The Hollies Rarities II: The Best Unreleased Recordings (News, Views and Music Issue 250, Top Thirty-Three-And-A-Third)

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Dear all, we're back with the fourth in our series of 'things that we know exist but haven't been released yet even though they should because they're blooming good' - or 'Hollies: Rarities II' in honour of the excellent compilation EMI put out in 1988 (in the wake of the 'He Ain't Heavy' re-issue getting to #1). We've decided to go with The Hollies this week because their sessions are probably the best organised of any AAA band outside the Beatles - Abbey Road loved their paperwork and apart from a short spell in 1976 at AIR and a slightly longer spell for the Graham Nash reunion album in 1983, the Hollies recorded at Abbey Road their whole career long. There's plenty to get through, compiled by us in rough chronological order, so here we go!....

CD One:

1) Searchin' (Pop Go The Beatles BBC 1963)

The Hollies' first radio appearance in August 1963 inevitably got overshadowed by the fact that The Beatles had just got their own series. To be honest, though, The Hollies are the stars of the show, outpacing a rather fatigued sounding fab four with their usual energy and excitement i their early period (before they in turn get fatigued around 1965). Searchin' was their second single and sounds a little looser in this form, with a more basic guitar 'waddle' holding the song together. Like the many other BBC selections listed here, for some reason it was passed over when EMI compiled the Hollies' BBC set 'Radio Fun' in 2012.

2) Stay (BBC 1964)

Ditto their third single, which was taken at a slightly slower lick and actually sounds closer here to the Maurice William and the Zodiacs original, especially Allan Clarke's unexpected falsetto! Bobby Elliott had only been in the band a matter of weeks when this show was recorded and by his standards he's tentative and cautious, instead of exploding the drums the way he does on the studio version. Again, why was this comparatively different recording passed over for the later tracks on the 'Radio Fun' collection that sound near identical to the records?

3) Nitty Gritty-Something's Got A Hold On Me (BBC 1964)

'Radio Fun' did include an inferior version of 'Something's Got A Hold On Me', but this slightly earlier recording (heard, like the version on the band's second record, in a medley with 'Nitty Gritty) is much more fun. The band aren't quite as on the ball as they are on the finished recording, but it's great to hear The Hollies this raw and sloppy and they reach a real head of steam by the medley's end. In our fictional compilation we've also kept intact the opening chat, where Bobby Elliott announces the song as 'One of our more classical numbers...Nitty Gritty!'

4) Keep Off That Friend Of Mine (BBC 1965)

Bobby wrote the lion's share of this B-side, which gets a real Chuck Berry type swing here as The Hollies try to busk through one of their more complex numbers of the period live. It's fascinating to hear Tony trying to play a double-tracked guitar part with one guitar and both him and Graham spreading themselves around the song to make up for the fact that they aren't double-tracked either...

5) You Know He Did (BBC 1965)

One of my favourite Hollies songs, this B-side really benefits from the rougher, tougher sound of what was effectively a live recording. Without the echo Clarke sounds even more menacing in his lead vocal as he plays the part of a narrator fooling himself that he's alright now he's alone, really he is. The arrangement differs slightly too: Bobby opens the song with a drum pattern before Tony's guitar, Clarke's harmonica kicks in at a different time and the solo is quite different, Tony firing off a very Keith Richardsy solo while Clarke tries to stick to the tune. Again, this version of 'Nobody' is classic and ever so nearly beats the finished version - so why isn't it on the band's official BBC collection?

6) You Don't Know Like I Know (Live 1966)

Alas the Hollies never did record their version of this Helen Shapiro song in the studio but they did perform it several times on their 1966 live tour. Thankfully the band were taped performing it in Sweden otherwise this energetic rendition might have been lost forever. The song really suits Clarke and Nash's shared vocals and their criss-crossing vocal-lines over each other are thrilling. The rest of the band don't sound quite so happy but, heck, it is live!

7) That's How Strong My Love Is (BBC Session 1966)

We're back to BBC sessions for the next three tracks - the 'overseas' series 'Top Of The Pops' to be exact, which despite the title is not linked to the TV show - all taken from the band's fourth album 'Would You Believe?' An Otis Redding classic, The Hollies were always a natural fit for this lovely song of devotion and Clarke puts on a particularly good show here. This version is taken at a noticeably quicker lick than the album version (Nerves?) and even though the band have clearly pre-recorded their backing vocals this time this recording is still far rougher than the finished product.

