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Post by anthony on Jan 10, 2021 6:35:20 GMT
Hi all, with the long career of the Hollies, when do you think they reached their peak, for me it was when the Hollies had a number 1 with He ain’t heavy thanks to that beer commercial in 1988. Could you imagine just plodding along after the glory years the 60’s and 70’s then all of a sudden your on Top of The Pops with a number one. I’m sure others will have some great thoughts, many thanks.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2021 7:59:50 GMT
Creatively, 1966-1967. I could probably say the same about many groups though (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks...).
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Post by baz on Jan 10, 2021 10:39:50 GMT
1965-1967 for me.
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Post by Stranger on Jan 10, 2021 12:05:07 GMT
Hi all, with the long career of the Hollies, when do you think they reached their peak, for me it was when the Hollies had a number 1 with He ain’t heavy thanks to that beer commercial in 1988. Could you imagine just plodding along after the glory years the 60’s and 70’s then all of a sudden your on Top of The Pops with a number one. Somebody, I think maybe Gee, did a vey good post some years back arguing that they were at their absolute nadir just prior to the re-release No.1 and that it really saved them.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2021 12:34:46 GMT
Hi all, with the long career of the Hollies, when do you think they reached their peak, for me it was when the Hollies had a number 1 with He ain’t heavy thanks to that beer commercial in 1988. Could you imagine just plodding along after the glory years the 60’s and 70’s then all of a sudden your on Top of The Pops with a number one. Somebody, I think maybe Gee, did a vey good post some years back arguing that they were at their absolute nadir just prior to the re-release No.1 and that it really saved them. Record sales wise, perhaps... but I saw them live at a sell concert in April 1987, and they were really superb. Clearly having fun, Allan was in fine voice, and they included lots of "deep cuts" as well as an acoustic spot where they took requests. So, if this was their "nadir", it really wasn't that bad at all!
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Post by baz on Jan 10, 2021 13:44:23 GMT
As it's been mentioned, I would guess their "nadir" would likely have been the mid to late 90's. No new product or material discounting the brief Nash reunion, just touring with Allan's voice in serious decline forcing lowering of keys, strange choices of songs, increasing unhappiness in the band at the situation which finally forced its hand in 1999 with the simultaneous blow of the German tour and Jenni Clarke falling ill leading to Allan's departure.
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Post by cameron on Jan 10, 2021 22:06:04 GMT
I think around 1965 to 1975. By 1965 they'd honed their craft and began to write more of their own songs, in addition to getting much more creative with their arrangements. Of course, mid-1966 through to mid-1968 was their musical peak I feel, in terms of songwriting anyway. But after Graham left, they continued to push on and make some really great records. Their three biggest selling singles happened after Graham left. Even something that wasn't critically well received like 'Hollies Sing Dylan' was still an excellent album with some really interesting creative arrangements and to this day its their biggest selling studio album. Of course, 1970-71 they were on fire when it came to albums and singles, perhaps their second wave of a songwriting peak. Also, by 1971, they'd really got to being the tightest they ever were as a band on stage, which would run right through the Rickfors years, which of course produced two very fine albums, with 'Romany' for me being their best album from start to finish - or at least joint best with 'Distant Light', though 'Romany' has a sonic edge. Then there's the last hurrah with Allan re-joining in late 1973 and another career resurgence. Although not massively successful, the 'Another Night' album was for me their last truly great album from start to finish. From 1976 onwards, I felt like their star had waned and perhaps they weren't pushing themselves as hard as they did from the beginning of the band to around 1975.
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jan 11, 2021 3:29:22 GMT
I think around 1965 to 1975. By 1965 they'd honed their craft and began to write more of their own songs, in addition to getting much more creative with their arrangements. Of course, mid-1966 through to mid-1968 was their musical peak I feel, in terms of songwriting anyway. But after Graham left, they continued to push on and make some really great records. Their three biggest selling singles happened after Graham left. Even something that wasn't critically well received like 'Hollies Sing Dylan' was still an excellent album with some really interesting creative arrangements and to this day its their biggest selling studio album. Of course, 1970-71 they were on fire when it came to albums and singles, perhaps their second wave of a songwriting peak. Also, by 1971, they'd really got to being the tightest they ever were as a band on stage, which would run right through the Rickfors years, which of course produced two very fine albums, with 'Romany' for me being their best album from start to finish - or at least joint best with 'Distant Light', though 'Romany' has a sonic edge. Then there's the last hurrah with Allan re-joining in late 1973 and another career resurgence. Although not massively successful, the 'Another Night' album was for me their last truly great album from start to finish. From 1976 onwards, I felt like their star had waned and perhaps they weren't pushing themselves as hard as they did from the beginning of the band to around 1975. I think Write On was a good album personally.
