Bernie Calvert's Compositions

[baz]

I'm not sure about many of you here but I do have a soft spot for Bernie's "Reflections of A Time Long Past". We know a second instrumental he composed and recorded "Snow On Heather Moor" remains in the vaults and I know of his Bread and Beer Band side project during that era but it still baffles me how there ended up being no further compositions or songwriting credits from Bernie during his time in The Hollies. Even now, "Reflections" sounds like a bolt out the blue totally unlike anything else the band did before or since and it has me wondering what was going on.

In Summer 1968 when Graham was set to leave the band came the press announcements that he would record a solo album and so would Bernie. Whilst I'm of the opinion those statements were a strategic move by management to dispel rumours of Graham leaving, to suggest a Bernie solo album at that time when nobody had actually heard any of his compositions suggests he had been composing some tunes by then. "Hollies Sing Hollies" yielded an unusual amount of outtakes for a Hollies album, most of which have since been released and were fine tracks in their own right yet they were passed over and Bernie's whimsical tune made it onto the album.

"Snow On Heather Moor" was recorded not long after and would had been a contender for "Confessions Of The Mind" but of course didn't appear and from then on as far as I know, The Hollies never recorded another composition by Bernie. I do recall Bobby's comment that Bernie was "in his Richard Clayderman period" but it still strikes me as peculiar there was this sudden pair of compositions and the Bread and Beer project then absolutely nothing after that for the remainder of Bernie's time in The Hollies. Any ideas/clues as to why? Did Bernie keep composing for his own pleasure? Would The Hollies had entertained/encouraged any further material from him? Was his material too at odds with slotting in amongst other Hollies tunes? He had some musical talent as a composer so why didn't anyone else in the band write some lyrics for one of his pieces and create a possible Hollies song? I just find it odd how Bernie suddenly had that brief moment then fell back into the shadows not to be heard again as a composer!

I do appreciate and guess for some "Reflections" is an acquired taste but I still can't help but enjoy listening to it and wonder what else Bernie had up his sleeves... and I think Bernie deserves his own thread here!

[knut]

He also wrote one side of the single he made with a band before joining the Hollies

[gee]

I believe Bernie co-wrote 'Burn Fire Burn' with Bobby Elliott and was surprised later to see his name omitted from the composer credits when the track finally was released as a 'bonus' track on a CD

I recall someone at a Hollies fan convention years before said they  'knew' that 'Burn Fire Burn' was a Bernie Calvert instrumental track - so maybe they had heard or heard of  a working version backing track, implying Bernie wrote the music, before lyrics were added which were presumably written by Bobby


Bernie was supposedly set to do an album of probably piano led instrumentals along with a supposed solo album by Graham Nash in 1968 - probably an idea mooted re Nash's very solo songs he was writing then like 'Sleep Song' and 'Right Between The Eyes' - but this turned out to just be a rumour as of course neither project happened

Look out for that French Magic records bootleg 'Sweet Songs' Magic 3930503 released in 2001 with as final track  in very poor sound quality;

'(No More) Snow on Heater Motor' ! lol

[baz]

Didn't know about "Burn Fire Burn" but when writer credits aren't given... I really like that track so that's a pleasant surprise.

[thejanitor]

I love both of Bernie's Hollies compositions, especially "(No More) Snow On Heather Moor" (available on YouTube). They do remind me in style a little of the instrumental tracks that The Beach Boys included on their late 60s albums e.g. "Let's Go Away For A While" or "The Nearest Far Away Place", which is nice. It's a shame Bernie didn't/hasn't put out more of his work, I think he could've had the the potential to be picked up to compose for TV or film.

Didn't someone mention on the thread about The Bread and Beer Band that Bernie collaborated on an album with someone a few years back?

[baz]

Thanks for alerting me to "Snow On Heather Moor" on YouTube. Just had a listen. Again, a very pleasant tune. I do agree Bernie had the potential for film/TV soundtrack work but guess it would had distracted him too much from his Hollies duties.

I do remember around the time of the Hall of Fame award there was some website showing pics of him with a music partner and that they were working on something but can't remember hearing anything more of it.

[stuball]

Three thoughts here:

It might simply a case of greed. Perhaps Clarke and Hicks did not want to split LP royalties another way. So Calvert was shut out.

Or perhaps, the group were not enamoured by 'Heather Moor'. To my ear, it sounds like the soundtrack you'd often hear over the closing credits to many romantic dramas of the period. Perhaps not what the group wanted.

Or maybe, Calvert was allowed 'Reflections' on 'Hollies Sing Hollies' because the group doubted their songwriting ability sans Nash, and figured they needed all the help they could get. So Bernie's song was included. I know over here, in the wake of Nash's departure, The Hollies were considered little more than another Brit invasion act who should have disappeared by '66, but Nash's songwriting skills kept their heads above water. If any of that type of thinking had permeated The Hollies' or Ron Richard's consciousness, Calvert's debut as a songwriter/performer could only help lend a bit of heft to the idea that 'Yes, Graham is gone but we've got his substitute writing, plus Bernie's chipping in too, so we're all good'.

And let's not forget the previous Hollies LP - super-songwriter and 'Stoned Effin' Genius' Graham Nash gone, and The Hollies release an album of Dylan covers. Wow!! That spoke volumes and confirmed The Hollies' critics biased opinions that without Nash, there was no exceptional talent present in the group. A decent cover group at best. I know that's harsh and not the full story, but that's how it was perceived by the general music-buying public.

[cameron]

Don't forget that back in 1966 Bobby announced to the press - or rather their management did - that he was going to record a solo drum LP. Now THAT would have been quite something! Brian Epstein encouraged Graham to do a solo album in early 1967, though Graham didn't seem to have the confidence to pull it off somehow. Remember, "going solo" in the 1960s traditionally meant breaking AWAY from your band, not running a solo career in parallel with it - eg, Scott Walker, Paul Jones... even later on Carl Wayne. And when artists did try to do both, it got horrendously confusing as it did with Rod Stewart and the Faces. So I can see the logic in leaving. IF Bobby had done his drum album, IF Bernie had done his solo instrumental album, IF Graham had done his solo LP, I can't see the public response being that enthusiastic if they're part of a group that was having big hits. When your typical teenybopper has a limited amount of funds and typically amasses less than 20 LPs in their collection, I can't see them forking out for a group solo LP when the main group LP is due to be released sometime later...