The Hollies biography
The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s. They enjoyed considerable popularity in many countries, although they did not achieve major US chart success until 1966. Along with The Rolling Stones and The Searchers, they are one of the few British pop groups of the early 1960s that have never officially broken up and that continue to record and perform. The Hollies were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
History
Formation
The original line-up included Allan Clarke as lead vocalist, Graham Nash as guitarist and vocalist, Vic Steele (born Victor Winston Farrell, 8 May 1945, Manchester) on guitar, with Eric Haydock on bass guitar and Don Rathbone on drums (born Donald Rathbone, October 1942, Wilmslow, Cheshire). Steele left in February 1963, shortly before they signed to Parlophone as label-mates of The Beatles. Tony Hicks, who replaced Steele, and Bobby Elliott, who replaced Don Rathbone, joined the band in quick succession in 1963; both had played in a Nelson-based band, The Dolphins. Bernie Calvert, who replaced Haydock in 1966, was also a member of The Dolphins.
The group's first US album release was in 1964 as part of the first wave of British Invasion acts. It has been suggested that Haydock named the group after the green garland for Christmas. In a 2009 interview, member Graham Nash said that the group decided just prior to a performance to call themselves "The Hollies" because of their admiration for Buddy Holly and wrote that same year: "We called ourselves The Hollies, after Buddy, and Christmas."
1960s
The Hollies were known for their bright vocal harmonies. Though initially known for its cover versions, the band moved towards written-to-order songs provided to them by such writers as Graham Gouldman. Soon after, the group's in-house songwriting trio of Clarke, Hicks and Nash began providing hits.
The group was discovered and signed by EMI's Ron Richards, who produced most of their music between 1963 and 1979. Their EMI debut single, "Ain't That Just Like Me", was released in May 1963, and hit #25 on the UK Singles Chart. Their second single, a cover of The Coasters' "Searchin," hit #12. They scored their first British Top 10 hit in early 1964 with a cover of Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs' "Stay", which reached #8 in the UK. It was lifted from the band's Parlophone debut album, Stay With The Hollies, released on 1 January 1964, which went to #2 on the UK album chart. A version of the album was released in the US as Here I Go Again, on The Hollies' US label of the time, Imperial.
They followed up with "Just One Look" (February 1964, UK #2), and the hits continued with "Here I Go Again" (May 1964, UK #4); the group's first self-penned hit, "We're Through" (Sep. 1964, UK #7); "Yes I Will" (Jan. 1965, UK #9); the Clint Ballard, Jr.-penned "I'm Alive" (May 1965, UK #1, US #103); and "Look Through Any Window" (Sept. 1965, UK #4) which also broke The Hollies into the US top 40 for the first time (#32, Jan. 1966). However "If I Needed Someone" (Dec. 1965), the George Harrison song originally recorded by the Beatles on Rubber Soul, charted significantly lower, only reaching #20 in the UK.
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