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Post by cameron on Mar 18, 2023 14:02:08 GMT
Does anyone know of any upcoming celebrations to commemorate 60 years since the Hollies released their first single? I just had an email from the Kinks' mailing list with news of a special 'The Kinks at 60' compilation with tracks chosen by the surviving band members, not necessarily the hit singles, to represent the last 60 years of their career. All of their back catalogue has been transferred over to their webstore (much like Allan has done for his forthcoming solo LP!) and for those interested, their absolutely incredible 2018 'Village Green Preservation Society' 11-disc set is currently on sale at £65. I think I paid £110 when it was first released! Its one of the best boxsets I've ever had for its sheer quality, packaging, contents and the amount of rare audio they've unearthed for it. Grab it at £65 while you can if you haven't already!
So, it begs the question... I think I know the answer, but are the Hollies going to do anything for their 60th Anniversary beyond the usual souvenir tour programme and perhaps a new greatest hits package? And if they were to do something, what would you like to see?
I've heard a rumour that Reelin' In The Years are working on something visual for the Hollies, but it is just an unconfirmed rumour. Ron Furmanek is pushing full steam ahead with the rarities project, I think when I last spoke to him it was basically done and in the hands of Hollies Ltd/Warners but with no release date as of yet. I'd also hoped for something on Record Store Day, but there's nothing by the Hollies... again.
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Post by baz on Mar 18, 2023 16:12:02 GMT
So, it begs the question... I think I know the answer, but are the Hollies going to do anything for their 60th Anniversary beyond the usual souvenir tour programme and perhaps a new greatest hits package? And if they were to do something, what would you like to see? Pipedream time I guess! First and foremost, reissue the entire back catalogue freshly remastered - and in the case of the 60's albums, newly remixed - in deluxe editions and put a stop to all the haphazard "remasterings" that keep being recycled. Triple disc editions for those 60's albums - one disc mono, another original stereo and the third newly remixed each with the relevant bonus tracks. No no-noise claptrap, no brickwalling, just flat as possible transfers of the vintage mixes. Ron's long awaited rarities project. A decent singles A's and B's anthology with all the correct mono and stereo mixes where applicable. The Hollies are remembered and revered for their singles legacy so high time that was treated once and for all properly and respectfully. A one off live show - maybe perhaps a one off recording of a new song - with special guest appearances by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Bernie Calvert and Terry Sylvester. They don't necessarily have to do more than a song or two but create a special event with all the surviving members present to celebrate their legacy. Maybe we might get Ron's rarities album some time but I doubt any of the above will happen. This may sound unpopular but I'd also like to see The Hollies story come to an appropriate end whilst the opportunity is there, a farewell tour. Fact is, sooner or later, Bobby and Tony are not gonna be able to tour and this 60th anniversary is realistically the last proper anniversary the band will get to celebrate as a going concern. |
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Post by Tony Wilkinson on Mar 18, 2023 18:16:44 GMT
Could be out on a limb here but I wouldn't want to see or hear anything that would involve any mixture of old and new members together, that time has long since past ...
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Post by Stranger on Mar 18, 2023 19:34:57 GMT
Agreed Tony but given where Allan and Graham are right now they could easily do something really worthwhile if they teamed up with Tony and Bobby. Pity!
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Post by The Dude on Mar 19, 2023 15:58:39 GMT
So, it begs the question... I think I know the answer, but are the Hollies going to do anything for their 60th Anniversary beyond the usual souvenir tour programme and perhaps a new greatest hits package? And if they were to do something, what would you like to see? [...] A one off live show - maybe perhaps a one off recording of a new song - with special guest appearances by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Bernie Calvert and Terry Sylvester. They don't necessarily have to do more than a song or two but create a special event with all the surviving members present to celebrate their legacy. That should also include Mikael Rikfors then... |
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Post by sandy on Mar 19, 2023 16:14:35 GMT
Anything to mark the 60th anniversary which gathered together past members,much as some would like it,( not that there's any will on anyone's part,I'm certain.. ..), would negate, cancel and devalue the current line up, so Tony I'm sure wouldn't entertain it.Thats still his and Bobby's bread and butter.
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Post by baz on Mar 24, 2023 20:54:38 GMT
Having just seen The Kinks unveiling 2 years of activities to commemorate their 60th anniversary, I can't help but wonder what Bobby and Tony are playing at.
