The Hollies :: View topic - Let's talk about......The Essential Collection

The essential collection Smile

It's a bit of an odd album in that the early sixties songs appear in stereo and the psychadelic ones appear in mono. I don't know what the good of that was unless it was just for a change. The cover is also unusual in that a person who is not in the band appears on the group photo, making it look as if he was a member. He's even dressed the same way. Over all it was a great track selection including some hits and a good sprikling of album tracks. Funny thing is, in the UK at least, it dosen't seem to have sold well as it's been in the shops since 1997 and there are still plenty of copies around. It's the one your almost certain to see in any major record store even if they no other hollies CDs.
What do others think about this strange album.
All the best
GordonJ

Banjo Joined: 31 Jan 2004 Posts: 45 Location: Germany

don`t have this album, but if I do remember right, Rob had already answered the question about the stranger sometime ago in the guestbook. I did not know him, so I forgot...

Well Gina, I don't know about Germany but every major record store in the UK is drowning in the bloomin things. It's really good as well.
GordonJ

The sixth person on the cover's last name is Vickers. The hint is in the photograph of what his job was. There is a (beautiful) suit jacket in the bottom left hand corner. He had jobs such as looking after the Hollies wardrobe. (Oops Gordon. I said 'that' word).

And..... I like the CD. It has one of my favourite Hollies tunes on it. 'Put Yourself In My Place'. It could have been titled 'The Essential 60's Collection' if it weren't for 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'. But good tracks nonetheless.

Banjo Joined: 31 Jan 2004 Posts: 45 Location: Germany

Hi Gordon and Kathy,
yes, it is quite a good compilation, and it is also available over here, at least via mail order, but I already had the tracks somewhere, so have renounced to that one.

If the guy is called Vickers, then it must be Mike Vickers from Manfred Mann, and he is mentioned a couple of times as arranger or conductor of orchestral accompaniment, e.g. on For Certain Because at the songs High Classed, What Went Wrong and Crusader. Must have been hard times then if the bloke also had to care for the Hollies` wardrobe...

Hi Kathy and Gina. Kathy Sad

imangine forgetting that 'heavy' was a sixties song Confused

It's definately not Mike Vickers on the cover, Mike was with Manfred Mann at the time. This was the bloke that looked after the wardrobe. I wonder if he arranged for the 'Lassie' to be there Razz

Another interesting thing about this album is that the songs are in chronological order.
GordonJ

I'm sure Kathy is right on the last name of Vickers, because I do remember thinking of Mike (who was actually a blond), and the irony of his later involvement as an arranger for the Hollies, at the time Rob named the unrelated sixth person in this photo. I want to say it was Fred or Freddy Vickers, but the "old-timers" is acting up. Confused

Ah Kathy, "Put Yourself in My Place" IS a great one, isn't it? Later covered by Episode Six, which featured future Deep Purplers Ian Gillian and Roger Glover.

And...He Ain't Heavy was recorded in late 1969, so you can qualify it as a 60s song without trying too hard! Cool