June 12, 2008
April 22, 2008
About CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) was an American roots rock band who gained popularity in the late 1960s and early '70s with a string of successful songs from multiple albums released in 1968, 1969 and 1970.
The group consisted of singer, lead guitarist, and primary writer John Fogerty, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bass player Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed rock and roll and so-called swamp rock genres. Their songs are often cited as examples of patriotic, liberal American protest songs[1], and of classic rock.[2]
CCR's music is still a staple of American and worldwide radio airplay[3] and often figures in various media.
History
Before Creedence: 1959-1967
John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook (all born 1945) met at junior high school in El Cerrito, California and began playing instrumentals together under the name The Blue Velvets. The trio also backed singer Tom Fogerty—John's older brother by four years—at live gigs and in the recording studio. By 1964, the band had signed to Fantasy Records, an independent jazz label based in San Francisco at the time.
Fantasy had released Cast Your Fate to the Wind, a national hit for jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. The record's success was the subject of an NET TV special, which prompted budding songwriter John Fogerty to contact the label. For the band's first release, however, Fantasy co-owner Max Weiss renamed the group The Golliwogs (after the racial caricature, Golliwogg), apparently to cash in on a wave of popular British bands with similar names.
During this period, band roles underwent some changes. Stu Cook had gone from piano to bass guitar and Tom Fogerty became the band's rhythm guitarist. John Fogerty also began to write much of the band's material. Most notably, the young guitarist had taken over lead vocal duty. As Tom would later say, "I could sing, but John had a sound."
Early success: 1967-68
The group had suffered a setback in 1965 when the draft board called up John Fogerty and Doug Clifford for military service. Fogerty managed to enlist in the Army Reserve instead of the regular Army while Clifford did a short tenure in the United States Coast Guard Reserve.
A much more positive event occurred in 1967 when Saul Zaentz purchased Fantasy Records from Weiss and offered the band a chance to record a full-length album, but only if the group changed its name. Never having liked The Golliwogs, the foursome readily agreed. Zaentz and the band agreed to come up with ten suggestions each, but he enthusiastically agreed to their first: Creedence Clearwater Revival. The band took the three elements from Creedence Nuball, a friend of Tom Fogerty; "clear water", from a TV commercial for Olympia beer; and revival, which spoke to the four members' renewed commitment to their band. (Other contenders were Muddy Rabbit, Gossamer Wump, and Creedence Nuball and the Ruby.)
By 1968, Fogerty and Clifford had been discharged from military service. All four members subsequently quit their jobs and began a heavy schedule of rehearsing and playing area clubs full-time.
The resulting 1968 debut album Creedence Clearwater Revival struck a responsive note with the emerging underground pop culture press, which touted CCR as a band worthy of attention. More importantly, AM radio programmers around the United States took note when a song from the LP, "Suzie Q", received substantial airplay in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as on Chicago's WLS. Blues aficionados doubtlessly appreciated the similarities between CCR's tough style and R&B artists on the Chess and Vee-Jay labels.
"Suzie Q", the band's remake of a 1956 hit for rockabilly singer Dale Hawkins, went on to be the band's first single to crack the Top 40. It just missed the Top Ten at #11 and was Creedence's only hit not written by John Fogerty. Other singles included a cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell On You" and "Porterville", written during John Fogerty's Reserve stint.
After some eight years of making music together, the group was finally an 'overnight success'.
Peak success: 1969-70
While undertaking a steady string of live dates around the country to capitalize on their breakthrough, CCR also was hard at work on their second album Bayou Country at RCA Studios in Los Angeles. Released in January, 1969, and a #7 platinum hit, the record was the first in a string of hit albums and singles which continued for the next three years.
Bayou Country's seven songs were well-honed from Creedence's constant live playing. The album showed a distinct evolution in approach, much more simple and direct than the band's first release. The rollingly riverine "Proud Mary", backed with "Born On the Bayou", went to Number 2 on the national Billboard chart. It would eventually become group's most-covered song, with some 100 cover versions by other artists to date, including a hit version in 1971 by Ike and Tina Turner. Bob Dylan named it his favorite single of 1969. The album also featured a blistering remake of Little Richard's "Good Golly Miss Molly" and the band's nine-minute live-show closer, "Keep On Chooglin' ".
Only weeks later, in March, 1969, "Bad Moon Rising" backed with "Lodi" was released and peaked at #2 on the charts. The band's third album, Green River, followed in August and quickly went gold along with the single "Green River", which again reached #2 on the Billboard charts. The B-side of "Green River", "Commotion"—a one-chord two-step about the perils of city life—also peaked at #30. The bar-band story of "Lodi" became a popular staple on then-emerging FM radio.[citation needed] The band's emphasis on remakes of their old favorites continued with "The Night Time Is the Right Time", which found its way into the band's live set as a crowd sing-along.
Creedence continued to tour heavily including performances at the Atlanta Pop Festival and the Woodstock Music and Art Festival. Their set was not included in the Woodstock film or its original soundtrack, however, because Fogerty felt the band's performance was sub-par. (Several CCR tracks from the event were included in the 1990s commemorative box set.) The band also complained that they had to take the stage at three in the morning because The Grateful Dead had jammed far past their scheduled set time. By the time Creedence began playing—"the hottest shot on Earth at that moment," said Fogerty—many in the audience had gone to sleep.
It didn't matter. Creedence was busy perfecting material for a fourth album, Willy and the Poor Boys, released in November, 1969. "Down on the Corner", a good-time street-corner number, and the famously militant "Fortunate Son" climbed to #3 and #14 respectively by year's end. The album was Creedence in its classic form, featuring Fogerty originals and two reworked Leadbelly covers, "Cotton Fields" and "Midnight Special".
The success of Willy and its single was the final touch on an amazing year for a remarkable band: no less than four hit singles and three full-length, top-selling albums. Few if any artists in 1969—or indeed in any year—could match CCR for stamina, creative output, and commercial success.
Just after the new year, 1970, CCR released yet another new double-sided 45, "Travellin' Band"/"Who'll Stop the Rain". The flip side was inspired, as John Fogerty tells it, by the band's experience at Woodstock. The speedy "Travellin' Band", however, bore enough similarities to Little Richard's "Good Golly, Miss Molly" to warrant a lawsuit by the song's publisher that was eventually settled out of court. In the meantime, the single had topped out at #2. The band also recorded its Saturday, January 31 live performance at the Coliseum in Oakland, California, which would later become a well-known live album and television special. By February, the unstoppable Creedence was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, although only John Fogerty was interviewed in the accompanying article.
In April, 1970, Creedence was set to begin its first European tour. To support the upcoming live dates, Fogerty came up with "Up Around the Bend", a good-time party rocker, and the broody "Run Through the Jungle", about the burgeoning problem of societal violence in the United States. The single—written, recorded, and shipped in only a few days' time—went to #4 that spring, ensuring enthusiastic response from European live audiences and high commercial success in the U.S. and the rest of the world.
The band returned to Wally Heider's San Francisco studio in June to record what many consider the finest CCR album, Cosmo's Factory. The title was an in-joke about their various rehearsal facilities and factory work ethic over the years. (Drummer Doug Clifford's longtime nickname is "Cosmo", due to his keen interest in nature and all things cosmic.) The album contained the earlier Top 10 hits "Travellin' Band" and "Up Around the Bend" plus highly popular album tracks such as the opener "Ramble Tamble", an ambitious and snarling seven-minute cut about life in America with its "police on the corner, garbage on the sidewalk, actors in the White House."
Cosmo's was released in July, 1970, along with yet another #2 hit, "Lookin' Out My Back Door"/"Long As I Can See the Light". The cuts included an incisive eleven-minute jam of the 1968 R&B hit "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and a nearly note-for-note homage to Roy Orbison's "Ooby Dooby". John Fogerty's musical range clearly had expanded. He now wove in slide guitar, keyboards, saxophones, tape effects, and layered vocal harmonies—and pushed himself vocally more than ever on "Long As I Can See the Light". The album, eleven songs in all, was Creedence's best seller and went straight to #1 on the Pop charts and #11 on Billboard's Soul Albums chart.
By August, 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival had amassed five No. 2 singles in the U.S., more than any act that never topped the national chart. The band had Number One singles in many countries and had released four Top Ten albums in 18 months.
Decline and breakup: 1971-72
The Cosmo's Factory sessions had seen the stirrings of tensions within the foursome as the incessant touring and heavy recording schedules took their toll. John had literally taken control of the group in its business matters and its artistic output. The situation began to grate on Tom, Stu, and Doug, who wanted more of a say in the band's workings. John resisted, feeling that a 'democratic' process would threaten their success. Other issues included John's decision at a Nebraska gig that the band would no longer give encores at its live shows. Also, a series of business decisions—which later would leave Fogerty with a mess of legal hassles—also rankled his bandmates.
Pendulum, released in December, 1970, was another top seller, spawning a Top 10 hit with "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?". The album marked yet another shift in the band's approach: gone was the wall of sound of Creedence's previous three albums. Production was dry and tight, even to the point of sounding restrained. Even so, John Fogerty's soloing ability had expanded beyond guitar to include Hammond B3 organ and saxophone, lending Pendulum a Booker T. and the MG's sensibility. The single's flip side, the ringing "Hey Tonight", was also a hit. Somewhat experimental was the closer track, "Rude Awakening #2", a bizarre and almost tuneless instrumental in which the band seemed to have thrown in every sound and effect they could imagine.
But even continued musical innovation and success could not resolve the differences between John and Tom Fogerty. In February, 1971, with Pendulum and its single still high on the charts, Tom Fogerty finally left Creedence Clearwater Revival to pursue a solo career. With that, Fogerty informed a startled Cook and Clifford that the band would indeed adopt a new, 'democratic' approach: each member would now write and sing his own material. Fogerty also would contribute only rhythm guitar to his bandmates' songs, a particularly hard slap in the face given their years of support for Fogerty's music. Cook and Clifford, who had only wanted more of a voice in the business decisions, resisted this arrangement. Fogerty insisted they accept his terms or he would quit the band.
The CCR trio thus put its new work ethic to the test in the studio, releasing the Top 10 single "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" in July, 1971, backed with Stu Cook's "Door to Door". The new band toured both the U.S. and Europe that summer and autumn, with Cook's song a part of the live set. In spite of their continuing commercial success, however, relations between the three had become strained. Creedence also seemed to have lost its famous drive, failing to put out an album in 1971.
The band's final album, Mardi Gras, was released in April, 1972. It received mostly poor reviews and suffered comparatively weak sales, with the songs of Cook and Clifford often cited as the primary reason. The 1971 hit single "Sweet Hitch-Hiker"/"Door to Door") was included on the album, but the only other Fogerty single, "Someday Never Comes" backed with Clifford's "Tearin' Up the Country", failed to crack even the US Top 20. It was the worst showing of any Creedence single since 1968.
Mardi Gras peaked at #12. Just after its release, Creedence embarked on a spring and summer tour of the U.S., Australia, and Japan, which would ultimately be their last. Hecklers reportedly pelted the band with coins at their final concert, on May 22, 1972, in Denver, Colorado.
By that point, John was not only at direct odds with his bandmates, but he had also come to see the group's relationship with Fantasy Records as onerous, feeling that label owner Zaentz had reneged on his promise to give the band a better contract. Stu Cook—who holds a degree in business—claimed that because of poor judgment on their part, CCR had to abide by the worst record deal of any major American recording artist.
On October 16, 1972, Fantasy Records and the band officially announced that Creedence Clearwater Revival was no more.
After Creedence
John Fogerty
Main article: John Fogerty
In 1973, John began his solo career with The Blue Ridge Rangers, his one-man band collection of country and gospel songs. Under his old Creedence contract, however, Fogerty owed Fantasy eight more records. In the end, he simply refused to work for the label any longer. The impasse that was resolved only when Asylum Records' David Geffen bought Fogerty's contract for $1,000,000. His next major hit was Centerfield, a double-platinum and chart-topping success in 1985. On tour in 1986, however, Fogerty suffered complaints over his steadfast refusal to play Creedence songs live. Fogerty's defense was that he would have had to pay performance royalties to copyright holder Saul Zaentz—and that it was "too painful" to revisit the past.
John Fogerty also found himself entangled in new lawsuits with Zaentz over the song "The Old Man Down the Road" which was, according to Zaentz, a bald rewrite of CCR's "Run Through the Jungle". Since Fogerty had traded his rights to Creedence's songs in 1980 to cancel his remaining contractual obligations, Fantasy now owned the rights to "Run Through the Jungle" and sued Fogerty essentially for plagiarizing himself. A jury found in Fogerty's favor on this claim; however, Fogerty did lose a defamation suit filed by Zaentz over the song "Zanz Kant Danz" and was forced to edit the recording.
In 1987, Fogerty began performing his CCR hits again, on an admonition from Bob Dylan that "if you don't . . . the whole world's gonna think 'Proud Mary' is Tina Turner's song!" At a Fourth of July benefit for Vietnam veterans, Fogerty finally ran through the list of Creedence hits—beginning with "Born On the Bayou" and ending with "Proud Mary"—to a stunned and then ecstatic audience. He retreated from music again in the late 80s but returned in 1997 with the Grammy-winning Blue Moon Swamp. John Fogerty still tours frequently and plays CCR tunes alongside material from his newer albums.
Tom Fogerty
Main article: Tom Fogerty
Tom Fogerty released several solo albums, though none saw much success.
Tom's 1974 solo album Zephyr National was the last to feature the four original band members. A few of the songs sound very much in the Creedence style, particularly the aptly-titled "Joyful Resurrection". All four members did reportedly play on the song, but John recorded his part to the mix separately. All four members appear on the back cover of the original album release, with John partially hidden behind his Oakland As baseball cap.
In September 1990, Tom Fogerty died of AIDS, which he contracted via a blood transfusion. John and Tom never resolved the bitter estrangement that followed their falling out in CCR, though John said in 1998 that he did visit his older brother several times during Tom's final illness.
Stu Cook and Doug Clifford
Junior high buddies Doug Clifford and Stu Cook continued to work together following the demise of CCR both as session players and members of the Don Harrison Band. They also founded Factory Productions, a mobile recording service in the Bay Area. Clifford released a solo record, Cosmo, in 1972. Cook produced artist Roky Erickson's Monster Opera and was bassist with the popular country act Southern Pacific in the 80s.
Following a relatively lengthy period of musical inactivity, the two formed Creedence Clearwater Revisited in 1995 with several well-known musicians. Revisited toured globally performing the original band's classics. John Fogerty's 1997 injunction forced 'CCRev' to change to 'Cosmo's Factory', but the courts later ruled in Cook's and Clifford's favor.
Fantasy Records
After Creedence, Fantasy Records released several greatest-hits packages and curiosities such as 1975's Pre-Creedence, a compilation album of The Golliwogs' early recordings. Fantasy also released the highly successful Chronicle, Vol. 1, a collection of Creedence's twenty hit singles, in 1976. Several years later, the label released a live recording entitled The Royal Albert Hall Concert. Unfortunately, the 1970 performance was recorded at Oakland, California, not at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England as stated on the sleeve. Subsequent issues of the original 1981 album have been retitled simply The Concert.
The success of Creedence Clearwater Revival made Fantasy and Saul Zaentz a great deal of money. Indeed, Fantasy built a new headquarters building in 1971 at 2600 Tenth Street in Berkeley, California.[4] Zaentz also used his wealth to produce a number of successful films including Best Picture Oscar winners One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, and The English Patient. In 2004, he sold Fantasy to Concord Records. As a goodwill gesture, Concord honored the unfulfilled contractual promises Fantasy made nearly forty years ago, finally paying the band a higher royalty rate on their sales.
John Fogerty, seeing that Zaentz was no longer involved with the company, also signed a new contract with Concord/Fantasy. In 2005, the label released The Long Road Home, a collection of Creedence and Fogerty solo classics. His latest album, Revival, came out on the Fantasy label in October, 2007.
Legacy
Creedence Clearwater Revival were somewhat unfashionable in rock circles during their heyday because they concentrated on tightly-focused, well-crafted, and short songs created to appeal to everyone. Unlike most other rock artists of the day, they eschewed drug use and did not contribute significantly to progressive activism—although they were all against the war in Vietnam, and they contributed substantial money to the American Indian Movement.
Even in the immediate years after breaking up, Creedence's stature as one of the great American rock bands was secure. The music went on to influence entire genres such as heartland rock, country rock, alt-country, and even punk and heavy metal musicians revere the band. Decades later, CCR's music remains in heavy rotation on oldies and classic rock radio stations. Fogerty's songs, considered classics of the rock form, have been covered by multiple artists, and many artists express both admiration and envy over Creedence's mastery of the two-and-a-half minute hit single. "Fortunate Son" in particular has become a universal anthem against war, class privilege, and jingoism. Creedence songs frequently appear in films and on television, and indeed the band continues to attract young fans born long after the band split up.
Even so, the surviving members resist all suggestion that they reunite as a group. There have been "unofficial" reunion performances by the band, however. All four members jammed together at Tom Fogerty's wedding on October 19, 1980. John, Stu, and Doug performed at their 20th high school reunion in 1983, but they performed as their original incarnation, The Blue Velvets. But with the new round of lawsuits in the 80s and 90s between John, Saul Zaentz, and Stu and Doug's tribute band, the post-1972 animosity has only deepened.
Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 on the first ballot. Tom Fogerty's widow, Tricia, brought the urn containing his ashes for the ceremony and expected Creedence reunion. Tom's son Jeff, a professional musician, was also on hand to take his father's place as rhythm guitarist for the traditional post-awards live set. John, however, would not perform with fellow bandmates Stu and Doug, instead having them barred from the stage while he played with an all-star band that included Bruce Springsteen and Robbie Robertson. Rumor has it that Cook and Clifford walked out of the ceremony, but apparently a group photo was taken with Fogerty afterward. All three stared straight ahead and didn't utter a word to each other. Later, Clifford had tears in his eyes, telling fans of his disappointment.
Today, John Fogerty says he has no intention of reuniting with his former bandmates. Stu Cook and Doug Clifford echo that sentiment.
The group consisted of singer, lead guitarist, and primary writer John Fogerty, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bass player Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed rock and roll and so-called swamp rock genres. Their songs are often cited as examples of patriotic, liberal American protest songs[1], and of classic rock.[2]
CCR's music is still a staple of American and worldwide radio airplay[3] and often figures in various media.
History
Before Creedence: 1959-1967
John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook (all born 1945) met at junior high school in El Cerrito, California and began playing instrumentals together under the name The Blue Velvets. The trio also backed singer Tom Fogerty—John's older brother by four years—at live gigs and in the recording studio. By 1964, the band had signed to Fantasy Records, an independent jazz label based in San Francisco at the time.
Fantasy had released Cast Your Fate to the Wind, a national hit for jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. The record's success was the subject of an NET TV special, which prompted budding songwriter John Fogerty to contact the label. For the band's first release, however, Fantasy co-owner Max Weiss renamed the group The Golliwogs (after the racial caricature, Golliwogg), apparently to cash in on a wave of popular British bands with similar names.
During this period, band roles underwent some changes. Stu Cook had gone from piano to bass guitar and Tom Fogerty became the band's rhythm guitarist. John Fogerty also began to write much of the band's material. Most notably, the young guitarist had taken over lead vocal duty. As Tom would later say, "I could sing, but John had a sound."
Early success: 1967-68
The group had suffered a setback in 1965 when the draft board called up John Fogerty and Doug Clifford for military service. Fogerty managed to enlist in the Army Reserve instead of the regular Army while Clifford did a short tenure in the United States Coast Guard Reserve.
A much more positive event occurred in 1967 when Saul Zaentz purchased Fantasy Records from Weiss and offered the band a chance to record a full-length album, but only if the group changed its name. Never having liked The Golliwogs, the foursome readily agreed. Zaentz and the band agreed to come up with ten suggestions each, but he enthusiastically agreed to their first: Creedence Clearwater Revival. The band took the three elements from Creedence Nuball, a friend of Tom Fogerty; "clear water", from a TV commercial for Olympia beer; and revival, which spoke to the four members' renewed commitment to their band. (Other contenders were Muddy Rabbit, Gossamer Wump, and Creedence Nuball and the Ruby.)
By 1968, Fogerty and Clifford had been discharged from military service. All four members subsequently quit their jobs and began a heavy schedule of rehearsing and playing area clubs full-time.
The resulting 1968 debut album Creedence Clearwater Revival struck a responsive note with the emerging underground pop culture press, which touted CCR as a band worthy of attention. More importantly, AM radio programmers around the United States took note when a song from the LP, "Suzie Q", received substantial airplay in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as on Chicago's WLS. Blues aficionados doubtlessly appreciated the similarities between CCR's tough style and R&B artists on the Chess and Vee-Jay labels.