TWO years ago in April we had this story : "Due to the continued uncertainty of venues being fully open by Autumn 2021, The Hollies have moved their UK tour to 2022 to celebrate their 60th anniversary as one of the most successful bands in British music.
"We felt like this is something no other band gets to do, celebrate six decades together, 60 years of this band. These songs mean so much to us and so many others,” says Tony Hicks, the band’s original guitar player."
So am I to presume that's it? Last years' tour was the "celebration"?
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Post by gee on Mar 24, 2023 22:17:12 GMT
"...this is something no other band gets to do, celebrate six decades together"
er what about The Rolling Stones who also have two original members including the lead vocalist, the guitarist,and the hit songwriting duo still in the line up...?
while original frontman vocalist/guitarist Francis Rossi still heads up Status Quo as a recording and touring outfit who have been going under that name since the sixties too...
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Post by sandy on Mar 25, 2023 8:59:21 GMT
Maybe they are a bit sensitive about all the divided opinions around them?
As soon as they announced a huge ' Anniversary ' tour and made a big thing of it, they would put themselves up there to be shot down by all those vocal ' fans' who don't believe they are The Hollies anymore, and that they are a ' tribute band? Even the press wouldn't be on board with only two original members possibly?
It's tricky for them. And they are all too aware that past members wouldn't be interested/ willing to join together. Those days are past.
So, disappointing though it is, certainly as far as live appearances go, it's easy to understand them not making too big a deal maybe?
But record wise? Absolutely they deserve a huge release with added rarities etc, to top off an amazing career of 60 years 🙂
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Post by gee on Mar 25, 2023 22:31:47 GMT
I can't see anything happening re any concert with 'special guest' past members
not because of what some guys or gals think or might 'comment' either
- let's be honest the 'NOT MY HOLLIES' brigade have been moaning to themselves for almost twenty years now....and has it made one iota of difference ?
well has it ? - I suspect some actually believe their 'opinions' re group members carry more weight with The Hollies Limited than in reality
as of course it hasn't and I don't think Tony or Bobby frankly give a hoot about that 'angry moany fans' angle at all as their current six man line up have been touring successfully in all that time (pandemic permitting) as not only has a sizeable audience stuck with them but - gasp ! - they have picked up a fresh bunch of fans in those 'post Clarke / Carl Wayne' years too....
fans who are firmly into the Peter Howarth fronted version of the group they have enjoyed watching in many live concerts for almost two decades now since summer 2004...
they were on the verge of returning to the USA prior to the pandemic and that might still happen - so eternal 'bleats' over and over by some about it not being the same simply doesn't bother Tony or Bobby at all - does it ??
the real issue against any special concert is not what some disgruntled folk might think but the fact the three main sets of classic Hollies members are it seems divided into three camps:
- Clarke/Nash....Hicks/Elliott...and Sylvester/Calvert
and apparently 'never the twain' but even if personal feelings were repairable (and sadly they appear to have grown evermore apart over the years it seems - note that Allan and Tony have had public 'issues' over remarks made re original members in recent years) the reality is probably that with Tony & Bobby having a successful touring group, Allan Clarke and Graham Nash being successful solo artists working both together and alone....and Terry an established part of the 'British Invasion' nostalgia package in the USA would the three parties even think getting together would be worthwhile ? - the 'Nash reunion' in 1983 was no great success was it ?
sadly I think the wider public interest / demand might just not be there beyond downloads of old hits and tracks from decades ago when classic band members were in their younger days prime
now in an imaginary 'perfect world'....
