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The Hollies are an English Beat group formed in the early 1960s. They are commonly associated with Manchester, as several original Hollies came from the city and its outlying communities. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Look up holly in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Merseybeat be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... Psychedelic pop is a musical style inspired by the harder, louder songs of Psychedelic rock but applied more to a pop music setting. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Parlophone is a record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company. ... The Hollies in 1964 The Hollies are a British rock and roll band formed in the early 1960s. ... “Hollies” redirects here. ... Ian Parker, (born in Irvine, Ayrshire, sw Scotland on the 26 November 1953) is a Scottish keyboard player. ... Peter Howarth (born 3 May 1960 in England) is the current lead singer of the British band The Hollies, joining in October 2004. ... Graham Nash on cover of his recording, Wild Tales, 1973 Graham William Nash (born February 2, 1942) is an English-born singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and songwriting contributions in pop group The Hollies and folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and as a photography collector... Allan Clarke (born 5 April 1942 in Salford, England) was one of the founding members of The Hollies. ... Terry Sylvester (born 8 January 1946 in Liverpool), lead singer with The Escorts, The Swinging Blue Jeans (1966-69) and The Hollies: He replaced Graham Nash who left the band in December 1968. ... Eric Haydockwas the original bass guitarist with The Hollies from 1963 till 1966. ... Bernie Calvert born Sep 16, 1942, Brierfield, Lancashire England played bass guitar with The Hollies from 1966 till 1980. ... Mikael Rickfors born on December 4th 1948, was a member of the Swedish band Bamboo from 1967-1970. ... Carl Wayne (August 18, 1943 - August 31, 2004), real name Colin David Tooley, singer and actor, was best remembered as the lead vocalist of Birmingham rock group The Move during the 1960s. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Beat Music, also known as Merseybeat (for bands from Liverpool), Brumbeat (for bands from Birmingham) etc. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ...

The Manchester quintet, heavily influenced by the Everly Brothers, is known for rich three-part harmonies rivalling those of The Beach Boys, ringing guitars, infectious melodies, jazz oriented backbeats and a squeaky-clean image. They have been called the British Everly Brothers. Nevertheless, The Hollies are one of the most commercially successful pop/rock acts of the British Invasion. While groups like the Beatles would sometimes toy with non-pop experiments, the Hollies kept their material catchy and appealing no matter what style they pursued; however, they tried easing into more sophisticated folk-rock and mildly psychedelic sounds as the decade wore on, especially on their albums. Their mass recognition is generally limited (especially in the United States) to a selection of perhaps a dozen hit songs, from 1964's "Just One Look" to 1974's "The Air That I Breathe". In reality, their recorded history started in 1963 and encompasses more than 350 songs, spread over dozens of albums, EPs and singles, across 33 years (Eder,1996). Don (born February 1, 1937 in Brownie, a small coal-mining town (now defunct) near Central City, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky) and Phil Everly (born January 18, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois) are country-influenced rock and roll performers who had their greatest success in the 1950s. ... The Beach Boys are an American rock and roll band. ... For other uses, see British Invasion (disambiguation). ... Folk rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. ... For psychedelics, see psychedelic drug. ... The Air That I Breathe is a song written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, initially recorded by Phil Everly of the famed Everly Brothers. ...

Formation

The Hollies' history began by chance with five-year-old Allan Clarke's arrival at the Ordsall Primary School in Salford (Manchester's twin city), England in 1947. He met five-year-old Graham Nash, when Nash was the only student to volunteer to let Clarke sit next to him in class. Soon, they found a common interest in music. They began singing together in choir and as they matured, their voices complemented each other magnificently. The impetus for Clarke and Nash to begin music careers together was the emergence of skiffle music in England (Eder, 2004). Allan Clarke (born 5 April 1942 in Salford, England) was one of the founding members of The Hollies. ... Graham Nash on cover of his recording, Wild Tales, 1973 Graham William Nash (born February 2, 1942) is an English-born singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and songwriting contributions in pop group The Hollies and folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and as a photography collector... Skiffle music is a type of folk music with a jazz and blues influence, usually using homemade or improvised instruments such as the washboard, tea-chest bass, kazoo, cigar-box fiddle, or a comb and paper, and so forth. ...

