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Post by Tony Wilkinson on Mar 12, 2018 16:16:57 GMT
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Post by allanangel on Mar 12, 2018 17:14:44 GMT
My God, there is only one Allan Clarke.
It hurts my heart to hear someone else try to sing his songs, especially LCW.
Thanks for posting this so we know what we're not missing.
Back to my records, cds and youtube for the real thing.
Love you, Allan.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2018 20:47:25 GMT
My God, there is only one Allan Clarke. It hurts my heart to hear someone else try to sing his songs, especially LCW. Thanks for posting this so we know what we're not missing. Back to my records, cds and youtube for the real thing. Love you, Allan. Couldn't agree more! |
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Post by anthony on Mar 12, 2018 21:32:23 GMT
I think this is great, the Hollies put on a great show, Pity Allan has gone, I would love to see this guy still singing lead in his hair piece and the voice that has sadly long gone. It makes people happy, it's all about the music. Thanks for posting Tony.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2018 21:38:43 GMT
I think this is great, the Hollies put on a great show, Pity Allan has gone, I would love to see this guy still singing lead in his hair piece and the voice that has sadly long gone. It makes people happy, it's all about the music. Thanks for posting Tony. As long as Bobby doesn't bring back his hair piece! 
Seriously (and I know it's all been said before), I'd think this was great if only The Hollies had a more suitable lead singer. Everything else sounds fine, particularly Tony who is still obviously an amazing guitarist.
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Post by anthony on Mar 12, 2018 22:07:41 GMT
I think this is great, the Hollies put on a great show, Pity Allan has gone, I would love to see this guy still singing lead in his hair piece and the voice that has sadly long gone. It makes people happy, it's all about the music. Thanks for posting Tony. As long as Bobby doesn't bring back his hair piece!
Seriously (and I know it's all been said before), I'd think this was great if only The Hollies had a more suitable lead singer. Everything else sounds fine, particularly Tony who is still obviously an amazing guitarist.
With respect, who ever they had it would still be the same, its like the Rickforce era, didn't sound like the Hollies but I thought it was a great time for the band, I thought they had a bigger fuller sound in that era. maybe we need a new topic here, when did the Hollies become a tribute band for you, plus when did they become the Hollies as a band, was it with Vic Steele era the real Hollies. Must admit I think the band sounds great, I know lots don't agree, but that's fine.
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Post by ransford on Mar 12, 2018 23:00:09 GMT
I’ve seen The Hollies many times over the last 10-15 years. it’s still a very professional act, with outstanding musicians. Allans voice didn’t carry the way it should at the end of the 90`s. Peter Howarth is a very good ”new” leadsinger. Of course he’s not Allan (and no-one can ever be) but he has other skills and talents. He’s an utmost important member of the band, and I really do enjoy his perfomance of Sandy for example. A great version of a great song. And he sings all the old songs with respect and full potential. He has also devolped his contact and communication with the audience in a very positive way.
We can discuss which Holliesperiod that was the best until we die. (And we probably will). Each era has it`s credits. But I`m amazed that the one we got now is one on top of the line. 55 years after it all started. Viva The Hollies!!
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Post by cameron on Mar 12, 2018 23:41:39 GMT
They still rock pretty hard, Bobby and Tony especially, given their ages. With Mikael Rickfors and later Carl Wayne, the Hollies chose lead singers that had that same 'cutting' and 'brash' vocal style that Allan so effortlessly made his own. Even when they proposed that Gary Brooker joined, he still fitted that mould. Peter Howarth has always seemed a slightly strange choice to me, he's more of a crooner and made his name as a backing singer. He has a much softer voice. That said, he's pitch perfect and doesn't shy from the spotlight (like a certain Mr Rickfors!) and always comes across respectful of the Hollies' legacy and doesn't seem to count himself as a fully fledged "Hollie", if that makes sense. He's there to sing the songs that Allan made famous, and his stage patter isn't all "we recorded this" and "we recorded that" like some of the 60s groups still touring with replacement members.
For me the problem now is that total lack of a clear-cut punching high harmony. Graham Nash, Terry Sylvester and Alan Coates all fitted the bill beautifully with a proper soaring tenor voice. Steve Lauri is often just singing falsetto now, which doesn't have the right sound. The Hollies' imitable sound is that clear and defined three-part vocal harmony. With Peter's softer lead vocals, Steve straining at the falsetto and Tony (who was always the quietest of the three anyway), that ballsy and exciting three part blend isn't there. Which is a bit crazy because doesn't Ray Stiles and Ian Parker add vocals too? They've potentially got FIVE singers, yet that vocal blend that they managed to endure for 30+ years with three personnel changes just isn't there to my ears.
