Press Release - 2008
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THE HOLLIES - 2010
According to a certain Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, The Hollies had more hit records than The Beatles |
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Yet beyond those familiar songs, The Hollies have been responsible for a remarkably varied and intriguing catalogue of music. What’s more, this is one of the very few bands who have retained their status, dignity and cool - never descending to the revival package circuit, yet still regularly selling out major venues all over the world in their own right.
The live performance is Hollies pure and simple – or complex and sophisticated - as the mood takes them. Wistful vocal harmonies or sheer raw musical power - each song is spectactacularly showcased by its own brilliant lightshow.
On stage, their five decades of music is as always driven by Bobby Elliott’s powerful drumming and punctuated by Tony Hick’s incisive narrative - the inside story on how The Hollies classic recordings were created, occasionally seasoned with the odd morsel of backstage gossip.
Pioneering Pop or hard-edged Rock - through to their Power Anthems - The Hollies do it all - and they do it with style and panache.
Cast aside any prejudices that you may have about Rock‘n’Pop being the domain of youngsters, The Hollies still hack it in a major way.
On February 22nd, 2010, EMI will release a new two-disc, 48 track compilation, The Midas Touch, which focuses on the groups 60’s and 70’s recordings but brings their story to the present day with selections from their 2009 album Then, Now, Always plus two previously unissued live recordings from their 2009 tour.
This new career spanning anthology includes all the major hits from the 60’s such as "We’re Through", "I’m Alive", "I Can’t Let Go", "Bus Stop", "Stop Stop Stop" and "Carrie Anne", a string of singles that featured the classic first Hollies line up of Elliott, Hicks, singer Allan Clarke, bassist Eric Haydock (replaced in 1966 by Bernie Calvert) and singer/ rhythm guitarist Graham Nash. Nash left the group at the end of 1968 to team up with David Crosby and Stephen Stills, replaced by Terry Sylvester.
The hits kept coming under this new line up, including signature songs "He Ain’t Heavy…" and "I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top". Even after founding member Allan Clarke left the group in 1971 (he would return in 1973), The Hollies enjoyed another major hit with "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress". It was also No. I in the American Billboard charts. "The Air That I Breathe" was a major hit in 1974, reaching No. 2 in the UK charts.
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• The Hollies appeared on the BBC’s first ‘Top of the Pops’ on New Years Day 1964, along with The Stones, Dusty Springfield and The Beatles.
• The Hollies pioneered the use of the three-way vocal harmony in Pop Music.
• The Hollies were innovators. Unusual instrumentation was often used during the production of their records - including tubular bells, a celesta, glockenspiel and bagpipes. Carrie Anne is the first hit record to feature real steel drums.
• Friend and colleague Graham Nash left The Hollies to form super group ‘Crosby Stills and Nash’ in Los Angeles. December 1968.
• Elton John played piano on several Hollies hits, including ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’- number 2 in the charts in 1969.
• In 1988 ‘He Ain't Heavy’ was re-released, and went straight to #1.
• The Hollies have been presented with The Ivor Novello Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to British Music’
• Their recent album ‘Staying Power’ was hailed as ‘Absolutely Outstanding’ by EMI Records.
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Contacts:-
The Hollies Management: Jimmy Smith - 01604 870421 email: jimmy@hackletonfarms.co.uk
The Hollies on the web:- www.hollies.co.uk email: info@hollies.co.uk.
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