The Hollies :: View topic

Joined: 02 Sep 2005 Posts: 4 Location: Hertfordshire

Can confirm the keyboard wizadry of Ian Parker on the Another Night track. Found this German CD in a shop on a trip to Austria in the early 90s. Anybody know what happened to the other live album that Another Night is said to feature on according to the liner notes. Only available in Austria/Germany perhaps?

Chris

Hi Chris. The only other live album I know of to feature 'Another Night' was 'Live Hits'. However this version was the same as the studio one except it had a slightly faster tempo. There were a number of bootlegs going around in the nineties but I've never heard of any featuring 'Another Night'. Furthermore, my EP has no liner notes.
All the best
GordonJ

Hi James,

Your fellow Scotsman got to the question about the musician credits on "What Goes Around..." before I could find my copy.

In addition, the production is credited to The Hollies, Grahm Nash, Stanley Johnston and Paul Bliss.

Bruce

I always found the production credits of WGA rather strange... Graham Nash is listed, as are The Hollies... hang on... I thought Nash was supposed to be a member of The Hollies on that album? But then, as they say, two is better than one... Smile

Perhaps contractually and legally he wasn't technically a member considering he came back only for the tour and album?

Incidentally, has anyone heard Nash's solo album of that time, Innocent Eyes? I haven't, but I gather it is also very 'of the period' and was slated by critics because of the attempt by Nash to be contemporary.

Yep, I have that album. There are a few good tracks on there but yes, it is very very "80's" so I don't think it's a favourite of many. It's certainly far removed from anything he'd done before. I must admit that I don't play it very often - I much prefer Songs for Beginners Smile

I've got Innocent Eyes, too. Even though it is about three years removed from What Goes Around, it sounds as if Graham walked directly out of the recording sessions for WGA, and walked into another studio for IE five minutes later.

It certainly is different to hear the guy who once sang about protesting in Chicago singing about espionage and clandestine affairs in Prague...

Safe to say that if you love WGA, you'll like Innocent Eyes. It's also safe to say that if you did not care for the Hollies reunion album... Very Happy

Bruce

"Innocent Eyes"... a real disaster... "I Got A Rock" must be the worst and most embarassing song Graham Nash ever wrote. Its funny really... WGA was The Hollies last album for 23 years... and "Innocent Eyes" was Nashs' last solo for 18 years... hmmm.... Smile

As for the production credits on WGA, it is plainly obvious that it was a case of Nash's ego prevailing. He got the band signed to Atlantic because he was already there, then puts his name separately from the band's as one of the producers. After the album and tour only did so-so business, he tried disassociating himself by saying the album was "not brilliant" and that his involvement amounted to "not disturbing a project already in progress". I do not share the affection with Nash that some others do. I have not been a fan of his ever since he left the band high and dry back in '68. Then he and that s***head Crosby started their rants about Nash's former band, including Nash claiming that he alone wrote most of the band's material anyway. Untrue, but then you're only as good as the company you keep, right? No wonder Clarke wrote "My Life is Over With You" aimed at Graham. As for high harmony singers, Terry Sylvester takes the No. 1 spot in The Hollies' history in my opinion. Nash is No. 2. I have the utmost respect for Nash's artistry (when it was legitimate) within The Hollies, but little respect for him as a person. As for his first solo album, "Songs For Beginners", it's his best (although rather dated), just as Clarke's first, "My Real Name is 'arold" is his best.

I've always found it strange that 'My Life Is Over With You', alegedly written about Graham Nash was reported as having been written and SOLD Exclamation

in the same NME article which broke the news of Graham's departure Confused

GordonJ

Gordon! That is something very fascinating to discover! So it was written before Graham left?!? That is the most intriguing fact I've learned in some time, since like most, I believed the song was about or aimed at Graham... though it could easily be applied to Grahams' departure and dismissal of The Hollies when he left, one now wonders if Allan may have rewritten the song for the album or whether he was singing what was originally written... if that was the case, then one can only wonder who Allan was really writing about! I quite like that song actually - its a very sad lament on the ending of friendships and certainly describes very well how I have felt at times in the past over "friends" who revealed themselves to be not as true as I believed...

Hi Baz. I tend to think it is the original version on 'Hollies Sing Hollies' cos remember, it's 1968, and to write the line 'Goodbye my love' about a male friend may have caused suspisions. I think it's simply a love song and Allan decided at a later date, that a lot of the lyrics could have been applied to his sadness about Graham's departure.
GordonJ

A good point Gordon! Ray Davies raised many eyebrows and suspicions with certain lines in The Kinks' "See My Friend" in 1965! I don't think homosexuality is something 5 lads from Manchester would have known much about anyway, let alone sit down and write about it. After some of Grahams' lyrics in 1967, in 1968 they clearly tried to get back to simpler things and "My Life Is Over With You" does appear to be a simple song about the end of a relationship. The fact many including myself have believed it to be about Graham is interesting and I guess is mere coincidence which Allan probably picked up on as well since until you pointed it out, I never knew it had been written that early which I guess proves it cannot be about Graham. This has meant a major revision in my opinions on the subject matter in the song... Whoever it is or isn't about, its a good song!

Allan sort of claims now that it is about Graham, or doesn't deny it? It is interesting how it fits the situation so easily though.

It is also interesting to compare and Allan and Graham's first solo albums. I think it says a lot about them as musicians. Allan's is much more varied musically. Graham's is a pretty straight, confessional singer- songwriter album.

Micheal