HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
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 Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are simultaneously sung as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical ...
style. Singer Allan Clarke and rhythm guitarist/singer
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 ...
founded the band as a Merseybeat-type group in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, although some of the band members came from towns further north, in east
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
. Nash left the group in 1968 to co-form Crosby, Stills & Nash, though he has reunited with the Hollies on occasion. As well as Clarke and Nash other members have included lead guitarist Tony Hicks, rhythm guitarist Terry Sylvester (who replaced Nash), bassists Eric Haydock and Bernie Calvert, and drummers Don Rathbone and Bobby Elliott. The Hollies enjoyed considerable popularity in the UK and Europe during the mid-1960s with a string of hits that included " Just One Look", " Here I Go Again" (both 1964), " I'm Alive" (1965; their first of two UK number ones), " Look Through Any Window" (1965) and " I Can't Let Go" (1966), although they did not achieve US chart success until "
Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where Public transport bus service, buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelter (building), shelters ...
" was released in 1966. The group went on to have periodic success on both sides of the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
over the next decade with hits such as " Stop Stop Stop" (1966), " On a Carousel", " Carrie Anne" (both 1967), " He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (1969), " Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" (1972) and " The Air That I Breathe" (1974). "He Ain't Heavy" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart following a 1988 re-release. Overall, the Hollies had over 30 charting singles reach the UK Singles Chart, 22 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and 21 on the chart of '' RPM'' magazine in Canada. The Hollies are one of the few UK groups of the early 1960s, along with
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
, who have never disbanded and continue to record and perform. In recognition of their achievements, the Hollies were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
in 2010.The band's lineup in the Hall of Fame includes only the seven band members from 1964 through 1971. The most famous member during this time was Graham Nash, who went on to form Crosby, Stills & Nash in the US
Letterman update
''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'', 17 December 2009


Origin

The Hollies originated as a duo formed by Allan Clarke and
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 ...
, who were best friends from primary school and began performing together during the
skiffle Skiffle is a music genre, genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, Country music, country, Bluegrass music, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. ...
craze of the late 1950s. Dawn Eden, 30th Anniversary essay, March 1993, in ''30th Anniversary Collection''. Eventually Clarke and Nash became a vocal-and-guitar duo modelled on American duo
the Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close-harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly and Phillip "Phil" Everly, the duo combined elements of rock and roll, country, ...
, working as "Ricky and Dane Young"; under this name they teamed up with a local band, the Fourtones, consisting of Pete Bocking on guitar, John 'Butch' Mepham on bass, Keith Bates on drums, and Derek Quinn on guitar. When Quinn quit to join Freddie and the Dreamers in 1962, Clarke and Nash also quit and joined another Manchester band, the Deltas, consisting of Vic Steele on lead guitar, Eric Haydock on bass guitar, and Don Rathbone on drums, which had just lost two members including
Eric Stewart Eric Michael Stewart (born 20 January 1945) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known as a founding member of the rock groups the Mindbenders with whom he played from 1963 to 1968, and likewise of ...
, who left to join a "professional" band, the Mindbenders. During these periods the group were managed and promoted by Michael Cohen, a music enthusiast and clothing retailer from Oldham. The Deltas first called themselves the Hollies for a December 1962 gig at the Oasis Club in Manchester. It has been suggested that Eric Haydock named the group in relation to a Christmas holly garland, though in a 2009 interview Graham Nash said that the group decided just prior to a performance to call themselves the Hollies because of their admiration for
Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...
. In 2009, Nash wrote, "We called ourselves The Hollies, after Buddy and Christmas."


