could probably have read a newspaper aloud and make it sound good. rating: *** stars - Clarke's risque song introduction was corny and while there wasn't anything wrong with the live version of 'I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top', the song didn't exactly shake it's Elton John-styled pop flavor. Okay, okay the chorus was decent. rating: *** stars - The original studio version is such a classic pop song I guess I didn't expect a lot from a liver version of 'Bus Stop''. I was wrong - the live version was every bit as good as the studio version (perhaps even better with the brief reggae nod) and with Bernie Calvert turning in a killer bass line throughout the song. Fantastic performance. rating: ***** stars - Judging by the before song patter, most of these tracks were recorded during the band's 1975 "Another Night" tour ... hence the inclusion of this one. And here's the funny thing - 'Another Night' was great. Completely overlooked when released, it's a classic Hollies tune with Pete Wingfield turning in some wonderfully cheesy synthesizers .... I'm a sucker for this stuff. rating: **** stars - It's kind of funny to think about it, but if you're my age, then there's a good chance that many folks first exposure to Bruce Springsteen came though The Hollies cover of '4th of July, Ashbury Park (Sandy)'. As much as I love the Springsteen original, you have to give these guys credit for doing a more than credible version - wonder how much of the urban Jersey narrative they understood ... rating: **** stars - 'Star' simply wasn't much of a song until the chorus and Wingfield's synthesizers kicked in. At that point it became a major treat. rating: *** stars - Pulled from the earlier "Write On" collection, 'My Island' was the first real disappointment. A breezy and rather anonymous pop track - imagine The Hollies recording a cocktail jazz album and this one would have been in the running for inclusion. Forgettable. rating: ** stars - The audience loved it, but it took me awhile to warm up to the ballad 'I'm Down' - chiefly the three part Clark-Hicks-Sylvester harmonies. rating: *** stars - About all I can say is I was surprise at how close to the studio original the live version of 'Stop, Stop, Stop' was. Quite impressive performance and Tony Hicks' banjo was a kick. rating: **** stars - One of my favorite Hollies performances, 'Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress' was one of the tracks that sounded even better in a live setting. The perfect track to play for folks who didn't think The Hollies could rock out. rating: **** stars - Except for Tony Hicks blowing the vocals, 'Carrie-Anne' was nice enough ... easy to see why Clarke handled most of the lead vocals. rating: *** stars - Yeah, 'The Air That I Breathe' was one of their biggest hits so I guess they had to include it ... can't say I ever liked the original and while the live take accurately replicated the studio version, it didn't do all that much for me. rating: *** stars - Penned by Tony Hicks, 'Too Young To Be Married' stripped away the pop band persona showing the group's true strengths ... few bands could sing harmonies like these guys. Charming with a beautiful flamenco-styled acoustic guitar solo. rating: **** stars - Another 'must play' hit, 'He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brotther' is one of those tunes I've heard so often I've simply become numb to it's appeal. Nice enough live version, but it basically mimicked the studio original. rating: **** stars
Finally, kudos to the band for avoiding the dreaded excesses associated with your standard double album mega-package. Sure you could argue with some of the song selections, but all said and done, 15 tracks provided a near perfect overview of the band's career. If nothing else, the album also reminded you of what a great band The Hollies were. "Hollies
Live Hits" track listing: 1.) I Can't Let Go (Gorgini - Taylor) - 2.) Just One Look (Carroll - Payne) - 3.) I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top (Fletcher - Flett) - 4.) Bus Stop (Graham Gouldman) - 5.) Another Night (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks) - 6.) 4th of July, Ashbury Park (Sandy) (Bruce Springsteen) - 7.) Star (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks) - 8.) My Island (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks) -
(side
2) 2.) Stop, Stop, Stop (Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Graham Nash) - 3.) Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress (Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway - Allan Clarke) - 4.) Carrie-Anne (Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Graham Nash) - 5.) The Air That I Breathe (Albert Hammond - Lee Hazlewood) - 6.) Too Young To Be Married (Tony Hicks) - 7.) He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brotther (Russell - Scott) -
|
|
Genre: pop Rating: 2 stars ** Title: Five Three One - Double Seven O Four Company: Polydor Catalog: 2383
428 Country/State: Manchester, UK Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: lots of light scratches, but plays fine; original inner sleeve; UK pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 287 Price: $15.00
Best time to play: never
|
1979's 'Five Three One - Double Seven O Four' has always struck me as an odd project. Reuniting the band with former producer Ron Richards, the set was apparently recorded amidst growing internal strife. In fact, before the start of a brief German tour, Clarke quit, leaving Sylvester and company to finish the tour on their own. They also continued the recording sessions without Clarke (supposedly approach former Procol Harum singer/keyboardist Gary Brooker about joining). Ultimately Clarke rejoined the recording sessions, but the result was a Hollies album with a single original tune (Clarke's 'Satellite Three'). The collection was also exceedingly ballad heavy. In fact seven of the ten songs were ballads. Mind you, under Allan Clarke The Hollies were among the best ballad singers in popular music, but cramming so many of them into one album didn't do the band, or listeners any favors. Their selection of material was also subject to criticism - two Murray Head ballads ? And what was with the country-tinged 'Stormy Waters' or the extremely strange Bowie-esque 'Satellite Three' ? Bottom line is that here The Hollies managed to come up with a first - an album that was actually dull.