"Suzie Q", the band's remake of a 1956 hit for rockabilly singer Dale Hawkins, went on to be the band's first single to crack the Top 40. It just missed the Top Ten at #11 and was Creedence's only hit not written by John Fogerty. Other singles included a cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell On You" and "Porterville", written during John Fogerty's Reserve stint.
After some eight years of making music together, the group was finally an 'overnight success'.
Peak success: 1969-70
While undertaking a steady string of live dates around the country to capitalize on their breakthrough, CCR also was hard at work on their second album Bayou Country at RCA Studios in Los Angeles. Released in January, 1969, and a #7 platinum hit, the record was the first in a string of hit albums and singles which continued for the next three years.
Bayou Country's seven songs were well-honed from Creedence's constant live playing. The album showed a distinct evolution in approach, much more simple and direct than the band's first release. The rollingly riverine "Proud Mary", backed with "Born On the Bayou", went to Number 2 on the national Billboard chart. It would eventually become group's most-covered song, with some 100 cover versions by other artists to date, including a hit version in 1971 by Ike and Tina Turner. Bob Dylan named it his favorite single of 1969. The album also featured a blistering remake of Little Richard's "Good Golly Miss Molly" and the band's nine-minute live-show closer, "Keep On Chooglin' ".
Only weeks later, in March, 1969, "Bad Moon Rising" backed with "Lodi" was released and peaked at #2 on the charts. The band's third album, Green River, followed in August and quickly went gold along with the single "Green River", which again reached #2 on the Billboard charts. The B-side of "Green River", "Commotion"—a one-chord two-step about the perils of city life—also peaked at #30. The bar-band story of "Lodi" became a popular staple on then-emerging FM radio.[citation needed] The band's emphasis on remakes of their old favorites continued with "The Night Time Is the Right Time", which found its way into the band's live set as a crowd sing-along.
Creedence continued to tour heavily including performances at the Atlanta Pop Festival and the Woodstock Music and Art Festival. Their set was not included in the Woodstock film or its original soundtrack, however, because Fogerty felt the band's performance was sub-par. (Several CCR tracks from the event were included in the 1990s commemorative box set.) The band also complained that they had to take the stage at three in the morning because The Grateful Dead had jammed far past their scheduled set time. By the time Creedence began playing—"the hottest shot on Earth at that moment," said Fogerty—many in the audience had gone to sleep.
It didn't matter. Creedence was busy perfecting material for a fourth album, Willy and the Poor Boys, released in November, 1969. "Down on the Corner", a good-time street-corner number, and the famously militant "Fortunate Son" climbed to #3 and #14 respectively by year's end. The album was Creedence in its classic form, featuring Fogerty originals and two reworked Leadbelly covers, "Cotton Fields" and "Midnight Special".
The success of Willy and its single was the final touch on an amazing year for a remarkable band: no less than four hit singles and three full-length, top-selling albums. Few if any artists in 1969—or indeed in any year—could match CCR for stamina, creative output, and commercial success.
Just after the new year, 1970, CCR released yet another new double-sided 45, "Travellin' Band"/"Who'll Stop the Rain". The flip side was inspired, as John Fogerty tells it, by the band's experience at Woodstock. The speedy "Travellin' Band", however, bore enough similarities to Little Richard's "Good Golly, Miss Molly" to warrant a lawsuit by the song's publisher that was eventually settled out of court. In the meantime, the single had topped out at #2. The band also recorded its Saturday, January 31 live performance at the Coliseum in Oakland, California, which would later become a well-known live album and television special. By February, the unstoppable Creedence was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, although only John Fogerty was interviewed in the accompanying article.
In April, 1970, Creedence was set to begin its first European tour. To support the upcoming live dates, Fogerty came up with "Up Around the Bend", a good-time party rocker, and the broody "Run Through the Jungle", about the burgeoning problem of societal violence in the United States. The single—written, recorded, and shipped in only a few days' time—went to #4 that spring, ensuring enthusiastic response from European live audiences and high commercial success in the U.S. and the rest of the world.
The band returned to Wally Heider's San Francisco studio in June to record what many consider the finest CCR album, Cosmo's Factory. The title was an in-joke about their various rehearsal facilities and factory work ethic over the years. (Drummer Doug Clifford's longtime nickname is "Cosmo", due to his keen interest in nature and all things cosmic.) The album contained the earlier Top 10 hits "Travellin' Band" and "Up Around the Bend" plus highly popular album tracks such as the opener "Ramble Tamble", an ambitious and snarling seven-minute cut about life in America with its "police on the corner, garbage on the sidewalk, actors in the White House."
Cosmo's was released in July, 1970, along with yet another #2 hit, "Lookin' Out My Back Door"/"Long As I Can See the Light". The cuts included an incisive eleven-minute jam of the 1968 R&B hit "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and a nearly note-for-note homage to Roy Orbison's "Ooby Dooby". John Fogerty's musical range clearly had expanded. He now wove in slide guitar, keyboards, saxophones, tape effects, and layered vocal harmonies—and pushed himself vocally more than ever on "Long As I Can See the Light". The album, eleven songs in all, was Creedence's best seller and went straight to #1 on the Pop charts and #11 on Billboard's Soul Albums chart.
By August, 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival had amassed five No. 2 singles in the U.S., more than any act that never topped the national chart. The band had Number One singles in many countries and had released four Top Ten albums in 18 months.
Decline and breakup: 1971-72
The Cosmo's Factory sessions had seen the stirrings of tensions within the foursome as the incessant touring and heavy recording schedules took their toll. John had literally taken control of the group in its business matters and its artistic output. The situation began to grate on Tom, Stu, and Doug, who wanted more of a say in the band's workings. John resisted, feeling that a 'democratic' process would threaten their success. Other issues included John's decision at a Nebraska gig that the band would no longer give encores at its live shows. Also, a series of business decisions—which later would leave Fogerty with a mess of legal hassles—also rankled his bandmates.
Pendulum, released in December, 1970, was another top seller, spawning a Top 10 hit with "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?". The album marked yet another shift in the band's approach: gone was the wall of sound of Creedence's previous three albums. Production was dry and tight, even to the point of sounding restrained. Even so, John Fogerty's soloing ability had expanded beyond guitar to include Hammond B3 organ and saxophone, lending Pendulum a Booker T. and the MG's sensibility. The single's flip side, the ringing "Hey Tonight", was also a hit. Somewhat experimental was the closer track, "Rude Awakening #2", a bizarre and almost tuneless instrumental in which the band seemed to have thrown in every sound and effect they could imagine.
But even continued musical innovation and success could not resolve the differences between John and Tom Fogerty. In February, 1971, with Pendulum and its single still high on the charts, Tom Fogerty finally left Creedence Clearwater Revival to pursue a solo career. With that, Fogerty informed a startled Cook and Clifford that the band would indeed adopt a new, 'democratic' approach: each member would now write and sing his own material. Fogerty also would contribute only rhythm guitar to his bandmates' songs, a particularly hard slap in the face given their years of support for Fogerty's music. Cook and Clifford, who had only wanted more of a voice in the business decisions, resisted this arrangement. Fogerty insisted they accept his terms or he would quit the band.
The CCR trio thus put its new work ethic to the test in the studio, releasing the Top 10 single "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" in July, 1971, backed with Stu Cook's "Door to Door". The new band toured both the U.S. and Europe that summer and autumn, with Cook's song a part of the live set. In spite of their continuing commercial success, however, relations between the three had become strained. Creedence also seemed to have lost its famous drive, failing to put out an album in 1971.
The band's final album, Mardi Gras, was released in April, 1972. It received mostly poor reviews and suffered comparatively weak sales, with the songs of Cook and Clifford often cited as the primary reason. The 1971 hit single "Sweet Hitch-Hiker"/"Door to Door") was included on the album, but the only other Fogerty single, "Someday Never Comes" backed with Clifford's "Tearin' Up the Country", failed to crack even the US Top 20. It was the worst showing of any Creedence single since 1968.
Mardi Gras peaked at #12. Just after its release, Creedence embarked on a spring and summer tour of the U.S., Australia, and Japan, which would ultimately be their last. Hecklers reportedly pelted the band with coins at their final concert, on May 22, 1972, in Denver, Colorado.
By that point, John was not only at direct odds with his bandmates, but he had also come to see the group's relationship with Fantasy Records as onerous, feeling that label owner Zaentz had reneged on his promise to give the band a better contract. Stu Cook—who holds a degree in business—claimed that because of poor judgment on their part, CCR had to abide by the worst record deal of any major American recording artist.
On October 16, 1972, Fantasy Records and the band officially announced that Creedence Clearwater Revival was no more.
After Creedence
John Fogerty
Main article: John Fogerty
In 1973, John began his solo career with The Blue Ridge Rangers, his one-man band collection of country and gospel songs. Under his old Creedence contract, however, Fogerty owed Fantasy eight more records. In the end, he simply refused to work for the label any longer. The impasse that was resolved only when Asylum Records' David Geffen bought Fogerty's contract for $1,000,000. His next major hit was Centerfield, a double-platinum and chart-topping success in 1985. On tour in 1986, however, Fogerty suffered complaints over his steadfast refusal to play Creedence songs live. Fogerty's defense was that he would have had to pay performance royalties to copyright holder Saul Zaentz—and that it was "too painful" to revisit the past.
John Fogerty also found himself entangled in new lawsuits with Zaentz over the song "The Old Man Down the Road" which was, according to Zaentz, a bald rewrite of CCR's "Run Through the Jungle". Since Fogerty had traded his rights to Creedence's songs in 1980 to cancel his remaining contractual obligations, Fantasy now owned the rights to "Run Through the Jungle" and sued Fogerty essentially for plagiarizing himself. A jury found in Fogerty's favor on this claim; however, Fogerty did lose a defamation suit filed by Zaentz over the song "Zanz Kant Danz" and was forced to edit the recording.
In 1987, Fogerty began performing his CCR hits again, on an admonition from Bob Dylan that "if you don't . . . the whole world's gonna think 'Proud Mary' is Tina Turner's song!" At a Fourth of July benefit for Vietnam veterans, Fogerty finally ran through the list of Creedence hits—beginning with "Born On the Bayou" and ending with "Proud Mary"—to a stunned and then ecstatic audience. He retreated from music again in the late 80s but returned in 1997 with the Grammy-winning Blue Moon Swamp. John Fogerty still tours frequently and plays CCR tunes alongside material from his newer albums.
Tom Fogerty
Main article: Tom Fogerty
Tom Fogerty released several solo albums, though none saw much success.
Tom's 1974 solo album Zephyr National was the last to feature the four original band members. A few of the songs sound very much in the Creedence style, particularly the aptly-titled "Joyful Resurrection". All four members did reportedly play on the song, but John recorded his part to the mix separately. All four members appear on the back cover of the original album release, with John partially hidden behind his Oakland As baseball cap.
In September 1990, Tom Fogerty died of AIDS, which he contracted via a blood transfusion. John and Tom never resolved the bitter estrangement that followed their falling out in CCR, though John said in 1998 that he did visit his older brother several times during Tom's final illness.
Stu Cook and Doug Clifford
Junior high buddies Doug Clifford and Stu Cook continued to work together following the demise of CCR both as session players and members of the Don Harrison Band. They also founded Factory Productions, a mobile recording service in the Bay Area. Clifford released a solo record, Cosmo, in 1972. Cook produced artist Roky Erickson's Monster Opera and was bassist with the popular country act Southern Pacific in the 80s.
Following a relatively lengthy period of musical inactivity, the two formed Creedence Clearwater Revisited in 1995 with several well-known musicians. Revisited toured globally performing the original band's classics. John Fogerty's 1997 injunction forced 'CCRev' to change to 'Cosmo's Factory', but the courts later ruled in Cook's and Clifford's favor.
Fantasy Records
After Creedence, Fantasy Records released several greatest-hits packages and curiosities such as 1975's Pre-Creedence, a compilation album of The Golliwogs' early recordings. Fantasy also released the highly successful Chronicle, Vol. 1, a collection of Creedence's twenty hit singles, in 1976. Several years later, the label released a live recording entitled The Royal Albert Hall Concert. Unfortunately, the 1970 performance was recorded at Oakland, California, not at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England as stated on the sleeve. Subsequent issues of the original 1981 album have been retitled simply The Concert.
The success of Creedence Clearwater Revival made Fantasy and Saul Zaentz a great deal of money. Indeed, Fantasy built a new headquarters building in 1971 at 2600 Tenth Street in Berkeley, California.[4] Zaentz also used his wealth to produce a number of successful films including Best Picture Oscar winners One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, and The English Patient. In 2004, he sold Fantasy to Concord Records. As a goodwill gesture, Concord honored the unfulfilled contractual promises Fantasy made nearly forty years ago, finally paying the band a higher royalty rate on their sales.
John Fogerty, seeing that Zaentz was no longer involved with the company, also signed a new contract with Concord/Fantasy. In 2005, the label released The Long Road Home, a collection of Creedence and Fogerty solo classics. His latest album, Revival, came out on the Fantasy label in October, 2007.
Legacy
Creedence Clearwater Revival were somewhat unfashionable in rock circles during their heyday because they concentrated on tightly-focused, well-crafted, and short songs created to appeal to everyone. Unlike most other rock artists of the day, they eschewed drug use and did not contribute significantly to progressive activism—although they were all against the war in Vietnam, and they contributed substantial money to the American Indian Movement.
Even in the immediate years after breaking up, Creedence's stature as one of the great American rock bands was secure. The music went on to influence entire genres such as heartland rock, country rock, alt-country, and even punk and heavy metal musicians revere the band. Decades later, CCR's music remains in heavy rotation on oldies and classic rock radio stations. Fogerty's songs, considered classics of the rock form, have been covered by multiple artists, and many artists express both admiration and envy over Creedence's mastery of the two-and-a-half minute hit single. "Fortunate Son" in particular has become a universal anthem against war, class privilege, and jingoism. Creedence songs frequently appear in films and on television, and indeed the band continues to attract young fans born long after the band split up.
Even so, the surviving members resist all suggestion that they reunite as a group. There have been "unofficial" reunion performances by the band, however. All four members jammed together at Tom Fogerty's wedding on October 19, 1980. John, Stu, and Doug performed at their 20th high school reunion in 1983, but they performed as their original incarnation, The Blue Velvets. But with the new round of lawsuits in the 80s and 90s between John, Saul Zaentz, and Stu and Doug's tribute band, the post-1972 animosity has only deepened.
Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 on the first ballot. Tom Fogerty's widow, Tricia, brought the urn containing his ashes for the ceremony and expected Creedence reunion. Tom's son Jeff, a professional musician, was also on hand to take his father's place as rhythm guitarist for the traditional post-awards live set. John, however, would not perform with fellow bandmates Stu and Doug, instead having them barred from the stage while he played with an all-star band that included Bruce Springsteen and Robbie Robertson. Rumor has it that Cook and Clifford walked out of the ceremony, but apparently a group photo was taken with Fogerty afterward. All three stared straight ahead and didn't utter a word to each other. Later, Clifford had tears in his eyes, telling fans of his disappointment.
Today, John Fogerty says he has no intention of reuniting with his former bandmates. Stu Cook and Doug Clifford echo that sentiment.
About THE EVERLY BROTHERS
The Everly Brothers, (Don Everly, born Isaac Donald Everly February 1, 1937, Brownie, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, Phil Everly, born Phillip Everly, January 19, 1939, Chicago, Illinois) are male siblings who were top-selling country-influenced rock and roll performers, best known for their steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing. The Everlys are the most successful charting U.S. rock and roll duo on the Hot 100. Their greatest period of chart success came between 1957 and 1964.
Style
The brothers were both competent guitarists, and used a simple style of harmony mostly based on parallel thirds. With this approach, each line can often stand on its own as a plausible melody line. This is in contrast to classic harmony lines which, while working well alongside the melody, would sound strange if heard by themselves. One of the best examples of their close-harmony work is their recording of "Devoted to You".
The duo's approach to harmony singing had a strong influence on the rock and roll groups of the 1960s. For example, both The Beatles[1] and The Beach Boys[2] developed their early singing style by performing Everlys covers. The Beatles based the vocal arrangement of their song "Please Please Me" directly upon that of "Cathy's Clown."[3]
Early career
Guitarist Ike Everly had an Iowa radio show in the 1940s. Singing appearances on their father's show gave the brothers their first exposure. The Everly Brothers recorded their own first single, "Keep A' Lovin' Me," in 1956, under the aegis of Chet Atkins, but it flopped. However their next single, "Bye Bye Love," (which had been rejected by 30 other acts, including Elvis Presley), became an across-the-board smash, reaching #2 on the pop charts (behind Presley's Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear), while hitting #1 on both the Country and the R & B charts. The song, written by the husband-and-wife songwriting team of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, became the Everly Brothers' first million-seller.
They soon became known as the stalwarts of Archie Bleyer's Cadence Records label. Working with the Bryants, the harmonic duo had a number of hits in the U.S. and the UK, the biggest of which were "Wake Up Little Susie," "All I Have to Do Is Dream," and "Bird Dog."
Signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1960, they continued to have hits. Their first with WB, 1960's "Cathy's Clown," launched the brothers back to the top of the charts. The song, which sold eight million records, was the duo's biggest-selling record. It was released as number WB1, the first release in the United Kingdom by Warner Brothers Records. Other singles followed, such as "When Will I Be Loved" (1960), "Walk Right Back" (1961), and "Crying In The Rain" (1962). Their last Top Ten hit was 1962's "That's Old Fashioned"; the succeeding years saw the Everly Brothers selling many fewer records than before. Their enlistment in the United States Marine Corps in 1963, to meet military obligations, took them out of the spotlight immediately before The Beatles broke loose in the United States and changed the pop music landscape.
In 1962, Warner Brothers released a "Golden Hits" album which included only their Warner Brothers hits. The 1964 album "The Very Best Of The Everly Brothers" included new versions of six of their Cadence hits (re-recorded in Nashville), along with six of the original Warner Brothers hits. Some of these re-recordings are sometimes played and mistaken for the originals, such as "Devoted to You" and "Til I Kissed You." In 1963, Cadence released a more complete album of those original hits, titled "15 Everly Hits."
After their Marine Corps experience the brothers resumed their career, but American chart success was waning. Singles and albums continued to be released, but only two of these made the lower reaches of the US Top 40, in 1964, and 1967. However, The Everlys had more success in Britain and Canada in that period, consistently reaching the top 40 in the UK with a string of singles through 1967. The album title "In Our Image" referred to their influence on a new era of singers like the Beatles, who were inspired by their harmony. The album "Two Yanks in England" was recorded there with backup by The Picks, and is a reflection of their success there, and a gesture of camaraderie with the new wave. Their 1968 album "Roots" is touted by some formal critics as a superior example of their music, however by the end of the 1960s The Everly Brothers were no longer hitmakers in either North America or the UK, and in 1970 their contract with Warner Bros lapsed after its ten years. In 1970, they were the summer replacement hosts for Johnny Cash's television show.
[edit] The Break-Up of the Everly Brothers
The duo had a memorable split on July 14, 1973, as Phil Everly smashed his guitar and stormed offstage during a concert at Knotts Berry Farm in California, leaving brother Don to finish the concert by himself. Don Everly told the crowd, "The Everly Brothers died ten years ago." In reality, due to growing tension, The Everly Brothers had already planned the Knotts Berry show to be their last performance. Many believe the tense mood of the show had been caused by the band having a few drinks before the show. After the split, the brothers would not speak to each other for the next 10 years, only getting together once in 1975 for their father's funeral. While to this day, they rarely comment on their break-up, they had stated in interviews that that 10-year period that they did not speak to each other gave them a chance to find themselves and become older and wiser.
The brothers reformed in 1983 with a new album produced by Dave Edmunds. "On the Wings of a Nightingale", written by Paul McCartney for the brothers, was a minor success and returned them to the charts in both the U.S. and UK. Their Reunion Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on September 22, 1983, which was instigated by English virtuoso guitarist Albert Lee (who was also the musical director), resulted in both a well-received CD and video. They then earned a final charting country-music hit with "Born Yesterday" in 1986 from the album with the same name.
At around the same time, Phil enjoyed some success as a soloist, with an album Phil Everly, recorded mainly in London, and including musicians such as Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, Rockpile drummer Terry Williams, and evergreen session keyboard player Pete Wingfield. "She Means Nothing To Me", featuring Cliff Richard as co-lead vocalist, was a Top 10 hit in the UK, and "Louise" reached the Top 50 in 1983. In 1994, a new recording of "All I Have to Do Is Dream," featuring Cliff Richard and Phil sharing vocals, was a UK Top 20 hit.
Even though the brothers have not produced any new studio albums since 1989's "Some Hearts," they continue to tour and perform. Throughout their careers they have collaborated extensively with other performers, usually singing either backup vocals or duets. For example, Don Everly recorded a duet with Emmylou Harris in 1979, "Everytime You Leave", on her album "Blue Kentucky Girl"[4] In 2006, Phil Everly sang a duet, "Sweet Little Corrina", with country singer Vince Gill on his much acclaimed album These Days.[5] He previously supplied harmony vocals on J.D. Souther's "White Rhythm and Blues" on his 1979 album "You're Only Lonely".