1963–1968

In January 1963, the Hollies performed at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where they were seen by
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 ...
assistant producer Ron Richards, who had been involved in producing the first
Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
session. Richards offered them an audition with Parlophone, but Steele did not want to be a "professional" musician and left the band in April 1963. For the audition, they brought in Tony Hicks to replace the departing Steele. Hicks played in a Nelson band called the Dolphins, which also featured Bobby Elliott on drums and Bernie Calvert on bass. Not only were the Hollies signed by Richards, who continued to produce the band until 1976 and once more in 1979, but a song from the audition, a cover of
the Coasters The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. With hits including "Searchin'", "Young Blood (The Coasters song), Young Blood", "Charlie Brown (The Coasters song), Charlie Bro ...
' 1961 single "(Ain't That) Just Like Me", was released as their debut single in May 1963 and hit No. 25 on the UK Singles Chart. Their second single, another Coasters cover, this time 1957's " Searchin'", hit No. 12. At this point, after recording only eight songs for Parlophone, Rathbone also decided to leave the band, and Hicks was able to arrange for his Dolphins bandmate Bobby Elliott to replace him as the Hollies' new drummer in August 1963. They then scored their first British Top 10 hit in early 1964 with a cover of Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs' "Stay", which reached No. 8 in the UK. It was lifted from the band's Parlophone debut album, '' Stay with the Hollies'', released on 1 January 1964, which went to No. 2 on the UK album chart. The Hollies became known for making cover versions, and they followed up with " Just One Look" (February 1964, UK No. 2), a song that had already had top 10 success in the US for Soul star Doris Troy. The hits continued with " Here I Go Again" (May 1964, UK No. 4). At this point, there was some North American interest in the group, and versions of ''Stay with the Hollies'', with these two singles added, were issued in both Canada (by
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
) and the US (by Imperial Records), with the title changed to ''Here I Go Again''. Like their Parlophone labelmates the Beatles, the Hollies' albums released in North America remained very different from their UK counterparts. By this time, the Hollies were writing and performing a substantial amount of original material, written by the group's songwriting team of Clarke, Nash, and Hicks, and producer Richards finally permitted the group to release its first self-penned hit, "We're Through" (Sep. 1964, UK No. 7) (credited to a pseudonym, "L. Ransford", the name of Graham Nash's grandfather, as were all their early compositions). This was followed by two more cover versions, "Yes I Will" (Jan. 1965, UK No. 9) and finally the Clint Ballard, Jr.-penned " I'm Alive" (May 1965, the band's first UK No. 1, US No. 103, Canada No. 11). Their second album, '' In the Hollies Style'' (1964), did not feature in the ''
Record Retailer ''Record Retailer'' was the only music trade newspaper for the UK record industry. It was founded in August 1959 as a monthly newspaper covering both labels and dealers. Its founding editor was Roy Parker (who died on 27 December 1964). The ti ...
'' top ten album chart, although it did reach the top ten of the ''
New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a " rock inkie", the ''NME'' would become a maga ...
'' chart. None of the tracks from the album were released in the US, although a version of it was released in Canada, with the addition of the British singles. Finally, the Hollies broke through in North America with an original song that they requested from Manchester's Graham Gouldman. " Look Through Any Window" (September 1965, UK No. 4) broke the Hollies into the US Top 40 (No. 32, Jan. 1966) and into the Canadian top 10 (No. 3, Jan. 1966), both for the first time. Their follow-up single, an original recording of George Harrison's new song " If I Needed Someone" (December 1965), was undercut when the Beatles decided to release their own version on the UK album '' Rubber Soul''; it only reached No. 20 in the UK and was not released in North America. Their third album, simply called '' Hollies'', hit No. 8 in the UK in 1965 but, under the name ''Hear! Here!'', failed to chart in the US despite its inclusion of "Look Through Any Window" and "I'm Alive". The Hollies then returned to the UK Top 10 with " I Can't Let Go" (Feb. 1966, UK No. 2, US No. 42). Their fourth album, '' Would You Believe?'' which included the hit, made it to No. 16 in 1966. Released in the US as ''Beat Group!'', it also failed to crack the US top 100. At this point, a dispute between the Hollies and their management broke out over what bass guitarist Eric Haydock contended were excessive fees being charged to the group by management. As a result, Haydock decided to take a leave of absence from the group. While he was gone, the group brought in
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' good friend
Klaus Voormann Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German graphic artist, artist, musician, and record producer. Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, includ ...