8) I Take What I Want (BBC Session 1966)

This one's better still, with the Hollies' most punk-like song taken at a roaring lick. This version differs from the album in that Tony's guitar isn't double-tracked but Allan's vocal is, which makes for a rather schizophrenic affair. The backing vocals are quite different too (instead of a sinple 'ahhhh' Tony and Graham sing 'aaaaah, uhhhhh--huhhh!') Bobby's drum solo in the middle is less frenetic than the studio recording but still remarkably impressive. The chat before the song is really revealing too - Brian Matthews tries to coerce bassist Eric Haydock into speaking but he doesn't get a chance with the others all talking over him. Graham adds that he was in the group for several months 'before Eric even said hello to us!'

9) I've Been Wrong (BBC Session 1966)

The Hollies' only group composition at this broadcast sounds even more poppy than the finished version and is carried off by Tony's strident guitarwork. The vocals aren't quite as neat in this version and the guitar solo is way off, but it's fantastic to hear The Hollies play as a real live album. Unlike most of their contemporaries they never did release a 'live' album in the sixties - and the polished 'Hollies Live Hits' from 1977 is no substitute for hearing the band as raw as this.

10) What's Wrong With The Way I Live? (Live 1966)

Not a radio version this time, but a live recording that someone taped during the Hollies' 1966 tour. This song - the opener of their fifth album 'For Certain Because' - is perfect for live concerts, having a stomping backbeat, a clap-along rhythm and a rare early appearance of Tony Hicks' banjo. This song about people putting down the youth of the day was way ahead of its time (a full year before the word 'hippie' was coined) and often gets overlooked by Hollies fans - this live version especially is a powerful statement for the day.

11) Non Prego Per Me (San Remo Song Contest 1967)

This is the Italian song we all know and love from 'Hollies Rarities' which the band entered into the San Remo Song Contest. Like many a Hollies' fan I've always wanted to know why the Hollies didn't win because the finished version (which was intended for release as a single if the band did well) is a great recording, with a great drama and tension-making build-up in the middle; who cares if you can't understand the words - this is clearly a song about love going wrong simply from the tone of Allan's deeper-than-normal voice. However, I kind of do know since audio of the Hollies' actual performance turned up on Youtube: by their standards they sound under-rehearsed and get increasingly frantic at trying to gee-up the audience by the end. Even so, it's an important moment in time and definitely deserves a release.

12) Pegasus (BBC Session 1967)

Back to the BBC sessions once again for Tony's delightful song about a horse with wings. With more effects over the opening than the version on 'Butterfly' and a far more timid vocal from Tony, this version sounds even more childlike than the finished version, but no worse for that. Interestingly, all the other 'Butterfly' era recordings made it to the 'Radio Fun' set, despite being less polished than this one (which even has the same Johnny Scott arrangement, notably rougher than the album version). There's a full ending instead of a fade-out, too.

13) Try It (Rare Mix 1967)

This one was released - but only in America, where it apparently came out by accident. 'Try It' must have been a hard song for engineers to tackle in 1967, full of curious bleeps and alien sounds. They seem to have had an 'extra' go at it with their first version passed over for 'proper' release. It contains far louder 'sound effects' than the finished version and even starts off again once the song has come to a full-stop instead of fading away as per the album version. Apparently this mix has come out on an American CD re-issue of 'Butterfly', but we can't get it in Europe except as a pricey import so I'm still counting this one as a 'rarity'. 

14) Survival Of The Fittest (Earlier Version 1967)

Alas I've never heard this one, but we know for definite it exists so here it is. 'Survival Of the Fittest' would have been part of the 1968 album the band made with Graham Nash which they never finished, although apparently they got quite far with the song. The Terry Sylvester line-up of the Hollies later released it on 'Confessions Of The Mind' where it was one of the real highlights, a classy superior pop song with words that recall the band's many 'clown' songs, with a business woman who apparently has everything hiding behind her fake smile.

15) Marrakesh Express (1968)

Equally we know that at least a backing track exists for the Hollies' attempt at what will become one of Graham Nash's key CSN songs. Allegedly the Hollies never quite 'got' this song, which was inspired by a Nash family holiday in Morocco and Graham has since recalled that this version 'sucked'. No matter, it's an important historical document - and other songs claimed to be not much cop over the years (ie 'Man With No Expressions') turned out to be genius, so there.

16) Dang Me (Unreleased/Live 1968)

Thrown by Graham's departure for CSN, the Hollies had several false starts at working out what to do next. The most interesting of these (certainly more interesting than the album of Bob Dylan covers) was a planned 'Hollies Sing Country' album. 'Louisiana Man' turned up on 'Hollies Rarities' in 1988 but we know the band recorded 'Dang Me' too. The version I do know dates from a year earlier than that, with Nash still enthusiastically on tow and a live recording from Croatia thankfully exists. Like many a Hollies' novelty song, I'm never quite sure if it's one of the best things they recorded or one of the worst, although the band seem to be having a great time on the live version, adding some nonsense backing vocals to the arrangement.

