"King Midas in Reverse" is a song by English pop group

the Hollies The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in Manchester in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and ...

, written by

Graham Nash Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is a British and American musician, singer and songwriter. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills ...

but credited to Allan Clarke, Nash and

Tony Hicks Anthony Christopher Hicks (born 16 December 1945) is an English guitarist and singer who has been a member of the British rock/pop band the Hollies since 1963, and as such was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. His main rol ...

. It was released as a single in September 1967 in anticipation of the band's album ''

Butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

''.

Musical style

The track was a departure in style and influenced by Graham Nash's visits to America. Nash wanted to take the band in a new direction which was resisted by other members of the band, and this led to his departure and move to the United States. It was released in the UK on the

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...

label (R5637) and in the US on the Epic label (10234). While a critical success, the song was a commercial failure by the Hollies' standards, prompting them to write and record the more commercial song " Jennifer Eccles" for their next single.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that it's "a crashing folk-drenched rock side with heavy push in the rhythm section and some fine group vocal work" that also has "stunning production." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' called it a "compelling rock ballad about a destructive young chap.."

Charts

Cover versions

*Nash performed the song in his solo part of concerts with

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) was a folk rock Supergroup (music), supergroup comprising the American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and the English-American singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by the Canadian singer-so ...

, the band Nash joined after the Hollies, during their 1970 tours. It appears on the 1992 reissue of their album '' 4 Way Street''. *DCL Locomotive, a spinoff of the post-punk band The Cravats, released their version of the song as a 12" single in 1984. *

The Posies The Posies were an American rock band. The band was formed in 1986 in Bellingham, Washington, United States, by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. Their music has its origins in Merseybeat and the Hollies. They are influ ...

covered the song in 1995 for the tribute album '' Sing Hollies in Reverse''.

In film

The song features in ''

The Limey ''The Limey'' is a 1999 American crime film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Lem Dobbs. The film features Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán, Barry Newman, Nicky Katt, and Peter Fonda. The plot concerns an English care ...

'', when Peter Fonda's character, an ageing record producer, is introduced.

References

{{authority control 1967 songs The Hollies songs Parlophone singles Songs written by Graham Nash Songs written by Allan Clarke (singer) Songs written by Tony Hicks