to play on a few gigs and recorded two singles with fill-ins on bass: the Burt Bacharach- Hal David song "After the Fox" (Sep. 1966), which featured
Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show''. Sellers featured on a number of hit comi ...
on vocals, Jack Bruce on electric bass and Burt Bacharach himself on keyboards, and was the theme song from the Sellers film of the same name (which failed to chart), and "
Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where Public transport bus service, buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelter (building), shelters ...
" (UK No. 5, US No. 5, June 1966), another Gouldman song, which featured Bernie Calvert, a former bandmate of Hicks and Elliott in the Dolphins, on bass. Calvert also played a tour of
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
with the band in May 1966. "Bus Stop" gave the Hollies their first US top ten single. As a result, a US/Canadian ''
Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where Public transport bus service, buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelter (building), shelters ...
'' album, made of the single mixed with unreleased songs from earlier in the band's career, climbed to No. 75—the group's first album to enter the US Top 100. Although Haydock ultimately proved to be correct about the fee dispute, he was sacked in early July 1966 in favour of Calvert after "Bus Stop" became a huge hit. At the time of Haydock's departure, Clarke, Nash and Hicks participated (along with session guitarist
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...
, bass guitarist
John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...
and pianist
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
) in the recording of
the Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close-harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly and Phillip "Phil" Everly, the duo combined elements of rock and roll, country, ...
' 1966 album '' Two Yanks in England'', which consisted largely of covers of "L. Ransford" compositions. After the Everly Brothers album, the Hollies stopped publishing original songs under a pseudonym, and from this point until Nash's last single with the Hollies in 1968, all of their single A-sides were original compositions, except the final Nash era single 'Listen To Me' (1968) which was written by Tony Hazzard. In October 1966, the group's fifth album, '' For Certain Because'' (UK No. 23, 1966), became their first album consisting entirely of original compositions by Clarke, Nash and Hicks. Released in the US as ''Stop! Stop! Stop!'', it reached No. 91 there and spawned a US release-only single, "Pay You Back with Interest", which was a modest hit, peaking at No. 28. Another track, "Tell Me to My Face", was a moderate hit by Mercury artist Keith, and was also covered a decade later by Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg on their '' Twin Sons of Different Mothers'' album. Meanwhile, the Hollies continued to release a steady stream of international hit singles: " Stop Stop Stop" (Oct. 1966, UK No. 2, US No. 7) from '' For Certain Because'', known for its distinctive
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin. ...
arrangement; " On a Carousel" (Feb. 1967; UK No. 4, 1967, US No. 11, Australia No. 14); " Carrie Anne" (May 1967, UK No. 3, US No. 9, Australia No. 7). In mid-February 1967, Bobby Elliott collapsed on stage due to an inflamed appendix. The Hollies were forced to continue their touring commitments without him, using Tony Mansfield, Dougie Wright and Tony Newman as stand-ins for further live dates, and Wright, Mitch Mitchell and Clem Cattini when they began recording for their next album, ''
Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
'', which was released on 1 June 1967, the same day as the Beatles' '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was also their first album for their new US label
Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
, and reached No. 13 in the UK and No. 43 in the US. The US version included the single "Carrie Anne". In addition,
the Searchers ''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas–Indian wars, and stars John Wayne as a middle-aged Civil War v ...
and Paul & Barry Ryan each had a minor UK chart hit covering the ''Evolution'' song "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" in 1967. Also in 1967, the Hollies participated in the Festival di San Remo with the song ''Non prego per me'', written by Italian songwriter Lucio Battisti and Italian lyricist Mogol. Nash's attempt to expand the band's range with a more ambitious composition, " King Midas in Reverse", only reached No. 18 in the UK charts. The Hollies then released the ambitious, psychedelic 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 ...
'', retitled for the US market as ''King Midas in Reverse/Dear Eloise'', but it failed to chart. In response, Clarke and Nash wrote a more conventional pop song, " Jennifer Eccles" (named after their wives) (Mar. 1968, UK No. 7, US No. 40, Australia No. 13), which was a hit. The Hollies donated a Clarke-Nash song, "Wings", to ''
No One's Gonna Change Our World ''No One's Gonna Change Our World'' is a charity album released in the United Kingdom on 12 December 1969 for the benefit of the World Wildlife Fund. The compilation, assembled by comedian Spike Milligan, includes two tracks from Milligan and on ...
'', a charity album in aid of the
World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the ...
, in 1969.


