"...Cast You Spell Over me One More Time..."
Following
on from the May 2011 six-disc clump of early HOLLIES that was "The Clarke,
Hicks & Nash Years: The Complete Hollies April 1963 to October 1968" -
we now get Volume 2 - "Changin' Times: The Complete Hollies - January 1969
- March 1973" - which weighs in at a paltry 5 discs.
But
for my money - this second motherlode of HOLLIES melody is even more amazing
that its much-praised predecessor. There's a veritable avalanche of detail to
get through - so once more unto those Romany hills...
UK
and USA released July 2015 - "Changin' Times: The Complete Hollies -
January 1969 - March 1973" by THE HOLLIES on Parlophone 0825646336111
(Barcode 0825646336111) is a 5CD Set in a multiple-layer double-sized jewel
case that plays out as follows:
Disc
1 (66:53 minutes, 21 tracks):
1.
Sorry Suzanne
2.
Not That Way At All
Tracks
1 & 2 are the A&B-sides of a UK 7" single released 28 February
1969 on Parlophone R 5765
3.
Blowin' In The Wind
4.
I Shall Be Released
5.
The Mighty Quinn
6.
This Wheel’s On Fire
7.
The Times They Are A-Changin'
8.
Quit Your Lowdown Ways
9.
I Want You
10.
Just Like A Woman
11.
When The Ship Comes In
12.
My Back Pages
13.
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
14.
All I Really Want To Do
Tracks
3 to 14 are the album "Hollies Sing Dylan" - released May 1969 in the
UK on Parlophone PMC 7079 (Mono) and Parlophone PCS 7079 (Stereo) and as
"Words And Music By Bob Dylan" in the USA on Epic BN 26447 (Stereo
only) - the STEREO mix is used (same Tracks both LPs). The Tracks on this CD
are listed in 'recording date' order – so to sequence either LP as released -
use the following songs (all on Disc 1):
UK
and USA 12-Track LP "Hollies Sing Dylan"/"Words And Music By Bob
Dylan"
Side
1: 11, 13, 9, 6, 4 and 3
Side
2: 8, 10, 7, 14, 12 and 5
15.
Do You Believe In Love
16.
Please Sign Your Letters
17.
Cos You Like To Love Me
18.
Please Let Me Please
19.
Goodbye Tomorrow
20.
She Looked My Way
21.
My Life Is Over With You (see Disc 2)
Disc
2 (61:29 minutes, 19 tracks):
1.
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
Track
1 is the A-side to a UK 7" single released 19 September 1969 on Parlophone
R 5806 (the album-cut "'Cos You Like To Love Me" was the B-side)
2.
Soldier's Dilemma
3.
Marigold/Gloria Swansong
4.
You Love 'Cos You Like It
5.
Why Didn't You Believe
6.
Look At Life
7.
Louisiana Man (from the November 1988 LP and CD compilation
"Rarities" on EMI Records EMS 1311)
8.
Don't Give Up Easily
9.
Reflections Of A Long Time Past
Tracks
15 to 21 on Disc 1 and Tracks 2 to 6 and 8 and 9 on Disc 2 is the LP
"Hollies Sing Hollies" - released November 1969 in the UK on
Parlophone PCS 7092 and in the USA as "He Ain't Heavy, He's My
Brother" on Epic BN 26538 with a different track list (both Stereo only).
The Tracks on this CD are listed in 'recording date' order – so to sequence the
actual "Hollies Sing Hollies" UK 12-track LP or the US 11-track
variant as released - use the following songs (5/2 = Track 5 on Disc 2 etc.):
UK
12-Track LP "Hollies Sing Hollies"
Side
1: 5/2, 8/2, 6/2, 16/1, 21/1 and 18/1
Side
2: 15/1, 2/2, 3/2, 4/2, 9/2 and 19/1
US
11-Track LP "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (different on Side 2
only)
Side
1: 5/2, 8/2, 6/2, 16/1, 21/1 and 18/1
Side
2: 15/1, 1/2, 4/2, 9/2 and 19/1
10.
I Wanna Shout
11.
Lady Please
12.
Sign Of The Times (from the 1998 CD compilation "The Hollies At Abbey Road
1966-1970" on EMI 7243 4 93450 2 7)
13.
Separated
14.
Little Girl
15.
Eleanors Castle - from the November 1988 LP and CD compilation
"Rarities" on EMI Records EMS 1311
16.
Confessions Of A Mind
17.
Mad Professor Blyth
18.
I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top
Tracks
17 and 18 are the B and A-side of a UK 7" single released 10 April 1970 on
Parlophone R 5837
19.