According to Clarke (Eder, 2004),

"We all wanted to be rock 'n' roll stars, and skiffle was one way to start, because it was all based on the easiest chords to play, A, D, G, and C, and we loved the songs. Graham and I played clubs in Manchester, doing an Everly Brothers-type thing. The Everly Brothers were our real inspiration, because of the two-part harmonies."

This laid the foundation for The Hollies. By 1962 Clarke (born Harold Allan Clarke, 5 April 1942, in Salford, Lancashire) and Nash (born Graham William Nash, 2 February 1942, in Blackpool, Lancashire) had already been singing together locally at coffee houses for a number of years as a semi-professional duo under a number of names such as the Guytones, the Two Teens, The Levins and a brother act called Ricky and Dane. As they were playing a show with the Fourtones, they met Eric Haydock (born 3 February 1943, in Stockport, Cheshire) and Don Rathbone (born Donald Rathbone, October 1942, in Wilmslow, Cheshire) and were invited to join the Deltas (Rock, 2000). is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Salford (disambiguation). ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the town in England. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Eric Haydockwas the original bass guitarist with The Hollies from 1963 till 1966. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Stockport is a large town in the north west of England. ... For other uses, see Cheshire (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see October (disambiguation). ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wilmslow is a town in the Borough of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. ... For other uses, see Cheshire (disambiguation). ...

The four decided to abandon the Deltas and form a new group in December 1962. According to those close to the band, they chose the name from some Christmas holly decorating Graham Nash's house; not, as long time rumour has it, in homage to Buddy Holly (Rock, 2000). The stories are sufficiently vague that not even the band members remember exactly; however, what they do agree upon is that the name was simply a stop-gap, and it's stuck for 34 years and counting (Eder, 1996). The original lineup consisted of lead singer Allan Clarke, guitarists Graham Nash and Vic Steele, bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Don Rathbone. Vic Steele soon left, and was replaced by local guitar hero Tony Hicks (born Anthony Christopher Hicks, 16 December 1943, Nelson, Lancashire). In 1963, before the group started having hits, Rathbone left to become their road manager and was replaced by Bobby Elliott (born Robert Hartley Elliott, 8 December 1941, at 13 Chiltern Avenue, Bolton, Lancashire) from Shane Fenton And The Fentones; however, Elliott and Hicks had played together previously in another Manchester band called Rick Shaw and the Dolphins. In 1966 Bernie Calvert (born Bernard Bamford Calvert, 16 September 1942, in Brierfield, Lancashire) took Haydock’s; and in '68, when Nash left to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, later to become Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, he was replaced by Terry Sylvester (ex-Escorts and Swinging Blue Jeans) (Artist, 2004). For the Weezer song, see Buddy Holly (song). ... The Hollies in 1964 The Hollies are a British rock and roll band formed in the early 1960s. ... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nelson may refer to: [edit] People with the Given Name Nelson Nelson Mandela, South African politician and activist Nelson Muntz, fictional cartoon character on The Simpsons Nelson Piquet, Brazilian racing driver Nelson Rockefeller, American politician Nelson Sale Kilifa, Solomon Islands footballer [edit] Places Nelson, British Columbia, Canada Nelson, Georgia, USA... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... “Hollies” redirects here. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of Bolton. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Bernie Calvert born Sep 16, 1942, Brierfield, Lancashire England played bass guitar with The Hollies from 1966 till 1980. ... is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Brierfield is a small town (population approx. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Crosby, Stills, & Nash (sometimes known as Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young) is a pioneering folk rock/rock supergroup that formed out of the remnants of three 1960s bands the Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, and the Hollies. ... Terry Sylvester (born 8 January 1946 in Liverpool), lead singer with The Escorts, The Swinging Blue Jeans (1966-69) and The Hollies: He replaced Graham Nash who left the band in December 1968. ... The Escorts are a band from Liverpool of the Merseybeat-era. ... The Swinging Blue Jeans are a four piece 1960s British Merseybeat band, best known for their proto rave-up hit single, Hippy Hippy Shake. An album to the single Hippy Hippy Shake was released in 1964 by EMI on the HMV label. ...