Graham Nash departure

In addition to his Hollies work, Graham Nash co-wrote John Walker's first solo hit "Annabella" in 1967, and the following year sang on the Scaffold's UK chart-topper, " Lily the Pink" (which referenced "Jennifer Eccles"). The failure of "King Midas in Reverse" had increased tension within the band, with Clarke and Hicks wanting to record more "pop" material than Nash did. Matters reached a head when the band rejected Nash's " Marrakesh Express" and then decided to record an album made up entirely of
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
covers. Nash did take part in one Dylan cover, " Blowin' in the Wind", but made no secret of his disdain for the idea and repeatedly clashed with producer Ron Richards. In August 1968, the Hollies recorded "Listen to Me" (written by Tony Hazzard) (Sept. 1968, UK No. 11), which featured Nicky Hopkins on piano. That proved to be Nash's last recording session with the Hollies; he officially left the group to move to Los Angeles, where he tentatively planned to become primarily a songwriter, after a performance in a charity concert at the
London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...
on 8 December 1968. Nash told '' Disc'' magazine, "I can't take touring any more. I just want to sit at home and write songs. I don't really care what the rest of the group think." After relocating to Los Angeles, he joined with former
Buffalo Springfield Buffalo Springfield was a Canadian-American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1966 by Canadians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin (musician), Dewey Martin and Americans Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. The group, widely know ...
guitarist Stephen Stills and ex- Byrds singer and guitarist
David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelic music, psych ...
to form one of the first supergroups, Crosby, Stills & Nash, which released "Marrakesh Express" as its debut single. The B-side of "Listen to Me" was "Do the Best You Can", the last original recording of a Clarke-Hicks-Nash song to appear on a Hollies record (although "Survival of the Fittest", written by Clarke-Hicks-Nash, was re-cut with Terry Sylvester and issued as a US single in 1970). Graham Nash was replaced in the Hollies in January 1969 by Terry Sylvester, formerly of the Escorts and the Swinging Blue Jeans. Sylvester also substituted for Nash as part of the group's songwriting team, with Clarke and Hicks. As planned before Nash's departure, the group's next album was '' Hollies Sing Dylan'', which reached No. 3 on the UK chart, while the US version, ''Words and Music by Bob Dylan'', was ignored. Nash's departure saw the Hollies again turn to outside writers for their single A-sides, but the group's British chart fortunes rallied during 1969 and 1970, and they scored four consecutive UK Top 20 hits (including two consecutive Top 5 placings) in this period, beginning with the Geoff Stephens/Tony Macaulay song, " Sorry Suzanne" (Feb. 1969), which reached No. 3 in the UK. The follow-up was the emotional ballad " He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell, which featured the piano playing of
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
; it reached No. 3 in the UK in October 1969, and No. 7 in the US in March 1970. The next album '' Hollies Sing Hollies'' did not chart in the UK, but did well in the US—where it reached No. 32 after being retitled ''He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'' and including that song—and in Canada.