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Post by cameron on Jan 11, 2021 13:33:59 GMT
'Write On' was okay... but it was the start of the end. All the lavish productions known from 'Confessions of the Mind' right through to 'Another Night' were gone in favour of a simplified sound with a synthesiser replacing most of the orchestrations. However, I just feel like it was done to cut costs, just like the move away from Abbey Road to Basing Street Studios to record it. It was the start of the Hollies not caring so much about their music. I actually think 'Russian Roulette' faired better, no doubt boosted by the unexpected runaway success of 'Hollies Live Hits' in 1976.
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Post by baz on Jan 11, 2021 14:50:57 GMT
'Write On' was okay... but it was the start of the end. All the lavish productions known from 'Confessions of the Mind' right through to 'Another Night' were gone in favour of a simplified sound with a synthesiser replacing most of the orchestrations. Agreed - once Pete Wingfield began infesting the band with his synths, my interest and enjoyment of The Hollies' music declines steeply, sad thing being the synthy stuff ended up staying permanently to detrimental effect. I want to hear Tony Hicks play that iconic guitar part on "Bus Stop", not some horrid cheap sounding synth version. No denying orchestrations cost a lot of money and not feasible to take on tour but they sure gave The Hollies a sophistication that makes those earlier 70's albums all the more enjoyable. For me personally, their last great album was the 1974 self titled set. A strong diverse collection of songs and the band in terrific form, newly energised by the return of Allan - even the outtakes that's surfaced since were excellent. After that, the road gets rough with highlights becoming less and less.
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jan 11, 2021 15:04:21 GMT
'Write On' was okay... but it was the start of the end. All the lavish productions known from 'Confessions of the Mind' right through to 'Another Night' were gone in favour of a simplified sound with a synthesiser replacing most of the orchestrations. Agreed - once Pete Wingfield began infesting the band with his synths, my interest and enjoyment of The Hollies' music declines steeply, sad thing being the synthy stuff ended up staying permanently to detrimental effect. I want to hear Tony Hicks play that iconic guitar part on "Bus Stop", not some horrid cheap sounding synth version. No denying orchestrations cost a lot of money and not feasible to take on tour but they sure gave The Hollies a sophistication that makes those earlier 70's albums all the more enjoyable. Ironic considering ELO made its mark during that same period with a real symphonic sound. Would love to hear some of those later Hollies songs stripped back with real strings and drums instead of synths...Would probably only enhance the harmonies...
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Post by thejanitor on Jan 11, 2021 20:36:00 GMT
I agree Pete Wingfield's synths turned out to be a huge blow to their later 70s sound, especially on the Write On album. My Island and Love Is The Thing are already great tracks, but both would particularly sound a million times better with those synths swapped out for real strings! It does sound like they made the effort with There's Always Goodbye though.
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Post by johnt on Jan 11, 2021 22:26:29 GMT
For me, it was 1966. Great singles in I Can't Let Go, Bus Stop and Stop, Stop, Stop. Two top-class albums in Would You Believe and For Certain Because.
I also recall that the NME Readers Poll for 1966 put them as runners-up to The Beatles in the Best British Vocal Group category. I used to have this cutting in my memorabilia collection but I must have mislaid it.
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Post by JamesT on Jan 12, 2021 18:35:12 GMT
I agree Pete Wingfield's synths turned out to be a huge blow to their later 70s sound, especially on the Write On album. My Island and Love Is The Thing are already great tracks, but both would particularly sound a million times better with those synths swapped out for real strings! It does sound like they made the effort with There's Always Goodbye though. I like Write On very much, apart from Narida and Crocodile Woman...utter tosh. Love Is The Thing strikes me as a brave attempt to replicate the sonic textures of 10cc's I'm Not In Love. Wingfield's synths are particularly abominable on Another Night and Star from the live album. Another Night was, for me, the last truly great, cohesive album from the band.