The 1960s

The band's first show as The Hollies took place at the Oasis Club in Manchester in December 1962 with great success. Not long after, The Hollies took The Beatles' slot at the Cavern Club. The Beatles had graduated from the club and had been signed to EMI's Parlophone label by producer George Martin. The amount of musical activity in Liverpool and Manchester caused record producers who had previously never ventured very far from London to start looking to the north. One of them was Ron Richards, a staff producer at EMI, who went up to the Cavern in January 1963. What he found was a tiny club that lived up to its reputation and that The Hollies could do more than just wail (Eder, 1996). External view of the New Cavern Club, January 2006 The Cavern Club, which was opened on January 16, 1957, is a legendary rock and roll club at 10 Mathew Street, Liverpool, England, where Brian Epstein was introduced to the Beatles on 9 November 1961. ... London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline for Biographies. ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ...

After Steele's departure and Hicks' arrival, The Hollies incorporated many obscure American R&B classics in their repertoire, as did many beat groups of the early 1960s; however, they were also writing new songs as well as commissioning songs from professional songwriters. The originals wound up as "B" sides, often credited to the pseudonymous "Chester Mann" or “L. Ransford" (Artist, 2004). They scored their first major British hit at the end of 1963 with a cover of Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs' "Stay", which hit #8 in the UK charts. They quickly followed with Doris Troy's "Just One Look". The group's fifth single, "We're Through," was their first original A-side, written by Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Graham Nash under their new collective pseudonym of "L. Ransford". Recorded on 25 August 1964, "We're Through" was released the following month. On 26 September 1964, it entered the British charts at No. 27 and peaked at #7 during a relatively short chart stay - something which, in the wake of "Just One Look"'s much greater success, discouraged the record company from pursuing any more original A-sides from the band at that time. As an original A-side, however, it was a milestone for the band, and hinted at better things to come for them. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 611 × 600 pixels Full resolution (713 × 700 pixel, file size: 653 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) EP cover for the Hollies This image is of a cover of an audio recording, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 611 × 600 pixels Full resolution (713 × 700 pixel, file size: 653 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) EP cover for the Hollies This image is of a cover of an audio recording, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by... Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs was a singing group, active in the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... Look up stay in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Doris Troy (January 6, 1937 - February 16, 2004) was an R&B singer, known to her many fans as Mama Soul. ... Shawn Yue Gillian Chung Charlene Choi Wong You Nam Anthony Wong Andrea Choi Vincent Kok Joe Cheung Lam Suet Chapman To Shu Qi Eric Kot Li Fung Jo Koo Sam Lee A young man(Shawn Yue) as he contemplates revenge on the gangster he believes responsible for his fathers... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ...

During the summer of 1965, the Clarke-Hicks-Nash songwriting team, still working as "L. Ransford", achieved what at the time seemed like a major breakthrough. The three were signed to a publishing contract by Dick James Music and given their own publishing imprint, Gralto Music (for Graham, Allan, and Tony). When Graham left, it became Alto Music. By this point the Hollies had established themselves as one of Britain's pre-eminent singles bands and enjoyed enormous chart success in several countries (Biography, 2002). August 1965 saw them enjoy their first UK#1 with "I'm Alive". However, they experienced their first misfire in January 1966 when their recording of George Harrison's "If I Needed Someone" just scraped the UK Top 20 and brought with it some bad press, with Harrison denouncing the cover version as "soulless". Both the Hollies and John Lennon took swipes at each other, venting frustration at the comparative failure of a Beatles song (Rock, 2000). Im Alive may refer to: Im Alive (album) - Jackson Browne Im Alive (song) performed by Alice Cooper Im Alive (song) performed by Céline Dion Im Alive (song) performed by The Hollies Im Alive (song) performed by Heather Nova The autobiography of Cecil Williams This... For other persons named George Harrison, see George Harrison (disambiguation). ... If I Needed Someone is a song by The Beatles which first appeared in the UK on the 1965 album Rubber Soul (see 1965 in music) and was later included in the 1966 U.S. release Yesterday. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ...

Bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Bobby Elliot were considered one of the tightest rhythm sections in British Pop/Rock of the period; however, in 1966, bassist Haydock left to be replaced by Bernie Calvert, whose playing would be given a lesser profile on the band's recordings. The Hollies' long-time producer Ron Richards (sometimes referred to as the "Sixth Hollie") confirms this in his contribution to the notes of Epic Records' 20 Song Anthology (Biography, 2002). According to Richards, This article is about the genre of popular music. ... This article is about the genre. ... Bernie Calvert born Sep 16, 1942, Brierfield, Lancashire England played bass guitar with The Hollies from 1966 till 1980. ...

"Calvert was not a good bass player, and [I] deliberately buried his sound in the mix of their songs once he joined the group."

The end of 1965 saw the Hollies crack the US top 40 for the first time with the Graham Gouldman penned "Look Through Any Window" which peaked at #32 in January of 1966. Later in 1966 the Hollies recorded the song that was to become their long-awaited American breakthrough single, "Bus Stop". Written by Graham Gouldman, "Bus Stop" rose to #5 in America and made it to the same spot in Britain. Look Through Any Window was the first US top 40 hit for British Invasion band The Hollies, peaking at #32 in Jan of 1966. ... Bus Stop is the title of a song recorded and released as a 7 45rpm Vinyl single by the British pop band The Hollies. ...

By this time, the band had blossomed as songwriters and recording artists. The next album, For Certain Because, was their most elaborate yet, its songs - all originals - filled with unusual instrumentation, including marimbas, kettle drums and other exotic sounds. A track from the album, "Pay You Back With Interest", was issued as a single by Imperial in America after the band signed with Epic, while another, "Tell Me To My Face",was a top 40 hit for American singer Keith and was later covered very successfully in the 1970s by Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg. Other songs, such as "Clown," were more personal compositions by Graham Nash, who was starting to develop a distinctly individual approach to songwriting (Eder,1996). For Certain Because is the fifth UK album by The Hollies. ... Keith (born James Barry Keefer, on 17 May 1949, in Philadelphia) was a U.S. vocalist, and one-hit wonder in the UK. // Early days According to legend, Keith earned his first record deal with Columbia Records after camping out on the doorstep of A&R executive Jerry Ross; the... The cover of the album The Essential Dan Fogelberg Daniel Grayling Fogelberg (b. ...

This was also a golden era for The Hollies as a performing unit. In concert, they worked on the same bill with acts such as the Spencer Davis Group and the Small Faces, and their music onstage had achieved a level of sophistication equivalent to the kind of songwriting they were crafting. The success of "Stop! Stop! Stop!", achieving the #2 spot in England and #7 in America, was all the more remarkable as an original A-side. Their follow-up, "On A Carousel", was written during the group's tour of America, and recorded on 11 January 1967. Released the following month, it reached a by-now routine #4 in England, and #11 in America. "Carrie Anne" had been started by Hicks in 1965, while the band was on tour in Norway, and was inspired by the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man", with Hicks writing to the phrase "Hey Mister Man." Two years later, it was finally completed and recorded on 3 May 1967, in only two takes. Released later the same month, it reached #3 in the United Kingdom and #9 in America (Eder,1996). The Spencer Davis Group was a mid 1960s British beat group from Birmingham, England, founded by Spencer Davis (born 17 July 1939, Swansea, Wales). ... Small Faces were a British mod group formed in 1965[1] by Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston (who was soon replaced by Ian McLagan). ... Stop! Stop! Stop! is the title for US and Canadian issues of the Hollies For Certain Because album. ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Carrie Anne is the name of a song that was recorded and released as a 7 45 rpm single by the British pop band The Hollies. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ...

1967 saw the band release not one, but two psychedelic-influenced albums, the hard rock-flavoured Evolution and the gentler, more hippy-oriented Butterfly. After The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper in June 1967, The Hollies delved deeper still into the flower power sound with a new song, "King Midas In Reverse", largely composed and arranged by Nash, who yearned to make an impact as a more serious artist. The song had an ambitious string, brass and flute arrangement; however, its relatively modest commercial success did not bode well for his influence over the band's direction, and their next singles were in the more romantic tradition. Hard Rock redirects here. ... Evolution (Parlophone PCS 7022/PMC 7022) is the first of two 1967 albums by The Hollies. ... Butterfly (Parlophone PCS 7039/PMC 7039) is the second of two 1967 albums by The Hollies. ... A bus covered with Hippie slogans and flowers Flower power was a slogan used by hippies in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol of the non-violence ideology. ...

