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Post by dirtyfaz on Jul 14, 2021 3:41:28 GMT
Jeez this track get a lot of airplay in Australia. Just playing now on Foxtel music channel 70s classics.
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Post by anthony on Jul 14, 2021 7:44:04 GMT
Funny you say that, I was in the shopping centre today and they played Dear Eloise, don’t think I’ve ever heard that played before.
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Post by Stranger on Jul 14, 2021 10:33:19 GMT
I love this one. A strong contender for my favourite Hollies single. A really great vocal from Allan.
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Post by JamesT on Jul 16, 2021 14:41:25 GMT
It's been years since I last heard it on UK radio. Sadly.
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Post by baz on Jul 16, 2021 16:20:47 GMT
It's been years since I last heard it on UK radio. Sadly. Have never heard it at all on UK radio over the last 35 years. Ones I have heard most are He Ain't Heavy, Air That I Breathe, Bus Stop, Carrie Anne and Sorry Suzanne. |
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Post by JamesT on Jul 16, 2021 18:32:16 GMT
It's been years since I last heard it on UK radio. Sadly. Have never heard it at all on UK radio over the last 35 years. Ones I have heard most are He Ain't Heavy, Air That I Breathe, Bus Stop, Carrie Anne and Sorry Suzanne. 'Writing On The Wall' was played a couple of times about 17 years ago believe it or not! I think that was Wogan when he had the breakfast show. I remember hearing Why Didn't You Believe on the 60s show once, as well. But yes, that little collection and perhaps adding Just One Look and Stop Stop Stop are The Hollies as far as DJs are concerned... |
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Post by Tony Wilkinson on Jul 16, 2021 19:12:39 GMT
Terry Wogan regularly played 'Dandelion Wine' IIRC
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Post by JamesT on Aug 1, 2021 8:28:04 GMT
LCW played by Liza Tarbuck on BBC Radio 2 yesterday evening. Quite a surprise as my 'phone ringtone is the same and it started a frantic search for the 'phone in the car! 🤣
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Post by johnt on Aug 2, 2021 7:49:56 GMT
LCW played by Liza Tarbuck on BBC Radio 2 yesterday evening. Quite a surprise as my 'phone ringtone is the same and it started a frantic search for the 'phone in the car! 🤣 That's my ringtone too. Incidentally, Casualty on BBC1 on Saturday started with the sound of The Air That I Breathe. That was my previous ringtone! |
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Aug 2, 2021 12:39:45 GMT
LCW played by Liza Tarbuck on BBC Radio 2 yesterday evening. Quite a surprise as my 'phone ringtone is the same and it started a frantic search for the 'phone in the car! 🤣 That's my ringtone too. Incidentally, Casualty on BBC1 on Saturday started with the sound of The Air That I Breathe. That was my previous ringtone! LCW is my generic ringtone...Carrie Anne is for my Dad...and Wiggle That Wotsit is for The Dude.  |
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Post by sandy on Aug 3, 2021 8:13:13 GMT
That's my ringtone too. Incidentally, Casualty on BBC1 on Saturday started with the sound of The Air That I Breathe. That was my previous ringtone! LCW is my generic ringtone...Carrie Anne is for my Dad...and Wiggle That Wotsit is for The Dude. Love it!!!!🎶❤️😂 |
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Post by The Dude on Aug 4, 2021 18:36:12 GMT
That's my ringtone too. Incidentally, Casualty on BBC1 on Saturday started with the sound of The Air That I Breathe. That was my previous ringtone! LCW is my generic ringtone...Carrie Anne is for my Dad...and Wiggle That Wotsit is for The Dude. I'm shaking my shimmy now...   |
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Post by becca67 on Aug 27, 2021 19:39:04 GMT
Gasoline Alley Bred is one of my fave Hollies recordings and I was surprised that Alan Parsons felt it a bit of an embarrassing early work example for him. There was a U.S. newspaper comic strip from the '40s onward that was titled Gasoline Alley and I've often wondered if listeners of the song in England would've had any knowledge of it? Would it be something like a mention of Ginger Meggs or Footrot Flats in a song by an Australian songwriter going over most listeners' heads?
