Say what you like about The Hollies, too pop for the hipsters, too hip for the popsters, but when Graham Nash steered the good ship Hollies into psychedelic waters, they didn’t just dabble, they dove deep and came up gasping rainbows. Peter Checksfield author of The Hollies – Elevated Observations: The Graham Nash Years 1963-1968, lays out his Hollies top 5 psychedelic tracks, encompassing hits, misses, and beautiful miscalculations.
All The World Is Love
[B-side of ‘On A Carousel’, February 1967]
The Hollies had been looking increasingly cool in their fashionable threads for some time, but by the early weeks of 1967 Graham was rivalling The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones for outlandish clothing, and soon Allan and the others would follow suit. His lyrics were also becoming increasingly more introspective and mind-provoking, which would eventually see him at odds with others in the group.
The extraordinary All The World Is Love is The Hollies first delve into the world of psychedelia, with lines like “I have left my mind somewhere floating behind me”, unsettling, syncopated drumming, distant tinny rhythm guitar, simple acoustic picked lead, another wonderful bass line, and occasional, almost random harmonies. Even the title was ahead of its time, a full 6 months before The Beatles’ ‘All You Need Is Love’ – a song for which Graham Nash was one of the many fashionable faces singing along to on the ‘Our World’ broadcast, and is even heard whistling on the single.
Heading For A Fall
[‘Evolution’ album, June 1967]
Although released on 1st June 1967, the same day as The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, ‘Evolution’ largely chooses its own musical path. Indeed, the combination of strong melodies and exotic instrumentation on this album – some of it directed by Mike Vickers – probably have more in common with the ‘Freak-Beat’ of The Rolling Stones’ early 1967 album ‘Between The Buttons’, despite some obvious Beatles influences too. The album was largely recorded while drummer Bobby Elliott was recuperating from a burst appendix that nearly killed him, with the drums on this track probably featuring either Clem Cattini or Dougie Wright.
A number of Graham’s songs around this time were inspired by the disintegrating marriage to his wife Rose – and with lines “I’ve no cause to doubt you, My friends tell me different that’s all”, Heading For A Fall may well be one of them. Fading in with what sounds like a droning bassoon, the main other instrument on this song is a banjo – an odd combination under previous standards which somehow seems normal on this album.
King Midas In Reverse
[Single A-side, September 1967]
Was it the height of The Graham-led Hollies’ creativity, or a big mistake, that would eventually lead to his split with the band? With the remarkable King Midas In Reverse, there’s an argument for both. It starts off quietly with just an acoustic guitar and Graham’s solo vocal, but by the 2nd verse he is joined by harmonies, bass, drums and strings – before the flutes, piccolos and trumpets kick in for the choruses and middle-eight. Not your standard Pop record then.
But how commercial-sounding is it? Legendary Producer Mickie Most always claimed that a big hit record had to grab you within the first 10 seconds, and, when compared to (say) Carrie Anne, I Can’t Let Go and Just One Look, it just doesn’t quite have that “wow!” factor from the very beginning.
A couple of performances on BBC radio’s ‘Top Gear’ survive in excellent quality, but surprisingly, they have yet to be issued officially. Few were brave enough to cover it during the ‘60s, but one exception was Los 5 Del Este’s Spanish version in 1968.
While not a complete disaster, with an appearance on ‘Top Of The Pops’ being its only TV promotion, the single stalled at a disappointing No. 18 in the UK, No. 14 in New Zealand, No. 15 in Australia, No. 16 in The Netherlands, No. 17 in Sweden, No. 31 in Canada and Germany, and just No. 51 in the USA. With the others no longer willing to trust his judgement, it was the beginning of the end for Graham Nash and The Hollies. Perhaps Mickie Most was right?
Try It
[‘Butterfly’ album, November 1967]
Just as The Beatles’ ‘Penny Lane’/’Strawberry Fields Forever’ was a foretaste of ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ and The Rolling Stones’ ‘We Love You’/’Dandelion’ a preview of ‘Their Satanic Majesties’ Request’, ‘King Midas In Reverse’/’Everything Is Sunshine’ proved to be a forerunner of ‘Butterfly’.
Even though Graham has the reputation for being The Hollies’ ‘hippy’, arguably the most far-out track on the album Try It is largely the work of Allan, including both lead vocals and harmonies. Lyrics like “It’s beautiful, seeing all the colours of the rainbow” relate to astral projection, something he took a deep interest in at the time, while the weird space-age electronic effects, backwards hi-hat and unsettling bass line are closer in spirit to The Pink Floyd than The Beatles. Not bad for a “Pop” group!
An early take with a different vocal and less sound effects was released – probably accidentally – on a 1968 B-side in Australia and some other territories.
Coming From The Ground – The Lee Kings
[Swedish A-side, December 1967]
The Hollies’ psychedelic era didn’t quite end there. With both Allan and Graham having more time on their hands due to the cancellation of a proposed world tour, they got involved in other projects. Swedish group The Lee Kings’ Coming From The Ground is a stunning slab of Pop-Psych with very Hollies-esque instrumentation and vocals. Produced by Graham and Allan, they almost certainly contribute harmonies too, and there are even pics of them in a recording studio on the single’s cover sleeve.
Further information
The Hollies – Elevated Observations: The Graham Nash Years 1963-1968 (Every Song From Every Session)
Hmmmm the Hollies first foray into psychedelic territory?
For me that would be album track “Clown”from the 66 LP “For Certain Because”. Also”Crusader”from the same album has a certain out there quality to it.
“Clown” has an eerie ominous otherworldly Vibe, with echo and an early Lysegic sound to it, very different to anything else they’d recorded up to that time.