By 1968, Nash felt constrained by the band's commercial orientation and left because of creative differences over the plan to record an album of Bob Dylan songs, which he saw as a retrograde step for the band. Nash quickly joined forces with former Buffalo Springfield member Stephen Stills and former Byrds member David Crosby to form one of the first supergroups, Crosby, Stills and Nash. Nash's departure from The Hollies arguably marked the beginning of the group's decline. This article is about the recording artist. ... Buffalo Springfield was a short-lived but influential folk rock group that served as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina and is most famous for the song For What Its Worth. ... Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young). ... L-R: David Crosby, Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn The Byrds were an American rock music group founded in Los Angeles, California in 1964 by singers and guitarists Jim McGuinn (he later changed his name to Roger McGuinn), Gene Clark, and David Crosby. ... David Van Cortlandt Crosby (born August 14, 1941) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. ... Crosby, Stills, & Nash (sometimes known as Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young) is a pioneering folk rock/rock supergroup that formed out of the remnants of three 1960s bands the Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, and the Hollies. ...

Terry Sylvester, formerly of Liverpool bands The Escorts and The Swinging Blue Jeans, was drafted in to replace Nash. This lineup had an immediate hit in 1969 with "Sorry, Suzanne", which reached #3 in the UK. The hit streak continued for a while longer with the epic ballad "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", written by Americans Bob Russell and Bobby Scott and featuring Elton John on piano. "He Ain't Heavy" would become a surprise UK#1 on its re-release in 1988 thanks to its use in a beer commercial (Artist, 2004). For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... Look up escort in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Swinging Blue Jeans are a four piece 1960s British Merseybeat band, best known for their proto rave-up hit single, Hippy Hippy Shake. An album to the single Hippy Hippy Shake was released in 1964 by EMI on the HMV label. ... He Aint Heavy, Hes My Brother is a song by The Hollies. ... Sidney Keith Russell, known as Bob Russell (25 April 1914 - February 1970) was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ...

Nevertheless, the Hollies had not moved with the times musically, and from the turn of the decade their popularity was starting to wane; only a handful of hits lay ahead.

The 1970s

Clarke, devastated by the departure of his friend of more than 20 years, had been locked into the group identity for nearly all of his adult life, and now felt the urge to step out on his own. The group was beginning work on a new album, which Clarke would do with them, after which he would begin work on his own career and his own recordings, independent of the band. Ironically, the new album was to benefit from Clarke's plans for a solo career, but the group's ability to take advantage of its unexpected success was to be sorely tested. While recording the album, titled Distant Light, Clarke turned up with a song that was to be added to the record: a Creedence Clearwater Revival-styled rocker, co-authored by Clarke, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, entitled "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" (Eder, 1996^[1]). Recorded on a day when producer Ron Richards was absent, the song gave Clarke a rare chance to show off his guitar skills. The problem was that Clarke had not intended it to be released on a Hollies album, but as a record of his own. However, a couple of members of the group did play on it and he was forced to include it on Distant Light. This, in turn, led to an open breach between Clarke and the rest of the group, once they learned that he intended to do a solo recording. Clarke was issued an ultimatum - he could either remain with The Hollies or pursue a solo career, but not both. Distant Light is the 1971 released album by The Hollies. ... Creedence Clearwater Revival (commonly referred to by its initials CCR or simply as Creedence) was an American rock band, which consisted of John Fogerty (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano), Tom Fogerty (guitar, vocals, piano), Stu Cook (bass guitar, vocals), and Doug Clifford (drums, percussion, vocals). ... Roger Cook may be: Roger Cook, songwriter Roger Cook, investigative journalist This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Roger John Greenaway (born August 23, 1938, Fishponds, Bristol, England), is a popular British songwriter, best remembered for his collaborations with Roger Cook. ... Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress is a song by the rock and roll group The Hollies. ...