Legacy
The Everly Brothers have had a total of 27 Billboard Top 40 singles and 36 Billboard Top 100 singles. They still hold the record for the most Top 100 singles by any duo, and trail only Hall and Oates for the most Top 40 singles by a duo. (Hall and Oates had 29 singles in the top 40, all between 1976 and 1990).
In 1986, the Everlys were among the first 10 artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During the induction ceremony, they were introduced by Neil Young, who observed that every musical group he ever belonged to had tried and failed to copy the Everly Brothers' harmonies.
In 1997, they were awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, they were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.[6] Their pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. The Everly Brothers have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Blvd. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked The Everly Brothers[7] #33 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time [8]. They are also #43 on the list of UK Best selling singles artists of all time.
They were also accomplished songwriters, penning a number of their own hits, including "Till I Kissed You" (Don), "Cathy's Clown" (Don and Phil), and "When Will I Be Loved" (Phil). "Cathy's Clown" and "When Will I Be Loved" later became hits for Reba McEntire and Linda Ronstadt, respectively; (for the latter, the Everly Brothers even sang the back up chorus). Also, the Norwegian band a-ha covered "Crying In The Rain" in 1990 for their fourth album, East of The Sun, West of The Moon.
The Bee Gees have acknowledged the Everly Brothers on several occasions stating that they would sing in the style of the Everlys and then add a third harmony. This is evident on the Bee Gees' first hit, New York Mining Disaster 1941 in 1967.
Paul McCartney paid tribute to the Everly's by mentioning "Phil and Don" in his 1976 million-seller, Let_'em_In.
They still perform occasionally, despite having declared their retirement from both touring and the studio more than once. Most notably, they joined Simon and Garfunkel as the featured act in the Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour of 2003 and 2004. As a special tribute to the Everly Brothers, they were not the opening act, rather Simon and Garfunkel opened their own show and had the Everlys come out in the middle for three or four songs. For Paul Simon, it was not the first time he had performed prominently with his heroes. In 1986, The Everlys sang background vocals on the hit title track of Simon's landmark album Graceland, the song he has named as his single greatest composition.
On Labor Day Weekend 1988, Central City Kentucky began hosting The Everly Brothers Homecoming event to raise money for a scholarship fund for Muhlenberg County students.[4] The Homecoming became a popular annual event for fourteen years, before ending in 2002. Don and Phil successfully toured the UK in 2005 and Phil has appeared in 2007 on Recordings with Vince Gill and Bill Medley. Rumours are also around that the "Everly Family" are currently putting together an Album.
Don Everly's daughter, Erin Everly , was briefly married to the controversial front man of Guns N' Roses, Axl Rose.
Rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis named his son, Everly, after the members of the band.
Style
The brothers were both competent guitarists, and used a simple style of harmony mostly based on parallel thirds. With this approach, each line can often stand on its own as a plausible melody line. This is in contrast to classic harmony lines which, while working well alongside the melody, would sound strange if heard by themselves. One of the best examples of their close-harmony work is their recording of "Devoted to You".
The duo's approach to harmony singing had a strong influence on the rock and roll groups of the 1960s. For example, both The Beatles[1] and The Beach Boys[2] developed their early singing style by performing Everlys covers. The Beatles based the vocal arrangement of their song "Please Please Me" directly upon that of "Cathy's Clown."[3]
Early career
Guitarist Ike Everly had an Iowa radio show in the 1940s. Singing appearances on their father's show gave the brothers their first exposure. The Everly Brothers recorded their own first single, "Keep A' Lovin' Me," in 1956, under the aegis of Chet Atkins, but it flopped. However their next single, "Bye Bye Love," (which had been rejected by 30 other acts, including Elvis Presley), became an across-the-board smash, reaching #2 on the pop charts (behind Presley's Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear), while hitting #1 on both the Country and the R & B charts. The song, written by the husband-and-wife songwriting team of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, became the Everly Brothers' first million-seller.
They soon became known as the stalwarts of Archie Bleyer's Cadence Records label. Working with the Bryants, the harmonic duo had a number of hits in the U.S. and the UK, the biggest of which were "Wake Up Little Susie," "All I Have to Do Is Dream," and "Bird Dog."
Signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1960, they continued to have hits. Their first with WB, 1960's "Cathy's Clown," launched the brothers back to the top of the charts. The song, which sold eight million records, was the duo's biggest-selling record. It was released as number WB1, the first release in the United Kingdom by Warner Brothers Records. Other singles followed, such as "When Will I Be Loved" (1960), "Walk Right Back" (1961), and "Crying In The Rain" (1962). Their last Top Ten hit was 1962's "That's Old Fashioned"; the succeeding years saw the Everly Brothers selling many fewer records than before. Their enlistment in the United States Marine Corps in 1963, to meet military obligations, took them out of the spotlight immediately before The Beatles broke loose in the United States and changed the pop music landscape.
In 1962, Warner Brothers released a "Golden Hits" album which included only their Warner Brothers hits. The 1964 album "The Very Best Of The Everly Brothers" included new versions of six of their Cadence hits (re-recorded in Nashville), along with six of the original Warner Brothers hits. Some of these re-recordings are sometimes played and mistaken for the originals, such as "Devoted to You" and "Til I Kissed You." In 1963, Cadence released a more complete album of those original hits, titled "15 Everly Hits."
After their Marine Corps experience the brothers resumed their career, but American chart success was waning. Singles and albums continued to be released, but only two of these made the lower reaches of the US Top 40, in 1964, and 1967. However, The Everlys had more success in Britain and Canada in that period, consistently reaching the top 40 in the UK with a string of singles through 1967. The album title "In Our Image" referred to their influence on a new era of singers like the Beatles, who were inspired by their harmony. The album "Two Yanks in England" was recorded there with backup by The Picks, and is a reflection of their success there, and a gesture of camaraderie with the new wave. Their 1968 album "Roots" is touted by some formal critics as a superior example of their music, however by the end of the 1960s The Everly Brothers were no longer hitmakers in either North America or the UK, and in 1970 their contract with Warner Bros lapsed after its ten years. In 1970, they were the summer replacement hosts for Johnny Cash's television show.
[edit] The Break-Up of the Everly Brothers
The duo had a memorable split on July 14, 1973, as Phil Everly smashed his guitar and stormed offstage during a concert at Knotts Berry Farm in California, leaving brother Don to finish the concert by himself. Don Everly told the crowd, "The Everly Brothers died ten years ago." In reality, due to growing tension, The Everly Brothers had already planned the Knotts Berry show to be their last performance. Many believe the tense mood of the show had been caused by the band having a few drinks before the show. After the split, the brothers would not speak to each other for the next 10 years, only getting together once in 1975 for their father's funeral. While to this day, they rarely comment on their break-up, they had stated in interviews that that 10-year period that they did not speak to each other gave them a chance to find themselves and become older and wiser.
The brothers reformed in 1983 with a new album produced by Dave Edmunds. "On the Wings of a Nightingale", written by Paul McCartney for the brothers, was a minor success and returned them to the charts in both the U.S. and UK. Their Reunion Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on September 22, 1983, which was instigated by English virtuoso guitarist Albert Lee (who was also the musical director), resulted in both a well-received CD and video. They then earned a final charting country-music hit with "Born Yesterday" in 1986 from the album with the same name.
At around the same time, Phil enjoyed some success as a soloist, with an album Phil Everly, recorded mainly in London, and including musicians such as Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, Rockpile drummer Terry Williams, and evergreen session keyboard player Pete Wingfield. "She Means Nothing To Me", featuring Cliff Richard as co-lead vocalist, was a Top 10 hit in the UK, and "Louise" reached the Top 50 in 1983. In 1994, a new recording of "All I Have to Do Is Dream," featuring Cliff Richard and Phil sharing vocals, was a UK Top 20 hit.
Even though the brothers have not produced any new studio albums since 1989's "Some Hearts," they continue to tour and perform. Throughout their careers they have collaborated extensively with other performers, usually singing either backup vocals or duets. For example, Don Everly recorded a duet with Emmylou Harris in 1979, "Everytime You Leave", on her album "Blue Kentucky Girl"[4] In 2006, Phil Everly sang a duet, "Sweet Little Corrina", with country singer Vince Gill on his much acclaimed album These Days.[5] He previously supplied harmony vocals on J.D. Souther's "White Rhythm and Blues" on his 1979 album "You're Only Lonely".
Legacy
The Everly Brothers have had a total of 27 Billboard Top 40 singles and 36 Billboard Top 100 singles. They still hold the record for the most Top 100 singles by any duo, and trail only Hall and Oates for the most Top 40 singles by a duo. (Hall and Oates had 29 singles in the top 40, all between 1976 and 1990).
In 1986, the Everlys were among the first 10 artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During the induction ceremony, they were introduced by Neil Young, who observed that every musical group he ever belonged to had tried and failed to copy the Everly Brothers' harmonies.
In 1997, they were awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, they were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.[6] Their pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. The Everly Brothers have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Blvd. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked The Everly Brothers[7] #33 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time [8]. They are also #43 on the list of UK Best selling singles artists of all time.
They were also accomplished songwriters, penning a number of their own hits, including "Till I Kissed You" (Don), "Cathy's Clown" (Don and Phil), and "When Will I Be Loved" (Phil). "Cathy's Clown" and "When Will I Be Loved" later became hits for Reba McEntire and Linda Ronstadt, respectively; (for the latter, the Everly Brothers even sang the back up chorus). Also, the Norwegian band a-ha covered "Crying In The Rain" in 1990 for their fourth album, East of The Sun, West of The Moon.
The Bee Gees have acknowledged the Everly Brothers on several occasions stating that they would sing in the style of the Everlys and then add a third harmony. This is evident on the Bee Gees' first hit, New York Mining Disaster 1941 in 1967.
Paul McCartney paid tribute to the Everly's by mentioning "Phil and Don" in his 1976 million-seller, Let_'em_In.
They still perform occasionally, despite having declared their retirement from both touring and the studio more than once. Most notably, they joined Simon and Garfunkel as the featured act in the Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour of 2003 and 2004. As a special tribute to the Everly Brothers, they were not the opening act, rather Simon and Garfunkel opened their own show and had the Everlys come out in the middle for three or four songs. For Paul Simon, it was not the first time he had performed prominently with his heroes. In 1986, The Everlys sang background vocals on the hit title track of Simon's landmark album Graceland, the song he has named as his single greatest composition.
On Labor Day Weekend 1988, Central City Kentucky began hosting The Everly Brothers Homecoming event to raise money for a scholarship fund for Muhlenberg County students.[4] The Homecoming became a popular annual event for fourteen years, before ending in 2002. Don and Phil successfully toured the UK in 2005 and Phil has appeared in 2007 on Recordings with Vince Gill and Bill Medley. Rumours are also around that the "Everly Family" are currently putting together an Album.
Don Everly's daughter, Erin Everly , was briefly married to the controversial front man of Guns N' Roses, Axl Rose.
Rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis named his son, Everly, after the members of the band.
April 05, 2008
March 30, 2008
Abut The Beatles
The Beatles
Background information
Origin Liverpool, England
Genre(s) Rock, pop[1]
Years active 1960–1970
Label(s) Parlophone
Capitol
Odeon
Apple
Vee-Jay
Polydor
Swan
Tollie
United Artists Records
Associated acts Tony Sheridan, The Quarrymen, Plastic Ono Band, The Dirty Mac, Wings, Traveling Wilburys, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Ringo Starr All-Starr Band, Billy Preston
Website www.beatles.com
Members
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Ringo Starr
Former members
Stuart Sutcliffe
Pete Best
The Beatles were a pop and rock group from Liverpool, England. They are one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music.[2] The band's principal members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
In the United Kingdom, The Beatles released more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one. This commercial success was repeated in many other countries; their record company, EMI, estimated that by 1985 they had sold over one billion records worldwide.[3] The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.[4]
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Beatles #1 on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[5] According to that same magazine, their innovative music and cultural impact helped define the 1960s[2] and their influence on pop culture is still evident today.
The Beatles led the mid-1960s musical "British Invasion" into the United States. Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and homegrown skiffle, the group explored genres ranging from Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock. Their clothes, styles, and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.
Background information
Origin Liverpool, England
Genre(s) Rock, pop[1]
Years active 1960–1970
Label(s) Parlophone
Capitol
Odeon
Apple
Vee-Jay
Polydor
Swan
Tollie
United Artists Records
Associated acts Tony Sheridan, The Quarrymen, Plastic Ono Band, The Dirty Mac, Wings, Traveling Wilburys, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Ringo Starr All-Starr Band, Billy Preston
Website www.beatles.com
Members
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Ringo Starr
Former members
Stuart Sutcliffe
Pete Best
The Beatles were a pop and rock group from Liverpool, England. They are one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music.[2] The band's principal members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
In the United Kingdom, The Beatles released more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one. This commercial success was repeated in many other countries; their record company, EMI, estimated that by 1985 they had sold over one billion records worldwide.[3] The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.[4]
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Beatles #1 on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[5] According to that same magazine, their innovative music and cultural impact helped define the 1960s[2] and their influence on pop culture is still evident today.
The Beatles led the mid-1960s musical "British Invasion" into the United States. Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and homegrown skiffle, the group explored genres ranging from Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock. Their clothes, styles, and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.
About The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
Background information
Also known as The Stones
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Rock, rock and roll, R&B, blues
Years active 1962–present
Label(s) Decca, Rolling Stones, Virgin, ABKCO, Interscope, Polydor
Website RollingStones.com
Members
Mick Jagger
Keith Richards
Charlie Watts
Ronnie Wood
Former members
Bill Wyman
Brian Jones
Mick Taylor
Ian Stewart
Dick Taylor
The Rolling Stones are an English band whose music was initially based on rhythm and blues and rock & roll. Formed in London and having their first success in the UK, they subsequently became popular in the US during the "British Invasion" in the early 1960s.[1] The band were formed in 1962 by original leader Brian Jones, but were eventually led by the songwriting partnership of singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Pianist Ian Stewart, drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman completed the early lineup. Ian Stewart was removed from the official lineup in 1963 but continued to work with the band as road manager and keyboardist until his death in 1985. The band's early albums were mainly covers of American blues and R&B songs. The band's single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" established the Stones as a premier rock and roll act.[2] Starting with their 1966 album Aftermath, the songs of Jagger and Richards, aided by the instrumental experimentation of Jones, expanded an always present stylistic flexibility. Jones died in 1969 shortly after being fired from the band and was replaced by Mick Taylor.[3] Taylor recorded five albums with The Stones before quitting in 1974. Former Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood stepped in and has been with the band since. Wyman retired in 1993 and was replaced by Darryl Jones, who is not an official member.
The band have released 55 albums of original work[4] and compilations, and have had 32 U.K & U.S top-10 singles.[5] They have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide.[6] 1971's Sticky Fingers began a string of eight consecutive studio albums at number one in the United States. In 1989 the Rolling Stones were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2004 they were ranked number 4 in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[7] They are also ranked as the number 2 artists of all time on Acclaimedmusic.net.[8] Their latest album, A Bigger Bang, was released in 2005 and accompanied by the highest-grossing tour in history, which lasted into late summer 2007. During the 1969 American tour, tour manager Sam Cutler introduced them as "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World",[9] a title which has remained. Their image of unkempt and surly youth is one that many musicians still emulate.[9]
Background information
Also known as The Stones
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Rock, rock and roll, R&B, blues
Years active 1962–present
Label(s) Decca, Rolling Stones, Virgin, ABKCO, Interscope, Polydor
Website RollingStones.com
Members
Mick Jagger
Keith Richards
Charlie Watts
Ronnie Wood
Former members
Bill Wyman
Brian Jones
Mick Taylor
Ian Stewart
Dick Taylor
The Rolling Stones are an English band whose music was initially based on rhythm and blues and rock & roll. Formed in London and having their first success in the UK, they subsequently became popular in the US during the "British Invasion" in the early 1960s.[1] The band were formed in 1962 by original leader Brian Jones, but were eventually led by the songwriting partnership of singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Pianist Ian Stewart, drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman completed the early lineup. Ian Stewart was removed from the official lineup in 1963 but continued to work with the band as road manager and keyboardist until his death in 1985. The band's early albums were mainly covers of American blues and R&B songs. The band's single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" established the Stones as a premier rock and roll act.[2] Starting with their 1966 album Aftermath, the songs of Jagger and Richards, aided by the instrumental experimentation of Jones, expanded an always present stylistic flexibility. Jones died in 1969 shortly after being fired from the band and was replaced by Mick Taylor.[3] Taylor recorded five albums with The Stones before quitting in 1974. Former Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood stepped in and has been with the band since. Wyman retired in 1993 and was replaced by Darryl Jones, who is not an official member.
The band have released 55 albums of original work[4] and compilations, and have had 32 U.K & U.S top-10 singles.[5] They have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide.[6] 1971's Sticky Fingers began a string of eight consecutive studio albums at number one in the United States. In 1989 the Rolling Stones were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2004 they were ranked number 4 in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[7] They are also ranked as the number 2 artists of all time on Acclaimedmusic.net.[8] Their latest album, A Bigger Bang, was released in 2005 and accompanied by the highest-grossing tour in history, which lasted into late summer 2007. During the 1969 American tour, tour manager Sam Cutler introduced them as "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World",[9] a title which has remained. Their image of unkempt and surly youth is one that many musicians still emulate.[9]
March 18, 2008
March 06, 2008
About FATS DOMINO
Fats Domino
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fats Domino in concert in France, 1992.
Background information
Birth name Antoine Dominique Domino
Also known as Fats
Born February 26, 1928 (1928-02-26) (age 80)
Origin New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genre(s) R&B (New Orleans)
Rock and roll
Piano blues
Boogie-woogie
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s) Piano
Years active 1949–Present
Label(s) Imperial, ABC, Mercury, Broadmoor, Reprise, Sonet, Warner Bros. Records, Toot Toot
Members
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928) is a classic R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter and (according to Joel Whitburn's Billboard books) was the best selling R&B artist of the 1950s.
Contents
1 Biography
2 Business
3 Trivia
4 References in popular culture
5 Singles discography
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links
Biography
Domino was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He first attracted national attention with "The Fat Man" in 1949 on Imperial Records. This song is an early rock and roll record, featuring a rolling piano and Domino doing "wah-wah" vocalizing over a fat back beat. Fats domino then released a series of hit songs with producer and co-writer Dave Bartholomew, saxophonists Herbert Hardesty and Alvin "Red" Tyler and drummer Earl Palmer. Other notable and long-standing musicians in Domino's band were saxophonists Reggie Houston, Lee Allen, and Fred Kemp, who was also Domino's trusted bandleader. Domino finally crossed into the pop mainstream with "Ain't That a Shame" (1955), which hit the Top Ten, though Pat Boone characteristically hit #1 with a milder cover of the song that received wider radio airplay in a racially-segregated era. Domino would eventually release 37 Top 40 singles, "Whole Lotta Loving" and "Blue Monday" among them.
His 1956 uptempo version of the 1940 Vincent Rose, Al Lewis & Larry Stock song, "Blueberry Hill" reached #2 in the Top 40, was #1 on the R&B charts for 11 weeks, and was his biggest hit. "Blueberry Hill" sold more than 5 million copies worldwide in 1956-57. The song had earlier been recorded by Gene Autry, and Louis Armstrong among many others.
Fats appeared in two films released in 1956: Shake, Rattle & Rock![1] and The Girl Can't Help It.[2] On December 18, 1957, Domino's hit "The Big Beat" was featured on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.
Domino continued to have a steady series of hits for Imperial through early 1962, including "Walkin' to New Orleans" (1960) written by Bobby Charles. Twenty-two of his Imperial singles were double-sided hits. After he moved to ABC-Paramount Records in 1963, however, Domino's chart career was drastically curtailed. He had a hit with "Red Sails In The Sunset" (1963) but by the end of 1964, the British Invasion had changed the tastes of the record-buying public, and Domino's chart run was over.
Despite the lack of chart success, Domino continued to record steadily until about 1970, and sporadically after that. He also continued as a popular live act for several decades. He was furthermore acknowledged as an important influence on the music of the 1960s and 1970s by some of the top artists of that era; Paul McCartney reportedly wrote the Beatles song "Lady Madonna" in an emulation of Domino's style. Domino did manage to return to the "Hot 100" charts a final time in 1968.
In the 1980s, Domino decided he would no longer leave New Orleans, having a comfortable income from royalties and a dislike for touring, and claiming he could not get any food that he liked anyplace else. His induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and an invitation to perform at the White House failed to persuade Domino to make an exception to this policy.
Fats Domino was persuaded to perform periodically out of town, by Dianna Chenevert, agent, founder & president of New Orleans based Omni Attractions, during the 1980s & early 1990s. Most of these engagements were in and around New Orleans, but sometimes included Texas (like at the West End Market Place in downtown Dallas on Oct. 24, 1986).