17) Help Me Brother (Live 1969)

Ditto 'Help Me Brother', which was performed by the Terry Sylvester line-up at the band's BBC2 'In Concert' show in 1969 (often repeated on BBC4 so keep an eye out for it, Hollie fans) and - I think - written and first sung by Tom Paxton (perhaps someone can write in and tell me if I'm wrong?!) Sadly the Hollies don't seem to have recorded it for an album, although they're clearly considering it for their 'country' album given the time they've taken to draw up this arrangement. For years we wondered if the session and concert lists giving this title in 1969 had simply misquoted 'He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother' (out the same year) but no: this is a whole new song I can't find referred to anywhere else and may well be a 'lost' Hollies original in the country style they were hoping to use on a full album? Tony even gets his own verses to sing and promptly fluffs them up, although newboy Terry sadly doesn't get his chance to shine just yet. Bobby's having a whale of the time on the drums though, power-housing his way through this simple song at double-quick speed.

CD Two:

18) Louisiana Man (Live With Bobby Gentry 1969)

The third song considered for a 'Hollies Sing Country' album, this one did of course find a home on Rarities. Few fans seem to know about a random TV appearance from the period that's survived though and features that song's writer Bobbie Gentry singing in tandem with Allan, Graham and Tony. The three end up getting in a bit of a mess working out when to sit down, stand up or let Bobbie sing, but this only adds to the fun!

19) Reflections Of A Long Time Past (Alternate Version 1969)

An alternate take of Bernie Calvert's lovely piano-led instrumental, first included on the 1969 album 'Hollies Sing Hollies'. Slower and with a counter-melody played by the strings which was cut from the final version. It's a shame Bernie didn't get the chance to write more songs like this one, because while the song never quite fitted on the album it's a lovely piece of music!

20) No More Snow On Heather Moor (Unreleased 1970)

This is Bernie's other 'song', another long slow loping instrumental that sounds like 'Long Time Past' with a few of the notes missing. This may have been an earlier version of 'Long Time Past' or a second song taped at the same sessions - it certainly has a similar feel, sounding not unlike a piece from a 1960s film soundtrack (it's a lot better than the music from Hollies-affiliated film 'After The Fox' for instance!)

21) Bobby's Prologue (Unreleased 1970)

For years when fans saw this piece listed amongst the early sessions for 'Confessions Of The Mind' we assumed it was a drum solo! Wecouldn't have been more wrong - in fact the Hollies' drummer is indulging his love of poetry, with extracts from his favourite writer Walter Scott. Probably best left in the can, to be honest, but at least it's preferable to the 'fake' poetry readings on Wings' 'Back To The Egg' nine years later!

22) Dear Oak Tree (Live 1971)

A sweet ballad, never committed to record but sung by the Hollies during their 1971 and rescued here from the soundtrack of an Australian music TV show given the wonderful name 'Don't Get Sunburnt!'. Given a comment Allan makes during the show about 'writing' this would suggest that 'Oak Tree' is a long lost Clarke classic that would have made a nice addition to the 'Distant Light' album.

23) Let It Be (Live 1970)

This Beatles cover comes from the same show and features a quite stunning re-arrangement of Paul McCartney's ballad for guitar and three-part harmony. The Hollies have always done themselves proud with hymn-like ballads and 'Let It Be' is a good fit for the band sound, even if the song is a tad slow. Sadly 1971 is also pretty much the last year The Hollies added any songs to their touring shows that didn't make it to official release, but they gave us a good run of unrecorded gems from about 1966 so we can't complain too much.

24) Coward By Name (Rare Allan Clarke B-Side 1972)

This rare B-side was released by Clarke solo on the back of his glorious but sadly flop single 'Who?' Like much of his second and best solo album 'Headroom' it's quite a political beast by Hollie standards and includes more of that album's digs at Christianity and pointless warfare (the cowards are not the soldiers who run away but the generals that don't fight). Not the best song Clarke ever wrote, but it deserves better than to have been tucked away on the back of a single that nobody bought and it would have been nice to see it added to either edition of the 'three-albums-on-CD' set alongside the 'Born To Run' single.