In a 1973 interview with Melody Maker, Clarke states (Eder, 1996^[2]) Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was (until its closure) the worlds oldest weekly music newspaper. ...

They thought that when I became successful, I'd leave them anyway, so they just shortened the agony by forcing me to do one thing or the other. It was silly, really, because I wouldn't have left the group.

"Long Cool Woman" was a minor UK hit but soared to #2 in the US Hot 100 in 1972; suddenly, this became the group's new signature tune, saturating the airwaves in the United States. However, Clarke was already gone - replaced, rather oddly, by Swedish star Mikael Rickfors. The new line-up yielded the minor hits "Magic Woman Touch" and "The Baby"; however, Rickfors could sing in English but not speak it fluently, which created problems that were never fully resolved (Biography, 2002). Radio waves are electromagnetic waves occurring on the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. ...

To Clarke's chagrin, the Hollies were offered their first major US tour on account of the success of Long Cool Woman, a song which Clarke considered his own. The new Hollies line-up toured the US and for the first time received a major push in that country, appearing on the major music TV shows of the day. The personnel changes meant that the band had to re-invent their style somewhat, switching instruments and lead vocals on various songs. While a very interesting period for the band, the overall cohesive nature of The Hollies sound was somewhat damaged and the tour was not a big success with audiences.

Clarke returned in late 1973 and they returned to the UK Top 30 with another "swamp rocker" written by Clarke, "The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee". In 1974 another hit ensued, the worldwide smash "The Air That I Breathe", and returned the group to their orchestral style in grand fashion; however, it was their last major UK hit for over a decade. The song was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, and originally recorded by the group's early idol, Phil Everly. The Everly connection had been cemented some years earlier, when The Hollies backed the American duo on their 1966 Two Yanks in England album. "The Air That I Breathe" was the last Hollies hit to be produced by Ron Richards, as the group took their own reins (Artist, 2004). The Air That I Breathe is a song written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, initially recorded by Phil Everly of the famed Everly Brothers. ... Albert Hammond (born 18 May 1944) is a singer-songwriter, whose family came originally from Gibraltar. ... Mike Hazelwood (born 1941 in England, died May 6, 2001 Florence, Italy) was an English singer, composer and songwriter. ... Don (born February 1, 1937 in Brownie, a small coal-mining town (now defunct) near Central City, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky) and Phil Everly (born January 18, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois) are country-influenced rock and roll performers who had their greatest success in the 1950s. ...

Subsequent singles like "Son of a Rotten Gambler", "I'm Down", and "Boulder to Birmingham", failed to chart. Curiously, mostly thanks to Clarke, they did pick up on Bruce Springsteen's work as a songwriter earlier than a lot of other acts, but not even their beautiful rendition of "Sandy" could avert their slide from the public's consciousness. Disco heavily influenced most of their late 70s releases and dance-rock sounds of the era, although they never entirely abandoned their harmony vocal sound. Over the next five years, the Hollies pursued the supper-club and cabaret circuit as their chart appearances began to dwindle. Although their albums were well produced, they were largely unexciting and sold poorly. Springsteen redirects here. ... This article is about the music genre. ...

Unlike some other British Invasion bands, the Hollies were also accomplished in concert, as indicated by their 1977 Live Hits album recorded in Christchurch, New Zealand the previous year. The album included effective performances of lesser-known songs such as Hicks' working-class portrayal "Too Young to Be Married", which reached #1 in several overseas territories, though never released as such in the UK or US (Biography, 2002). Ironically, their American label, Epic Records ended up passing on the Live Hits that would have reached out to old and new audiences. It received enthusiastic reviews in numerous American magazines and newspapers as a Canadian import. Apparently, Epic made a decision that The Hollies would never sell large numbers of LPs regardless of how big their hits were and subsequently minimized their marketing efforts, essentially running out the clock on their contract ((Unterberger & Eder, 2005^[3]). Epic Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony BMG. // Epic was launched originally as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 by CBS. Its bright-yellow, black and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. ...