Tony & Bobby could invite the surviving classic Hollies members to join them onstage for a special sixty years celebration concert
despite those fans who aren't interested - many more fans WOULD be of course - the obvious idea would be the current Hollies band form the musical core as they know the hits setlist best having been playing them for 19 years or so (which could have formed the Hall of Fame performance band had Tony & Bobby been interested which of course they were not !) - then given that although Allan's voice has thankfully recovered alot the fact is he knows he can't belt out those old classic hits as he once did for so long...so maybe an Allan Clarke / Graham Nash duet ("Ricky & Dane') singing leads underpinned maybe by Ray Stiles & Peter Howarth with Tony on lower harmony, and Terry Sylvester & Steve Lauri handling the high harmonies together
- maybe invite Mike Rickfors to take part as another special guest lead and harmony singer/guitarist/keyboardist, with Bernie Calvert on piano in addition to Ian Parker on other keyboards, Ray Stiles on bass guitar, plus Tony, Steve Lauri and Mike Rickfors on electric guitars, Terry on rhythm guitar and Allan, Graham & Peter featured on acoustic guitars (Allan duly playing electric guitar on his 'LCW' and 'Curly Billy') and of course Bobby on drums
the vocal combination of Clarke/Nash with Hicks, Sylvester, Howarth, Stiles and Rickfors would ensure songs were at least well sung in tight harmony - they could do some classic hits sung in full harmony given that Allan could not be expected to handle the lead vocals as years ago - fans would understand that
maybe for some solo spots Allan could sing his 'Don't Let Me Down' (put that first solo song maybe), Graham sing 'King Midas', Tony sing 'Born A Man', Terry sing 'Pick Up The Pieces' , Peter sing 'Weakness' and Mike sing 'The Baby' ?
anyone wanting to quickly bemoan any involvement of the current line up - who would form the musical outfit - is choosing to just ignore a sizeable chunk of Hollies fans who WOULD WANT the 2004-present Hollies band represented and have just as much right to see the members of the group they know now as any older era fans - don't they ??
'Sixty Years' does after all include the past 19 years'
with Tony and Bobby involved as musical directors and proper rehearsals such a show would be musically tight and presumably Graham, Allan and Tony would do the onstage 'PR' work...hopefully paying tribute to Eric Haydock and Carl Wayne...while a nice touch would be acknowledging the contributions of both 'original' Don Rathbone and the long serving Alan Coates too.
but this of course would be a 'perfect world' concert (on DVD and CD)...and there is no way could I ever envisage it actually happening, maybe if The Hollies had a more prominent wider public standing but while so many like the group somehow they never have been deemed as a 'fashionable' group by the music press even in their heyday and that always seems to count against them unlike many groups who were far less successful than The Hollies !
While we might well all dream of a proper sonic overhaul of the back catalogue, Ron Furnanek's archive project finally appearing, plus DVDs of 'Don't Get Sunburnt' and vintage concert CDs etc - and hopefully something just MIGHT surface like that in the future....
.....but don't be surprised if yet another unremastered no noise drenched 'hits package' is the most likely result !
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Mar 26, 2023 8:48:11 GMT
Call it "moaning" if you wish, but you're assuming all of us have followed the band around on tours when some of us have never seen them live. I don't "moan," but I have no interest in the past 20 years as I'm not their target audience.
I have the albums, thanks.
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Post by moorlock2003 on Mar 28, 2023 19:09:35 GMT
Could be out on a limb here but I wouldn't want to see or hear anything that would involve any mixture of old and new members together, that time has long since past ... Yes, too much ill will between certain members. That was obvious from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fiasco, with Tony and Bobby failing to show up, and Mikael Rickfors not being invited. Booooooo |
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Post by moorlock2003 on Mar 28, 2023 19:13:02 GMT
[...] A one off live show - maybe perhaps a one off recording of a new song - with special guest appearances by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Bernie Calvert and Terry Sylvester. They don't necessarily have to do more than a song or two but create a special event with all the surviving members present to celebrate their legacy. That should also include Mikael Rikfors then... Absolutely. Rickfors carved out a successful solo career for himself, something Clarke could only dream of. |
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Post by anthony on Mar 28, 2023 22:43:31 GMT
a pity nothing seems to be done for the 60th anniversary. Trouble is with the groups very low profile they don't capture the public's imagination, we all know people who say, didn't know the Hollies sang that song, why is it so. Joe public sadly wouldn't be that interested in the Hollies, the only Holly with a high profile is Graham and he left in '68 if I'm correct.
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Mar 29, 2023 8:40:11 GMT
a pity nothing seems to be done for the 60th anniversary. Trouble is with the groups very low profile they don't capture the public's imagination, we all know people who say, didn't know the Hollies sang that song, why is it so. Joe public sadly wouldn't be that interested in the Hollies, the only Holly with a high profile is Graham and he left in '68 if I'm correct. They just announced a fall UK tour. Apparently it's business as usual. |
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