"Five
Three One - Double Seven O Four" track listing: 1.) Say It Ain't So Joe (Murray Head) - rating: *** stars I've got to admit Murray Head's 'Say It Ain't So Joe' has never been a song that's done much for me (the song's pleading edge has always irked me), and The Hollies' cover didn't change that view. Their heavily orchestrated version stuck pretty close to the original arrangement, adding in some patented Hollies harmonies, but in the end it was for naught. 2.) Maybe It's Dawn (Tony Hymas - Brown) - rating: *** stars I'll readily admit 'Maybe It's Dawn' was quite pretty, but it was also bland and heartless; sounding like product more than art. Heavily orchestrated, and with the exception of the choruses where the patented Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester harmonies kicked in, it really didn't sound a great deal like a Hollies effort. 3.) Song of the Sun (Tony Hymas - Brown) - rating: *** stars Thankfully 'Song of the Sun' provided a bit of musical diversity in the form of a slightly slinky blues-tinged number. That's not to say the song was good, 'cause it wasn't. To my ears it sounded very much like a demo that hadn't been fully completed, but at least it wasn't another ballad. Best thing here was Sylvester's fuzz guitar solo. 4.) Harlequin (Gary Brooker) - rating: **** stars Featuring Terry Sylvester on lead vocals, 'Harlequin' was an interesting collaboration with members of Procol Harum. Penned by Procol singer/keyboardist Gary Brooker, it was another ballad, but at least this one had a decent melody and was noteworthy for Brooker's uncredited backing vocals (at the end of the tune). Procol drummer B.J. Wilson was also credited with playing on the song. 5.) When I'm Yours (Murray Head) rating: *** stars I'm guessing nobody bothered to tell the band that stringing so many ballads together wasn't the smartest decision they could make. No matter how good it had been, by the time you hit 'When I'm Young' the chances were you'd hit ballad meltdown. Another tune that was pretty enough, but ...
(side
2) Just because it was an up-tempo pop song, 'Something To Live For' stood as one of the album highlights (and a nice change of pace). It was also tapped as an instantly obscure single.
- 1979's 'Something To Live For' b/w 'Dragging My Heels' (Polydor catalog number 2059 108)
2.) Stormy Waters (White) rating: * star With 'Stormy Waters' The Hollies managed to do something they'd seldom accomplished before - namely recording a song totally without merit. A plodding, completely forgettable tinged ballad, this one was simply a snore fest. 3.) Boys In the Band (Pete Brown) rating: *** stars Another tune with Terry Sylvester on lead vocals, 'Boys In the Band' was a breezy, vaguely Carribbean-tinged number. Nice, but not particularly memorable. 4.) Satellite Three (Allan Clarke - Gary Benson) rating: ** stars Geez, what was with the goody 'Satellite Three' ? Clarke deciding to trot out his best David Bowie impression ? Beats me. Yeah, of course the first part was a ballad ... but it was a strange ballad. The song picked up a but of speed towards the end, but it didn't make much difference. Wonder what the rest of the band thought about this one. 5.) It's Never One of Us (David Pomnerez) rating: ** stars Surrounded by heavy orchestration, 'It's Never One of Us' was simply dull and forgettable.
|
|
Genre: pop Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Moving Fingers Company: Epic Catalog: E
30255 Country/State: Manchester, UK Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $15.00
|
I'm continually
amazed by how the mid-career Hollies discography has been forgotten.