The '80s and beyond

In 1981 Calvert and Sylvester left and were replaced by Alan Coates and Ray Stiles, respectively. Sensing major problems ahead, EMI suggested they put together a Stars On 45-type segued single. The ensuing "Holliedaze" was a hit and returned them to the UK Top 30 (Rock, 2000). Nash and Haydock briefly rejoined to promote the record on Top of the Pops. The Hollies received a small boost in press interest in America when Graham Nash decided to reunite with the Hollies. They found worldwide success with an update of the Supremes classic "Stop! In The Name Of Love", which reached No. 29 in 1983; subsequently, the group recorded an album, What Goes Around. The next year, a live album featuring the Clarke-Hicks-Elliott-Nash regrouping was released, entitled Reunion. However, this proved a false start, the album received reviews, but they were often negative, and a tour by this line-up had to be hastily re-booked into smaller halls (Unterberger & Eder, 2005). "He Ain't Heavy" was reissued in the UK in 1988 and reached No. 1 after its use in a Miller lite beer commercial, thus establishing a new record for the length of time between chart-topping singles for one artist of 23 years (Biography, 2002). Cover of Greatest Stars on 45 Stars on 45 (known in some countries as Starsound) were a Dutch novelty pop act that was briefly very popular in the UK, Europe and the U.S. in the very early 1980s. ... Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart television programme, made and broadcast by the BBC. It was originally shown each week, mostly on BBC One, from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. ... Stop! In the Name of Love is a 1965 number-one single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label. ... For other uses, see Miller (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Beer (disambiguation). ...

Although The Hollies continue to tour and record today, with only two original members, Hicks and Elliot, there really is no public demand for new recordings, and by the 1990s they had ceased recording regularly. Ian Parker joined the group on keyboards circa 1990. In 1993, they were given an Ivor Novello award in honor of their contribution to British music. The group was also the subject of a tribute album, Sing Hollies In Reverse, in 1995. It featured alternative-rock figures like the Posies and Material Issue. In the same year they also reunited with Graham Nash to record a new version of "Peggy Sue Got Married" for a Buddy Holly tribute album. The track featured new harmonies and instrumentation over the original Buddy Holly lead vocal. Nash apparently remains on friendly terms with his former bandmates to this day. Ian Parker, (born in Irvine, Ayrshire, sw Scotland on the 26 November 1953) is a Scottish keyboard player. ... The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards awarded for songwriting and composing. ... The Posies are an American alternative rock group that was formed in 1986 in Seattle, Washington and broke up in 2000, then reformed in 2004. ... Material Issue was a power pop trio from Chicago. ... Graham Nash on cover of his recording, Wild Tales, 1973 Graham William Nash (born February 2, 1942) is an English-born singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and songwriting contributions in pop group The Hollies and folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and as a photography collector... Peggy Sue Got Married is a 1986 comedy / drama film which tells the story of a woman, on the verge of divorce, who finds herself transplanted back to the days of her senior year in high school. ... For the Weezer song, see Buddy Holly (song). ...

In 2000, Clarke decided to retire, leaving Hicks and Elliott as the last two remaining original members of the group, if you don't count Steele and Rathbone, who were pre-hits. A case can be made that no original members now exist.

In 2003, EMI Records recognized the Hollies' musical significance with a six-CD box set, The Long Road Home: 1963-2003, covering every era and major line-up in the group's history (Unterberger & Eder, 2005).

After Clarke's retirement, he was replaced by Carl Wayne, former lead singer of The Move. Wayne only recorded one song with them, "How Do I Survive", before his untimely death from cancer in 2004, and was replaced by Peter Howarth, who had worked for many years with Cliff Richard and had starred in a national tour of The Roy Orbison Story. Carl Wayne (August 18, 1943 - August 31, 2004), real name Colin David Tooley, singer and actor, was best remembered as the lead vocalist of Birmingham rock group The Move during the 1960s. ... The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England. ... Peter Howarth (born 3 May 1960 in England) is the current lead singer of the British band The Hollies, joining in October 2004. ... Sir Cliff Richard OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb on 14 October 1940) is an English singer, actor and businessman. ... Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), nicknamed The Big O, was an influential Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, guitarist and a pioneer of rock and roll whose recording career spanned more than four decades. ...

