Jump to navigation Jump to search “Hollies” redirects here. US russian magic singles success until 1966 with “Bus Stop”.
They are one of the few British groups of the early 1960s, along with the Rolling Stones, that 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 in 2010. The Hollies originated as a duo formed by Allan Clarke and Graham Nash, who were best friends from primary school and began performing together during the skiffle craze of the late 1950s. The Deltas first called themselves “The Hollies” for a December 1962 gig at the Oasis Club in Manchester. In January 1963, the Hollies performed at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where they were seen by Parlophone assistant producer Ron Richards, who had been involved in producing the first Beatles session.
Their second single, another cover of the Coasters, this time 1957’s “Searchin'”, hit No. 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. 10 success in the US for one-hit wonder Doris Troy. Finally, the Hollies broke through in North America with an original song that they requested from Manchester’s Graham Gouldman. Their fourth album, Would You Believe?
Released in the US as Beat Group! 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. Bus Stop” gave the Hollies their first US top ten single. Canadian Bus Stop 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. Released in the US as Stop! 91 there and spawned a US release-only single, “Pay You Back with Interest”, which was a modest hit, peaking at No. In mid-February 1967, Bobby Elliott collapsed on stage due to an inflamed appendix. 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.
Dear Eloise, but it failed to chart. 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. 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. Nash’s success since departing, he was eager to leave the group and cut a solo album. Europe in 1972, although their US contract with Epic still had three more albums to run. Long Dark Road”, another track from Distant Light with lead vocals by Clarke, distinctive three-part harmonies, and a harmonica throughout, was then also released as a US single, reaching No.
As a result, Epic pressured Clarke and the Hollies to reform, despite the fact that they had split over a year previously, placing Rickfors in an awkward position. 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. The Hollies continued to have singles chart hits during the rest of the seventies, but mostly in Europe and New Zealand. In 1976, for example, the group released three singles in three different styles, none of which charted in the UK or the US. This section does not cite any sources. 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.
They also released an album of Buddy Holly covers named Buddy Holly which didn’t chart in the UK or the US, but did chart in the Netherlands among other places. Sylvester also disagreed strongly with the band’s sacking of their long time manager Robin Britten. Alan Coates joined the band on rhythm guitar and high harmony vocals shortly afterwards. John Miles and session bassist Alan Jones to record “Carrie” and “Driver”. 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. Graham Nash joined them for the recording of an Alan Tarney song “Somethin’ Ain’t Right” in 10 September 1982 which led to a proper reunion album What Goes Around issued on WEA Records in July 1983.