Dandelion Wine
Track
19 on Disc 2 is the non-album B-side to "Gasoline Alley Bred" -
released as a UK 7" single 18 September 1970 on Parlophone R 5862 (the
A-side is Track 7 on Disc 3)
Disc
3 68:03 minutes, 18 tracks):
1.
Survival Of The Fittest
2.
Perfect Lady Housewife
3.
Isn't It Nice
4.
Too Young To Be Married
5.
Frightened Lady
6.
Man Without A Heart
7.
Gasoline Alley Bred
Track
7 is the non-album A-side of a UK 7" single released 18 September 1970 on
Parlophone R 5862 (the non-album B-side "Dandelion Wine" is Track 19
on Disc 2)
Tracks
10, 11, 13, 14 and 16 on Disc 2 with Tracks 1 to 6 on Disc 3 make up the album
"Confessions Of The Mind" - released November 1970 in the UK as an
11-track LP on Parlophone PCS 7116 and as "Moving Finger" in the USA
on Epic E 30255 (both Stereo only). The Tracks on this CD are listed in
'recording date' order – so to sequence the actual "Confessions Of The
Mind" and "Moving Finger" LPs as released (for both countries) -
use the following tracks (10/2 = Track 5 on Disc 2 - 2/3 = Track 2 on Disc 3
etc.):
UK
LP "Confessions Of The Mind"
Side
1: 1/3, 6/3, 14/2, 3/3, 2/3 and 16/2
Side
2: 11/2, 5/3, 4/3, 13/2 and 10/2
US
LP "Moving Finger" (different configuration on both sides)
Side
1: 1/3, 16/2, 11/2, 14/2, 4/3 and 6/3
Side
2: 3/3, 5/3, 3/2, 2/3 and 7/3
8.
Hey Willy
9.
Row The Boat Together
Tracks
8 and 9 are the non-album A&B-sides of a UK 7" single released 14 May
1971 on Parlophone R 5905
10.
Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)
11.
You Know The Score
12.
Pull Down The Blind
13.
Promised Land
14.
What A Life I've Led
15.
Cable Car
16.
Hold On
17.
To Do With Love
18.
Look What You've Got
Disc
4 (67:45 minutes, 18 tracks):
1.
Long Dark Road
2.
A Little Thing Like Love
Tracks
10 to 18 on Disc 3 and Tracks 1 and 2 on Disc 4 make up the album "Distant
Light" - released October 1971 in the UK on Parlophone PAS 10005 and in
the USA on Epic KE 30958 (same track list both countries). The Tracks on this
CD are listed in 'recording date' order - to sequence the actual "Distant
Light" LP as released use the following tracks (10/3 = Track 10 on Disc 3
- 1/4 = Track 1 on Disc 4 etc.):
Side
1: 14/3, 18/3, 16/3, 12/3, 17/3 and 13/3
Side
2: 10/3, 11/3, 15/3, 2/4 and 1/4
3.
Oh Granny (Allan Clarke Vocal Version) - from the 1993 UK CD compilation
"Singles A's & B's" on EMI/Music For Pleasure CDMFP 5980
4.
Oh Granny (Terry Sylvester Vocal Version)
5.
The Baby
Tracks
5 and 4 are the non-album A&B-sides of a UK 7" single released 4
February 1972 on Polydor 2058 199
6.
Touch
7.
Romany (see Disc 5)
8.
Papa Rain - a Previously Unreleased track from the 2007 'Expanded Edition' CD
Remaster of "Romany" on EMI 094639471225
9.
Indian Girl - non-album B-side to the UK single of "Magic Woman
Touch" released 10 November 1972 on Polydor 2058 289
10.
Blue In The Morning
11.
Jesus Was A Crossmaker
12.
Down River
13.
Magic Woman Touch (see Disc 5 - also A-side to UK 7" single released 10
November 1972 on Polydor 2058 289)
14.
Magic Woman Touch (Acoustic Version) - one of the eight bonus tracks from the
2007 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster of "Romany" on EMI 094639471225
15.
Lizzy And The Rainman
16.
Delaware Taggett And The Outlaw Boys
17.
Words Don't Come Easy
18.
Courage Of Your Convictions (see Disc 5)
Disc
5 (56:59 minutes, 16 tracks):
1.
Witchy Woman - a Previously Unreleased track (an Eagles cover) from the 2007
'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster of "Romany" on EMI 094639471225
2.
Slow Down
3.