1970s

The Hollies' next single, " I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top", again featured the young Elton John on piano and reached UK No. 7 in May 1970, charting in twelve countries. The UK hits continued with "Gasoline Alley Bred" (written by Cook/Greenaway/Macaulay) (Oct. 1970, UK No. 14, Australia No. 20), while the Tony Hicks song "Too Young to Be Married" – merely an album track in the UK and the US – became a No. 1 single in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia, also reaching No. 9 in Singapore. Allan Clarke's hard-edged rocker "Hey Willy" made No. 22 in the UK in 1971 and charted in eight other countries. Like Graham Nash before him, frontman Allan Clarke by 1971 was growing frustrated, and he too began clashing with producer Ron Richards over material; after seeing Nash's success since departing, he was eager to leave the group and cut a solo album. After the 1971 album '' Distant Light'', which concluded the band's EMI/Parlophone contract in the UK (and reached No. 21 on the American ''Billboard'' chart), Clarke departed from the Hollies in December. The Hollies signed with
Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
for the UK/Europe in 1972, although their US contract with Epic still had three more albums to run. Swedish singer Mikael Rickfors, formerly of the group Bamboo (who had supported the Hollies in Sweden in 1967), was quickly recruited by the rest of the band and sang lead on the group's first Polydor single "The Baby" (UK No. 26, March 1972). When Mikael first auditioned for them, he tried to sing in Allan Clarke's higher vocal range, and the results were terrible. Circus Magazine, May 1973. – "Romany – The Hollies Hop Over Disaster" by Janis Schacht. The rest of the group decided it might be better to record songs with him starting from scratch. Terry Sylvester and Tony Hicks blended with Rickfors' baritone voice instead of him trying to imitate Clarke's tenor voice. Meanwhile, in a counter-programming move, Parlophone lifted a Clarke-composed track from the previously unsuccessful album '' Distant Light'' that also featured Clarke on lead vocals and lead guitar, the
Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival, commonly abbreviated as CCR or simply Creedence, was an American Rock music, rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty, h ...
-inspired " Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress". Parlophone released this as a rival single to "The Baby" in February 1972, although it was only moderately successful in the UK (No. 32). In the US, Epic, which owned the rights to ''Distant Light'' but had not released it, finally released the album in April 1972 and the single in May 1972. Surprisingly, the song became a smash hit outside of Europe, peaking at No. 2 in the US (the Hollies' highest-charting single in the US) and Australia. "Long Dark Road" is another track from ''Distant Light'', with lead vocals by Clarke. It was released as a US single in fall 1972, reaching No. 26. Meanwhile, the Rickfors-led Hollies released their first album '' Romany'' (which reached No. 84 in the US) in October 1972. A second Rickfors-sung single, "Magic Woman Touch" (1972), failed to chart in the UK, becoming the band's first official single to miss the UK charts since 1963, although it did chart in seven other countries, reaching the Top Ten in the Netherlands, New Zealand and Hong Kong. A second Rickfors/Hollies album, '' Out on the Road'' (1973), was recorded and issued in Germany. Clarke rejoined the band in the summer of 1973, and Rickfors left. After Clarke's return, the Hollies returned to the UK Top 30 with a song penned by Clarke: "The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee" (UK No. 24, 1973). In 1974 they scored what was to be their last major new US and UK hit single with the Albert Hammond/ Mike Hazlewood-composed love song " The Air That I Breathe" (previously recorded by Hammond and by Phil Everly on his 1973 solo album, ''Star Spangled Springer''), which reached No. 2 in the UK and Australia and made the Top 10 in the US. The single "Another Night", produced by Alan Parsons, which was released after the aforementioned single, appeared on ''Billboard'' Rock Singles Best Sellers chart at no. 32 on 28 July 1975 and peaked at no. 71 on the publication's Hot 100. After the US failure of the Hollies' single " 4th of July, Asbury Park", written by
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
, Epic gave up on the Hollies in the US, combining their two 1976 albums into their last US release of the decade, ''Clarke, Hicks, Sylvester, Calvert, Elliott''. The Hollies continued to have singles chart hits during the rest of the seventies, although mostly in Europe as well as in New Zealand where they performed and recorded in 1975/76. In 1976, for example, the group released three singles in three different styles, none of which charted in the UK or the US. "Star" charted only in New Zealand and Australia, "Daddy Don't Mind" charted only in the Netherlands and Germany, and "Wiggle That Wotsit" charted only in the Netherlands, Sweden, and New Zealand.


