Allan Clarke Guitarist

[Deleted]

Allan Clarke was the voice of The Hollies, there have been and still are other lead singers in the band, but in my opinion there really was only one.

I know that on his own track LCW he played lead guitar, but how proficient was he on guitar or was he only a strummer.

Are there any other examples of Allan's guitar work? 
 

[gee]

Allan was a decent enough guitarist, in the early days both he and Graham strummed acoustic guitars like The Everly Brothers when they were 'Ricky & Dane'

- and sometimes in the early days of The Hollies in the studio too - check out the cover vintage photo of 'At Abbey Road; 1963 to 1966' CD


Allan plays electric guitar on his songs 'Hold On' (1971) and 'Curly Billy' (1973) and probably is strumming acoustic guitar on his 'Marigold' (1969 - on 'Hollies Sing Hollies') and very likely on other uncredited songs too - Allan is very probably playing along with Tony and Terry on his 'Rubber Lucy' song (1974) which has dense guitarwork

Allan plays both electric and acoustic guitar on his solo albums 

he is seen strumming an acoustic guitar on 'Top of The Pops' performance of 'Bus Stop' in 1966 but that was probably just for the TV show

[Deleted]

I wonder if Allan ever toured after he decided to go solo, and if so, does anyone have any reviews?

[Deleted]

Sept 12, 2016 19:53:18 GMT @badpenny said:

I wonder if Allan ever toured after he decided to go solo?

No, he didn't.

[Deleted]

Yes i've just found a thread back in 2014 talking about AC and his solo career which covers the subject fully in my opinion.

Sorry, should have done a search before posting...

[Tony Wilkinson]

I'd read somewhere, probably NME, that he was supposed to be booked to do a gig I guess around 1973 at a hotel/pub in Burslem near Stoke............when we got there (obviously pre internet or mobile phone) we were told that it had been booked but cancelled long before the expected date.........

[roots66]

These are miscellaneous clippings from the NME and Record Mirror about the Clarke solo tour that didn't happen. (Sorry, I'm afraid I've lost the exact dates of these, and I'm not sure which clipping came from which paper either.)

[eric]

The above article "Blunders rife in Hollies-Clarke datesheet" is from the 24 August 1974 edition of the New Musical Express.

[gee]

Allan Clarke did appear solo singing 'Living in Love' (I think it was) on a UK TV show - it was posted on youtube a while back, but in the main his solo career seems to have been a records only affair

interesting that NME article says Allan was busy writing new material at the time of his first solo album of just covers or songs written for him 'Allan Clarke' in 1974, as his next solo album; 'I've Got Time' in 1976 was also full of covers of others songs !

so whatever happened to HIS new songs written circa 1974 for his solo career we might wonder...?

Later Allan admitted he ought to have pushed for some of his own songs to go on those two mid seventies albums - I recall one music press review of his 1976 solo album pointed out the LACK of any originality on his part...and his earlier and later solo albums I feel are stronger due to his own compositions

one interesting point re Kirk Duncan's back problems apparently scuppering Allan's planned live shows (which would not have been an issue right throughout Allan's solo career would it ?) was that Kirk Duncan was also a part of Moodies members Justin Hayward & John Lodge's 'Blue Jays' album band over 1974-75 (album released in 1975) - which was a big success, they were half way through a second album when John Lodge pulled out and 'Blue Jays' never toured either despite their big hit single 'Blue Guitar' (I'm not sure if they did a UK tour, a Moodies forum says not but the 'Time Traveller' set booklet notes says they did a short UK/Europe tour), whatever Kirk Duncan's involvment in 'Blue Jays' and other key figures like Dee Murray (Elton John Band), Herbie Flowers (C.C.S, Blue Mink, SKY) etc all having other group commitments around that era might have seen Allan's intended touring band members duly....drift away (no pun intended !)

[Gralto]

When I interviewed Kirk Duncan a few years back, he told me that Clarkey sacked him during a recording session for providing an honest opinion on a track, one which AC obviously didn't like hearing. There was a bigger story here which won't be expanded upon. With Duncan out of the picture, there was theoretically no reason why Clarke couldn't simply organise a replacement. But the clippings that Roots66 has graciously posted suggest a reading between the lines is required. A concurrent Hollies/Clarke solo tour in 1974 was never going to work and would only damage both parties. Perhaps the contractual thing AC had with his solo gigs needed to be sorted out with compensation payment to his management or the promoters by Hollies Ltd. I certainly don't know but to me, gigs being listed and advertisements placed suggests the tour must have got close. Methinks something must have been worked out at the 11th hour because I have not come across any irate articles from promoters/venues cursing the Clarke name for the late cancellations.