I'm also amazed at how the band's American label repeatedly managed to
mangle their
With Graham Nash gone from the ranks his creative replacement came from an unlikely corner - guitarist Tony Hicks contributing five of the album's eleven songs. An even bigger surprise was the quality of Hicks' contributions. Tunes like the autobiographical 'Confessions of a Mind', the country-rocker 'Little Girl' and 'Frightened Lady' weren't merely album filler, rather reflected songs that were easily as good as what the writing team of Allan Clarke and Terry Sylvester were churning out. Elsewhere the album reflected kind of an odds and ends collection. Two of the Clarke-Sylvester contributions ('Isn't it Nice' and 'Perfect Lady Housewife') reflected material originally written for the aborted stage musical "Oh Flux!" Hick's 'Too Young to Be Married', 'Gasoline Alley Bred' and the middling 'Marigold: Gloria Swansong' were "Hollies Sing Hollies" castoffs. In spite of the album's cobbled together background, the results were surprisingly impressive. Exemplified by the album's lone outside cover Gasoline Alley Bred', longtime Hollies producer Ron Richards gave the collection a tight and bright sound, underscoring the band's strengths - Clarke's instantly recognizable voice, a slew of memorable melodies and emphasis on the group's patented tight harmonies. Far from their best album, but a nice mid-career rebound.
No idea what the title had to do with the album, but the sign language on the front cover spelled out "Moving Fingers."
"Moving
Finger" track listing: 1.) Survival of the Fittest (Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Graham Nash) - 3:03 rating: **** stars 'Survival of the Fittest' was originally recorded in 1969, but left incomplete with Graham Nash's departure for Crosby, Stills and Nash. The rough track was resurrected; Nash's rhythm guitar retained, but his vocals replaced by Terry Sylvester. Built on a nifty Tony Hick guitar riff and showcasing Allan Clarke's instantly recognizable voice, the song offered up a dandy slice of top-40 pop. Everything that made The Hollies so special was on display here - great melody; those glistening harmonies. Geez, you even got a brief Bobby Elliott drum solo. Epic tapped the song as a single in the States whereas they went with 'Man Without a Heart' throughout the rest of the world.
- 1971's 'Survival of the Fittest' b/w 'Man Without a Heart' (Epic catalog number 5-10716)
2.) Confessions of a Mind (Tony Hicks) - 5:42 rating: *** stars One of five Tony Hicks compositions on the album, 'Confessions of a Mind' came off as a mini-suite. The song was apparently an autobiographical look at Hicks' admitted weakness for the other sex ... I'm no Hollies expert, but the other band members apparently became increasingly upset with Hicks flirtatious behavior. 3.) Lady Please (Tony Hicks) - 2:37 rating: **** stars A touch too pop-oriented to be a country-rocker, 'Lady Please' was another bright spot on the album. Always loved the guitar effect on this one. 4.) Little Girl (Tony Hicks) - 2:56 rating: **** stars One of Clarke's nicer vocals, with a nice country-rock feel, lyrically 'Little Girl' was surprisingly sophisticated - hard to think of many early-'70s pop bands taking on the impact of divorce on young children. 5.) Too Young to Be Married (Tony Hicks) - 3:58 rating: **** stars One of Hicks' prettiest compositions, 'Too Young to Be Married' was another carry over from the previous "Hollies Sing Hollies" collection. The tune had a glistening melody; an insidiously catchy hook, lovely harmony vocals and a surprisingly contemporary, if sappy lyric. Hicks also turned in a wonderful Flamenco guitar solo. YouTube has a June 1971 black and white clip of the band performing the song live for Australian TV: The Hollies - Too Young To Be Married - Live (1971) in Australia on GTK [HD] - YouTube 6.) Man Without a Heart (Allan Clarke - Terry Sylvester) - 2:23 rating: **** stars Great slice of Hollies rock, but Johnny Scott's frantic horn and string arrangements just sounded out of place, distracting from the song's appealing sense of urgency. The track was released as a Dutch single with multi-picture sleeves:
- 1971's 'Man without a Heart' b/w 'Survival of the Fittest' (Parlophone catalog number 5C 006-93555)