1980s–1990

In 1980, the Hollies returned to the UK charts with the single "Soldier's Song", written and produced by Mike Batt, which was a minor hit in 1980 reaching No. 58 in the UK. They also released an album of
Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...
covers named ''Buddy Holly''. In May 1981, Calvert and Sylvester left the group. Alan Coates joined the band on rhythm guitar and high harmony vocals shortly afterwards. The Hollies went back into the studio on 6 June 1981 with singer/writer/guitarist John Miles and session bassist Alan Jones to record "Carrie" and "Driver". But neither one of these songs was released at this time ("Carrie" appeared as the B-side of the re-released "He Ain't Heavy" in 1988). In August 1981, the remaining Hollies released "Holliedaze" on EMI, a medley edited together by Tony Hicks from their hit records, which returned them to the UK Top 30. At the request of the BBC, Nash and Haydock briefly rejoined in September 1981 to promote the record on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
''. The Hollies issued their last Polydor single "Take My Love and Run" (written by keyboard player Brian Chatton, who also appeared with the Hollies while they promoted the single on TV) in November 1981, but this failed to chart. Graham Nash joined them for the recording of an Alan Tarney song, "Somethin' Ain't Right", on 10 September 1982, which led to a proper reunion album, '' What Goes Around...'', issued on WEA Records. Nash continued appearing with the Hollies through early 1984, culminating in the Hollies' last hit in the US Top 40 with a remake of
the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
' " Stop in the Name of Love", which reached No. 29 in 1983. "Stop in the Name of Love" was taken from ''What Goes Around...'', which was released in July 1983 and charted in the US on the ''Billboard'' top 200 albums at No. 90. A live album featuring the Clarke-Hicks-Elliott-Nash re-grouping, ''Reunion'', was recorded at Kings Island Amusement Park in Ohio, during a US tour that followed that same year, finally being issued first in 1997 as ''Archive Alive'', then retitled ''Reunion'' (with two extra tracks) in 2004. The Hollies continued to tour and perform through the 1980s. After its use in a TV beer commercial (for
Miller Lite Miller Lite is a 4.2% ABV reduced calorie light American lager beer produced by Molson Coors. It was introduced in 1973 in limited markets by the Miller Brewing Company (then owned by Philip Morris, Inc.) and began being distributed nationa ...
lager) in 1988, "He Ain't Heavy" was reissued in the UK and reached No. 1. By this time, bassist Ray Stiles, formerly a member of 1970s
glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...
group
Mud Mud (, or Middle Dutch) is loam, silt or clay mixed with water. Mud is usually formed after rainfall or near water sources. Ancient mud deposits hardened over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone (generally cal ...
, had joined the permanent line-up. A compilation album, ''All the Hits & More: The Definitive Collection'', was released in 1988 and charted in the UK.


1990s–present

In 1993, the Hollies had their 30th anniversary as a band. A compilation album, ''The Air That I Breathe: The Very Best of the Hollies'', charted at No. 15 in the UK. This album included a new single, "The Woman I Love", which charted at No. 42 in the UK. Graham Nash again reunited with the Hollies to record a new version of "Peggy Sue Got Married" that featured prerecorded lead vocals by Buddy Holly, taken from an 'alternate' version of the song given to Nash by Holly's widow, María Elena Holly. This "Buddy Holly & the Hollies" recording opened the ''Not Fade Away'' tribute album to Holly by various artists. The Hollies also continued to tour and make TV appearances. The Hollies were awarded an
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
in 1995 for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. Allan Clarke retired in February 2000. He was replaced by Carl Wayne, former lead singer of
the Move The Move were a British Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1965. They scored nine Top 40, top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any real success in the United States. For most of ...
. A New Zealand ''Hollies Greatest Hits'' compilation made No. 1 in that country in 2001, dislodging the Beatles' '' 1'' collection from the top spot. While re-establishing the band as a touring attraction over 2000 to mid-2004, Carl Wayne only recorded one song with them, " How Do I Survive?" the last (and only new) track on the 2003 ''Greatest Hits'' (which reached No. 21 on the UK Albums Chart). After Wayne's death from cancer in August 2004, he was replaced by Peter Howarth. Shortly afterward, Alan Coates left the band and was replaced by Steve Lauri. The Hollies charted at No. 21 in the UK in 2003 with the compilation album ''Greatest Hits'' from EMI in CD format. (EMI has released most of the Hollies' EMI music on CD over the past 25 years.) The Hollies were inducted into the 'Vocal Group Hall of Fame' in the US in 2006. Also in 2006, the Hollies' first new studio album since 1983, ''Staying Power'', was released by EMI featuring Peter Howarth on lead vocals. The group released a studio album, ''Then, Now, Always'', in late March 2009, again featuring Peter Howarth on lead vocals. The album was later given an official release by EMI in 2010 with the addition of an extra original song, "She'd Kill for Me". In recognition of their achievements, the Hollies were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. In the same year, a compilation album, ''Midas Touch: The Very Best of the Hollies'', charted in the UK at No. 23. In 2012, the Hollies released ''Hollies Live Hits! We Got the Tunes!'', a live double CD featuring the Hollies' live performances recorded during the band's 2012 UK tour. In 2013, the Hollies' 50th year was packed with a worldwide 50th Anniversary Concert Tour performing over 60 concerts. In 2014, EMI released a 3CD compilation; ''50 at Fifty'' which concluded with one new song; "Skylarks" written by Bobby Elliott, Peter Howarth and Steve Vickers. Original bassist Eric Haydock died on 5 January 2019 at the age of 75. During 2021, two new books were published, each detailing the career of the band. The first was Bobby Elliott's autobiography ''It Ain't Heavy, It's My Story'', which told the story through his own perspective. The second was by UK author Malcolm C. Searles, entitled ''Riding the Carousel'', which covered the entire career of the group across its 600 pages. Original drummer Don Rathbone died in September 2024 at the age of 87.