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Post by gee on Mar 13, 2018 9:39:38 GMT
I agree with Cameron - Steve Lauri is a fine guitarist and not a bad lead singer - his lead voice sounds 'American' and similar to Donnie Dacus who was with Chicago on 'Hot Streets' (12) and 'Street Player' (13) plus recorded with Steve Stills later
however, for me, Steve's high harmony is more just falsetto vocal and doesn't quite gel and 'soar' as messrs Nash, Sylvester, and Coates always did
had it been Howarth-Hicks-Coates the harmony sound might have been more recognisable as 'Hollies' in style
as in 1972 with Mike Rickfors coming in Tony opted NOT to even attempt getting in a 'Clarke soundalike' but went for a NEW lead vocal sound instead - and took some critical flak for it too !
Carl gave them a very different sound too....tho' Ray Stiles has said Carl wasn't that easy to work with as he never sang songs quite the same re the harmonies side of it and was always something of a 'Special Guest' lead singer
Peter Howarth faces the same issue Mike Rickfors did in 1972-73 - having to sing so many Allan Clarke HIT songs ( Mike was doing some 'Distant Light' album tracks - maybe a few 'Romany' ones might have been wiser then tho' ?)
Today they seem to be 'stuck' as their own tribute band like it or not...maybe Tony and Bobby feel even tho' they don't have Clarke or Nash/Sylvester in the band they must 'play it safe' by doing as many HIT songs and the odd sixties album track as possible in the concerts that those guys were originally on in order to still BE 'The Hollies' to the wider public...?
however I do feel they should have been gradually phasing in more of their last two albums songs plus more seventies album tracks (including the Rickfors era tracks) and cutting back the very 'pop' sixties hits - similar to what they WERE doing re 'Hollies Live Hits' - with both Clarke and Sylvester then in the band - by including recent album tracks in the show as well and not going back before 1966 re hits.
I think it's a bit of a lazy option to just keep reeling off very old hits we all know backwards !
They need to both modernise the concert setlist re songs plus be more adventurous and explore their seventies album catalogue alot more for much loved tracks their fans would love to hear again !
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Post by cameron on Mar 13, 2018 19:04:14 GMT
Those Rickfors era live tracks were a fairly even 50/50 split between Allan Clarke era tracks and tracks from 'Romany'. The problem was, rather than play a few of the faster numbers, the setlist was all the slow numbers bunched together! The only early hits on the set were 'Carrie Anne' and 'Bus Stop'.
I think the current Hollies (esp. Bobby and Tony really) are a little too humble to be taking note of the huge resurgence in the group's popularity. They don't realise that some of the album tracks and B-sides have gained a great resurgence with fans, even creeping onto some of the many many many greatest hits compilations that get released year on year. Plus they could be using their whopping two hour show to plug some of the "forgotten" material. Earlier today I heard "Tip Of The Iceberg" which I've not heard for ages, and it is certainly a forgotten track and I must have listened to it on loop all afternoon because it's brilliant. Of course, mention it to Tony or Bobby and they'll most likely have zero recollection of it!
The die-hard life-long fans who just want Allan Clarke might actually get behind the current line up more if they actually played some of the stuff that the original Hollies never actually performed live. It would make it worth going to see them for something other than the hits (again!)
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Post by gee on Mar 13, 2018 19:21:03 GMT
yeah Tony probably won't recall 'Tip of The Iceberg'- even tho' of course he co-wrote it with his old pal Kenny Lynch !