(side
2) The ballad 'Isn't it Nice' was one of two songs that had been written for the abandoned musical "Oh Flux!" The sound was instantly recognizable as a Hollies product with the combination of Clarke's voice and the backing harmonies simply shimmering. 2.) Frightened Lady (Tony Hicks) - 3:11 rating: *** stars It took a while for the melody to roll itself out, but it was worth the wait since the title track refrain was one of the album's most commercial segments. The song also exhibited a harder rocking sound than you normally associate with the band. 3.) Marigold: Gloria Swansong (Allan Clarke - Terry Sylvester) - 5:25 rating: *** stars One of the songs repurposed from "The Hollies Sing Hollies" album. Maybe just me, but the opening acoustic guitar segment has always reminded me of 'Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown).' From there the song drifted into a Donovan-meets-The Bee Gees vibe. Not unpleasant, but not something that was going to shake-up your world. Around the 3 minute mark the song shifted into a heavily instrumented section (presumably the 'Gloria Swansong' section, that's always reminded me of early Moody Blues. 4.) Perfect Lady Housewife (Allan Clarke - Terry Sylvester) - 4:35 rating: **** stars The second track salvaged from the "Oh Flux!" musical, 'Perfect Lady Housewife' was strange given The Hollies were hardly known for their affinity for the blues. Actually, once you got past the opening section the song could have been mistaken for a Monkees tune. Powered by a great Bernie Calvert bass line the sound was tougher than your typical Hollies tune, but remained quite top-40 commercial. Great refrain. A young Reginald Dwight provided keyboards on the tune. 5.) Gasoline Alley Bred (Roger Cook - Roger Greenaway - Tony Macaulay) - 3:54 rating: **** stars The album's lone cover, the 'Gasoline Alley Bred' guitar opening reminds me of something from David Gates and Bread. Come to think about it, the whole song reminds me of Bread. With Clarke and Sylvester splitting lead vocals, this was probably the album's most conventional rock song, it was released as a single through the world, including as a US 45::
- 1971's 'Gasoline Alley Bred' b/w 'Dandelion Wine' (Epic catalog number 5 10677) No idea when or where it was recorded, but YouTube has a nice clip of the band lip-synching the song on some television program: THE HOLLIES - GASOLINE ALLEY BRED ( HIGH QUALITY ) - YouTube
|
|
Genre: pop Rating: 4 stars **** Title: Another Night Company: Polydor Catalog: 2442
128 Country/State: Manchester, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve; UK pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $35.00
|
With Allan Clarke sticking around as lead vocalist for a second album, 1974's "Another Night" wasn't a creative breakthrough, but marked one of their strongest collections in years. Produced by Ron Richards, the results served to capture the things The Hollies accelerated at - Allan Clarke's instantly recognizable, heartbreaking voice; shimmering pop melodies, and above all, those patented Hollies harmonies. Nah, there wasn't any attempt to please contemporary musical tastes. Wanted to hear Zeppelin-styled metal? Free-styled blues-rock? ELP-styled progressive moves? Don't look here. The thing was that if you were buying a Hollies album you already knew what to expect and this set was unlikely to disappoint. With the exception of a cover of Bruce Springsteen's ' 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)', the album featured all original material, largely written by Allan Clarke, Terry Hicks and Terry Sylvester. Not a surprise; the collection was heavy on strong ballads including the title track, 'Lonely Hobo Lullabye', 'I'm Down', 'Give e Time' and the closer 'Lucy.' Their attempts at harder rock were a mixed success. The heavily orchestrated 'Second Hand Hang-Ups' and 'You Gave Me Life (With That Look in Your Eyes)' were both excellent, but 'Time Machine Jive' and 'Look Out Johnny (There's a Monkey On Your Back)' were little more than throwaways. Probably the weirdest effort was their Hollies-fied arrangement of 'Sandy.' Kudos to The Hollies for being one of the first name bands to record a Springsteen tune, though their smoothed out arrangement didn't completely endear itself with me.