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Post by gee on Sept 4, 2021 22:39:22 GMT
Whilst a superb performance by The Hollies of a great song the mix by a young Alan Parsons is a bit strange
firstly it's very shrill and 'ringy' in tone - the guitars (which actually 'buzz' twice in this mix during the strumming just before the start of the lines; 'this time we'll stay' and 'let's get away...' - how did that get past EMI quality control in 1970 ? - later CD versions have partially corrected this by reducing the prominence of the 'buzzes' however but listen on the single and 'Hollies Greatest vol 2' LP where they are far more obvious) are very prominent which is great but are rather put out in front over the vocals (most noticeably this shows on the harmonies where Allan, Tony and Terry almost fight to be vocally heard above the driving instrumentation)
The vocals are supreme despite the challenge of the pulsating guitarwork here with a nice lyrical aspect with superb almost world wearily wistful sounding lead vocal by Allan overall and on one key section Terry taking lead vocal ('I'm a gonna heat me some water put a shine upon my shoes...') also there is a nice Clarke/Sylvester duet on the section: 'woman I know how your feeling I've seen the hurt upon your face...' before Tony then joins in...while at the conclusion there is a nice Hicks-Sylvester repeated call of 'Gasoline Alley...' set over the Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester repeat of 'Gasoline Alley Bred'
Bobby has complained that his drumming has virtually NO power in this mix - you can hear everything he is playing of course but it does sound like he's bashing away industriously on a few biscuit tins !
this reminds me of how Searchers new drummer Johnny Blunt gave a powerhouse performance on their cover of The Hollies 'Have You Ever Loved Somebody' in 1967 only for it all to be reduced to a 'tap tappy' sound devoid of any power in the final mix
- causing ex-Searcher Chris Curtis to remark;
'it sounds like a rat scurrying across the snare drum !'
so IF 'Gasoline Alley Bred' ever got a proper sonic overhaul, putting the vocals more out in front (especially the harmonies) and added the power and depth back on Bobby's drumming the song might sound quite different
- whether we would prefer that or not after knowing it as it is since 1970 is another matter of course but had longtime recording engineer Peter Bown (such an 'unsung hero' figure in Hollies and other artists recorded histories) supervised the mixing of GAB then I'm sure no way would the harmonies be having to fight to get above the instrumentation or would Bobby's drums lack their normal power and depth while the bass range would be very welcome too !
GAB was of course the first stereo UK single which must be a part of the top heavy odd mix issue along with the young Alan Parsons then inexperience (we know how fast he learned !)
also recorded by both Blue Mink and The Fortunes despite the 'buzzes' top heavy sound and powerless drumming in the mix The Hollies version remains my own favorite and it kicked off the compilation 'Hollies Greatest vol 2' in fine style in 1971
This was another 'more mature' wordier Hollies single that deserved so much better than only reaching no.14 in the UK chart in 1970
they did a nice 'unplugged' acoustic version of the song in concerts later and a rare full band version with Alan Coates on high harmony vocal at the Magnum Centre, Irvine concert in Scotland in June 1985 - where Bobby's drumming at last got full power !
I still love this early seventies gem
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Post by sandy on Sept 5, 2021 8:19:42 GMT
Oh, I am SO with you on loving this.It really, really is the one which should have been huge. The whole track just gives me goosebumps. It's perfect as it is, for me, turned up loud- guitar, vocals, harmonies just 👌, but I can totally hear what you're saying, and yes, it would be amazing to hear it fine tuned. One of my top,top tracks. And I go on about it, but I do think of it as a ' Springsteen- ish' urban love story, and can imagine the Boss doing a great version of it ....
Don't know if I have the acoustic with Coatsey, but I did hear it live. Very special 👌🎶
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Post by Stranger on Sept 5, 2021 11:00:17 GMT
Interesting post Gee. Sounds like a remix could be very interesting.
