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Press Release - February 2000  PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE FEBRUARY 2000
Page 1: THE HOLLIES ‘MOVE’ON
The Hollies -- as you’ve never heard them before. CARL WAYNE* (ex lead singer of ‘The Move’) joins the familiar line-up of TONY HICKS, BOBBY ELLIOTT, ALAN COATES, RAY STILES and IAN PARKER in their dazzling new show, adding a dynamic new dimension to that trademark HOLLIES’ sound. The year 2000 marks a fresh beginning for The Hollies, with brand new songs, and tracks from their catalogue of 30+ hits that somehow slipped through the net on previous tours. And, of course, the classics The Hollies have made their own (HE AIN’T HEAVY, HE’S MY BROTHER; BUS STOP; I’M ALIVE) and many, many more. Two hours of musical genius on stage (no fillers, no ‘special guests’) just Hollies pure and simple – or complex and sophisticated, as the mood takes them. Plugged or unplugged, raw power or wistful harmonies; from ballads through to hard-edged rock, The Hollies do it all. Plus their special blend of self-deprecating wit, and anecdotes from their four decades of life in music; with the odd surprise song thrown in, jamming together as only true professionals can. Carl Wayne brings a fresh style to The Hollies, which they have eagerly adapted to give a sparkling new sound to those Hollies’ songs you thought you knew. And there are more to come: new recordings are well under way for release later this year. In 1999 The Hollies ended a 65-date UK Tour and promised to return. Here they are, bigger and better than ever before. During Summer 2000 The Hollies will be playing dates in England, Germany and other European countries, before embarking on another major UK Tour planned for October/November 2000 and February/March 2001. The Hollies have travelled a long way to reach the year 2000 – and the journey is far from over. Like the century itself, it has only just begun. * More info on CARL WAYNE? See: 2000 AND BEYOND on Page 4.
A whole generation grew up with songs found, written and performed by The Hollies. STAY (their third UK Chart success); JUST ONE LOOK; HERE I GO AGAIN; WE’RE THROUGH (their first self-penned hit ‘A’ Side); I’M ALIVE (their first UK No. 1); and LOOK THROUGH ANY WINDOW all showed they were here to STAY. Then came BUS STOP (their first major world-wide hit). STOP! STOP! STOP!, ON A CAROUSEL, CARRIE ANNE, KING MIDAS IN REVERSE and JENNIFER ECCLES – all massive hits, all written by The Hollies – followed in quick succession. And many more too: a total of 20 hit records in the 1960s alone. Always experimenting, always moving forward, it was HE AIN’T HEAVY, HE’S MY BROTHER that showed just how far The Hollies had come. First released in 1969, and featuring a little-known session piano player called Reg Dwight (Elton John), it quickly became a worldwide smash hit and all-time favourite. Although aiming more for the albums’ market in the 1970s, still The Hollies’ hit singles kept coming, including I CAN’T TELL THE BOTTOM FROM THE TOP, GASOLINE ALLEY BRED and THE BABY (with Mikael Rickfors on lead vocals), not forgetting the rock & rolling LONG COOL WOMAN and the hauntingly beautiful THE AIR THAT I BREATHE. The Hollies’ first-ever gig was played at the Oasis Club in Manchester in December 1962. They needed a name in a hurry, and it is widely believed their choice was derived from the Christmas holly-decked hall. Not so. Buddy Holly had been a major inspiration to every member of the band, so it didn’t take long to come up with the name: "The Hollies". Skiffle burst onto the music scene in late 1955, soon to be overtaken by rock & roll. By the beginning of the 1960s, groups were forming and re-forming all over Northern England. One of the most popular was ‘The Dolphins’, featuring a promising Nelson-born teenage guitarist named TONY HICKS. He went to listen to two Manchester lads, Allan Clarke and Graham Nash, and decided to join them. When they found he could sing as well, The Hollies’ 3-part harmony was born. And when a new drummer was needed, who better to join The Hollies’ line-up than the stylish and much-sought-after BOBBY ELLIOTT, also from Nelson. Elliott was another ex-member of ‘The Dolphins’, then playing with ‘The Fentones’ backing Shane Fenton (who later became Alvin Stardust).