In the United States

The Hollies were one of the last of the major
British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...
groups to have significant chart success in the United States. Their first single was not issued in the US and, although they had a minor US hit in 1964 with " Just One Look", it was not until "Look Through Any Window" that the band reached the US Top 40. Many of their early singles that had been major hits in the UK, including " Here I Go Again", " I'm Alive", " Yes I Will" and "We're Through", failed to even reach the Top 100 in the US. From 1966 until after they signed to Epic in 1967, the band had their most concentrated success in the US, including four Top 15 songs ("
Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where Public transport bus service, buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelter (building), shelters ...
", " Stop Stop Stop", " On a Carousel", and " Carrie Anne"). After this streak ended, they had a few more huge hits: " He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (No. 7, 1969), " Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" (No. 2, 1972), and " The Air That I Breathe" (No. 6, 1974). Additional US chart hits were the non-UK singles "Pay You Back with Interest" (No. 28, 1966), "Dear Eloise" (No. 50 in 1967), "Long Dark Road" (No. 26, 1972), and the "reunion" single "
Stop! In the Name of Love "Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 song recorded by the Supremes for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Stop! In the Name of Love" held the number 1 position on the Billboard ...
" (No. 29, 1983).


Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

In 2010, the Hollies were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
.Congratulations to the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees!"
Rockhall.com, 17 December 2009
The band members inducted were Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Tony Hicks, Eric Haydock, Bobby Elliott, Bernie Calvert, and Terry Sylvester.


Band members

* Tony Hicks – lead guitar, backing vocals (1963–present) * Bobby Elliott – drums, percussion (1963–present) * Ray Stiles – bass, backing vocals (1986–1990, 1991–present) * Ian Parker – keyboards, backing vocals (1991–present) * Peter Howarth – lead vocals, acoustic guitar (2004–present) * Steve Lauri – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2004–present)


Discography

* '' Stay with the Hollies'' (1964) * '' In the Hollies Style'' (1964) * '' Hollies'' (1965) * '' Would You Believe?'' (1966) * '' For Certain Because'' (1966) * ''
Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
'' (1967) * ''
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 ...
'' (1967) * '' Hollies Sing Dylan'' (1969) * '' Hollies Sing Hollies'' (1969) * '' Confessions of the Mind'' (1970) * '' Distant Light'' (1971) * '' Romany'' (1972) * '' Out on the Road'' (1973) * '' The Hollies' Greatest Hits'' (1973) * '' Hollies'' (1974) * '' Another Night'' (1975) * '' Write On'' (1976) * '' Russian Roulette'' (1976) * '' A Crazy Steal'' (1978) * '' Five Three One-Double Seven o Four'' (1979) * ''Buddy Holly'' (1980) * '' What Goes Around...'' (1983) * ''Staying Power'' (2006) * ''Then, Now, Always'' (2009)


References


External links

*
The Legends of the Sixties

Scandinavian Hollies site


*
Riding the Carousel
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hollies, The English pop music groups English soft rock music groups Musical groups from Manchester Musical groups established in 1962 Beat groups British Invasion artists Parlophone artists Imperial Records artists Liberty Records artists Polydor Records artists Epic Records artists Capitol Records artists Ivor Novello Award winners Graham Nash Hansa Records artists 1962 establishments in England English musical quintets