The Hollies :: View topic

I listened to a compilation album of theirs twice, and I just don't see it - why were these guys so popular?

The liner notes say this: "history may ultimately credit the Merseybeats with inventing the style with which they shared a name ..."

Alright, for anyone who was listening to music when the Beatles and suchlike first took Northern England by storm, I have to ask - what is the big deal with the Merseybeats? Their music just doesn't grab me. What about them was influential on the big groups that followed them, and what of their catalog is the most enduring and popular today? Why should they be considered important by fans of 1960's beat group music?

Rythym Guitar Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 486

First we get a WRONG impression of this band from their records...they were actually quite a powerful rockin' live group who in Tony Crane and Billy Kinsley had two good looking co-frontmen that the girls all went beserk over (like,say Scott and John Walker later on).

Hey Geoff, I thought the 2003 Greatest Hits double album contained all The Hollies worldwide hits. Why is "That's My Desire" not on it?

Terry

Rythym Guitar Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 486

The "Greatest Hits" set certainly did NOT include all the Hollies worldwide hits...
These include : "Stewball","That's My Dersire","Man without a Heart", "Slow Down,Go Down","Falling Calling","Stop in the Name of Love","Stand by Me","Baby Come Back"......(Carl Wayne was not joking when he said about having to learn umpteen more "hits" than those he already knew....)

Thanks for that, Geoff.

Terry

I knew there were one or two "hit" songs missing off the greatest hits but I can't believe there are even more.

I'd love to see a complete list. Exactly how many different songs have The Hollies charted internationally?

It must be about 60.

Michael

Incidentally, the Merseybeats are still touring, with Tony Crane and Billy Kinsley still in the band.

From memory, they also had a hit with Wishing and Hoping - the Dusty Springfield classic.

Rythym Guitar Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 486

IF you take say, "I'm Alive", having charted in 11 different countries - as thus 11 chart placings, I think I am right in saying all togeather (last time I added them all up - with thanks to my friend, "Carousel" team colleague, and fellow Forum member Tony Marsden ), The Hollies had a total of achieving around 295 Worldwide separate singles chart hit placings since "Just Like Me" was a UK hit in 1963...!

Rythym Guitar Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 486

Further to the above....
Including the "Holliedaze" medley and those six "Tip Parade" songs it is some 62 songs (this does not include the "re-issued" hits)

It is therfore an actual figure of 55 different songs that have achieved a worldwide chart placing.

Speaking of remakes, The Merseybeats re-recorded "Don't Turn Around", sometime in the '70s I would guess, and it is excellent as well. Bowie's version of "Sorrow" benefits from Mick Ronson's guitar playing, that's for sure. And the saxophone in it works well, too. I just prefer the over-the-top bombast of the orchestration in the version by The Merseys, itself a remake! "Sorrow" was first recorded by American group The McCoys, best known for "Hang On Sloopy" and having Rick Derringer (The Edgar Winter Group) as their guitarist.