On October 12, 1983 USA Today reported that Domino was included in Chenevert’s "Southern Stars" promotional poster for the agency (along with historically preserving childhood photographs of other famous living musicians from New Orleans & Louisiana on it). Fats provided a photograph of his first recording session for the poster, which was the only one he had left from his childhood. Domino autographed these posters, whose recipients included USA Today's president Al Newharth, and Peter Morton founder of the Hard Rock Cafe. Times-Picayune columnist Betty Guillaud noted on September 30, 1987 that Domino also provided Chenevert with an autographed pair of his shoes (and signed a black grand piano lid) for the Hard Rock location in New Orleans. Back then none of us knew what the future would hold for New Orleans in 2005 and how much these little bits of memorabilia would bring some comfort, after so much loss.
Domino lived in a mansion in a predominantly working-class Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, where he was a familiar sight in his bright pink Cadillac. He makes yearly appearances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and other local events. Domino was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #25 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."[3]
Graffitti on Domino's home from the time he was rumored dead
Fats Domino's office, June 2007When Hurricane Katrina was approaching New Orleans in August 2005, Dianna Chenevert tried to encourage Fats to evacuate, but he chose to stay at home with his family, partly owing to his wife's poor health. Unfortunately his house was in an area that was heavily flooded. Chenevert e-mailed writers at the Times Picayune newspaper hoping they could relay the information with the Domino's location to authorities & they could be rescued.
Someone thought Fats was dead, and spray-painted a message on his home, "RIP Fats. You will be missed", which was shown in news photos. On September 1, Domino's agent, Al Embry, announced that he had not heard from the musician since before the hurricane had struck.
Later that day, CNN reported that Domino was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. His daughter, gospel singer Karen Domino White, identified him from a photo shown on CNN. The Domino family was then taken to a Baton Rouge shelter, after which they were picked up by JaMarcus Russell, the starting quarterback of the Louisiana State University football team, and Fats' granddaughter's boyfriend. He let the Dominoes stay in his apartment. The Washington Post reported that on September 2, they had left Russell's apartment after sleeping three nights on the couch. "We've lost everything," Domino said, according to the Post.[4]
By January 2006, work to gut and repair Domino's home and office had begun. For the meantime, the Domino family is residing in Harvey, Louisiana.
Many have done what they could to help ease some of the pain for Fats Domino and others in New Orleans. Some offerings were big and some small. Chenevert replaced the Southern Stars poster Fats Domino lost and President George W. Bush also made a personal visit and replaced the medal that President Bill Clinton had previously awarded Domino.
Domino was the first artist to be announced as scheduled to perform at the 2006 Jazz & Heritage Festival.However, he was too ill to perform when scheduled and was only able to offer the audience an on-stage greeting. Domino also released an album Alive and Kickin' in early 2006 to benefit the Tipitina's Foundation, which supports indigent local musicians. The title song was recorded after Katrina, but most of the cuts were from unreleased sessions in the 1990s.
On January 12, 2007, Domino was honored with OffBeat magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Best of the Beat Awards held at House of Blues in New Orleans. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin declared the day "Fats Domino Day in New Orleans" and presented Fats Domino with a signed declaration. OffBeat publisher Jan Ramsey and WWL-TV's Eric Paulsen presented Fats Domino with the Lifetime Achievement Award. An all-star musical tribute followed with an introduction by the legendary producer Cosimo Matassa. The Lil' Band O' Gold rhythm section, Warren Storm, Kenny Bill Stinson, David Egan and C.C. Adcock, not only anchored the band, but each contributed lead vocals, swamp pop legend Warren Storm leading off with "Let the Four Winds Blow" and "The Prisoner Song," which he proudly introduced by saying, "Fats Domino recorded this in 1958.. and so did I." The horn section included Lil' Band O' Gold's Dickie Landry, the Iguanas' Derek Huston, and long-time Domino horn men Roger Lewis, Elliot "Stackman" Callier and Herb Hardesty. They were joined by Jon Cleary (who also played guitar in the rhythm section), Al "Carnival Time" Johnson, Irma Thomas, George Porter, Jr. (who, naturally, came up with a funky arrangement for "You Keep On Knocking"), Art Neville, Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, who wrote and debuted a song in tribute of Domino for the occasion. Though Domino didn't perform, those near him recall him playing air piano and singing along to his own songs.
Fats Domino returned to stage on May 19, 2007, at Tipitina's at New Orleans, performing to a full house. A foundation has been formed and a show is being planned for Domino and the restoration of his home, where he intends to return someday. "I like it down there" he said in a February, 2006 CBS News interview.[5]
In September 2007, Domino was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
In December 2007, Fats Domino was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Statue of Fats Domino in the French Quarter of New Orleans
Business
His career has been produced and managed since the 1980s by multimedia entertainment purveyor and music producer Robert G. Vernon.
Since 1995, Vernon and Domino have been partners (with many other companies, such as Dick Clark Productions) in the Bobkat Music Trust. Bobkat Music is an entertainment group that manages the careers (some posthumous) of Domino, Randy Pringle (writer), and other artists.
On February 26th, 2008, Fats Domino joined Chuck Berry on the extremely short list of pop legends who have survived to see their eightieth birthday.
Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
In 1999, National Public Radio included "Ain't That A Shame" in the NPR 100, in which NPR's music editors sought to compile the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century.
A play on his name is the name of the gospel music group Fetz Domino, which means in mixed German and Latin "Groove for the Lord".
'50s blues singer Skinny Dynamo had a brief career.
Domino had 66 US Hot 100 chart hits. (James Brown had 99.)
Domino has always had strong links to The Beatles, who recorded a version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" in Germany, two years after Fats' version on Imperial Records. When they auditioned for Decca, one of their songs was another standard in Domino's repertory: "The Sheik of Araby".
In his song "I Want to Walk You Home", Domino used the words "I want to hold your hand" which may have inspired Lennon and McCartney when writing their song of the same title. In 1968, the Beatles modeled their song, "Lady Madonna", on Fats Domino's style, combining it with a nod to Humphrey Lyttelton's 1956 hit "Bad Penny Blues", a record which Joe Meek had engineered. They also played some hits of the 1950s and early 1960s, including Domino's "Kansas City", during the Get Back album sessions.
Domino returned the compliment in 1968 by covering not only "Lady Madonna", but two other Beatles songs, for his Reprise LP Fats Is Back. Since then, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney have recorded Fats Domino songs.
I Want to Walk You Home was used in two Public information films by the Irish Department of the Environment, highlighting the dangers of being distracted on roads.
Chubby Checker (Ernest Evans) got his stage name as a play on Fats Domino's name.
He appeared in a commercial for a brand of plastic food-storage bag. Various people had been shown holding and shaking these bags filled with various food items (including an obviously unhappy kid saying "shake, shake, shake--your spinach!"). At the end, Domino appears, in front of his piano, with such a bag containing blueberries. He sings, "shake, shake, shake your blueberries--on Blueberry Hill!"
References in popular culture
In the popular 1970s sitcom Happy Days, set in the 1950s, lead character Richie Cunningham (played by Ron Howard) would often sing "I found my thrill..." (the first line of Domino's "Blueberry Hill") in reference to pretty girls he dated or wanted to date.
The fictional girl band in the television series Rock Follies threatened to revolt if they had to sing "Blueberry Hill" one more time.
The American humor magazine Mad ran a cartoon spread that included fictitious artists with similar name variations, such as "Pudgy Parcheesi".
Singles discography
Nationally charted hits shown in bold. (Virtually all of Domino's singles of the 1950s and 60s charted regionally in the U.S. south, especially in New Orleans.)
A-Side B-Side Year Label + Cat. No. Chart Positions
US Hot 100 US R&B UK
Detroit City Blues The Fat Man 1950 (Imperial 5058) #2
Boogie-Woogie Baby Little Bee 1950 (Imperial 5065)
Hide Away Blues She's My Baby 1950 (Imperial 5077)
Hey La Bas Boogie Brand New Baby 1950 (Imperial 5085)
Every Night about This Time Korea Blues 1950 (Imperial 5099) #5
Tired of Crying What's the Matter Baby 1951 (Imperial 5114)
Don't You Lie to Me Sometimes I Wonder 1951 (Imperial 5123)
Right From Wrong No, No Baby 1951 (Imperial 5138)
Rockin' Chair Careless Love 1951 (Imperial 5145) #9
I'll Be Gone You Know I Miss You 1952 (Imperial 5167)
Goin' Home Reeling and Rocking 1952 (Imperial 5180) #1
Poor Poor Me Trust in Me 1952 (Imperial 5197) #10
How Long Dreaming 1952 Imperial 5209) #9
Nobody Loves Me Cheatin' 1953 (Imperial 5220)
Going to the River Mardi Gras in New Orleans 1953 (Imperial 5231) #2
Please Don't Leave Me The Girl I Love 1953 (Imperial 5240) #3
Rose Mary You Said You Loved Me 1953 (Imperial 5251) #10
Something's Wrong Don't Leave Me This Way 1953 (Imperial 5262) #6
You Done Me Wrong Little School Girl 1954 (Imperial 5272) #10
Where Did You Stay Baby Please 1954 (Imperial 5283)
You Can Pack Your Suitcase I Lived My Life 1954 (Imperial 5301)
Love Me Don't You Hear Me Calling You 1954 (Imperial 5313)
I Know Thinking of You 1954 (Imperial 5323) #14
Don't You Know Helping Hand 1955 (Imperial 5340) #7
Ain't That a Shame La La 1955 (Imperial 5348) #10 #1 #23
All By Myself Troubles of My Own 1955 (Imperial 5357) #1
Poor Me 1955 (Imperial 5369) #1
I Can't Go On 1955 " #6
Bo Weevil 1956 (Imperial 5375) #35 #5
Don't Blame It on Me 1956 " #9
I'm in Love Again 1956 (Imperial 5386) #3 #1 #12
My Blue Heaven 1956 " #19 #5
When My Dreamboat Comes Home 1956 (Imperial 5396) #14 #2
So Long 1956 " #44 #5
Blueberry Hill 1956 (Imperial 5407) #2 #1 #1
Honey Chile 1956 " #2 #29
Blue Monday 1956 (Imperial 5417) #5 #1 #2
What's the Reason I'm Not Pleasing You 1956 " #50 #12
I'm Walkin' I'm in the Mood for Love 1957 (Imperial 5428) #4 #1 #19
The Rooster Song My Happiness//As Time Goes By//Hey La Bas (4 song EP) 1957 (Imperial 147) #13 #8
Valley of Tears 1957 (Imperial 5442) #8 #2 #25
It's You I Love 1957 " #6 #2
What Will I Tell My Heart 1957 (Imperial 5454) #64 #12
When I See You 1957 " #29 #14
Wait and See 1957 (Imperial 5467) #23 #7
I Still Love You 1957 " #79
The Big Beat 1957 (Imperial 5477) #26 #15 #20
I Want You to Know 1957 " #32
Yes My Darling Don't You Know I Love You 1958 (Imperial 5492) #55 #10
Sick and Tired 1958 (Imperial 5515) #22 #14 #26
No, No 1958 " #55 #14
Little Mary Prisoner's Song 1958 (Imperial 5526) #48 #4
Young School Girl It Must Be Love 1958 (Imperial 5537) #92 #15
Whole Lotta Loving 1958 (Imperial 5553) #6 #2 #10
Coquette 1958 " #92 #26
Telling Lies 1959 (Imperial 5569) #50 #13
When the Saints Go Marching In 1959 " #50
I'm Ready 1959 (Imperial 5585) #16 #7
Margie 1959 " #51 #18
I Want to Walk You Home 1959 (Imperial 5606) #8 #1 #14
I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday 1959 " #17 #22
Be My Guest 1959 (Imperial 5629) #8 #2 #11
I've Been Around 1959 " #33 #19
If You Need Me 1960 (Imperial 5645) #98
Country Boy 1960 " #25 #19
Before I Grow Too Old 1960 (Imperial 5660) #84 #17
Tell Me That You Love Me 1960 " #51
Walking to New Orleans 1960 (Imperial 5675) #6 #2 #19
Don't Come Knockin' 1960 " #21 #28
Three Nights a Week 1960 (Imperial 5687) #15 #8 #45
Put Your Arms Around Me Honey 1960 " #58
My Girl Josephine 1960 (Imperial 5704) #14 #7 #32
Natural Born Lover 1960 " #38 #28
Ain't That Just Like a Woman 1961 (Imperial 5723) #33 #19
What a Price 1961 " #22 #7
Shu Rah 1961 (Imperial 5734) #32
Fell in Love on Monday 1961 " #32
It Keeps Rainin' I Just Cry 1961 (Imperial 5753) #23 #18 #49
Let The Four Winds Blow Good Hearted Man 1961 (Imperial 5764) #15 #2
What A Party 1961 (Imperial 5779) #22 #43
Rockin' Bicycle 1961 " #83
I Hear You Knocking 1961 (Imperial 5796) #67
Jambalaya (On the Bayou) 1961 " #30 #41
You Win Again 1962 (Imperial 5816) #22
Ida Jane 1962 " #90
My Real Name My Heart Is Bleeding 1962 (Imperial 5833) #59 #22
Dance with Mr. Domino 1962 (Imperial 5863) #98
Nothing New (Same Old Thing) 1962 " #77
Did You Ever See a Dream Walking 1962 (Imperial 5875) #79
Stop the Clock 1962 " #103
Won't You Come on Back Hands Across the Table 1962 (Imperial 5895)
Hum Diddy Doo Those Eyes 1963 (Imperial 5909) #124
You Always Hurt the One You Love Trouble Blues 1963 (Imperial 5937) #102
True Confession Isle of Capri 1963 (Imperial 5959)
One Night I Can't Go on This Way 1963 (Imperial 5980)
There Goes (My Heart Again) 1963 (ABC 10444) #59
Can't Go on Without You 1963 " #123
When I'm Walking (Let Me Walk) 1963 (ABC 10475) #114
I've Got a Right to Cry 1963 " #128
Red Sails in the Sunset Song For Rosemary 1963 (ABC 10484) #35 #24 #34
I Can't Give You Anything But Love Goin' Home 1963 (Imperial 66005) #114
Who Cares 1963 (ABC 10512) #63 #27
Just a Lonely Man 1963 " #108
Your Cheatin' Heart When I Was Young 1964 (Imperial 66016) #112
Lazy Lady 1964 (ABC 10531) #86 #34
I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire 1964 " #122
If You Don't Know What Love Is Something You Got Baby 1964 (ABC 10545)
Mary, Oh Mary Packin' Up 1964 (ABC 10567) #127
Sally Was a Good Old Girl For You 1964 (ABC 10584) #99
Kansas City Heartbreak Hill 1964 (ABC 10596) #99
Why Don't You Do Right Wigs 1965 (ABC 10631)
Let Me Call You Sweetheart Goodnight Sweetheart 1965 (ABC 10644)
I Done Got Over It I Left My Heart In San Francisco 1965 (Mercury 72463)
What's That You Got? It's Never Too Late 1965 (Mercury 72485)
The Lady in Black Working My Way Up Steady 1967 (Broadmoor 104)
Big Mouth Wait 'Til It Happens to You 1967 (Broadmoor 105)
One For The Highway Honest Papas Love Their Mamas Better 1968 (Reprise 0696)
Lady Madonna One for the Highway 1968 (Reprise 0763) #100
Lovely Rita Wait 'Till It Happens to You 1968 (Reprise 0775)
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey So Swell When You're Well 1969 (Reprise 0843)
Make Me Belong to You Have You Seen My Baby 1970 (Reprise 0891)
New Orleans Ain't the Same Sweet Patootie 1970 (Reprise 0944)
Sleeping on the Job After Hours 1978 (Sonet 2168 -UK)
Whiskey Heaven -- 1980 (Warner Bros. Records 49610)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fats Domino in concert in France, 1992.
Background information
Birth name Antoine Dominique Domino
Also known as Fats
Born February 26, 1928 (1928-02-26) (age 80)
Origin New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genre(s) R&B (New Orleans)
Rock and roll
Piano blues
Boogie-woogie
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s) Piano
Years active 1949–Present
Label(s) Imperial, ABC, Mercury, Broadmoor, Reprise, Sonet, Warner Bros. Records, Toot Toot
Members
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928) is a classic R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter and (according to Joel Whitburn's Billboard books) was the best selling R&B artist of the 1950s.
Contents
1 Biography
2 Business
3 Trivia
4 References in popular culture
5 Singles discography
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links
Biography
Domino was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He first attracted national attention with "The Fat Man" in 1949 on Imperial Records. This song is an early rock and roll record, featuring a rolling piano and Domino doing "wah-wah" vocalizing over a fat back beat. Fats domino then released a series of hit songs with producer and co-writer Dave Bartholomew, saxophonists Herbert Hardesty and Alvin "Red" Tyler and drummer Earl Palmer. Other notable and long-standing musicians in Domino's band were saxophonists Reggie Houston, Lee Allen, and Fred Kemp, who was also Domino's trusted bandleader. Domino finally crossed into the pop mainstream with "Ain't That a Shame" (1955), which hit the Top Ten, though Pat Boone characteristically hit #1 with a milder cover of the song that received wider radio airplay in a racially-segregated era. Domino would eventually release 37 Top 40 singles, "Whole Lotta Loving" and "Blue Monday" among them.
His 1956 uptempo version of the 1940 Vincent Rose, Al Lewis & Larry Stock song, "Blueberry Hill" reached #2 in the Top 40, was #1 on the R&B charts for 11 weeks, and was his biggest hit. "Blueberry Hill" sold more than 5 million copies worldwide in 1956-57. The song had earlier been recorded by Gene Autry, and Louis Armstrong among many others.
Fats appeared in two films released in 1956: Shake, Rattle & Rock![1] and The Girl Can't Help It.[2] On December 18, 1957, Domino's hit "The Big Beat" was featured on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.
Domino continued to have a steady series of hits for Imperial through early 1962, including "Walkin' to New Orleans" (1960) written by Bobby Charles. Twenty-two of his Imperial singles were double-sided hits. After he moved to ABC-Paramount Records in 1963, however, Domino's chart career was drastically curtailed. He had a hit with "Red Sails In The Sunset" (1963) but by the end of 1964, the British Invasion had changed the tastes of the record-buying public, and Domino's chart run was over.
Despite the lack of chart success, Domino continued to record steadily until about 1970, and sporadically after that. He also continued as a popular live act for several decades. He was furthermore acknowledged as an important influence on the music of the 1960s and 1970s by some of the top artists of that era; Paul McCartney reportedly wrote the Beatles song "Lady Madonna" in an emulation of Domino's style. Domino did manage to return to the "Hot 100" charts a final time in 1968.
In the 1980s, Domino decided he would no longer leave New Orleans, having a comfortable income from royalties and a dislike for touring, and claiming he could not get any food that he liked anyplace else. His induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and an invitation to perform at the White House failed to persuade Domino to make an exception to this policy.
Fats Domino was persuaded to perform periodically out of town, by Dianna Chenevert, agent, founder & president of New Orleans based Omni Attractions, during the 1980s & early 1990s. Most of these engagements were in and around New Orleans, but sometimes included Texas (like at the West End Market Place in downtown Dallas on Oct. 24, 1986).
On October 12, 1983 USA Today reported that Domino was included in Chenevert’s "Southern Stars" promotional poster for the agency (along with historically preserving childhood photographs of other famous living musicians from New Orleans & Louisiana on it). Fats provided a photograph of his first recording session for the poster, which was the only one he had left from his childhood. Domino autographed these posters, whose recipients included USA Today's president Al Newharth, and Peter Morton founder of the Hard Rock Cafe. Times-Picayune columnist Betty Guillaud noted on September 30, 1987 that Domino also provided Chenevert with an autographed pair of his shoes (and signed a black grand piano lid) for the Hard Rock location in New Orleans. Back then none of us knew what the future would hold for New Orleans in 2005 and how much these little bits of memorabilia would bring some comfort, after so much loss.
Domino lived in a mansion in a predominantly working-class Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, where he was a familiar sight in his bright pink Cadillac. He makes yearly appearances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and other local events. Domino was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #25 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."[3]
Graffitti on Domino's home from the time he was rumored dead
Fats Domino's office, June 2007When Hurricane Katrina was approaching New Orleans in August 2005, Dianna Chenevert tried to encourage Fats to evacuate, but he chose to stay at home with his family, partly owing to his wife's poor health. Unfortunately his house was in an area that was heavily flooded. Chenevert e-mailed writers at the Times Picayune newspaper hoping they could relay the information with the Domino's location to authorities & they could be rescued.
Someone thought Fats was dead, and spray-painted a message on his home, "RIP Fats. You will be missed", which was shown in news photos. On September 1, Domino's agent, Al Embry, announced that he had not heard from the musician since before the hurricane had struck.
