The Hollies are an English rock group known for their pioneering and distinctive three part vocal harmony style. The Hollies became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s (231 weeks on the UK singles charts during the 1960s; the 9th highest of any artist of the decade) and into the mid 1970s. Formed by Allan Clarke and Graham Nash in late 1962 as a Merseybeat type music group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns north of there. Graham Nash left the group in 1968 to form the supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash. They enjoyed considerable popularity in many countries (at least 60 singles or EPs and 26 albums charting somewhere in the world spanning over five decades), although they did not achieve major US chart success until 1966 with "Bus Stop". The Hollies had over 30 charting singles on the UK Singles Chart, and 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, with major hits on both sides of the Atlantic that included "Just One Look", "Look Through Any Window", "Bus Stop", "I Can't Let Go", "On a Carousel", "Stop Stop Stop", "Carrie Anne", "Jennifer Eccles", and later "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" and "The Air That I Breathe". They are one of the few British pop groups of the early 1960s that have never officially broken up and continue to record and perform. In recognition of their achievements, the Hollies were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
Links To Peel[]
Peel was a big fan of the group when he lived in the USA in the mid-1960s and they were producing a stream of chart hits, some of which made the playlists of the radio stations he worked for. While Peel was working for KMEN in San Bernardino, the Hollies were profiled in the 31 December 1966 issue of the station newspaper, the Kmentertainer.
Back in Britain, Peel played tracks from their LP "Evolution" on his 1967 Radio London shows. When Radio 1 began, they were invited to do a session for Top Gear, but it was broadcast on the show of 22 October 1967, which was introduced by Pete Drummond and Rick Dane, rather than Peel. Graham Nash, who had become fascinated by the hippie culture and the American music scene during the group's US tours[1] and was one of the first pop stars to be interviewed in International Times, tried to move the Hollies away from chart pop towards a more psychedelic sound. The other band members were not keen on this idea and Nash left. After his departure, the group's career took a more showbiz direction and Peel played little of their later material.
However he still enjoyed playing his favourite songs from them in later years. In late 1988 the Hollies 1969 UK single "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" was re-released due to popular demand after featuring in a TV advert. The single reached number one in the UK singles chart. Peel referred to it as of their worst songs on his 26 September 1988 show. To compensate, he played one of his favourite tracks from them, "Look Through Any Window". The song later was voted by Peel as his Peelenium 1965 on his 28 October 1999 programme. On his 11 November 1999 show, Peel mentioned The Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe" as one of his sing along in the car records:
- "Whenever we make up a holiday tape or anything like that, ‘Without You’ is always on there, along with the Hollies’ ‘The Air That I Breathe.’ And one of these days a blood vessel is going to snap in me head and that’ll be it really when I’m singing along with it, but I do like having a go."
Before the Hollies' hit version, "The Air That I Breathe" was originally recorded by Phil Everly on his 1973 LP "Star Spangled Springer", which was a Peel favourite of the time; it was produced by one of his heroes, Duane Eddy. who also played guitar on some of the tracks.
Peelenium[]
- Peelenium 1965: Look Through Any Window
Sessions[]
1. Recorded with the John Scott Orchestra: 1967-10-13. Broadcast: 22 October 1967. Repeated: 19 November 1967. 3 tracks available on Live At The BBC CD, 2018 (Parlophone, 0190295636357)
- Games We Play / Step Inside / King Midas In Reverse / Postcard / Charlie And Fred / Away Away Away
Other Shows Played[]
The Hollies - Look Through Any Window
'Look Through Any Window', a Peelenium 1965
(The list is incomplete. Please add further information if known)
- 1967
- Perfumed Garden (July/August): Stop Right There (LP - Evolution) Parlophone
- 01 July 1967: Carrie Anne (single) Parlophone
- 01 October 1967: King Midas In Reverse (single) Parlophone
- 12 November 1967: Away Away Away (album - [Butterfly) Parlophone PMC 7039
- 1973
- 24 April 1973: Look Though Any Window (single, 1965) Parlophone
- 1974
- 14 February 1974: Stay
- 1978
- 16 June 1978: Look Through Any Window
- 1981
- 01 January 1981: Look Through Any Window
- 1984
- 17 May 1984: King Midas In Reverse
- 1985
- 12 August 1985: I’m Alive (single, 1965) EMI
- 1987
- 09 February 1987: Look Through Any Window
- 1988
- 26 September 1988: Look Through Any Window (7": Look Through Any Window) (Parlophone)
- 1997
- 26 January 1997: 'Look Through Any Window'
- 1999
- 28 October 1999: 'Look Through Any Window (7")' (Parlophone) Peelenium 1965
- 2002
- 06 February 2002: 'I'm Alive' (E.M.I)
- 2003
- 27 May 2003: 'King Midas in Reverse (LP- Acid Daze)' (Uncut)
- Others
- 05 January 1984 (TOTP): Sorry Suzanne (clip from 27/02/69)
- Radio Radio: Look Through Any Window
- 18 Mar 1966: I Can't Let Go (8)
- 25 Mar 1966: I Can't Let Go (3)
- 01 Apr 1966: I Can't Let Go (2)
- 08 Apr 1966: I Can't Let Go (2)
- 15 Apr 1966: I Can't Let Go (3)
- 22 Apr 1966: I Can't Let Go (9)
- 15 Jul 1966: Bus Stop (4)
- 22 Jul 1966: Bus Stop (3)
- 29 Jul 1966: Bus Stop (3)
- 05 Aug 1966: Bus Stop (5)
- 12 Aug 1966: Bus Stop (4)
- 04 Nov 1966: Stop, Stop, Stop (5)
- 18 Nov 1966: Stop, Stop, Stop (1)
See Also[]
- KMEN British Pop Top Ten
- ABC Of Beauty
- Singles Reviews
- 1974 Top Fifty One Singles
- UK Singles Chart Number Ones
- Gigography 1967
- Sounds