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Post by gee on Jan 13, 2021 21:02:19 GMT
It all depends on how you define a career peak
if it's music and you hate synths then clearly the second half of the seventies onwards ain't for you...
tho' that said the orchestrations most certainly didn't vanish from their music after 1975 with the UK singles; 'Boulder To Birmingham', 'Hello To Romance', 'Amnesty', ,'Something To Live For', 'Soldier's Song' and the album 'Five Three One...' plus 'Write On', 'There's Always Goodbye', all utilising orchestral accompaniment - indeed 'Soldier's Song' featured more orchestration than probably any other Hollies single ever...
if it's re being a TOP 'Name' band of 'NOW' - then probably it's over the years from 1964 to 1969 when the hits were non stop and from 'Just One Look' to 'He Ain't Heavy' mostly were very big UK chart hits plus they scored major hits overseas too (sometimes with songs that never were UK singles at all) together with album wise enjoying regular chart albums too....from their only UK no.1 album in 1968 plus earlier a no.2 in 1964 and just after a no.3 in 1969 while the band toured the world stage and were regulars on TV and radio...
they never achieved that level of consistent across the board level of mass audience success again later no matter how good an album or a one off single like 'LCW' or 'Air That I Breathe' were - there were always either the; 'heroic failures', 'deserved better' or 'one off' - while their later biggest single and album chart successes were either a re-issue, a compilation or a live album either fully or largely based around their hit songs from that 1964 to 1969 halcyon period that most people beyond their devoted fanbase knew and fondly remembered so well...while even their lesser hits by their standards then like 'King Midas in Reverse' (a mere no.18 in the UK) are so famous and much loved by many people
just consider this point:
when Graham Nash left at the end of 1968...then Terry Sylvester joined in early 1969 it made headline news in UK music papers like NME / Melody Maker etc ('Hollies: Why Graham Nash is going...' / 'Ex-Swinging Blue Jean is the 'new' Hollie....')
but later on when Allan Clarke departed (both times - many people never even knew he did in 1978 !) , Mike Rickfors came ...and went, Allan re-joined, later Terry walked out Bernie just after...even later Allan retired - NONE of these events were deemed worthy of a big music press headline
while even the reunion with Graham Nash wasn't seen as any big thing in the music scene or noticed that much outside the band's main fanbase which tells us everything...
Carl Wayne arriving, and his tragic passing, later drew a little more notice but probably due to his being ex-Move rather than down to The Hollies standing in many eyes
when Allan complained that after 'He Ain't Heavy' topped the UK chart in 1988 that he was being recognised once more and 'pestered' for autographs and photos etc in his local supermarket...proves that prior to that NO ONE had been recognising him there before ...for many years
they surprised the main stream media in 1969 by quite easily 'surviving' the loss of Graham Nash...and indeed 'post Nash' then enjoyed their three biggest UK hits (besides chart topper 'I'm Alive' and no.2 hit 'I Can't Let Go') in 'Sorry Suzanne', 'He Ain't Heavy', 'Air That I Breathe' and biggest USA hit 'LCW' (down to Epic records and some DJs not the band themselves in any way) but tellingly spread out over a more sporadic period of 1969 through to 1974 (with lesser hits and their first UK chart failure single in between) however really it was the straight 18 hits with Nash then two really big hits with Sylvester and in terms of BIG consecutive UK hits from 1964 to 1969 that saw them at their best known and deemed most relevant as a group by the most people
their career peak as a known 'name' band of NOW as opposed to any 'nostalgia act' must be when they were at their height as a major regular chart force together with regular decent charting studio albums at home, with a chart topping singles compilation, plus enjoyed regular chart hits overseas with strong demand for regular TV work - that is the time over 1964 up to 1969
while even then it is noticeable that - along with a number of their famous sixties contemporary chart bands - for various reasons the rate of their consistent decent UK hit singles drops after 1967 from three or four a year to just two hits in both 1968 and 1969 despite having two big chart albums each year to compensate
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jan 14, 2021 3:06:52 GMT
but later on when Allan Clarke departed (both times - many people never even knew he did in 1978 !) , Mike Rickfors came ...and went, Allan re-joined, later Terry walked out Bernie just after...even later Allan retired - NONE of these events were deemed worthy of a big music press headline I dunno...I've sure seen a lot of articles about Allan leaving the first time then returning in this forum alone!
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Post by gee on Jan 14, 2021 16:32:34 GMT
Articles yes - they were still a 'name;' band then of course...but was it given the same headline thing as Nash leaving the band in December 1968 ?
Nash being their original band leader, their 'PR' man and main group spokesman drew the most public attention, while the others being quite happy to allow Nash to largely occupy public attention saw an amount of public interest in them fade when Nash quit the band - many posting on that Steve Hoffman forum seem to have that view
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