Later that day, CNN reported that Domino was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. His daughter, gospel singer Karen Domino White, identified him from a photo shown on CNN. The Domino family was then taken to a Baton Rouge shelter, after which they were picked up by JaMarcus Russell, the starting quarterback of the Louisiana State University football team, and Fats' granddaughter's boyfriend. He let the Dominoes stay in his apartment. The Washington Post reported that on September 2, they had left Russell's apartment after sleeping three nights on the couch. "We've lost everything," Domino said, according to the Post.[4]
By January 2006, work to gut and repair Domino's home and office had begun. For the meantime, the Domino family is residing in Harvey, Louisiana.
Many have done what they could to help ease some of the pain for Fats Domino and others in New Orleans. Some offerings were big and some small. Chenevert replaced the Southern Stars poster Fats Domino lost and President George W. Bush also made a personal visit and replaced the medal that President Bill Clinton had previously awarded Domino.
Domino was the first artist to be announced as scheduled to perform at the 2006 Jazz & Heritage Festival.However, he was too ill to perform when scheduled and was only able to offer the audience an on-stage greeting. Domino also released an album Alive and Kickin' in early 2006 to benefit the Tipitina's Foundation, which supports indigent local musicians. The title song was recorded after Katrina, but most of the cuts were from unreleased sessions in the 1990s.
On January 12, 2007, Domino was honored with OffBeat magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Best of the Beat Awards held at House of Blues in New Orleans. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin declared the day "Fats Domino Day in New Orleans" and presented Fats Domino with a signed declaration. OffBeat publisher Jan Ramsey and WWL-TV's Eric Paulsen presented Fats Domino with the Lifetime Achievement Award. An all-star musical tribute followed with an introduction by the legendary producer Cosimo Matassa. The Lil' Band O' Gold rhythm section, Warren Storm, Kenny Bill Stinson, David Egan and C.C. Adcock, not only anchored the band, but each contributed lead vocals, swamp pop legend Warren Storm leading off with "Let the Four Winds Blow" and "The Prisoner Song," which he proudly introduced by saying, "Fats Domino recorded this in 1958.. and so did I." The horn section included Lil' Band O' Gold's Dickie Landry, the Iguanas' Derek Huston, and long-time Domino horn men Roger Lewis, Elliot "Stackman" Callier and Herb Hardesty. They were joined by Jon Cleary (who also played guitar in the rhythm section), Al "Carnival Time" Johnson, Irma Thomas, George Porter, Jr. (who, naturally, came up with a funky arrangement for "You Keep On Knocking"), Art Neville, Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, who wrote and debuted a song in tribute of Domino for the occasion. Though Domino didn't perform, those near him recall him playing air piano and singing along to his own songs.
Fats Domino returned to stage on May 19, 2007, at Tipitina's at New Orleans, performing to a full house. A foundation has been formed and a show is being planned for Domino and the restoration of his home, where he intends to return someday. "I like it down there" he said in a February, 2006 CBS News interview.[5]
In September 2007, Domino was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
In December 2007, Fats Domino was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Statue of Fats Domino in the French Quarter of New Orleans
Business
His career has been produced and managed since the 1980s by multimedia entertainment purveyor and music producer Robert G. Vernon.
Since 1995, Vernon and Domino have been partners (with many other companies, such as Dick Clark Productions) in the Bobkat Music Trust. Bobkat Music is an entertainment group that manages the careers (some posthumous) of Domino, Randy Pringle (writer), and other artists.
On February 26th, 2008, Fats Domino joined Chuck Berry on the extremely short list of pop legends who have survived to see their eightieth birthday.
Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
In 1999, National Public Radio included "Ain't That A Shame" in the NPR 100, in which NPR's music editors sought to compile the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century.
A play on his name is the name of the gospel music group Fetz Domino, which means in mixed German and Latin "Groove for the Lord".
'50s blues singer Skinny Dynamo had a brief career.
Domino had 66 US Hot 100 chart hits. (James Brown had 99.)
Domino has always had strong links to The Beatles, who recorded a version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" in Germany, two years after Fats' version on Imperial Records. When they auditioned for Decca, one of their songs was another standard in Domino's repertory: "The Sheik of Araby".
In his song "I Want to Walk You Home", Domino used the words "I want to hold your hand" which may have inspired Lennon and McCartney when writing their song of the same title. In 1968, the Beatles modeled their song, "Lady Madonna", on Fats Domino's style, combining it with a nod to Humphrey Lyttelton's 1956 hit "Bad Penny Blues", a record which Joe Meek had engineered. They also played some hits of the 1950s and early 1960s, including Domino's "Kansas City", during the Get Back album sessions.
Domino returned the compliment in 1968 by covering not only "Lady Madonna", but two other Beatles songs, for his Reprise LP Fats Is Back. Since then, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney have recorded Fats Domino songs.
I Want to Walk You Home was used in two Public information films by the Irish Department of the Environment, highlighting the dangers of being distracted on roads.
Chubby Checker (Ernest Evans) got his stage name as a play on Fats Domino's name.
He appeared in a commercial for a brand of plastic food-storage bag. Various people had been shown holding and shaking these bags filled with various food items (including an obviously unhappy kid saying "shake, shake, shake--your spinach!"). At the end, Domino appears, in front of his piano, with such a bag containing blueberries. He sings, "shake, shake, shake your blueberries--on Blueberry Hill!"
References in popular culture
In the popular 1970s sitcom Happy Days, set in the 1950s, lead character Richie Cunningham (played by Ron Howard) would often sing "I found my thrill..." (the first line of Domino's "Blueberry Hill") in reference to pretty girls he dated or wanted to date.
The fictional girl band in the television series Rock Follies threatened to revolt if they had to sing "Blueberry Hill" one more time.
The American humor magazine Mad ran a cartoon spread that included fictitious artists with similar name variations, such as "Pudgy Parcheesi".
Singles discography
Nationally charted hits shown in bold. (Virtually all of Domino's singles of the 1950s and 60s charted regionally in the U.S. south, especially in New Orleans.)
A-Side B-Side Year Label + Cat. No. Chart Positions
US Hot 100 US R&B UK
Detroit City Blues The Fat Man 1950 (Imperial 5058) #2
Boogie-Woogie Baby Little Bee 1950 (Imperial 5065)
Hide Away Blues She's My Baby 1950 (Imperial 5077)
Hey La Bas Boogie Brand New Baby 1950 (Imperial 5085)
Every Night about This Time Korea Blues 1950 (Imperial 5099) #5
Tired of Crying What's the Matter Baby 1951 (Imperial 5114)
Don't You Lie to Me Sometimes I Wonder 1951 (Imperial 5123)
Right From Wrong No, No Baby 1951 (Imperial 5138)
Rockin' Chair Careless Love 1951 (Imperial 5145) #9
I'll Be Gone You Know I Miss You 1952 (Imperial 5167)
Goin' Home Reeling and Rocking 1952 (Imperial 5180) #1
Poor Poor Me Trust in Me 1952 (Imperial 5197) #10
How Long Dreaming 1952 Imperial 5209) #9
Nobody Loves Me Cheatin' 1953 (Imperial 5220)
Going to the River Mardi Gras in New Orleans 1953 (Imperial 5231) #2
Please Don't Leave Me The Girl I Love 1953 (Imperial 5240) #3
Rose Mary You Said You Loved Me 1953 (Imperial 5251) #10
Something's Wrong Don't Leave Me This Way 1953 (Imperial 5262) #6
You Done Me Wrong Little School Girl 1954 (Imperial 5272) #10
Where Did You Stay Baby Please 1954 (Imperial 5283)
You Can Pack Your Suitcase I Lived My Life 1954 (Imperial 5301)
Love Me Don't You Hear Me Calling You 1954 (Imperial 5313)
I Know Thinking of You 1954 (Imperial 5323) #14
Don't You Know Helping Hand 1955 (Imperial 5340) #7
Ain't That a Shame La La 1955 (Imperial 5348) #10 #1 #23
All By Myself Troubles of My Own 1955 (Imperial 5357) #1
Poor Me 1955 (Imperial 5369) #1
I Can't Go On 1955 " #6
Bo Weevil 1956 (Imperial 5375) #35 #5
Don't Blame It on Me 1956 " #9
I'm in Love Again 1956 (Imperial 5386) #3 #1 #12
My Blue Heaven 1956 " #19 #5
When My Dreamboat Comes Home 1956 (Imperial 5396) #14 #2
So Long 1956 " #44 #5
Blueberry Hill 1956 (Imperial 5407) #2 #1 #1
Honey Chile 1956 " #2 #29
Blue Monday 1956 (Imperial 5417) #5 #1 #2
What's the Reason I'm Not Pleasing You 1956 " #50 #12
I'm Walkin' I'm in the Mood for Love 1957 (Imperial 5428) #4 #1 #19
The Rooster Song My Happiness//As Time Goes By//Hey La Bas (4 song EP) 1957 (Imperial 147) #13 #8
Valley of Tears 1957 (Imperial 5442) #8 #2 #25
It's You I Love 1957 " #6 #2
What Will I Tell My Heart 1957 (Imperial 5454) #64 #12
When I See You 1957 " #29 #14
Wait and See 1957 (Imperial 5467) #23 #7
I Still Love You 1957 " #79
The Big Beat 1957 (Imperial 5477) #26 #15 #20
I Want You to Know 1957 " #32
Yes My Darling Don't You Know I Love You 1958 (Imperial 5492) #55 #10
Sick and Tired 1958 (Imperial 5515) #22 #14 #26
No, No 1958 " #55 #14
Little Mary Prisoner's Song 1958 (Imperial 5526) #48 #4
Young School Girl It Must Be Love 1958 (Imperial 5537) #92 #15
Whole Lotta Loving 1958 (Imperial 5553) #6 #2 #10
Coquette 1958 " #92 #26
Telling Lies 1959 (Imperial 5569) #50 #13
When the Saints Go Marching In 1959 " #50
I'm Ready 1959 (Imperial 5585) #16 #7
Margie 1959 " #51 #18
I Want to Walk You Home 1959 (Imperial 5606) #8 #1 #14
I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday 1959 " #17 #22
Be My Guest 1959 (Imperial 5629) #8 #2 #11
I've Been Around 1959 " #33 #19
If You Need Me 1960 (Imperial 5645) #98
Country Boy 1960 " #25 #19
Before I Grow Too Old 1960 (Imperial 5660) #84 #17
Tell Me That You Love Me 1960 " #51
Walking to New Orleans 1960 (Imperial 5675) #6 #2 #19
Don't Come Knockin' 1960 " #21 #28
Three Nights a Week 1960 (Imperial 5687) #15 #8 #45
Put Your Arms Around Me Honey 1960 " #58
My Girl Josephine 1960 (Imperial 5704) #14 #7 #32
Natural Born Lover 1960 " #38 #28
Ain't That Just Like a Woman 1961 (Imperial 5723) #33 #19
What a Price 1961 " #22 #7
Shu Rah 1961 (Imperial 5734) #32
Fell in Love on Monday 1961 " #32
It Keeps Rainin' I Just Cry 1961 (Imperial 5753) #23 #18 #49
Let The Four Winds Blow Good Hearted Man 1961 (Imperial 5764) #15 #2
What A Party 1961 (Imperial 5779) #22 #43
Rockin' Bicycle 1961 " #83
I Hear You Knocking 1961 (Imperial 5796) #67
Jambalaya (On the Bayou) 1961 " #30 #41
You Win Again 1962 (Imperial 5816) #22
Ida Jane 1962 " #90
My Real Name My Heart Is Bleeding 1962 (Imperial 5833) #59 #22
Dance with Mr. Domino 1962 (Imperial 5863) #98
Nothing New (Same Old Thing) 1962 " #77
Did You Ever See a Dream Walking 1962 (Imperial 5875) #79
Stop the Clock 1962 " #103
Won't You Come on Back Hands Across the Table 1962 (Imperial 5895)
Hum Diddy Doo Those Eyes 1963 (Imperial 5909) #124
You Always Hurt the One You Love Trouble Blues 1963 (Imperial 5937) #102
True Confession Isle of Capri 1963 (Imperial 5959)
One Night I Can't Go on This Way 1963 (Imperial 5980)
There Goes (My Heart Again) 1963 (ABC 10444) #59
Can't Go on Without You 1963 " #123
When I'm Walking (Let Me Walk) 1963 (ABC 10475) #114
I've Got a Right to Cry 1963 " #128
Red Sails in the Sunset Song For Rosemary 1963 (ABC 10484) #35 #24 #34
I Can't Give You Anything But Love Goin' Home 1963 (Imperial 66005) #114
Who Cares 1963 (ABC 10512) #63 #27
Just a Lonely Man 1963 " #108
Your Cheatin' Heart When I Was Young 1964 (Imperial 66016) #112
Lazy Lady 1964 (ABC 10531) #86 #34
I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire 1964 " #122
If You Don't Know What Love Is Something You Got Baby 1964 (ABC 10545)
Mary, Oh Mary Packin' Up 1964 (ABC 10567) #127
Sally Was a Good Old Girl For You 1964 (ABC 10584) #99
Kansas City Heartbreak Hill 1964 (ABC 10596) #99
Why Don't You Do Right Wigs 1965 (ABC 10631)
Let Me Call You Sweetheart Goodnight Sweetheart 1965 (ABC 10644)
I Done Got Over It I Left My Heart In San Francisco 1965 (Mercury 72463)
What's That You Got? It's Never Too Late 1965 (Mercury 72485)
The Lady in Black Working My Way Up Steady 1967 (Broadmoor 104)
Big Mouth Wait 'Til It Happens to You 1967 (Broadmoor 105)
One For The Highway Honest Papas Love Their Mamas Better 1968 (Reprise 0696)
Lady Madonna One for the Highway 1968 (Reprise 0763) #100
Lovely Rita Wait 'Till It Happens to You 1968 (Reprise 0775)
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey So Swell When You're Well 1969 (Reprise 0843)
Make Me Belong to You Have You Seen My Baby 1970 (Reprise 0891)
New Orleans Ain't the Same Sweet Patootie 1970 (Reprise 0944)
Sleeping on the Job After Hours 1978 (Sonet 2168 -UK)
Whiskey Heaven -- 1980 (Warner Bros. Records 49610)
March 05, 2008
About Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Background information
Birth name Eric Hilliard Nelson
Born May 8, 1940(1940-05-08)
Origin Teaneck, New Jersey
Died December 31, 1985 (aged 45)
Genre(s) Rockabilly, Rock, Rock 'n' Roll, Pop
Occupation(s) Actor, Rockabilly/Rock n roll singer
Years active 1957-1985
Label(s) Imperial, Decca (MCA)
Associated acts Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Fats Domino, Connie Francis, Carl Perkins
Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson (May 8, 1940 –December 31, 1985), was an American singer, musician, and actor.
* 1 Biography
o 1.1 Early years
o 1.2 Career
o 1.3 Marriage, family, and troubles
o 1.4 Death
+ 1.4.1 Crash
o 1.5 Tributes
* 2 Albums
* 3 Singles discography
* 4 Literature
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Biography
Early years
Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, he was the younger son of Ozzie Nelson, the leader of a big band, and Harriet Hilliard Nelson, the band's singer. Along with brother David Nelson, the family starred in the long-running radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1944 to 1954 on the radio, and 1952 to 1966 on television. However, David and Ricky Nelson did not join the cast until 1949; for the first five years of the radio show, the sons were played by professional actors.
Career
Ricky Nelson began a rock and roll music career in 1957. He recorded his debut single, the Fats Domino song "I'm Walkin'", seeking to impress a date who was an Elvis Presley fan — Nelson's first song was a hit, reaching #4 on the charts. Soon, each episode of the Ozzie & Harriet television show ended with a musical performance by "Ricky". It was during the sitcom's run that Ozzie Nelson, either as a move to keep his son's fans tuned in each week, or as an affirmation of his reputed behind-the-scenes persona as a controlling personality, kept Ricky from appearing on other TV shows that arguably would have enhanced his public profile, American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show in particular. Ironically, Rick finally did appear on the Sullivan show in 1967, but his career was at that time in limbo. Rick also appeared on other TV shows (usually in acting roles). In 1977, he guest-hosted on Saturday Night Live, where he proved to be a good sport in spoofing his TV sitcom image by appearing in a Twilight Zone send-up, where, always trying to go "home", he'd find himself among the characters from other 1950s/early '60s-era sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and Make Room for Daddy.
Despite the promotional aspects of his career, it is clear that Nelson knew and loved music, and was a creditable performer before he became a teen idol, largely due to his parents' musical background. In addition to guitar, he also played drums and the clarinet. (He showcased his drum skills in the same episode where he made his singing debut.) Unlike many teen idols of the time, Nelson showed his personal taste in working with strong musicians, including James Burton, Joe Maphis, The Jordanaires, and Johnny and Dorsey Burnette. While Elvis may have served as the catalyst for Rick's musical career, his real inspiration came from none other than Carl Perkins.
One of Ricky Nelson's best-selling singles, "Hello Mary Lou" / "Travelin' Man"
One of Ricky Nelson's best-selling singles, "Hello Mary Lou" / "Travelin' Man"
From 1957 to 1962, Nelson had thirty Top-40 hits, more than any other artist at the time except Elvis Presley (who had 53) and Pat Boone (who had 38). Many of Nelson's early records were double hits with both the A side and the B side hitting the Billboard charts. When Billboard introduced the Hot 100 chart on August 4, 1958, Nelson's single "Poor Little Fool" became the first song ever in the #1 position on that chart.
While Nelson preferred rockabilly and uptempo rock songs like "Hello Mary Lou", "It's Late", "Stood Up", and "Be-Bop Baby", his smooth, calm voice made him a natural to sing ballads. He had major success with "Travelin' Man", "Poor Little Fool", "Young World", "Lonesome Town", and "Teenage Idol", which clearly could have been about Nelson himself at the time. (It was Life magazine that reputedly coined the phrase "teen idol" in an article it did about Nelson in 1959).[citation needed]
In addition to his recording career, Nelson also appeared in movies, including Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin (1959), The Wackiest Ship In the Army (1960), and Love and Kisses (1965).
On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), Nelson officially changed his recording name from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". However, not too long before his untimely death, Rick realized a dream of his, when he met his idol, Carl Perkins, who, while musing that they were the last of the "rockabilly breed", called Nelson "Ricky". As the story goes, Nelson felt somehow validated by Perkins calling him by the name he stopped using at age 21. He then contacted his manager, who was then instructed to restore the "y" to his name.[citation needed]
In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records, but he had no further major hits after 1964's "For You". In the mid-1960s, he began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. As a result, he was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and other bands like The Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band. This most likely included drummer Kevin Edwards, who still lives to tell his story today. In 1972, Nelson reached the Top 40 one last time with "Garden Party", a song he wrote in disgust after a Madison Square Garden audience booed him when he tried playing new songs instead of just his old hits from the 1950s and 1960s. "Garden Party" reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and was certified as a gold single. (Coincidentally, "Garden Party" was a hit at the same time Elvis Presley was having his last Top-10 single, "Burning Love", as was Chuck Berry with "My Ding-a-Ling". (Berry is among the musicians alluded to in the lyrics of "Garden Party".)
Marriage, family, and troubles
Nelson married Kristin Harmon in April 1963, in what Life referred to as "The Wedding of the Year". Harmon is the daughter of Football All-American University of Michigan football legend and Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon and actress Elyse Knox, and is the older sister of movie and television star Mark Harmon, perhaps known best for the hit series NCIS.
The couple had one daughter, Tracy (born October 25, 1963), twin sons Gunnar and Matthew (born September 20, 1967), and a third son, Sam Nelson (born August 29, 1974).
After "Garden Party", Ricky Nelson never regained his career's momentum. By the late 1970s, his life was in shambles and he was heavily in debt. After a highly tumultuous marriage (the antithesis of what the public had seen on Ozzie and Harriet and in Love and Kisses), Kristin filed for divorce and took their four children. He wasn't making records and when he played live at all, it was in very small insignificant venues. Nelson began using drugs, especially marijuana and eventually cocaine.
Death
In 1985, Nelson joined a nostalgia rock tour of England. It was a major success, and it revived some interest in his work. He tried to duplicate that effect in the United States, and he began a tour of the South. While on that tour, on his way to a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas, Texas, he died in a plane crash in De Kalb, Texas. Nelson was buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. The last song he sang on stage before his death was Buddy Holly's "Rave On." Holly had also perished in a plane crash.
Crash
Rumors that drug use among the passengers caused the crash frequently resurface, but the original NTSB investigation long ago stated that the crash was probably due to mechanical problems. The pilots attempted to land in a field after smoke filled the cabin. An examination indicated that a fire originated in the right hand side of the aft cabin area at or near the floor line. The passengers were killed when the aircraft struck obstacles during the forced landing; the pilots were able to escape through the cockpit windows and survived. The ignition and fuel sources of the fire could not be determined, although many believe that the most likely cause was a defective cabin heater. The pilot indicated that the crew tried to turn on the cabin heater repeatedly shortly before the fire occurred, but that it failed to respond. After the fire, the access panel to the heater compartment was found unlatched. The theory is supported by records that showed that DC-3s in general, and this aircraft in particular, had a previous history of problems with the cabin heaters.