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Post by JamesT on Sept 5, 2021 11:15:21 GMT
Interesting post Gee. Sounds like a remix could be very interesting. Great archive performance there. Bernie's nible bass lines were a delight in the original, but Steve Stroud's performance here is on another level. |
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Post by thejanitor on Sept 5, 2021 11:48:14 GMT
Yep, brilliant song all round, even if the mix is a little off (same can be said for I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top). Love the laid-back country-rock feel and the harmonies are just sublime! 😁
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Post by sandy on Sept 5, 2021 11:52:28 GMT
Interesting post Gee. Sounds like a remix could be very interesting. Great archive performance there. Bernie's nible bass lines were a delight in the original, but Steve Stroud's performance here is on another level. Loved Bernie's bassline on it. But yep, Steve brought it up to date. Allan, in a radio interview I have,( wish I could find the exact bit again),said he thought he was one of the best bass players ever- big compliment. |
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Post by sandy on Sept 5, 2021 11:54:24 GMT
Interesting post Gee. Sounds like a remix could be very interesting. 👌👌👌🎶🎶🎶❤️❤️ |
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Post by baz on Sept 5, 2021 21:06:02 GMT
This song would most definitely benefit from a proper remix as it was an 8 track recording so more options for parts to be cleaned up, boosted etc and be much better balanced. It's a great song that I think has ended up being forgotten compared to others.
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Post by stuball on Sept 6, 2021 16:46:36 GMT
I recall playing my brand-new 45 of Gasoline Alley Bred back in 70-71, and thought the instrumental track, although well played, seemed so very dense and over-busy instrumentally. Compare it to the b-side ditty, Dandelion Wine: spare instrumentals, and prominent vocals. On Gasoline Alley, the vocals also seemed to be struggling for prominence with the instrumentals . And perhaps shabby 45 record quality of the day resulted in a poor aural production. I do think back in ‘70, The Hollies, in the studio, may well have listened to the finished track of ‘GAB’, and thought they had created another masterpiece to rival He Ain’t Heavy. And they may well have been right. But in listening to the Canadian 45 then, and later on the Brit single, it all seemed a bit of a convoluted mess. Perhaps The Hollies busy performance was better than the technology of the time could handle. Certainly this video of Gasoline Alley Bred sounds (and looks fabulous) today, But not so much on the old vinyl.
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Post by The Dude on Sept 6, 2021 18:57:08 GMT
Interesting post Gee. Sounds like a remix could be very interesting. Just out of curiosity... Are there more recordings available of that particular Reading concert...? |
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Post by baz on Sept 6, 2021 20:43:58 GMT
I recall playing my brand-new 45 of Gasoline Alley Bred back in 70-71, and thought the instrumental track, although well played, seemed so very dense and over-busy instrumentally. Compare it to the b-side ditty, Dandelion Wine: spare instrumentals, and prominent vocals. On Gasoline Alley, the vocals also seemed to be struggling for prominence with the instrumentals . And perhaps shabby 45 record quality of the day resulted in a poor aural production. I do think back in ‘70, The Hollies, in the studio, may well have listened to the finished track of ‘GAB’, and thought they had created another masterpiece to rival He Ain’t Heavy. And they may well have been right. But in listening to the Canadian 45 then, and later on the Brit single, it all seemed a bit of a convoluted mess. Perhaps The Hollies busy performance was better than the technology of the time could handle. Certainly this video of Gasoline Alley Bred sounds (and looks fabulous) today, But not so much on the old vinyl. I must admit I don't have the UK 45 nor have ever heard it so can't really comment on that though disappointing to learn it's no improvement on what we have on all the CD's and albums. What I find stranger still is that the 8 track era at Abbey Road was not only short-lived but also resulted in a great many excellent sounding recordings with lovely stereo mixes and its a shame that one of the better singles of the era remains trapped within a messy mix that fails to do it justice. We know the multitrack certainly exists as we've heard a snippet of studio chatter which reveals it was recorded with it played in a higher key... I'm surprised Paul Hicks hasn't tried to remix it himself and he gets my full approval as long as he keeps his Dad and Bobby away from the studio to add new overdubs! |
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Post by becca67 on Sept 6, 2021 23:54:23 GMT
My go to on this is the At Abbey Road 1966-1970 CD where it's followed by Dandelion Wine. It sounds good on there. I was just playing Listen To Me on the Reelin' In The Years DVD yesterday and a dog next door was set to moaning and howling along with it loudly (as it was indoors)... totally surprised me! Turned off the song and it turned off the dog. I guess it's more of a Zombies fan?  |
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