The explosion of British pop groups led to The Hollies being snapped up by EMI, who had also signed the Beatles. The Hollies were always in a class of their own for sheer musical ability. The trademark 3-part harmonies of Clarke, Hicks and Nash, with Hicks’ brilliant guitar work and Elliott’s inventive genius on drums, gave an instantly recognisable sound. In 1969 Terry Sylvester replaced Graham Nash, who left to form Crosby, Stills & Nash in the USA, but the magic continued. In 1971, Allan Clarke followed Nash to America to try his hand at a solo career, and the Swedish vocalist Mikael Rickfors brought a new sound to The Hollies. Allan Clarke rejoined in 1973 and The Hollies recorded no fewer than 10 studio albums during this decade, plus an exciting live set ‘LP’. (Now remastered on CD, these are currently selling well singly and in boxed sets.) Their determination to use full orchestral arrangements meant an ever-increasing group of musicians, and whole string and brass sections were recruited from such world-renowned orchestras as The Halle to accompany The Hollies on tour. Ensemble playing became unnecessary with the coming of the synthesiser in the mid-1970s and now, thanks to the creativity of IAN PARKER - their classically-trained and supremely versatile keyboard player and music arranger - The Hollies can recreate the very best of those lush and extravagant sounds on stage.
Only the best acts stand the test of time, and The Hollies continued to delight sellout audiences worldwide. A reunion with Graham Nash resulted in another album "What Goes Around", a single, and another US tour. In the early 1980s, the superb guitarist ALAN COATES replaced Terry Sylvester on high harmony vocals. RAY STILES (the skilled bassist from the band ‘Mud’) then joined the line-up, followed shortly by The Hollies’ maestro, Ian Parker. When not on Hollies’ commitments, Alan Coates and his wife Kim Goody write and produce TV themes and advertising commercials from their Voice & Music Company based in London’s Drury Lane. Here too is Ray Stiles’ Pelican recording studio, where he and Ian Parker develop their songwriting, arranging and mixing talents using the latest technology. Ian has recently received a second Grammy Award for his work with ‘Clannad’ on the album Landmarks. The combined skills of Ian, Ray and Alan mean The Hollies have a constant source of new ideas to keep their music fresh and contemporary. When HE AIN’T HEAVY, HE’S MY BROTHER was featured in a TV lager commercial in the late 1980s, it was pounced on by a new eager, young record-buying public and raced back to No 1 in the British Charts. And so a new generation of admirers discovered the music of The Hollies - and became regular faces at their spectacular live shows. By the 1990s, The Hollies found themselves in demand on a scale not seen since the Sixties, with numerous interviews and TV appearances, new recordings and world-wide tours.
At the end of the 1999 UK Tour, Allan Clarke decided to retire from The Hollies for personal reasons. Although understandably very sad to see him go, The Hollies wished him a very long and happy retirement, and assured their fans worldwide that The Hollies would continue to entertain them for many years to come. In February 2000, TONY HICKS, BOBBY ELLIOTT, ALAN COATES, IAN PARKER and RAY STILES announced with great pleasure that The Hollies had been joined by CARL WAYNE, the ex lead singer of ‘The Move’. The Move’s many hits included Blackberry Way, Fire Brigade, I Can Hear The Grass Grow, and Flowers In The Rain (the first record ever played on BBC Radio 1). Carl Wayne looks forward to a successful association with The Hollies: Carl has been one of the busiest singers in the UK, recording an enormous amount of material including several compilation albums of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musicals. He has worked extensively in the theatre and has made many television appearances; also performing on hundreds of commercials for films and TV throughout the world. For the past seven years he has played a leading role in the London production of "Blood Brothers", to consistently good reviews. His distinctive singing voice and showmanship have made him the natural choice for The Hollies, who ‘Move’ forward with him into an exciting new era. The Hollies’ Representation: JIMMY SMITH | |||||||||||||||||||||