Tributes
Nelson was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and also to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1515 Vine Street.
Nelson's twin sons, Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, also were teen idols, performing as the band Nelson and charting several hits in the 1990s. His daughter, Tracy Nelson, is an actress and cancer survivor. She may be best known for her role in the television series Father Dowling Mysteries, which starred Tom Bosley. Nelson's youngest son, Sam Nelson, is a music industry executive.
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Ricky Nelson's passing, PBS aired a one hour documentary entitled Ricky Nelson Sings, featuring interviews with his children, as well as James Burton and Kris Kristofferson. The only time Kristofferson played with Ricky Nelson was in Elroy, Wisconsin at a "Party in the Park" show on July 3, 1985. That performance has since been released on DVD.
The song "Ricky" (originally titled "Ricky Nelson"), track 4 on John Frusciante's 2004 album Shadows Collide with People, is a tribute to Nelson, and is sung in a similar style.
Bob Dylan, in his 2004 memoir, Chronicles, Vol. 1, wrote about Nelson's influence on his music. Also in 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Nelson #91 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[1]
On December 27, 2005, EMI Music released an album titled Ricky Nelson's Greatest Hits, with 25 songs. It peaked at #56 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
In Stephen King's short-story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Nelson appears in "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" as an evil version of himself, who torments an unsuspecting couple trapped in a town inhabited by late rock 'n' roll legends. Nelson was portrayed by William McNamara in the 2006 television mini-series adaptation, Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.
Nelson's estate is run as The Rick Nelson Company, LLC, and owns ancillary rights to the classic Ozzie and Harriet television series. As of 2007, after years of public domain video releases on VHS and DVD, an official edition of the show has been released via Shout! Factory.
Albums
(Highest chart success on the Billboard charts.)
* Ricky (1957) (1)
* Ricky Nelson (1958) (7)
* Ricky Sings Again (1959) (14)
* Songs by Ricky (1959) (22)
* More Songs by Ricky (1960) (18)
* Rick Is 21 (1961) (8)
* Album Seven by Rick (1962) (27)
* Best Sellers By Rick Nelson (1963) (112)
* It's Up to You (1963) (128)
* For Your Sweet Love (1963) (20)
* Rick Nelson Sings "For You" (1964) (14)
* A Long Vacation (1963)
* The Very Thought of You (1964)
* Best Always (1965)
* Spotlight on Rick (1965)
* Bright Lights & Country Music (1966)
* Love and Kisses (1966)
* Country Fever (1967)
* I Need You (1968)
* Perspective (1968)
* Another Side of Rick (1969)
* In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 (1970)
* Rick Nelson in Concert (1970) (54)
* Rick Sings Nelson (1970) (196)
* Rudy the Fifth (1971)
* Garden Party (1972) (32)
* Windfall (1974) (190)
* Intakes (1977)
* Playing to Win (1981) (153)
Singles discography
(Highest chart success on the Billboard charts. When listed twice - 17/2 means that both sides charted individually)
* "I'm Walkin'" / "A Teenager's Romance" (Verve 10047) (17/2)
* "You're My One and Only Love" / "Honey Rock" (Verve 10070) (14)
* "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You" / "Be Bop Baby" (Imperial 5463) (29/3)
* "Stood Up" / "Waitin' in School" (Imperial 5483) (2/18)
* "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" / "Believe What You Say" (Imperial 5503) (18/4)
* "Poor Little Fool" / "Don't Leave Me This Way" (Imperial 5528) (7)
* "Lonesome Town" / "I Got a Feeling" (Imperial 5545) (7/10)
* "It's Late" / "Never Be Anyone Else but You" (Imperial 5565) (9/6)
* "Just a Little Too Much" / "Sweeter Than You" (Imperial 5595) (9/9)
* "I Wanna Be Loved" / "Mighty Good" (Imperial 5614) (20/38)
* "Young Emotions" / "Right by My Side" (Imperial 5663) (12/59)
* "I'm Not Afraid" / "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (Imperial 5685) (27/34)
* "You Are the Only One" / "Milk Cow Blues" (Imperial 5707) (25/79)
* "Travelin' Man" / "Hello Mary Lou" (Imperial 5741) (1/9)
* "A Wonder Like You" / "Everlovin'" (Imperial 5770) (11/16)
* "Young World" / "Summertime" (Imperial 5805) (5/89)
* "Teen Age Idol" / "I've Got My Eyes on You (And I Like What I See)" (Imperial 5864) (5/105)
* "It's Up to You" / "I Need You" (Imperial 5901) (6/83)
* "I'm in Love Again" / "That's All" (Imperial 5910) (67/48)
* "You Don't Love Me Anymore (And I Can Tell)" / "I Got a Woman" (Decca 31475) (47/49)
* "If You Can't Rock Me" / "Old Enough to Love" (Imperial 5935) (100/94)
* "A Long Vacation" / "Mad Mad World" (Imperial 5958) (120)
* "Gypsy Woman" / "String Along" (Decca 31495) (62/25)
* "There's Not A Minute" / "Time After Time" (Imperial 5985) (127)
* "Fools Rush In" / "Down Home" (Decca 31533) (12/126)
* "Today's Teardrops" / "Thank You Darlin'" (Imperial 66004) (54)
* "For You" / "That's All She Wrote" (Decca 31574) (9)
* "Congratulations" / "One Minute to One" (Imperial 66017) (63)
* "The Very Thought of You" / "I Wonder (If Your Love Will Belong to Me)" (Decca 31612) (26)
* "Lucky Star" / "Everybody but Me" (Imperial 66039) (127)
* "There's Nothing I Can Say" / "Lonely Corner" (Decca 31656) (47/113)
* "A Happy Guy" / "Don't Breathe a Word" (Decca 31703) (82)
* "Mean Old World" / "When the Chips Are Down" (Decca 31756) (96)
* "Come Out Dancing" / "Yesterday's Love" (Decca 31800) (130)
* "Say You Love Me" / "Love and Kisses" (Decca 31845)
* "Fire Breathin' Dragon" / "Your Kind of Lovin' (Decca 31900)
* "You Just Can't Quit" / "Louisiana Man" (Decca 31956) (108)
* "Things You Gave Me" / "Alone" (Decca 32026)
* "They Don't Give Medals (To Yesterday's Heroes)" / "Take a Broken Heart" (Decca 32055)
* "Take a City Bride" / "I'm Called Lonely" (Decca 32120)
* "Suzanne on a Sunday Morning" / "Moonshine" (Decca 32176)
* "Dream Weaver" / "Baby Close Its Eyes" (Decca 32222)
* "Don't Blame It on Your Wife" / "Promenade in Green" (Decca 32284)
* "Don't Make Promises" / "Barefoot Boy" (Decca 32298)
* "She Belongs to Me" / "Promises" (Decca 32558) (33)
* "Easy to Be Free" / "Come on In" (Decca 32635) (48)
* "I Shall Be Released" / "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" (Decca 32676) (102)
* "Look at Mary" / "We've Got Such a Long Way to Go" (Decca 32711)
* "How Long" / "Down Along the Bayou Country" (Decca 32739)
* "Life" / "California" (Decca 32779) (109)
* "Thank You Lord" / "Sing Me a Song" (Decca 32860)
* "Gypsy Pilot" / "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" (Decca 32906)
* "Garden Party" / "So Long Mama" (Decca 32980) (6)
* "Palace Guard" / "A Flower Opens Gently By" (MCA 40001) (65)
* "Lifestream" / "Evil Woman Child" (MCA 40130)
* "Windfall" / "Legacy" (MCA 40187)
* "One Night Stand" / "Lifestream" (MCA 40214)
* "Try (Try to Fall in Love)" / "Louisiana Belle" (MCA 40392)
* "Rock and Roll Lady" / "Fade Away" (MCA 40458)
* "You Can't Dance" / "It's Another Day" (Epic 50458)
* "Gimme a Little Sign" / "Something You Can't Buy" (Epic 50501)
* "Dream Lover" / "That Ain't the Way Love's Supposed to Be" (Epic 50674)
* "It Hasn't Happened Yet" / "Call It What You Want" (Capitol 4974)
* "Believe What You Say" / "The Loser Babe Is You" (Capitol 4988)
* "Give 'em My Number" / "No Fair Falling in Love" (Capitol 5178)
* "You Know What I Mean" / "Don't Leave Me This Way" (MCA 52781)
* "Dream Lover" / "Rave On" (Epic 06066)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Background information
Birth name Eric Hilliard Nelson
Born May 8, 1940(1940-05-08)
Origin Teaneck, New Jersey
Died December 31, 1985 (aged 45)
Genre(s) Rockabilly, Rock, Rock 'n' Roll, Pop
Occupation(s) Actor, Rockabilly/Rock n roll singer
Years active 1957-1985
Label(s) Imperial, Decca (MCA)
Associated acts Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Fats Domino, Connie Francis, Carl Perkins
Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson (May 8, 1940 –December 31, 1985), was an American singer, musician, and actor.
* 1 Biography
o 1.1 Early years
o 1.2 Career
o 1.3 Marriage, family, and troubles
o 1.4 Death
+ 1.4.1 Crash
o 1.5 Tributes
* 2 Albums
* 3 Singles discography
* 4 Literature
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Biography
Early years
Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, he was the younger son of Ozzie Nelson, the leader of a big band, and Harriet Hilliard Nelson, the band's singer. Along with brother David Nelson, the family starred in the long-running radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1944 to 1954 on the radio, and 1952 to 1966 on television. However, David and Ricky Nelson did not join the cast until 1949; for the first five years of the radio show, the sons were played by professional actors.
Career
Ricky Nelson began a rock and roll music career in 1957. He recorded his debut single, the Fats Domino song "I'm Walkin'", seeking to impress a date who was an Elvis Presley fan — Nelson's first song was a hit, reaching #4 on the charts. Soon, each episode of the Ozzie & Harriet television show ended with a musical performance by "Ricky". It was during the sitcom's run that Ozzie Nelson, either as a move to keep his son's fans tuned in each week, or as an affirmation of his reputed behind-the-scenes persona as a controlling personality, kept Ricky from appearing on other TV shows that arguably would have enhanced his public profile, American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show in particular. Ironically, Rick finally did appear on the Sullivan show in 1967, but his career was at that time in limbo. Rick also appeared on other TV shows (usually in acting roles). In 1977, he guest-hosted on Saturday Night Live, where he proved to be a good sport in spoofing his TV sitcom image by appearing in a Twilight Zone send-up, where, always trying to go "home", he'd find himself among the characters from other 1950s/early '60s-era sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and Make Room for Daddy.
Despite the promotional aspects of his career, it is clear that Nelson knew and loved music, and was a creditable performer before he became a teen idol, largely due to his parents' musical background. In addition to guitar, he also played drums and the clarinet. (He showcased his drum skills in the same episode where he made his singing debut.) Unlike many teen idols of the time, Nelson showed his personal taste in working with strong musicians, including James Burton, Joe Maphis, The Jordanaires, and Johnny and Dorsey Burnette. While Elvis may have served as the catalyst for Rick's musical career, his real inspiration came from none other than Carl Perkins.
One of Ricky Nelson's best-selling singles, "Hello Mary Lou" / "Travelin' Man"
One of Ricky Nelson's best-selling singles, "Hello Mary Lou" / "Travelin' Man"
From 1957 to 1962, Nelson had thirty Top-40 hits, more than any other artist at the time except Elvis Presley (who had 53) and Pat Boone (who had 38). Many of Nelson's early records were double hits with both the A side and the B side hitting the Billboard charts. When Billboard introduced the Hot 100 chart on August 4, 1958, Nelson's single "Poor Little Fool" became the first song ever in the #1 position on that chart.
While Nelson preferred rockabilly and uptempo rock songs like "Hello Mary Lou", "It's Late", "Stood Up", and "Be-Bop Baby", his smooth, calm voice made him a natural to sing ballads. He had major success with "Travelin' Man", "Poor Little Fool", "Young World", "Lonesome Town", and "Teenage Idol", which clearly could have been about Nelson himself at the time. (It was Life magazine that reputedly coined the phrase "teen idol" in an article it did about Nelson in 1959).[citation needed]
In addition to his recording career, Nelson also appeared in movies, including Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin (1959), The Wackiest Ship In the Army (1960), and Love and Kisses (1965).
On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), Nelson officially changed his recording name from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". However, not too long before his untimely death, Rick realized a dream of his, when he met his idol, Carl Perkins, who, while musing that they were the last of the "rockabilly breed", called Nelson "Ricky". As the story goes, Nelson felt somehow validated by Perkins calling him by the name he stopped using at age 21. He then contacted his manager, who was then instructed to restore the "y" to his name.[citation needed]
In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records, but he had no further major hits after 1964's "For You". In the mid-1960s, he began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. As a result, he was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and other bands like The Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band. This most likely included drummer Kevin Edwards, who still lives to tell his story today. In 1972, Nelson reached the Top 40 one last time with "Garden Party", a song he wrote in disgust after a Madison Square Garden audience booed him when he tried playing new songs instead of just his old hits from the 1950s and 1960s. "Garden Party" reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and was certified as a gold single. (Coincidentally, "Garden Party" was a hit at the same time Elvis Presley was having his last Top-10 single, "Burning Love", as was Chuck Berry with "My Ding-a-Ling". (Berry is among the musicians alluded to in the lyrics of "Garden Party".)
Marriage, family, and troubles
Nelson married Kristin Harmon in April 1963, in what Life referred to as "The Wedding of the Year". Harmon is the daughter of Football All-American University of Michigan football legend and Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon and actress Elyse Knox, and is the older sister of movie and television star Mark Harmon, perhaps known best for the hit series NCIS.
The couple had one daughter, Tracy (born October 25, 1963), twin sons Gunnar and Matthew (born September 20, 1967), and a third son, Sam Nelson (born August 29, 1974).
After "Garden Party", Ricky Nelson never regained his career's momentum. By the late 1970s, his life was in shambles and he was heavily in debt. After a highly tumultuous marriage (the antithesis of what the public had seen on Ozzie and Harriet and in Love and Kisses), Kristin filed for divorce and took their four children. He wasn't making records and when he played live at all, it was in very small insignificant venues. Nelson began using drugs, especially marijuana and eventually cocaine.
Death
In 1985, Nelson joined a nostalgia rock tour of England. It was a major success, and it revived some interest in his work. He tried to duplicate that effect in the United States, and he began a tour of the South. While on that tour, on his way to a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas, Texas, he died in a plane crash in De Kalb, Texas. Nelson was buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. The last song he sang on stage before his death was Buddy Holly's "Rave On." Holly had also perished in a plane crash.
Crash
Rumors that drug use among the passengers caused the crash frequently resurface, but the original NTSB investigation long ago stated that the crash was probably due to mechanical problems. The pilots attempted to land in a field after smoke filled the cabin. An examination indicated that a fire originated in the right hand side of the aft cabin area at or near the floor line. The passengers were killed when the aircraft struck obstacles during the forced landing; the pilots were able to escape through the cockpit windows and survived. The ignition and fuel sources of the fire could not be determined, although many believe that the most likely cause was a defective cabin heater. The pilot indicated that the crew tried to turn on the cabin heater repeatedly shortly before the fire occurred, but that it failed to respond. After the fire, the access panel to the heater compartment was found unlatched. The theory is supported by records that showed that DC-3s in general, and this aircraft in particular, had a previous history of problems with the cabin heaters.
Tributes
Nelson was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and also to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1515 Vine Street.
Nelson's twin sons, Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, also were teen idols, performing as the band Nelson and charting several hits in the 1990s. His daughter, Tracy Nelson, is an actress and cancer survivor. She may be best known for her role in the television series Father Dowling Mysteries, which starred Tom Bosley. Nelson's youngest son, Sam Nelson, is a music industry executive.
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Ricky Nelson's passing, PBS aired a one hour documentary entitled Ricky Nelson Sings, featuring interviews with his children, as well as James Burton and Kris Kristofferson. The only time Kristofferson played with Ricky Nelson was in Elroy, Wisconsin at a "Party in the Park" show on July 3, 1985. That performance has since been released on DVD.
The song "Ricky" (originally titled "Ricky Nelson"), track 4 on John Frusciante's 2004 album Shadows Collide with People, is a tribute to Nelson, and is sung in a similar style.
Bob Dylan, in his 2004 memoir, Chronicles, Vol. 1, wrote about Nelson's influence on his music. Also in 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Nelson #91 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[1]
On December 27, 2005, EMI Music released an album titled Ricky Nelson's Greatest Hits, with 25 songs. It peaked at #56 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
In Stephen King's short-story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Nelson appears in "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" as an evil version of himself, who torments an unsuspecting couple trapped in a town inhabited by late rock 'n' roll legends. Nelson was portrayed by William McNamara in the 2006 television mini-series adaptation, Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.
Nelson's estate is run as The Rick Nelson Company, LLC, and owns ancillary rights to the classic Ozzie and Harriet television series. As of 2007, after years of public domain video releases on VHS and DVD, an official edition of the show has been released via Shout! Factory.
Albums
(Highest chart success on the Billboard charts.)
* Ricky (1957) (1)
* Ricky Nelson (1958) (7)
* Ricky Sings Again (1959) (14)
* Songs by Ricky (1959) (22)
* More Songs by Ricky (1960) (18)
* Rick Is 21 (1961) (8)
* Album Seven by Rick (1962) (27)
* Best Sellers By Rick Nelson (1963) (112)
* It's Up to You (1963) (128)
* For Your Sweet Love (1963) (20)
* Rick Nelson Sings "For You" (1964) (14)
* A Long Vacation (1963)
* The Very Thought of You (1964)
* Best Always (1965)
* Spotlight on Rick (1965)
* Bright Lights & Country Music (1966)
* Love and Kisses (1966)
* Country Fever (1967)
* I Need You (1968)
* Perspective (1968)
* Another Side of Rick (1969)
* In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 (1970)
* Rick Nelson in Concert (1970) (54)
* Rick Sings Nelson (1970) (196)
* Rudy the Fifth (1971)
* Garden Party (1972) (32)
* Windfall (1974) (190)
* Intakes (1977)
* Playing to Win (1981) (153)
Singles discography
(Highest chart success on the Billboard charts. When listed twice - 17/2 means that both sides charted individually)
* "I'm Walkin'" / "A Teenager's Romance" (Verve 10047) (17/2)
* "You're My One and Only Love" / "Honey Rock" (Verve 10070) (14)
* "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You" / "Be Bop Baby" (Imperial 5463) (29/3)
* "Stood Up" / "Waitin' in School" (Imperial 5483) (2/18)
* "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" / "Believe What You Say" (Imperial 5503) (18/4)
* "Poor Little Fool" / "Don't Leave Me This Way" (Imperial 5528) (7)
* "Lonesome Town" / "I Got a Feeling" (Imperial 5545) (7/10)
* "It's Late" / "Never Be Anyone Else but You" (Imperial 5565) (9/6)
* "Just a Little Too Much" / "Sweeter Than You" (Imperial 5595) (9/9)
* "I Wanna Be Loved" / "Mighty Good" (Imperial 5614) (20/38)
* "Young Emotions" / "Right by My Side" (Imperial 5663) (12/59)
* "I'm Not Afraid" / "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (Imperial 5685) (27/34)
* "You Are the Only One" / "Milk Cow Blues" (Imperial 5707) (25/79)
* "Travelin' Man" / "Hello Mary Lou" (Imperial 5741) (1/9)
* "A Wonder Like You" / "Everlovin'" (Imperial 5770) (11/16)
* "Young World" / "Summertime" (Imperial 5805) (5/89)
* "Teen Age Idol" / "I've Got My Eyes on You (And I Like What I See)" (Imperial 5864) (5/105)
* "It's Up to You" / "I Need You" (Imperial 5901) (6/83)
* "I'm in Love Again" / "That's All" (Imperial 5910) (67/48)
* "You Don't Love Me Anymore (And I Can Tell)" / "I Got a Woman" (Decca 31475) (47/49)
* "If You Can't Rock Me" / "Old Enough to Love" (Imperial 5935) (100/94)
* "A Long Vacation" / "Mad Mad World" (Imperial 5958) (120)
* "Gypsy Woman" / "String Along" (Decca 31495) (62/25)
* "There's Not A Minute" / "Time After Time" (Imperial 5985) (127)
* "Fools Rush In" / "Down Home" (Decca 31533) (12/126)
* "Today's Teardrops" / "Thank You Darlin'" (Imperial 66004) (54)
* "For You" / "That's All She Wrote" (Decca 31574) (9)
* "Congratulations" / "One Minute to One" (Imperial 66017) (63)
* "The Very Thought of You" / "I Wonder (If Your Love Will Belong to Me)" (Decca 31612) (26)
* "Lucky Star" / "Everybody but Me" (Imperial 66039) (127)
* "There's Nothing I Can Say" / "Lonely Corner" (Decca 31656) (47/113)
* "A Happy Guy" / "Don't Breathe a Word" (Decca 31703) (82)
* "Mean Old World" / "When the Chips Are Down" (Decca 31756) (96)
* "Come Out Dancing" / "Yesterday's Love" (Decca 31800) (130)
* "Say You Love Me" / "Love and Kisses" (Decca 31845)
* "Fire Breathin' Dragon" / "Your Kind of Lovin' (Decca 31900)
* "You Just Can't Quit" / "Louisiana Man" (Decca 31956) (108)
* "Things You Gave Me" / "Alone" (Decca 32026)
* "They Don't Give Medals (To Yesterday's Heroes)" / "Take a Broken Heart" (Decca 32055)
* "Take a City Bride" / "I'm Called Lonely" (Decca 32120)
* "Suzanne on a Sunday Morning" / "Moonshine" (Decca 32176)
* "Dream Weaver" / "Baby Close Its Eyes" (Decca 32222)
* "Don't Blame It on Your Wife" / "Promenade in Green" (Decca 32284)
* "Don't Make Promises" / "Barefoot Boy" (Decca 32298)
* "She Belongs to Me" / "Promises" (Decca 32558) (33)
* "Easy to Be Free" / "Come on In" (Decca 32635) (48)
* "I Shall Be Released" / "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" (Decca 32676) (102)
* "Look at Mary" / "We've Got Such a Long Way to Go" (Decca 32711)
* "How Long" / "Down Along the Bayou Country" (Decca 32739)
* "Life" / "California" (Decca 32779) (109)
* "Thank You Lord" / "Sing Me a Song" (Decca 32860)
* "Gypsy Pilot" / "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" (Decca 32906)
* "Garden Party" / "So Long Mama" (Decca 32980) (6)
* "Palace Guard" / "A Flower Opens Gently By" (MCA 40001) (65)
* "Lifestream" / "Evil Woman Child" (MCA 40130)
* "Windfall" / "Legacy" (MCA 40187)
* "One Night Stand" / "Lifestream" (MCA 40214)
* "Try (Try to Fall in Love)" / "Louisiana Belle" (MCA 40392)
* "Rock and Roll Lady" / "Fade Away" (MCA 40458)
* "You Can't Dance" / "It's Another Day" (Epic 50458)
* "Gimme a Little Sign" / "Something You Can't Buy" (Epic 50501)
* "Dream Lover" / "That Ain't the Way Love's Supposed to Be" (Epic 50674)
* "It Hasn't Happened Yet" / "Call It What You Want" (Capitol 4974)
* "Believe What You Say" / "The Loser Babe Is You" (Capitol 4988)
* "Give 'em My Number" / "No Fair Falling in Love" (Capitol 5178)
* "You Know What I Mean" / "Don't Leave Me This Way" (MCA 52781)
* "Dream Lover" / "Rave On" (Epic 06066)
About The Hollies
The Hollies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hollies are an English Beat group formed in the early 1960s. They are commonly associated with Manchester, as several original Hollies came from the city and its outlying communities.
