"In The Hollies Style" no. 7 in NME LP chart 1964

[gee]

While not making the 'official' BBC or 'Record Mirror'  album chart the idea that 'In The Hollies Style' FLOPPED completely as a charting album in the UK is not true

IT actually made the NME album top ten for at least four weeks late in 1964

It entered the top ten at number 7, it's peak chart position,  on the week of 24 October 1964, then on 31 October stood at no. 9, by  7 November it remained at no.9, then on 14 November 1964 dropped to number 10



this info can be found on page 22 of the 1993 publication; '30 years of New Musical Express Album Charts' - a book I recently found and have just begun 'thumbing through'...

so when we have read more than once of how The Hollies second album FLOPPED by not charting, it's not quite accurate as it clearly had sold enough to register in NME's LP chart  enjoying a four week top ten run...


'Stay With The Hollies' first charted in the top ten on 15 February 1964 at no.7 and during a 18 week run up to 20 June 1964 (dropping out of the top ten just for one week in that period) rose to no.2  in the week of 21 March 1964, and remained  in the 'top six' for some eleven  weeks between 22 February  up to 2 May 1964, during which it rose back up to no. no.3 in the week of 11 April 1964.
 
'Hollies' (1965) entered at no. 9  on 2 October 1965, and was in the NME top ten for a three week period rising to  no. 8 in the week 9 October  1965

'Would You Believe' charted in the NME top ten at joint no.9 with 'Small Faces' debut LP in the week 16 July 1966, rising to no.8 by 23 July 1966 in a four week top ten run. 

I can't (so far) find any record of 'For Certain Because...' making the NME top ten LP chart,

but 'Evolution' entered at no.the revised 'top 15' at no.13 in the week of 17 June 1967, then had a further five weeks in the 'top 15' rising up to no.8 in the week of 22 July 1967


no sign of 'Butterfly' making the NME top 15...

however 'Hollies' Greatest' broke into the top 15 on the week 17 August 1968 entering at no. 8 and made top spot on 21 September 1968 which it held for TEN weeks up to 23 November 1968 during a total of 24 weeks in the top 15 up to 15 February 1969 - dropping out of the top 15 for just one week in that entire period of 25 weeks.


'Hollies Sing Dylan' entered the top 15 at no.14 in the week of 10 May 1969, and in a ten week run rose up to a peak of no.3 on 31 May 1969 and remained there on 7 June 1969,  finally being in the top 15 at no.19 in the week of 12 July 1969 

That's about as far as I've got, I can't see any entries for 'Hollies Sing Hollies' or 'Confessions of The Mind' in the NME top 15 or top 20 as it later became.

Interesting to see how well 'In The Hollies Style' did on the NME Albums chart, plus 'Hollies Sing Dylan' was in the NME albums chart alot longer than the official BBC chart.

[stuball]

Back in '73, at one of Toronto's largest record stores, I spotted an out of the way rack, holding at least 50 copies of a Hollies LP being blown out at $1.99 each. I purchased a couple there and then. What I had bought was the imported WRC (World Record Club) knock-off of 'In The Hollies Style', entitled, rather appropriately by 1973, 'The Vintage Hollies'. Imports were at least double to triple the price of domestic releases, so budget label or not, this was a great deal. Besides, despite years of searching, I had never come across a British import of 'In The Hollies Style', so several of the tunes, although almost a decade old, I was hearing for the first time! Such was the fate of the Canadian hardcore fan that one would first hear 'Please Don't Feel Too Bad' well after becoming familiar with 'Magic Woman Touch'! Capitol Canada had released an album called 'In The Hollies Style' at the back end of '65, but it was a hodgepodge of tracks, culled from EP's, 45's, and albums, and bore scant resemblance to the Brit release.

Like others, I was under the impression that the LP was a flop in Britain, after endlessly reading how it failed to make the charts. What I didn't realize until now however, is that failing to "make the charts" meant not making the BBC Top Ten. Bizarre when you think about it! 'In The Hollies Style' could have, and likely did, hover around the #11 spot for a good month, but since it didn't grace the published BBC Top Ten, it was written off as a chart failure! For years I've wondered why, with a group as popular as The Hollies were in Britain in '64, this LP would tank so badly. Nice to know now it didn't.

Funny thing though, when you hear that a record is a flop, circumstances seem to play into that equation: Capitol sat on that album for over a year, only releasing those tracks in dribs and drabs, if at all. And then years later, stores basically giving away 'The Vintage Years', a budget LP. All the earmarks of a flop. Thanks Gee for setting the record straight.

[knut]

Thanks Gee, I'll use much of that info on the Hollies to Norway Facebook site (only visible in Scandinavia) to promote the upcoming 2014 tour of Norway.