Ultimately though, this was a problem of The Hollies' making - if they had let him stay in the band and do his solo thing on the side, he would never have left. I have always felt that this Clarke solo idea became a good excuse for the band to push him out, regenerate with a new lead singer and say goodbye to their old one for good. But they chose poorly - as great a singer and muso as Rickfors was - and realised they couldn't go on without AC.

[gee]

I take your point Simon - interesting to hear that Allan  fired Kirk Duncan over just giving his honest opinion (!) - as Duncan was then a key part of Justin Hayward and John Lodge's very successful 'Blue Jays' group in 1975 I wonder who back then was having the last laugh...?

However, re  AC leaving in 1971 I tend to think it was more down to Clarkey and NOT so much due to 'The Hollies' who had then surprised a number of hastily dismissive music pundits who had confidently predicted they were finished without Nash and had enjoyed five UK singles hits  (the last of which 'Hey Willy' in 1971 was a Clarke song)  - plus had an Australian singles chart topping UK album track 'Too Young To Be Married' -  and a couple of decent UK chart albums since Graham Nash's 1968 exit and had most firmly 're-established' themselves well 'post Nash' era - the idea of them then intentionally forcing their 'main man' lead voice, a key songwriter, and well known face out of the band at that time (especially just after 'He Ain't Heavy' was such an international chart success) would be simply a case of committing professional suicide !

Allan Clarke's lead voice more than anything else had reassured the wider public they were still very much the same well loved reliably strong group 'The Hollies' in 1969 after Nash's exit...

however re Allan's shock late 1971 departure...

1) I have heard that Allan had 'friends' who at the time were telling him he really WAS The Hollies which I suspect probably went a bit to Allan's head  - hence his firing Kirk Duncan for merely expressing his opinions ? - while Terry Sylvester later said; 'Clarke made his annual threat to leave...'  and minus the forceful presence of Graham Nash Allan Clarke now had no great longtime friend in the band anymore 
- Tony, Bobby (later brothers-in-law) and Bernie Calvert were all
'Ex-Dolphins' and while 'new boy' Terry had struck up a friendship with Allan writing songs together he was of course a quite recent newcomer to them and obviously a 'junior' member in their pecking order...Terry very much owed his belated sixties major chart success down to his joining them 

do bear in mind Allan quit with NO record deal in place, no producer etc or any set up backing band even ! (unlike Nash's well planned set up with CSN and a record deal with Ahmet Ertergen at Atlantic records ALL in place prior to his severing his 'Hollies ties' in December 1968)...Clarkey was then fortunate when RCA Victor (UK) gave him that 'one off' album deal for 'Arold' in 1972

2) We must remember around then Carl Wayne had quit The Move, Dave Dee left Dozy Beaky & co, Steve Marriott had quit The Small Faces, Peter Frampton quit The Herd, not long after Dean Ford quit Marmalade to go solo and both Manfred Mann and The Dave Clark Five had recently broken up too (Manfreds frontman Mike d'Abo went into a solo career), while just earlier in 1969 Hank Marvin had cut his first solo album after The Shadows first split in late 1968, and of course The four Ex-Beatles were emerging as successful soloists too... and 'solo' careers seemed to be so much more fashionable circa 1971 - and all that plus the  'being your own self' thing must have caused Clarke to want to try doing a solo album in the first place as he  found himself still singing older sixties pop songs even in the suddenly far more 'rock' album orientated days of 1970-71

- hence Allan being 're-born' as a solo artist and his emerging from the waters 'sopping wet'  on the cover of 'Arold' and the album's 'My Real Name is...' title etc, plus the notable lack of featured harmony vocals in the music as he determinedly sought to distance his new solo work from any Hollies type vocal sound.


3) a very key point - by 1971 Clarkey was envious as hell of Graham Nash's massive USA and international success in CSN (& Y)  as Nash was by then seen as now being a fully credible 'serious rock star' in a then deemed far more credible outfit (by snooty music press writers)....much like how Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan were with Frank Zappa and no longer Turtles (!)  - Nash was most certainly not wearing a white suit anymore and doing woof whistling  'pop songs' on Top of The Pops which at that moment in time was such a big thing...as a massive divide between 'pop' and 'rock' music suddenly opened up - bands like The Hollies, The Tremeloes, Marmalade, Badfinger etc were incorrectly pigeon holed by some as 'mere pop groups' who were deemed best suited to singles etc

4) Another important point was by 1971 Allan Clarke, like Nash earlier in 1967-68, was also beginning to clash with longtime Hollies producer Ron Richards over his material and it's suitability for the band - particularly during the 'Distant Light' period when they self produced half of the album, this further saw Clarke becoming unsettled within the long established successful Hollies group format