The Manchester quintet, heavily influenced by the Everly Brothers, is known for rich three-part harmonies rivalling those of The Beach Boys, ringing guitars, infectious melodies, jazz oriented backbeats and a squeaky-clean image. They have been called the British Everly Brothers. Nevertheless, The Hollies are one of the most commercially successful pop/rock acts of the British Invasion. While groups like the Beatles would sometimes toy with non-pop experiments, the Hollies kept their material catchy and appealing no matter what style they pursued; however, they tried easing into more sophisticated folk-rock and mildly psychedelic sounds as the decade wore on, especially on their albums. Their mass recognition is generally limited (especially in the United States) to a selection of perhaps a dozen hit songs, from 1964's "Just One Look" to 1974's "The Air That I Breathe". In reality, their recorded history started in 1963 and encompasses more than 350 songs, spread over dozens of albums, EPs and singles, across 33 years (Eder,1996).
Formation
The Hollies' history began by chance with five-year-old Allan Clarke's arrival at the Ordsall Primary School in Salford (Manchester's twin city), England in 1947. He met five-year-old Graham Nash, when Nash was the only student to volunteer to let Clarke sit next to him in class. Soon, they found a common interest in music. They began singing together in choir and as they matured, their voices complemented each other magnificently. The impetus for Clarke and Nash to begin music careers together was the emergence of skiffle music in England (Eder, 2004).
According to Clarke (Eder, 2004),
"We all wanted to be rock 'n' roll stars, and skiffle was one way to start, because it was all based on the easiest chords to play, A, D, G, and C, and we loved the songs. Graham and I played clubs in Manchester, doing an Everly Brothers-type thing. The Everly Brothers were our real inspiration, because of the two-part harmonies."
This laid the foundation for The Hollies. By 1962 Clarke (born Harold Allan Clarke, 5 April 1942, in Salford, Lancashire) and Nash (born Graham William Nash, 2 February 1942, in Blackpool, Lancashire) had already been singing together locally at coffee houses for a number of years as a semi-professional duo under a number of names such as the Guytones, the Two Teens, The Levins and a brother act called Ricky and Dane. As they were playing a show with the Fourtones, they met Eric Haydock (born 3 February 1943, in Stockport, Cheshire) and Don Rathbone (born Donald Rathbone, October 1942, in Wilmslow, Cheshire) and were invited to join the Deltas (Rock, 2000).
The four decided to abandon the Deltas and form a new group in December 1962. According to those close to the band, they chose the name from some Christmas holly decorating Graham Nash's house; not, as long time rumour has it, in homage to Buddy Holly (Rock, 2000). The stories are sufficiently vague that not even the band members remember exactly; however, what they do agree upon is that the name was simply a stop-gap, and it's stuck for 34 years and counting (Eder, 1996). The original lineup consisted of lead singer Allan Clarke, guitarists Graham Nash and Vic Steele, bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Don Rathbone. Vic Steele soon left, and was replaced by local guitar hero Tony Hicks (born Anthony Christopher Hicks, 16 December 1943, Nelson, Lancashire). In 1963, before the group started having hits, Rathbone left to become their road manager and was replaced by Bobby Elliott (born Robert Hartley Elliott, 8 December 1941, at 13 Chiltern Avenue, Bolton, Lancashire) from Shane Fenton And The Fentones; however, Elliott and Hicks had played together previously in another Manchester band called Rick Shaw and the Dolphins. In 1966 Bernie Calvert (born Bernard Bamford Calvert, 16 September 1942, in Brierfield, Lancashire) took Haydock’s; and in '68, when Nash left to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, later to become Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, he was replaced by Terry Sylvester (ex-Escorts and Swinging Blue Jeans) (Artist, 2004).
The 1960s
The band's first show as The Hollies took place at the Oasis Club in Manchester in December 1962 with great success. Not long after, The Hollies took The Beatles' slot at the Cavern Club. The Beatles had graduated from the club and had been signed to EMI's Parlophone label by producer George Martin. The amount of musical activity in Liverpool and Manchester caused record producers who had previously never ventured very far from London to start looking to the north. One of them was Ron Richards, a staff producer at EMI, who went up to the Cavern in January 1963. What he found was a tiny club that lived up to its reputation and that The Hollies could do more than just wail (Eder, 1996).
After Steele's departure and Hicks' arrival, The Hollies incorporated many obscure American R&B classics in their repertoire, as did many beat groups of the early 1960s; however, they were also writing new songs as well as commissioning songs from professional songwriters. The originals wound up as "B" sides, often credited to the pseudonymous "Chester Mann" or “L. Ransford" (Artist, 2004). They scored their first major British hit at the end of 1963 with a cover of Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs' "Stay", which hit #8 in the UK charts. They quickly followed with Doris Troy's "Just One Look". The group's fifth single, "We're Through," was their first original A-side, written by Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Graham Nash under their new collective pseudonym of "L. Ransford". Recorded on 25 August 1964, "We're Through" was released the following month. On 26 September 1964, it entered the British charts at No. 27 and peaked at #7 during a relatively short chart stay - something which, in the wake of "Just One Look"'s much greater success, discouraged the record company from pursuing any more original A-sides from the band at that time. As an original A-side, however, it was a milestone for the band, and hinted at better things to come for them.
During the summer of 1965, the Clarke-Hicks-Nash songwriting team, still working as "L. Ransford", achieved what at the time seemed like a major breakthrough. The three were signed to a publishing contract by Dick James Music and given their own publishing imprint, Gralto Music (for Graham, Allan, and Tony). When Graham left, it became Alto Music. By this point the Hollies had established themselves as one of Britain's pre-eminent singles bands and enjoyed enormous chart success in several countries (Biography, 2002). August 1965 saw them enjoy their first UK#1 with "I'm Alive". However, they experienced their first misfire in January 1966 when their recording of George Harrison's "If I Needed Someone" just scraped the UK Top 20 and brought with it some bad press, with Harrison denouncing the cover version as "soulless". Both the Hollies and John Lennon took swipes at each other, venting frustration at the comparative failure of a Beatles song (Rock, 2000).
Bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Bobby Elliot were considered one of the tightest rhythm sections in British Pop/Rock of the period; however, in 1966, bassist Haydock left to be replaced by Bernie Calvert, whose playing would be given a lesser profile on the band's recordings. The Hollies' long-time producer Ron Richards (sometimes referred to as the "Sixth Hollie") confirms this in his contribution to the notes of Epic Records' 20 Song Anthology (Biography, 2002). According to Richards,
"Calvert was not a good bass player, and [I] deliberately buried his sound in the mix of their songs once he joined the group."
The end of 1965 saw the Hollies crack the US top 40 for the first time with the Graham Gouldman penned "Look Through Any Window" which peaked at #32 in January of 1966. Later in 1966 the Hollies recorded the song that was to become their long-awaited American breakthrough single, "Bus Stop". Written by Graham Gouldman, "Bus Stop" rose to #5 in America and made it to the same spot in Britain.
By this time, the band had blossomed as songwriters and recording artists. The next album, For Certain Because, was their most elaborate yet, its songs - all originals - filled with unusual instrumentation, including marimbas, kettle drums and other exotic sounds. A track from the album, "Pay You Back With Interest", was issued as a single by Imperial in America after the band signed with Epic, while another, "Tell Me To My Face",was a top 40 hit for American singer Keith and was later covered very successfully in the 1970s by Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg. Other songs, such as "Clown," were more personal compositions by Graham Nash, who was starting to develop a distinctly individual approach to songwriting (Eder,1996).
This was also a golden era for The Hollies as a performing unit. In concert, they worked on the same bill with acts such as the Spencer Davis Group and the Small Faces, and their music onstage had achieved a level of sophistication equivalent to the kind of songwriting they were crafting. The success of "Stop! Stop! Stop!", achieving the #2 spot in England and #7 in America, was all the more remarkable as an original A-side. Their follow-up, "On A Carousel", was written during the group's tour of America, and recorded on 11 January 1967. Released the following month, it reached a by-now routine #4 in England, and #11 in America. "Carrie Anne" had been started by Hicks in 1965, while the band was on tour in Norway, and was inspired by the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man", with Hicks writing to the phrase "Hey Mister Man." Two years later, it was finally completed and recorded on 3 May 1967, in only two takes. Released later the same month, it reached #3 in the United Kingdom and #9 in America (Eder,1996).
1967 saw the band release not one, but two psychedelic-influenced albums, the hard rock-flavoured Evolution and the gentler, more hippy-oriented Butterfly. After The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper in June 1967, The Hollies delved deeper still into the flower power sound with a new song, "King Midas In Reverse", largely composed and arranged by Nash, who yearned to make an impact as a more serious artist. The song had an ambitious string, brass and flute arrangement; however, its relatively modest commercial success did not bode well for his influence over the band's direction, and their next singles were in the more romantic tradition.
By 1968, Nash felt constrained by the band's commercial orientation and left because of creative differences over the plan to record an album of Bob Dylan songs, which he saw as a retrograde step for the band. Nash quickly joined forces with former Buffalo Springfield member Stephen Stills and former Byrds member David Crosby to form one of the first supergroups, Crosby, Stills and Nash. Nash's departure from The Hollies arguably marked the beginning of the group's decline.
Terry Sylvester, formerly of Liverpool bands The Escorts and The Swinging Blue Jeans, was drafted in to replace Nash. This lineup had an immediate hit in 1969 with "Sorry, Suzanne", which reached #3 in the UK. The hit streak continued for a while longer with the epic ballad "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", written by Americans Bob Russell and Bobby Scott and featuring Elton John on piano. "He Ain't Heavy" would become a surprise UK#1 on its re-release in 1988 thanks to its use in a beer commercial (Artist, 2004).
Nevertheless, the Hollies had not moved with the times musically, and from the turn of the decade their popularity was starting to wane; only a handful of hits lay ahead.
1970s
Clarke, devastated by the departure of his friend of more than 20 years, had been locked into the group identity for nearly all of his adult life, and now felt the urge to step out on his own. The group was beginning work on a new album, which Clarke would do with them, after which he would begin work on his own career and his own recordings, independent of the band. Ironically, the new album was to benefit from Clarke's plans for a solo career, but the group's ability to take advantage of its unexpected success was to be sorely tested. While recording the album, titled Distant Light, Clarke turned up with a song that was to be added to the record: a Creedence Clearwater Revival-styled rocker, co-authored by Clarke, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, entitled "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" (Eder, 1996[1]). Recorded on a day when producer Ron Richards was absent, the song gave Clarke a rare chance to show off his guitar skills. The problem was that Clarke had not intended it to be released on a Hollies album, but as a record of his own. However, a couple of members of the group did play on it and he was forced to include it on Distant Light. This, in turn, led to an open breach between Clarke and the rest of the group, once they learned that he intended to do a solo recording. Clarke was issued an ultimatum - he could either remain with The Hollies or pursue a solo career, but not both.
In a 1973 interview with Melody Maker, Clarke states (Eder, 1996[2])
They thought that when I became successful, I'd leave them anyway, so they just shortened the agony by forcing me to do one thing or the other. It was silly, really, because I wouldn't have left the group.
"Long Cool Woman" was a minor UK hit but soared to #2 in the US Hot 100 in 1972; suddenly, this became the group's new signature tune, saturating the airwaves in the United States. However, Clarke was already gone - replaced, rather oddly, by Swedish star Mikael Rickfors. The new line-up yielded the minor hits "Magic Woman Touch" and "The Baby"; however, Rickfors could sing in English but not speak it fluently, which created problems that were never fully resolved (Biography, 2002).
To Clarke's chagrin, the Hollies were offered their first major US tour on account of the success of Long Cool Woman, a song which Clarke considered his own. The new Hollies line-up toured the US and for the first time received a major push in that country, appearing on the major music TV shows of the day. The personnel changes meant that the band had to re-invent their style somewhat, switching instruments and lead vocals on various songs. While a very interesting period for the band, the overall cohesive nature of The Hollies sound was somewhat damaged and the tour was not a big success with audiences.
Clarke returned in late 1973 and they returned to the UK Top 30 with another "swamp rocker" written by Clarke, "The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee". In 1974 another hit ensued, the worldwide smash "The Air That I Breathe", and returned the group to their orchestral style in grand fashion; however, it was their last major UK hit for over a decade. The song was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, and originally recorded by the group's early idol, Phil Everly. The Everly connection had been cemented some years earlier, when The Hollies backed the American duo on their 1966 Two Yanks in England album. "The Air That I Breathe" was the last Hollies hit to be produced by Ron Richards, as the group took their own reins (Artist, 2004).
Subsequent singles like "Son of a Rotten Gambler", "I'm Down", and "Boulder to Birmingham", failed to chart. Curiously, mostly thanks to Clarke, they did pick up on Bruce Springsteen's work as a songwriter earlier than a lot of other acts, but not even their beautiful rendition of "Sandy" could avert their slide from the public's consciousness. Disco heavily influenced most of their late 70s releases and dance-rock sounds of the era, although they never entirely abandoned their harmony vocal sound. Over the next five years, the Hollies pursued the supper-club and cabaret circuit as their chart appearances began to dwindle. Although their albums were well produced, they were largely unexciting and sold poorly.
Unlike some other British Invasion bands, the Hollies were also accomplished in concert, as indicated by their 1977 Live Hits album recorded in Christchurch, New Zealand the previous year. The album included effective performances of lesser-known songs such as Hicks' working-class portrayal "Too Young to Be Married", which reached #1 in several overseas territories, though never released as such in the UK or US (Biography, 2002). Ironically, their American label, Epic Records ended up passing on the Live Hits that would have reached out to old and new audiences. It received enthusiastic reviews in numerous American magazines and newspapers as a Canadian import. Apparently, Epic made a decision that The Hollies would never sell large numbers of LPs regardless of how big their hits were and subsequently minimized their marketing efforts, essentially running out the clock on their contract ((Unterberger & Eder, 2005[3]).
The '80s and beyond
In 1981 Calvert and Sylvester left and were replaced by Alan Coates and Ray Stiles, respectively. Sensing major problems ahead, EMI suggested they put together a Stars On 45-type segued single. The ensuing "Holliedaze" was a hit and returned them to the UK Top 30 (Rock, 2000). Nash and Haydock briefly rejoined to promote the record on Top of the Pops. The Hollies received a small boost in press interest in America when Graham Nash decided to reunite with the Hollies. They found worldwide success with an update of the Supremes classic "Stop! In The Name Of Love", which reached No. 29 in 1983; subsequently, the group recorded an album, What Goes Around. The next year, a live album featuring the Clarke-Hicks-Elliott-Nash regrouping was released, entitled Reunion. However, this proved a false start, the album received reviews, but they were often negative, and a tour by this line-up had to be hastily re-booked into smaller halls (Unterberger & Eder, 2005). "He Ain't Heavy" was reissued in the UK in 1988 and reached No. 1 after its use in a Miller lite beer commercial, thus establishing a new record for the length of time between chart-topping singles for one artist of 23 years (Biography, 2002).
Although The Hollies continue to tour and record today, with only two original members, Hicks and Elliot, there really is no public demand for new recordings, and by the 1990s they had ceased recording regularly. Ian Parker joined the group on keyboards circa 1990. In 1993, they were given an Ivor Novello award in honor of their contribution to British music. The group was also the subject of a tribute album, Sing Hollies In Reverse, in 1995. It featured alternative-rock figures like the Posies and Material Issue. In the same year they also reunited with Graham Nash to record a new version of "Peggy Sue Got Married" for a Buddy Holly tribute album. The track featured new harmonies and instrumentation over the original Buddy Holly lead vocal. Nash apparently remains on friendly terms with his former bandmates to this day.
In 2000, Clarke decided to retire, leaving Hicks and Elliott as the last two remaining original members of the group, if you don't count Steele and Rathbone, who were pre-hits. A case can be made that no original members now exist.
In 2003, EMI Records recognized the Hollies' musical significance with a six-CD box set, The Long Road Home: 1963-2003, covering every era and major line-up in the group's history (Unterberger & Eder, 2005).
After Clarke's retirement, he was replaced by Carl Wayne, former lead singer of The Move. Wayne only recorded one song with them, "How Do I Survive", before his untimely death from cancer in 2004, and was replaced by Peter Howarth, who had worked for many years with Cliff Richard and had starred in a national tour of The Roy Orbison Story.
The Hollies have recently completed a new studio album, their first since 1983, Staying Power, trailed by the singles "Hope" and "So Damn Beautiful", was released in 2006. (Biography, 2002).
The Hollies 1973 cover of Judee Sill's "Jesus Was A Cross Maker" (ironically, a song that Graham Nash produced) was featured in Cameron Crowe's 2005 movie Elizabethtown.
In 2007, The Hollies were voted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame.
Line-up
1962 - 1963
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Vic Steele - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Don Rathbone - drums
1963 - 1966
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1966 - 1968
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1968 - 1971
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1971 - 1973
* Mikael Rickfors - lead vocals, guitar
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1973 - 1976
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1976 - 1981
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Pete Wingfield - keyboards
1981 - 1982
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Brian Chatton - keyboards
1982 - 1983
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Peter Arnesen - keyboards
* Paul Bliss - keyboards
1983 - 1984
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1984 - 1986
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1986 - 1989
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1990
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dave Carey - keyboards
1991 - 2000
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass (replaced by Steve Stroud for 1996 shows)
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
2000 - 2004
* Carl Wayne - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
2004 - Present
* Peter Howarth - lead vocals
* Steve Lauri - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
Discography
See The Hollies discography
US Success (or lack of it)
Over the years, much has been written about the fact that The Hollies had substantially less chart success in the U.S. than they did in the UK, and most other countries.