Executive summary - a nice mid-career release. In spite of favorable reviews and a tour of the States, the album did little commercially.
"Another
Night" track listing: 1.) Another Night (Allan Clarke - Terry Hicks - Terry Sylvester) - 3:57 rating: **** stars Powered by Clarke's instantly recognizable voice the title track stood as a classic mid-career Hollies tune. Supposedly inspired by Steely Dan, the the song featured a dark lyric, great melody; the band's trademarked harmonies, cheesy synthesizers (courtesy of Pete Windfield) and a nice Hicks lead guitar ... Hard to understand why it wasn't released as a single. Taken from a special recorded for Swiss television, YouTube has a live performance of the tune (Winfield on synthesizers) : The Hollies - Another Night from Swiss Television Special, 1975. - YouTube 2.) 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) (Bruce Springsteen) - 4:11 rating: **** stars I've always wondered how The Hollies discovered Bruce Springsteen; let alone were convinced, or allowed to include a cover of one of his tunes on this album. They must have been one of the first "name" acts to do a Springsteen cover. Yeah, they "Hollies-fied" the track, stripping away the original's ragged edges, but underneath the glitz, the melody remained intact. The song was tapped as a single:
- 1974's 'Sandy' b/w 'Second Hand Hang-ups' (Epic catalog number 8-50389) Here's another live performance from the 1975 Swiss television special: The Hollies - Sandy (4th Of July, Asbury Park) from Swiss Television 1975 - YouTube 3.) Lonely Hobo Lullaby (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke) - 4:18 rating: **** stars For years I felt 'Lonely Hobo Lullaby' wasn't a monumental Hollies composition. The opening section always reminded me of Dylan's 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door', but lacked that special ingredient. And then one Sunday I was listening to the album and realized I'd been dead wrong, if only for the fact the mellow, country-tinged melody served as a spectacular showcase for those stunning Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester harmonies ... Add in a biting Hicks solo and it deserved a fourth star. The song was tapped as a single in New Zealand:
- 1975's 'Lonely Hobo Lullaby' b/w 'Second Hand Hang-up' (Parlophone catalog number NZP3504)
4.) Second Hand Hang-Ups (Allan Clarke - Terry Hicks - Terry Sylvester) - 4:32 rating: **** stars Featuring elaborate orchestration (courtesy of Chris Gunning), the breezy 'Second Hand Hang-Ups' was another track that didn't immediate register with me. And like the rest of the album, my attitude changed the more I heard the tune. The orchestration that I originally found distracting actually fit the song perfectly - kind of like George Martin's work on Wings' 'Live and Let Die.' 5.) Time Machine Jive (Allan Clarke - Terry Hicks - Terry Sylvester) - 3:19 rating: ** stars With an irritating '50s rock flavor, 'Time Machine Jive' was one of the songs that didn't get better with repeated spins. Hey fans, we can channel Elvis ... not a good idea.