The Hollies have recently completed a new studio album, their first since 1983, Staying Power, trailed by the singles "Hope" and "So Damn Beautiful", was released in 2006. (Biography, 2002).

The Hollies 1973 cover of Judee Sill's "Jesus Was A Cross Maker" (ironically, a song that Graham Nash produced) was featured in Cameron Crowe's 2005 movie Elizabethtown. Judee Sill (October 7, 1944 - November 23, 1979) was an American singer and songwriter. ... Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an Academy Award winning American writer and film director. ... Elizabethtown is a 2005 film written and directed by Cameron Crowe. ...

In 2007, The Hollies were voted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame.

Line-up

Allan Clarke (born 5 April 1942 in Salford, England) was one of the founding members of The Hollies. ... Graham Nash on cover of his recording, Wild Tales, 1973 Graham William Nash (born February 2, 1942) is an English-born singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and songwriting contributions in pop group The Hollies and folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and as a photography collector... Eric Haydockwas the original bass guitarist with The Hollies from 1963 till 1966. ... The Hollies in 1964 The Hollies are a British rock and roll band formed in the early 1960s. ... “Hollies” redirects here. ... Bernie Calvert born Sep 16, 1942, Brierfield, Lancashire England played bass guitar with The Hollies from 1966 till 1980. ... Terry Sylvester (born 8 January 1946 in Liverpool), lead singer with The Escorts, The Swinging Blue Jeans (1966-69) and The Hollies: He replaced Graham Nash who left the band in December 1968. ... Mikael Rickfors born on December 4th 1948, was a member of the Swedish band Bamboo from 1967-1970. ... Pete Wingfield is a British music producer, keyboard player and journalist. ... Ian Parker, (born in Irvine, Ayrshire, sw Scotland on the 26 November 1953) is a Scottish keyboard player. ... Carl Wayne (August 18, 1943 - August 31, 2004), real name Colin David Tooley, singer and actor, was best remembered as the lead vocalist of Birmingham rock group The Move during the 1960s. ... Peter Howarth (born 3 May 1960 in England) is the current lead singer of the British band The Hollies, joining in October 2004. ...

Discography

See The Hollies discography

The Hollies discography // Stay with the Hollies (1964) In the Hollies Style (1964) Hollies (1965) Would You Believe? (1966) For Certain Because (1966) Evolution (1967) Butterfly (1967) The Hollies Greatest (1968 compilation album) Hollies Sing Dylan (1969) Hollies Sing Hollies (1969) Reflection (1969) Confessions Of The Mind (1970) Distant Light...

US Success (or lack of it)

Over the years, much has been written about the fact that The Hollies had substantially less chart success in the U.S. than they did in the UK, and most other countries.

Part of the problem lies is that at the start, they were covering songs that had been big hits in the US. Only obscure US songs that were covered by the British groups had much success. Second, Imperial did not push the group at the beginning and great songs like "Here I Go Again", "We're Through", "I'm Alive" and "Yes I Will" were largely ignored. However, starting with "Look Through Any Window" and going straight through "Carrie-Anne", The Hollies became quite a successful group in the US. By that time, they had left Imperial for Epic and although Epic did manage success with the more major singles ("Jennifer Eccles", "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "The Air That I Breathe"), Epic simply issued too many singles and didn't promote them very well. They did have the fluke monster hit "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)", but it came at a time when The Hollies temporaily lost Allan Clarke as their lead singer and subsequent singles were not getting airplay.

It might be suggested that The Hollies didn't have the same image that they had elsewhere. (In most other countries, The Hollies were looked upon as one of the major groups in the UK and there lots of excitement for each single. In the US, however, their image was much less and each time, they had to compete for airplay.)

Notes

References

• Artist Profile. (2004). The Hollies. Retrieved September 1, 2006, from Rockphiles Web site: www.rockphiles.com
• Rock and Roll Biographies. (2000). The Hollies. Retrieved August 31, 2006, from Classicbands Web site: http://www.classicbands.com/hollies.html

External links

• Official band site
• The Legends of the Sixties Featuring Eric Haydock
• Hollies Tribute site Fan site