Part of the problem lies is that at the start, they were covering songs that had been big hits in the US. Only obscure US songs that were covered by the British groups had much success. Second, Imperial did not push the group at the beginning and great songs like "Here I Go Again", "We're Through", "I'm Alive" and "Yes I Will" were largely ignored. However, starting with "Look Through Any Window" and going straight through "Carrie-Anne", The Hollies became quite a successful group in the US. By that time, they had left Imperial for Epic and although Epic did manage success with the more major singles ("Jennifer Eccles", "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "The Air That I Breathe"), Epic simply issued too many singles and didn't promote them very well. They did have the fluke monster hit "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)", but it came at a time when The Hollies temporaily lost Allan Clarke as their lead singer and subsequent singles were not getting airplay.
It might be suggested that The Hollies didn't have the same image that they had elsewhere. (In most other countries, The Hollies were looked upon as one of the major groups in the UK and there lots of excitement for each single. In the US, however, their image was much less and each time, they had to compete for airplay.)
Notes
1. ^ Eder, B.(1996). Just One More Look at The Hollies. [electronic version] Goldmine, 22 (415)
2. ^ Eder, B.(1996). Just One More Look at The Hollies. [electronic version] Goldmine, 22 (415)
3. ^ Unterberger, R. & Eder, B. (2005). The Hollies Biography. Retrieved August 30, 2006, from All Media Guide Web site: http://www.allmusic.com/
References
* Artist Profile. (2004). The Hollies. Retrieved September 1, 2006, from Rockphiles Web site: www.rockphiles.com
* Rock and Roll Biographies. (2000). The Hollies. Retrieved August 31, 2006, from Classicbands Web site: http://www.classicbands.com/hollies.html
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hollies are an English Beat group formed in the early 1960s. They are commonly associated with Manchester, as several original Hollies came from the city and its outlying communities.
The Manchester quintet, heavily influenced by the Everly Brothers, is known for rich three-part harmonies rivalling those of The Beach Boys, ringing guitars, infectious melodies, jazz oriented backbeats and a squeaky-clean image. They have been called the British Everly Brothers. Nevertheless, The Hollies are one of the most commercially successful pop/rock acts of the British Invasion. While groups like the Beatles would sometimes toy with non-pop experiments, the Hollies kept their material catchy and appealing no matter what style they pursued; however, they tried easing into more sophisticated folk-rock and mildly psychedelic sounds as the decade wore on, especially on their albums. Their mass recognition is generally limited (especially in the United States) to a selection of perhaps a dozen hit songs, from 1964's "Just One Look" to 1974's "The Air That I Breathe". In reality, their recorded history started in 1963 and encompasses more than 350 songs, spread over dozens of albums, EPs and singles, across 33 years (Eder,1996).
Formation
The Hollies' history began by chance with five-year-old Allan Clarke's arrival at the Ordsall Primary School in Salford (Manchester's twin city), England in 1947. He met five-year-old Graham Nash, when Nash was the only student to volunteer to let Clarke sit next to him in class. Soon, they found a common interest in music. They began singing together in choir and as they matured, their voices complemented each other magnificently. The impetus for Clarke and Nash to begin music careers together was the emergence of skiffle music in England (Eder, 2004).
According to Clarke (Eder, 2004),
"We all wanted to be rock 'n' roll stars, and skiffle was one way to start, because it was all based on the easiest chords to play, A, D, G, and C, and we loved the songs. Graham and I played clubs in Manchester, doing an Everly Brothers-type thing. The Everly Brothers were our real inspiration, because of the two-part harmonies."
This laid the foundation for The Hollies. By 1962 Clarke (born Harold Allan Clarke, 5 April 1942, in Salford, Lancashire) and Nash (born Graham William Nash, 2 February 1942, in Blackpool, Lancashire) had already been singing together locally at coffee houses for a number of years as a semi-professional duo under a number of names such as the Guytones, the Two Teens, The Levins and a brother act called Ricky and Dane. As they were playing a show with the Fourtones, they met Eric Haydock (born 3 February 1943, in Stockport, Cheshire) and Don Rathbone (born Donald Rathbone, October 1942, in Wilmslow, Cheshire) and were invited to join the Deltas (Rock, 2000).
The four decided to abandon the Deltas and form a new group in December 1962. According to those close to the band, they chose the name from some Christmas holly decorating Graham Nash's house; not, as long time rumour has it, in homage to Buddy Holly (Rock, 2000). The stories are sufficiently vague that not even the band members remember exactly; however, what they do agree upon is that the name was simply a stop-gap, and it's stuck for 34 years and counting (Eder, 1996). The original lineup consisted of lead singer Allan Clarke, guitarists Graham Nash and Vic Steele, bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Don Rathbone. Vic Steele soon left, and was replaced by local guitar hero Tony Hicks (born Anthony Christopher Hicks, 16 December 1943, Nelson, Lancashire). In 1963, before the group started having hits, Rathbone left to become their road manager and was replaced by Bobby Elliott (born Robert Hartley Elliott, 8 December 1941, at 13 Chiltern Avenue, Bolton, Lancashire) from Shane Fenton And The Fentones; however, Elliott and Hicks had played together previously in another Manchester band called Rick Shaw and the Dolphins. In 1966 Bernie Calvert (born Bernard Bamford Calvert, 16 September 1942, in Brierfield, Lancashire) took Haydock’s; and in '68, when Nash left to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, later to become Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, he was replaced by Terry Sylvester (ex-Escorts and Swinging Blue Jeans) (Artist, 2004).
The 1960s
The band's first show as The Hollies took place at the Oasis Club in Manchester in December 1962 with great success. Not long after, The Hollies took The Beatles' slot at the Cavern Club. The Beatles had graduated from the club and had been signed to EMI's Parlophone label by producer George Martin. The amount of musical activity in Liverpool and Manchester caused record producers who had previously never ventured very far from London to start looking to the north. One of them was Ron Richards, a staff producer at EMI, who went up to the Cavern in January 1963. What he found was a tiny club that lived up to its reputation and that The Hollies could do more than just wail (Eder, 1996).
After Steele's departure and Hicks' arrival, The Hollies incorporated many obscure American R&B classics in their repertoire, as did many beat groups of the early 1960s; however, they were also writing new songs as well as commissioning songs from professional songwriters. The originals wound up as "B" sides, often credited to the pseudonymous "Chester Mann" or “L. Ransford" (Artist, 2004). They scored their first major British hit at the end of 1963 with a cover of Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs' "Stay", which hit #8 in the UK charts. They quickly followed with Doris Troy's "Just One Look". The group's fifth single, "We're Through," was their first original A-side, written by Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Graham Nash under their new collective pseudonym of "L. Ransford". Recorded on 25 August 1964, "We're Through" was released the following month. On 26 September 1964, it entered the British charts at No. 27 and peaked at #7 during a relatively short chart stay - something which, in the wake of "Just One Look"'s much greater success, discouraged the record company from pursuing any more original A-sides from the band at that time. As an original A-side, however, it was a milestone for the band, and hinted at better things to come for them.
During the summer of 1965, the Clarke-Hicks-Nash songwriting team, still working as "L. Ransford", achieved what at the time seemed like a major breakthrough. The three were signed to a publishing contract by Dick James Music and given their own publishing imprint, Gralto Music (for Graham, Allan, and Tony). When Graham left, it became Alto Music. By this point the Hollies had established themselves as one of Britain's pre-eminent singles bands and enjoyed enormous chart success in several countries (Biography, 2002). August 1965 saw them enjoy their first UK#1 with "I'm Alive". However, they experienced their first misfire in January 1966 when their recording of George Harrison's "If I Needed Someone" just scraped the UK Top 20 and brought with it some bad press, with Harrison denouncing the cover version as "soulless". Both the Hollies and John Lennon took swipes at each other, venting frustration at the comparative failure of a Beatles song (Rock, 2000).
Bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Bobby Elliot were considered one of the tightest rhythm sections in British Pop/Rock of the period; however, in 1966, bassist Haydock left to be replaced by Bernie Calvert, whose playing would be given a lesser profile on the band's recordings. The Hollies' long-time producer Ron Richards (sometimes referred to as the "Sixth Hollie") confirms this in his contribution to the notes of Epic Records' 20 Song Anthology (Biography, 2002). According to Richards,
"Calvert was not a good bass player, and [I] deliberately buried his sound in the mix of their songs once he joined the group."
The end of 1965 saw the Hollies crack the US top 40 for the first time with the Graham Gouldman penned "Look Through Any Window" which peaked at #32 in January of 1966. Later in 1966 the Hollies recorded the song that was to become their long-awaited American breakthrough single, "Bus Stop". Written by Graham Gouldman, "Bus Stop" rose to #5 in America and made it to the same spot in Britain.
By this time, the band had blossomed as songwriters and recording artists. The next album, For Certain Because, was their most elaborate yet, its songs - all originals - filled with unusual instrumentation, including marimbas, kettle drums and other exotic sounds. A track from the album, "Pay You Back With Interest", was issued as a single by Imperial in America after the band signed with Epic, while another, "Tell Me To My Face",was a top 40 hit for American singer Keith and was later covered very successfully in the 1970s by Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg. Other songs, such as "Clown," were more personal compositions by Graham Nash, who was starting to develop a distinctly individual approach to songwriting (Eder,1996).
This was also a golden era for The Hollies as a performing unit. In concert, they worked on the same bill with acts such as the Spencer Davis Group and the Small Faces, and their music onstage had achieved a level of sophistication equivalent to the kind of songwriting they were crafting. The success of "Stop! Stop! Stop!", achieving the #2 spot in England and #7 in America, was all the more remarkable as an original A-side. Their follow-up, "On A Carousel", was written during the group's tour of America, and recorded on 11 January 1967. Released the following month, it reached a by-now routine #4 in England, and #11 in America. "Carrie Anne" had been started by Hicks in 1965, while the band was on tour in Norway, and was inspired by the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man", with Hicks writing to the phrase "Hey Mister Man." Two years later, it was finally completed and recorded on 3 May 1967, in only two takes. Released later the same month, it reached #3 in the United Kingdom and #9 in America (Eder,1996).
1967 saw the band release not one, but two psychedelic-influenced albums, the hard rock-flavoured Evolution and the gentler, more hippy-oriented Butterfly. After The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper in June 1967, The Hollies delved deeper still into the flower power sound with a new song, "King Midas In Reverse", largely composed and arranged by Nash, who yearned to make an impact as a more serious artist. The song had an ambitious string, brass and flute arrangement; however, its relatively modest commercial success did not bode well for his influence over the band's direction, and their next singles were in the more romantic tradition.
By 1968, Nash felt constrained by the band's commercial orientation and left because of creative differences over the plan to record an album of Bob Dylan songs, which he saw as a retrograde step for the band. Nash quickly joined forces with former Buffalo Springfield member Stephen Stills and former Byrds member David Crosby to form one of the first supergroups, Crosby, Stills and Nash. Nash's departure from The Hollies arguably marked the beginning of the group's decline.
Terry Sylvester, formerly of Liverpool bands The Escorts and The Swinging Blue Jeans, was drafted in to replace Nash. This lineup had an immediate hit in 1969 with "Sorry, Suzanne", which reached #3 in the UK. The hit streak continued for a while longer with the epic ballad "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", written by Americans Bob Russell and Bobby Scott and featuring Elton John on piano. "He Ain't Heavy" would become a surprise UK#1 on its re-release in 1988 thanks to its use in a beer commercial (Artist, 2004).
Nevertheless, the Hollies had not moved with the times musically, and from the turn of the decade their popularity was starting to wane; only a handful of hits lay ahead.
1970s
Clarke, devastated by the departure of his friend of more than 20 years, had been locked into the group identity for nearly all of his adult life, and now felt the urge to step out on his own. The group was beginning work on a new album, which Clarke would do with them, after which he would begin work on his own career and his own recordings, independent of the band. Ironically, the new album was to benefit from Clarke's plans for a solo career, but the group's ability to take advantage of its unexpected success was to be sorely tested. While recording the album, titled Distant Light, Clarke turned up with a song that was to be added to the record: a Creedence Clearwater Revival-styled rocker, co-authored by Clarke, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, entitled "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" (Eder, 1996[1]). Recorded on a day when producer Ron Richards was absent, the song gave Clarke a rare chance to show off his guitar skills. The problem was that Clarke had not intended it to be released on a Hollies album, but as a record of his own. However, a couple of members of the group did play on it and he was forced to include it on Distant Light. This, in turn, led to an open breach between Clarke and the rest of the group, once they learned that he intended to do a solo recording. Clarke was issued an ultimatum - he could either remain with The Hollies or pursue a solo career, but not both.
In a 1973 interview with Melody Maker, Clarke states (Eder, 1996[2])
They thought that when I became successful, I'd leave them anyway, so they just shortened the agony by forcing me to do one thing or the other. It was silly, really, because I wouldn't have left the group.
"Long Cool Woman" was a minor UK hit but soared to #2 in the US Hot 100 in 1972; suddenly, this became the group's new signature tune, saturating the airwaves in the United States. However, Clarke was already gone - replaced, rather oddly, by Swedish star Mikael Rickfors. The new line-up yielded the minor hits "Magic Woman Touch" and "The Baby"; however, Rickfors could sing in English but not speak it fluently, which created problems that were never fully resolved (Biography, 2002).
To Clarke's chagrin, the Hollies were offered their first major US tour on account of the success of Long Cool Woman, a song which Clarke considered his own. The new Hollies line-up toured the US and for the first time received a major push in that country, appearing on the major music TV shows of the day. The personnel changes meant that the band had to re-invent their style somewhat, switching instruments and lead vocals on various songs. While a very interesting period for the band, the overall cohesive nature of The Hollies sound was somewhat damaged and the tour was not a big success with audiences.
Clarke returned in late 1973 and they returned to the UK Top 30 with another "swamp rocker" written by Clarke, "The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee". In 1974 another hit ensued, the worldwide smash "The Air That I Breathe", and returned the group to their orchestral style in grand fashion; however, it was their last major UK hit for over a decade. The song was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, and originally recorded by the group's early idol, Phil Everly. The Everly connection had been cemented some years earlier, when The Hollies backed the American duo on their 1966 Two Yanks in England album. "The Air That I Breathe" was the last Hollies hit to be produced by Ron Richards, as the group took their own reins (Artist, 2004).
Subsequent singles like "Son of a Rotten Gambler", "I'm Down", and "Boulder to Birmingham", failed to chart. Curiously, mostly thanks to Clarke, they did pick up on Bruce Springsteen's work as a songwriter earlier than a lot of other acts, but not even their beautiful rendition of "Sandy" could avert their slide from the public's consciousness. Disco heavily influenced most of their late 70s releases and dance-rock sounds of the era, although they never entirely abandoned their harmony vocal sound. Over the next five years, the Hollies pursued the supper-club and cabaret circuit as their chart appearances began to dwindle. Although their albums were well produced, they were largely unexciting and sold poorly.
Unlike some other British Invasion bands, the Hollies were also accomplished in concert, as indicated by their 1977 Live Hits album recorded in Christchurch, New Zealand the previous year. The album included effective performances of lesser-known songs such as Hicks' working-class portrayal "Too Young to Be Married", which reached #1 in several overseas territories, though never released as such in the UK or US (Biography, 2002). Ironically, their American label, Epic Records ended up passing on the Live Hits that would have reached out to old and new audiences. It received enthusiastic reviews in numerous American magazines and newspapers as a Canadian import. Apparently, Epic made a decision that The Hollies would never sell large numbers of LPs regardless of how big their hits were and subsequently minimized their marketing efforts, essentially running out the clock on their contract ((Unterberger & Eder, 2005[3]).
The '80s and beyond
In 1981 Calvert and Sylvester left and were replaced by Alan Coates and Ray Stiles, respectively. Sensing major problems ahead, EMI suggested they put together a Stars On 45-type segued single. The ensuing "Holliedaze" was a hit and returned them to the UK Top 30 (Rock, 2000). Nash and Haydock briefly rejoined to promote the record on Top of the Pops. The Hollies received a small boost in press interest in America when Graham Nash decided to reunite with the Hollies. They found worldwide success with an update of the Supremes classic "Stop! In The Name Of Love", which reached No. 29 in 1983; subsequently, the group recorded an album, What Goes Around. The next year, a live album featuring the Clarke-Hicks-Elliott-Nash regrouping was released, entitled Reunion. However, this proved a false start, the album received reviews, but they were often negative, and a tour by this line-up had to be hastily re-booked into smaller halls (Unterberger & Eder, 2005). "He Ain't Heavy" was reissued in the UK in 1988 and reached No. 1 after its use in a Miller lite beer commercial, thus establishing a new record for the length of time between chart-topping singles for one artist of 23 years (Biography, 2002).
Although The Hollies continue to tour and record today, with only two original members, Hicks and Elliot, there really is no public demand for new recordings, and by the 1990s they had ceased recording regularly. Ian Parker joined the group on keyboards circa 1990. In 1993, they were given an Ivor Novello award in honor of their contribution to British music. The group was also the subject of a tribute album, Sing Hollies In Reverse, in 1995. It featured alternative-rock figures like the Posies and Material Issue. In the same year they also reunited with Graham Nash to record a new version of "Peggy Sue Got Married" for a Buddy Holly tribute album. The track featured new harmonies and instrumentation over the original Buddy Holly lead vocal. Nash apparently remains on friendly terms with his former bandmates to this day.
In 2000, Clarke decided to retire, leaving Hicks and Elliott as the last two remaining original members of the group, if you don't count Steele and Rathbone, who were pre-hits. A case can be made that no original members now exist.
In 2003, EMI Records recognized the Hollies' musical significance with a six-CD box set, The Long Road Home: 1963-2003, covering every era and major line-up in the group's history (Unterberger & Eder, 2005).
After Clarke's retirement, he was replaced by Carl Wayne, former lead singer of The Move. Wayne only recorded one song with them, "How Do I Survive", before his untimely death from cancer in 2004, and was replaced by Peter Howarth, who had worked for many years with Cliff Richard and had starred in a national tour of The Roy Orbison Story.
The Hollies have recently completed a new studio album, their first since 1983, Staying Power, trailed by the singles "Hope" and "So Damn Beautiful", was released in 2006. (Biography, 2002).
The Hollies 1973 cover of Judee Sill's "Jesus Was A Cross Maker" (ironically, a song that Graham Nash produced) was featured in Cameron Crowe's 2005 movie Elizabethtown.
In 2007, The Hollies were voted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame.
Line-up
1962 - 1963
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Vic Steele - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Don Rathbone - drums
1963 - 1966
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1966 - 1968
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1968 - 1971
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1971 - 1973
* Mikael Rickfors - lead vocals, guitar
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1973 - 1976
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1976 - 1981
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Pete Wingfield - keyboards
1981 - 1982
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Brian Chatton - keyboards
1982 - 1983
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Peter Arnesen - keyboards
* Paul Bliss - keyboards
1983 - 1984
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1984 - 1986
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1986 - 1989
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1990
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dave Carey - keyboards
1991 - 2000
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass (replaced by Steve Stroud for 1996 shows)
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
2000 - 2004
* Carl Wayne - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
2004 - Present
* Peter Howarth - lead vocals
* Steve Lauri - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
Discography
See The Hollies discography
US Success (or lack of it)
Over the years, much has been written about the fact that The Hollies had substantially less chart success in the U.S. than they did in the UK, and most other countries.
Part of the problem lies is that at the start, they were covering songs that had been big hits in the US. Only obscure US songs that were covered by the British groups had much success. Second, Imperial did not push the group at the beginning and great songs like "Here I Go Again", "We're Through", "I'm Alive" and "Yes I Will" were largely ignored. However, starting with "Look Through Any Window" and going straight through "Carrie-Anne", The Hollies became quite a successful group in the US. By that time, they had left Imperial for Epic and although Epic did manage success with the more major singles ("Jennifer Eccles", "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "The Air That I Breathe"), Epic simply issued too many singles and didn't promote them very well. They did have the fluke monster hit "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)", but it came at a time when The Hollies temporaily lost Allan Clarke as their lead singer and subsequent singles were not getting airplay.
It might be suggested that The Hollies didn't have the same image that they had elsewhere. (In most other countries, The Hollies were looked upon as one of the major groups in the UK and there lots of excitement for each single. In the US, however, their image was much less and each time, they had to compete for airplay.)
Notes
1. ^ Eder, B.(1996). Just One More Look at The Hollies. [electronic version] Goldmine, 22 (415)
2. ^ Eder, B.(1996). Just One More Look at The Hollies. [electronic version] Goldmine, 22 (415)
3. ^ Unterberger, R. & Eder, B. (2005). The Hollies Biography. Retrieved August 30, 2006, from All Media Guide Web site: http://www.allmusic.com/
References
* Artist Profile. (2004). The Hollies. Retrieved September 1, 2006, from Rockphiles Web site: www.rockphiles.com
* Rock and Roll Biographies. (2000). The Hollies. Retrieved August 31, 2006, from Classicbands Web site: http://www.classicbands.com/hollies.html
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