25) The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee (TOTP 1974)

Top Of The Pops was going through one of its periodic debates over live performances v miming in 1974. The Hollies had the best of both worlds, pre-recording a backing track of guitars and basic harmonies while having Clarke sing a second lead vocal live over the top and having Bobby Elliott rattle his drums over the tape. The result is a subtly different, even more exciting take of the band's cowboy 'reunion' single, with a power and energy even the pretty-exciting-already record doesn't possess, with the drummer on especially top form. It's the equivalent of seeing a cowboy film at the cinema in 3D rather than on a beaten up TV!

26) Maureen (Unreleased 1976)

The basis for what became the B-side 'Corrine', this is an early version of the song based around the name of Tony's sister and Bobby's wife (the same person, by the way!) A fun pop song which sounds even better treated as straight-ahead Merseybeat pop as opposed to the slight reggae feel the finished version received. Would have made a nice addition to the 'Write On' album.

27) Harlequin (German TV show 1978)

I'm afraid I've forgotten which TV show this was from and can't find any reference to it anywhere on the internet, but I do know it was in Germany - the country that took to the Hollies the most. Clarke was going through his second sabbatical, taking time off to promote his fifth solo album 'I Wasn't Born Yesterday', leaving a four-piece Hollies to play in his absence. And they really do play rather than mime (well, they play over a backing tape anyway), taking this tale of an unhappy clown who comes good in the end at a slightly slower pace and giving it a more elegiac air. Terry, who takes the lead vocal as per the album, is on particularly fine form and it's a shame he didn't get more chances to sing like this on the band's many TV appearances.

28) Hard To Forget (Cancelled Single 1986)

For my money this was the Hollies' second-best single of a very troubled decade (right behind 'Too Many Hearts Get Broken'), a very synth-heavy and yet very Hollies pop song about a narrator whose both addicted and frustrated by the love of his life. There's a great version of the Hollies plugging this song on the old 'Pebble Mill At One' series, where Clarke cracks a joke about the sentiments in the song name by turning to Hicks and asking 'What is this song called again?' Alas EMI thought differently and the song was pulled at the last minute and eventually replaced by the dreary 'This Is It'. Frankly, there's no competition.

29) Hillsborough (Rare B-Side 1989)

Not unreleased, but another Hollies track still awaiting its first CD release, a rare vocal and solo writing credit for Tony Hicks. One of many songs released to commemorate the fallen 69 Liverpool FC fans who died at Hillsborough, it takes on extra poignancy given the revelations in recent years that the police were at blame not the fans and readily covered up evidence to disprove the facts ('Why must it take such hurt and pain, who are the ones who guilt and shame? Who really cares who takes the blame?')  It's odd to hear Tony's Mancunian accent singing about a Liverpudlian tragedy, but the song is undeniably heartfelt and deserved better than to remain forgotten as the B-side of 'Baby Come Back', a German-only single (its much better than the A-side too). Tony and Bobby were also part of an all-star cast that re-recorded 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' in 2012 to raise money for the 'Justice for Hillsborough' campaign.

30) Whiter Shade Of Pale (Live 1990)

The Hollies began to add a few cover songs into their set lists in the late 1980s and early 1990s that they never did record on record, just like the 1960s heyday. One of the things they did on their 1990 tour was get the audiences to nominate their 'favourite' song from the 1960s and got a few interesting choices: The Beatles' 'Misery (co-written by an un-credited Clarke and Nash!), Great Balls Of Fire and all sorts of interesting one-offs. Their heartfelt cover of Procul Harum's 'Whiter Shade Of pale' was one of their better ideas, with Clarke, Hicks and newcomer Alan Coates singing almost a capella over Tony's simple strummed guitarlines until Ian Parker's keyboard part suddenly explodes into life before the last verse. A great arrangement and the Hollies could easily have made this another 'in-concert favourite' the way they did with 'Purple Rain'.

31) King Midas In Reverse (Live 1990)

The Hollies have often played 'King Midas In Reverse' on-stage, even though with Nash gone they had no reason to keep this comparative flop single in the act. The best arrangement of it by far, though, was this simple acoustic version played on the same tour and with a simple flute part substituted for the orchestral parts. Interestingly, this used to be the only Hollies song Nash ever sang onstage with CSN (until 2012 and 'Bus Stop' anyway) where he also sang this song acoustically, but without the flute.

