Searchin’ alternative take

[matthewvinyl26]

Hello everyone! I am new to Elevated Observations and I have been a massive Hollies fan since last year. I have a huge Hollies vinyl collection and I listened to “Hollies’ Greatest Vol.2” on my record player and I noticed that on “Searchin’” Allan and Graham have different vocal takes but the instrumental backing is the same as the original 1963 single. Since I’m so used to hearing my single, this version of the song just sounded so different. I am wondering if this must have been a mistake by EMI? As what they did with “Yes I Will” on “Hollies’ Greatest” back in 1968 when they mistakenly released another mix rather than the 1965 single version. If you have any information about this I’d be happy to hear

[baz]

Welcome aboard.

From what I recall, it's an alternate take. This did happen sometimes with other artistes when stereo became important as whoever was sent into the tape library to find a stereo tape didn't have any knowledge nor bothered to check against the 45 mono master so would extract the wrong take. Sometimes mono masters might have been a multi-edit editing together one or two different takes (goodness knows how many edits went into The Beatles' "She Loves You"!) and instead of replicating the edit anew for stereo, they'd simply use a complete take which might feature parts heard on the mono master. One example of this is Cilla Black's "Love Of The Loved". Most of it replicates the mono single but odd sections clearly have a different vocal. It was an engineer working on a different project at EMI who explained to me what had happened and why.

[matthewvinyl26]

Thank you for the information and your reply. I did think that something like that would have happened, very interesting.

[gee]

The Hollies had several attempts at Searchin' recording the song on 15 May 1963, 3 July 1963, 15 July 1963 and finally on 25 July 1963 which made up the single release
- plus at least one released BBC version exists too...!

the best way to tell the original hit single version (issued in mono on the single of course, but later in stereo on a couple of CD compilations notably on 'Hollies Greatest Hits' with the clouds cover - track 8 on disc 2 - released in 2003) is by what Graham Nash narrates on his spoken bridge section

if you hear Nash say;
'....and old Blackie, Sgt Friday Charlie Chan they got nuthin' child on me'
- it is the original hit single version as here below:




however the stereo version included on 'Hollies Greatest vol 2' LP issued in March 1972, and the red cover later EMI 'Compacts For Pleasure' CD 'The Hollies' is an alternate version where Nash bridge narration is;

'....and old BOSTON Blackie, Sgt Friday, Charle Chan, they AIN'T got nuthin' on me....'

then Hicks (I think it is) in the background calls out;

'....you ain't kiddin' man'

featured here:




the original 1963 released single has a more frantic urgent style compared to the slightly more sophisticated style of the later stereo album track version from 1972

but the key test is if you hear Nash say: '...they got nuthin' child on me..' it is the original 1963 UK chart version (in mono - tho' as stated a stereo version exists too)

while if you hear Nash say; '...BOSTON Blackie..../ ...they AIN'T got nuthin' on me...'
followed by Hicks call of; 'you ain't kiddin' man...' - then it is the 1972 released alternate stereo version

[dirtyfaz]

This track was recorded over several session dates. The mono version had the lyrics ‘Well Sherlock Holmes and old Sam Spade, They got .. and old Blackie’ (sung by Nash) and the stereo version had alternate vocals with the vocal error corrected ‘Well Sherlock Holmes and old Sam Snead, and old Boston Blackie’.

The 1991 Furmanek did a stereo remix of the MONO version with incorrect lyrics, from the original British master tapes, has some vocals and instruments in different stereo positions to the original stereo version. This was released on the US 1993 CD ‘30th Anniversary Collection’ Imperial 7 99917 2. This version is on the 2003 2 disc Greatest Hits set with the stereo reversed from the Furmanek version.

Oops seems Gee got there first so I guess this can be disregarded although he fails to credit the first version of the mono vocals in stereo that was done by Ron Furmanek. I think Ron has been treated rather poorly by both fans and EMI over his work with that 30th Anniversary Collection.

[gee]

No input is wasted and you did add Ron Furmanek's 1991 mix work on the track so well done there 

personally I love Ron's 30th Anniversary remixes which add a fresh angle to the classic recordings whilst being respectful of the music - some derision came after Bobby was quoted as saying it 'made him feel sick' (!) - which IF accurate (and remember 'quotes' sometimes can not be) was a bit harsh to put it mildly (EMI going 'no noise' mad plus a pointless indeed irritating extra drum part added on 'King Midas' and no acoustic guitar on 'Can't Tell The Bottom...' later were FAR worse 'crimes' than Ron's new stereo mixes ever were in my view)

The original mono version of Searchin' can also be found on both 'History of The Hollies' double LP 1975, and of course on 'All The Hits And More' double LP of 1988

the 1963 single nearly had an early version of Tony Hicks song 'When I'm Not There' recorded on 3 July 1963 - Parlophone Demo discs were made with this as the 'B' side before 'Whole World Over' replaced it as the issued single 'B' side

[matthewvinyl26]

That alternate stereo mix is what is used on “Hollies’ Greatest Vol.2”.

[dirtyfaz]

Before the 1991 Furmanek remix, all issued stereo versions had the alternate mix.

[JamesT]

Have thought for years that this should be in the set.

[johnt]

Feb 2, 2023 18:12:21 GMT JamesT said:

Have thought for years that this should be in the set.

I agree. I do recall they did an impromptu version of Searchin' probably in the late 80s or early 90s at the Cambridge Corn Exchange. Someone from the audience shouted out for it and Allan started singing it with the band quickly backing him up. He stopped just before the speaking bit saying something like 'Graham did the next bit and he's not here'!