After his re-signing with EMI in 1973 had Clarke's versions of 'Drift Away' or 'Born To Run' been chart hits then I feel NO WAY would he have remained in The Hollies - he even 'walked' again in 1978 and he only returned to the band on each occasion because it was his best option at each time ....rather than due to  any great feelings of loyalty or love of his old band

Looking back all these years later with the obviously so easy benefit of hindsight  we can see they were wrong to give him such a blunt choice, and they would have been wiser AT THE TIME to let him cut a solo album but remain in the band - like say Frankie Valli did with The Four Seasons, tho that was a notable exception (and Valli & Bob Gaudio owned their group)  as back then you either were in a group or a solo artist while another example was Rod Stewart & The Faces  - where Stewart was being continually 'pressured' by his management to quit his band and go fully solo - I have no doubts that had BIG solo success come to Allan he'd have been off like a shot from The Hollies...

I can understand Tony Hicks dismissive if unwise attitude towards Allan in 1972-73, tho' he of course has since openly admitted he  made a very bad mistake in refusing Clarke's offer to do that USA tour in the early seventies when LCW was a big hit stateside
- and Hicks really ought to have agreed Clarke's offer PROVIDED Clarke in exchange duly accept that  Mike Rickfors was now firmly 'in' and would be staying in the band as his featured co-lead singer from now on

(a move which in retrospect might just have saved Allan's voice !)

[JamesT]

Terry Sylvester tweeted yesterday that Dean Ford was asked to join the Hollies to replace AC, but declined. Fascinating thread, folks.

[Deleted]

Sept 27, 2016 19:30:40 GMT JamesT said:

Terry Sylvester tweeted yesterday that Dean Ford was asked to join the Hollies to replace AC, but declined. Fascinating thread, folks.

Interesting, could've been a good choice too.

[gee]

yes indeed, a fine lead singer, strong harmony vocalist, and a decent songwriter - plus a 'good lookin' charismatic frontman whom the ladies loved...!

and like Carl Wayne later a 'known name and face' who had sung big hits for a famous group ! (much like established 'known name and face' Roger Moore taking over from Sean Connery as James Bond - while the 'Mike Rickfors like' talented but unknown George Lazenby similarly came and quickly went...)

A pity Dean's solo career went the same way as Clarkey's - I have his excellent EMI self titled solo album which includes his own version of 'Mr. Heartbreaker' the song he co-wrote with Terry while 'Pick Up The Pieces (Again)' has also been credited to 'Sylvester-Ford' besides just 'Sylvester'

Dean Ford leaving Marmalade proved to be about as wise a move as Clarkey exiting The Hollies in 1971...

[Deleted]

I had forgotten the approach made to Dean Ford, i always liked Marmalades harmonies and can see why he would have been asked.

Whether his voice would have blended with Sylvester and Hicks remains to be seen.

I'm sure Bobby Elliott's forthcoming book will reveal all, yeah right....

[dirtyfaz]

I always reckoned I would be dead before Bobby's book hits the stands.

[cameron]

I think Bobby's book will have some very interesting anecdotes and stories in it but it'll be far from a "tell-all tale" as he'll want to keep the peace, especially not wanting to upset Tony Hicks, who, at several points in their career, has been a sticking point for the group. So we can expect that these tales will be simply glossed over or "forgotten" altogether.

I wonder if anyone will ever get a definitive biography of the Hollies out there? I was very disappointed by Brian Southall's book which I awaited with such anticipation. He didn't seem to have a complete grasp of the Hollies' story for a start, mixing up various details and years. Bobby hinted on a radio interview that he didn't like it either. If it wasn't for a few of the interesting interviews in the book, it would have been a complete pass from me.

Last I heard, Bobby was up to writing about the mid-1970's. I do wonder if he'll expand much beyond that. His sleeve notes for CD releases are always interesting, I believe his recent one in the 'Changin Times' set was a trimmed down excerpt from his book. That was quite interesting, especially the tale of Graham leaving that night on December 8th, 1968.

[gee]

Bobby doesn't like 'dirty washing' being aired in public, so a few of the more controversial 'issues' - things 'the public never knew' - are unlikely to be delved into....

I think, aided by his famous diaries it WILL be a fascinating trawl through the sixties, hopefully more detail re the seventies (i.e. the 'Caracus' incident would be absorbing reading) and some details re the latter years of the band too (an often completely ignored or forgotten chapter)

I think, as with Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones, Bobby's book will make a great read and we might get a little bit of info re the odd previously unknown thing like their knowing and working with  other famous figures in music etc - but I very much doubt if anything deeper or more controversial will emerge...

I sent a list of corrections to the publishers of Brian Southall's book, they thanked me and said a second print would duly take note of these...but if that actually ever happened I have no idea !