32) Nothing Else But Love (Rare Song 1993)

A third and final song that's rare rather than unreleased. Yet again Germany got it when the rest of the world didn't, where it was hidden away at the end of a 3 CD set celebrating the Hollies' '30th anniversary' in 1993. A Richard Marx cover that's born for the Hollies' full ballad treatment, it was taped a few days before Clarke's final single with the band, the horrid 'Woman I Love' and would have made for a much more fitting finale on his CV. It goes without saying that while the Marx original is rather treacly and cliched, The Hollies excel at finding the real emotion at the heart of the song, slowing it down a jot and taking away the worst excesses of the 1980s backing. The song deserved a much wider release but sadly was passed over for the 'Long Road Home' box-set despite the fact that the other dozen or so rarities from that set finally received a new home there.

33) Bus Stop (Clarke & Nash Live 2012)

We end by coming full circle, with Allan Clarke a surprise guest at the Manchester leg of Crosby and Nash's  European tour in 2012. Yes this isn't the best version of 'Bus Stop' ever played: Clarke's voice has faded a little and Clarke and Crosby are still uncomfortable around each other, but it's great to see that the friendship of the two Hollies founders (who met at five years old)is in a happier place than it used to be and we hope that there's another reunion between them sometime soon.

Bonus Track:

Noel's xmas presents 1994

We end with the next in our series of hidden 'bonus' tracks - snippets of speech from across a band's archives. For The Hollies we've chosen the most-talked-about moment of Noel Edmunds' short-lived 1990s series 'Christmas Presents', where people who'd done a particular service to their local community had a 'surprise' sprung on them by a nominee. Hollies fan Brian Stubbles is bemused when he comes across a film crew in his house after getting in from work and seems thrilled enough when he spots a new 'jukebox' in his living room. He adds that The Hollies are his favourite group and - hang on - wait, that couldn't be? Yes it is, The1994-era Hollies are lined up in his garden singing 'He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother' especially for him. Now that's what I call a Christmas present!

That's all from us and our Hollies compilation for another week! Tune in for next week's top thirty-three-and-a-third at the usual time when it'll be Pink Floyd's turn in the spotlight!

A NOW COMPLETE LIST OF HOLLIES ARTICLES TO READ AT ALAN’S ALBUM ARCHIVES:

'Stay With The Hollies' (1964) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/the-hollies-stay-with-hollies-1964.html

'In The Hollies Style' (1964) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/the-hollies-in-hollies-style-1964-album.html

'The Hollies' (1965) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-83-hollies.html

'Would You Believe?' (1966) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-hollies-would-you-believe-1966.html

'For Certain, Because' (1966) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/the-hollies-for-certain-because-1966.html

'Evolution' (1967) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/review-11-hollies-evolution-1967.html

'Butterfly' (1967)  http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/review-14-hollies-butterfly-1967.html

‘Hollies Sing Hollies’ (1969)  http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-hollies-sing-hollies-1969.html

'Confessions Of The Mind' (1970) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/review-39-hollies-confessions-of-mind.html

'A Distant Light' (1971) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-hollies-distant-light-1971-album.html

'Romany' (1972) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/review-52-hollies-romany-1972.html

'Out On The Road' (1973) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-62-hollies.html

'Headroom' (Allan Clarke solo) (1973) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/review-57-allan-clarke-headroom-1973.html

'The Hollies' (1974) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/the-hollies-hollies-1974-album-review.html

'Another Night' (1975) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/the-hollies-another-night-1975.html

‘Write On’ (1976) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/the-hollies-write-on-1976.html

‘Russian Roulette’ (1976) http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-hollies-russian-roulette-1976.html

'A Crazy Steal' (1978) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/the-hollies-crazy-steal-1978.html

'5317704' (1979) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-110-hollies.html

'What Goes Around..." (1983) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-hollies-what-goes-around-1983.html

'Staying Power' (2006) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-hollies-staying-power-2006.html

‘Then, Now, Always’ (2009) https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/the-hollies-then-now-always-2009.html

'Radio Fun' (BBC Sessions) (2012) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-145-hollies.html
The Best Unreleased Hollies Recordings http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/the-hollies-rarities-ii-best-unreleased.html

Surviving TV Footage 1964-2010 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/the-hollies-surviving-tv-footage-1964.html

Non-Album Songs Part One: 1963-1970 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/the-hollies-non-album-songs-part-one.html

Non-Album Songs Part Two: 1971-2014 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-hollies-non-album-songs-part-two.html

Live/Solo/Compilation/US Editions/Covers Albums Part One 1964-1975 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-hollies-livesolocompilationouttakes.html

Live/Solo/Compilation/US Editions/Covers Albums Part Two 1976-2014 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-hollies-livesolocompilationouttakes_21.html

Essay: What Exactly Was The Hollies’ Style? https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/the-hollies-essay-what-excatly-was.html

Five Landmark Concerts and Three Key Cover Versions https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-hollies-five-landmark-concerts-and.html