Later 'post Clarkey' they were doing 'Hey Willy' and 'Curly Billy' which were very rarely done live with Allan Clarke who seemed to prefer doing alot of concert covers and 'tributes' to other artists (including some artists less successful than The Hollies in terms of hits who would, I suspect, very likely have themselves NEVER paid any tribute to The Hollies in return)
I think with maybe the exceptions of say; 'Just One Look', 'Here I Go Again', 'I'm Alive', 'Look Through Any Window' (new style), 'I Can't Let Go', 'Bus Stop' and 'Stop Stop Stop' - which the public probably expect / demand - they could easily drop all the pre 1967 other songs from the live act now
- while later sixties songs such as maybe say; 'Have You Ever Loved Somebody', 'You Need Love', 'Then The Heartaches Begin', ''Step Inside', even 'Wings' and 'Do The Best You Can' could be 'dusted off' for the occasional concert performance
Any of those might be more interesting than forever reeling off the very 'poppy' sixties pair 'Jennifer Eccles' and 'Sorry Suzanne' which could also now be rested
Dropping those two and all other pre 1967 songs (besides the seven big hits I mentioned above) would then free up a portion of the concert setlist to include maybe four other current Hollies songs besides 'Weakness' and they could then also bring in a rotating number of their seventies album tracks from maybe 'Confessions...' onwards alongside the later big hits they are obliged to do (ie Carousel/Carrie Anne/Heavy/Can't Tell The Bottom...'/LCW/Air ..plus live favs like 'Sandy', 'The Baby' etc)
again it's a question that seemed to exist right through The Hollies career, they just don't seem to have ultra confidence in their OWN material (hence them hiding the early compositions under 'Ransford' tag over 1964-66 etc, which along with taking hits from song writers made many assume they were incapable of writing strong material - a tag that The Searchers and maybe Manfred Mann also unfairly had, tho' it was 'known' that Paul Jones and later Mike d'Abo were decent songwriters at least)
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Post by ransford on Mar 15, 2018 14:24:50 GMT
I totally agree that the boys should renew their live-show with some other Hollies-songs. There's been a lot of good suggestions above, but I've always missed Pay You Back With Interest and Wings, of course. I'm sure we all could help the boys with a good list of forgotten, good songs.
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Post by cameron on Mar 15, 2018 18:39:31 GMT
'Pay You Back With Interest' was an international hit, as was 'Dear Eloise', 'Long Dark Road' (which Tony used to sing on tour!) and 'Magic Woman Touch'. I think they should revive some killer 1970s album tracks that would suit their more mellow style like 'To Do With Love' (which Ian Parker could use his accordion for), 'Lady Please', 'Won't You Feel Good That Morning' (with Tony singing the bridge), 'The Last Wind'...
Plus revive some old forgotten Hollies concert standards like 'Another Night', 'Star', 'My Island', 'Dragging My Heels', 'Daddy Don't Mind' and even their cabaret version of 'Blowin In The Wind'!
I think their early hits and early material shows up the weaker vocal harmonies now, so they should be phasing some of these out of the set or re-arranging them. Allan Clarke did a wonderful acoustic version of 'Just One Look' when his voice started to go which I really liked.
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Post by anthony on Mar 16, 2018 21:45:10 GMT
Hi All, been thinking, maybe we are expecting too much from the Hollies these days, believe me I'd like to see a few more changes in the set list, I loved Very last day from a few years ago. But we have to remember the group started in the 60's its been a long road. I know friends of our who see most of the 60's acts that come to Melbourne and they don't seem to have a good word about most, I know that some of the points they make are they sing other peoples songs, change around the versions of their own songs. For the general public I'm sure only really want to hear songs they know, I know when I use to go to more concerts I was put off with songs I had never heard, or here are some songs from our new Album. My wish list for a new song in the set list is Mad Professor Blyth, I don't think it's gonna happen.
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Post by gee on Mar 17, 2018 12:18:57 GMT
I don't think we expect vast changes to the set list to happen
I'd say they will always be expected to do 75% famous hits or classic concert songs like 'Sandy' etc and it's the other 25% of the show where they could and perhaps should modernise the show re a few more songs of the current incarnation of the band plus a rotation of a couple of MUCH loved later sixties/seventies album tracks of their famous past that they NEVER seem to do live...
Certainly I'd say with the exception of that handful of 'expected' pre 1967 hits the public want they really ought to rest songs like 'Stay', 'We're Through', 'Yes I will' etc plus the very sugary late sixties pop songs like 'Jennifer Eccles' and 'Sorry Suzanne' - songs that the Clarke/Sylvester line up had dropped from their show circa 'Hollies Live Hits' in 1976 !
I think minus Clarkey they have overdone the old hits bit in the set list...and haven't updated the song content enough in the past five years probably 'playing it safe' and being very conservative etc
One of The Hollies biggest issues has been their eternal reluctance to fly after spreading their wings and proving they could !
- a cautious mega safe attitude always prevails that drove both Nash and Sylvester away...even Clarke too
We all want and expect most of the 1967 onwards big hits (plus the handful of big hits of 1964-66) ...but there is still room for a bit more adventure and more modern songs in the remainder of the show
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