(side
2) Supposedly inspired by producer Ron Richards' life story, 'I'm Down' is one of those lost Hollies treasures. One of their prettiest and darkest ballads, it captured all of the band's strengths - a wonderful melody; those classic harmonies and heavy orchestration that would have smothered most of bands. The track was released as the album's leadoff single:
- 1974's 'I'm Down' b/w 'I'm Down' (Epic catalog number 8-50144) 2.) Look Out Johnny (There's a Monkey On Your Back) (Allan Clarke - Terry Hicks - Terry Sylvester) - 3:35 rating: ** stars Another tune where The Hollies tried to toughen up their sound with a touch of '50s rock influences. Along with the "life's tough as a dealer" lyric, this one just didn't register with me. Okay, extra star for the nice Hicks guitar solo. 3.) Give Me Time (Terry Sylvester - Allan Clarke) - 3:11 rating: **** stars Ah,
'Give Me Time' captured Clarke in his environs - a heartbreaking lyrics and
ear-candy melody ... Powered by strumming mandolin and those patented
Hollies harmonies, the refrain featured one of those riffs that simply
wouldn't leave your memory bank. Shoot, now I'm humming the darn
thing. I never meant to imply The Hollies couldn't rock out. Anyone who didn't think they had it in them should check out the blazing 'You Gave Me Life (With That Look in Your Eyes)'. Always loved Hicks' Danelectro electric sitar solo. Great song for anyone who loved 'Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress).' 5.) Lucy (Allan Clarke - Terry Hicks - Terry Sylvester) - 5:12 rating: *** stars A worthy addition to the '60s "heartbreak" genre ... 'Lucy' sounds terribly corny, but it's one of my guilty pleasures and having a friend who woke up one day as a single father having lost his wife to cancer, it strikes a chord with me. Hard to imagine another band that could pull this off as effectively. (And yes, my friend was blessed to meet another woman who took his children into her heart. Soju !!!)
|
BACK TO BADCAT PAYMENT INFORMATION
aid
and done you had to ask yourself whether all those changes made the album
any better ... In my humble opinion the answer was no. Okay,
maybe the Bob Richards cover was an improvement. With Allan Clarke,
Tony Hicks and Graham Nash credited with all of the material (though 'King
Midas In Reverse' and several other tunes were actually Nash solo
compositions), musically the album wasn't a major departure from the prior
"Evolution" LP. Material like 'Dear
Eloise' and Postcard'' offered up a likeable and still commercial mixture of
pop, light psych and studio experimentation. Above all, those
instantly recognizable Hollies harmonies remained intact. Given his
growing unhappiness with the band, the biggest
surprise to my ears was hearing how prominent Nash was throughout. In
addition to writing, or co-writing all eleven tracks on the US version of
the album, Nash was prominently featured on vocals. His growing unhappiness
may also explain why the collection showed signs of a band trying to shed
their "pop" imagine for a more serious attitude. Sure, the
entire album retained a commercial sheen, but tracks like the
Baroque-flavored 'Charlie
and Fred', the ballad 'Butterfly' and the
'King Midas in Reverse' clearly reflected Nash's desire to be taken as
"serious" musicians. The rest of he band didn't support the
shift and the album served as Nash's last Hollies release until the 1983
reunion "What Goes Around". Easily
one of their top-three releases.
having settled some of their internal issues, the group seemed
reinvigorated, with Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Terry Sylvester teaming up
to write most of the ten tracks. The results gave the band a surprisingly spirited mix of top-40 pop and classic Hollies ballads.
Mind you this was music as a product, but given how catchy tunes like
'Star', ' Narida', and 'Crocodile
Woman (She Bites)' were, it was quality product that should have returned
the band to the sales charts. For
goodness sakes, there were even a couple of ballads that were
worthwhile - the title track and 'I Won't Move Over' managed to avoid their usual sappy
excesses. Highlights ? 'Crocodile Woman (She Bites)' may
have been the best rock song they ever recorded - yes it's even better than
'Long Cool
Woman In a Black Dress'. Tying for second place were the highly
commercial 'Star' and 'Narida'. It
wasn't a classic Hollies LP, but song-for-song it was impressive and quite
enjoyable. Unfortunately their
efforts came in the face of growing public interest in punk, new wave, and
dance music. Polydor didn't even attempt to sell the album in
the States
discography
with ill-advised marketing moves. 1970's "Moving Fingers"
was a perfect example of such stupidity. The original English album
was released under the title "Confessions of the Mind"
(Parlaphone catalog number PCS 7116). An apparently effort to make the
album more appealing to American audiences, Epic's marketing group slapped a
new cover and title on the album. The company also messed around with
the track listing and track sequence. 'Separated' and 'I Wanna Shout'
were dropped from the English release; replaced by ''Gasoline Alley Bred'
and Marigold: Gloria Swansong' which had been featured on the previous
"Hollies Sing Hollies" album. To my ears the
original English track listing was superior; Epic's tinkering doing nothing
to strengthen the album, make it more appealing to American ears, let alone
support sales. The UK LP hit # 30. The US released peaked at #
183.