Won't You Feel Good That Morning
Tracks
6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18 on Disc 4 and Tracks 2 and 3 on Disc 5 is
the album "Romany" - released November 1972 in the UK on Polydor 2383
144 and Epic E 31992 in the USA (with a different track listing on Side 1). The
Tracks on this CD are listed in 'recording date' order - to sequence either the
UK or USA "Romany" LP as released - use the following tracks (6/4 =
Track 6 on Disc 4 - 2/5 = Track 2 on Disc 5 etc.):
November
1972 UK 12-Track LP on Polydor 2383 144
Side
1: 3/5, 6/4, 17/4, 13/4, 15/4 and 12/4
Side
2: 2/5, 15/4, 11/4, 7/4, 10/4 and 18/4
November
1972 US 11-Track LP on Epic E 31992 (different track list on Side 1 only)
Side
1: 13/4, 6/4, 17/4, 7/4, 3/5 and 12/4
Side
2: 2/5, 15/4, 11/4, 7/4, 10/4 and 18/4
The
eight Bonus Tracks on the 2007 'Expanded Edition' CD of "Romany" are
5/4, 14/4, 9/3, 4/5, 8/4, 1/5, 4/4 and 16/5
4.
If It Wasn't For The Reason That I Love You - from the November 1988 LP and CD
compilation "Rarities" on EMI Records EMS 1311
5.
Don't Leave This Child Alone
6.
They Don't Realise I'm Down
7.
Transatlantic Westbound Jet
8.
Nearer To You
9.
Pick Up The Pieces (Terry Sylvester song)
10.
Slow Down - Go Down
11.
The Last Wind
12.
A Better Place
13.
Mr. Heartbreaker
14.
Out On The Road
15.
I Was Born A Man
Tracks
5 to 15 is the album "Out On The Road" - released June 1973 in
Germany on Hansa Records 87119 IT
16.
I Had A Dream - non-album B-side to the US 7" single of "Jesus Was A
Carpenter" (Judee Sill cover) release May 1973 on Epic Records 5-10989 -
June 1973 German 7" single (in picture sleeve) of "Jesus Was A
Carpenter" on Hansa 12 728 AT
THE
HOLLIES (January 1969 to December 1971):
Allan
Clarke, Tony Hicks, Bobby Elliott, Bernie Calvert and Terry Sylvester
THE
HOLLIES (December 1971 to March 1973)
Tony
Hicks, Bobby Elliott, Bernie Calvert, Terry Sylvester and Mikael Rickfors
The
24-page booklet features a witty and clever introduction called 'Elucidating
Observations' by the band's long-standing drummer BOBBY ELLIOTT (reminiscences
of Graham being rescued from the beer-swilling Hollies by David Crosby to join
him on the CSNY odyssey) - a UK Discography for the singles and LP – pages of
rare European, US and Japanese 7” single picture sleeves – album covers – and
track by track recording details. It's well done - the colour centre pages
photo sees the boys staring out of set of broken windows somewhere in Nuremberg
- and for such a huge haul of music is priced cheaply too.
Across
92 tracks are the A&B-sides of eight British 7" singles, six full
albums (five British on Parlophone and one European on Hansa), six LP and CD
compilation exclusives, non-album European/USA single releases and all of the
bonus tracks that came with the 'Extended Version' CD of "Romany"
(noted above). The six albums are: "Hollies Sing Dylan" (May 1969),
"Hollies Sing Hollies" (November 1969), "Confessions Of The
Mind" (November 1970), "Distant Light" (October 1971),
"Romany" (November 1972) and "Out On The Road"
(Germany-Only, June 1973).
Like
its predecessor 2011's "The Clarke, Hicks & Nash Years: The Complete
Hollies April 1963 to October 1968" - the CDs for this follow-up volume
are sequenced in 'recording-date order' with the album tracks often spread
across different discs. In order to sequence the original British LPs (and the
one German-only release on Hansa) and all of those UK 7” singles – see track
numbers provided above (these details aren’t in the booklet).
Even
when you get past huge chart hits like "Sorry Suzanne" (No. 3),
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (No. 3), "I Can't Tell The
Bottom From The Top" (No. 7) and less successful goodies like
"Gasoline Alley Bred" (No. 14), "Hey Willy" (No. 22),
"The Baby" (No. 26) and "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress"
(No. 32) and the criminally forgotten "Magic Woman Touch" (didn't
chart) – the album highlights number many. Their version of Dylan's magical
"My Back Pages" sticks out as a bright light on a much-derided
cluster of corny covers from the "Hollies Sing Dylan" LP (the less
said about the banjo-strumming "When The Ship Comes In" the better).
The "Hollies Sings Hollies" LP was a welcome return to form - the
jangling acoustic guitars and doubled-vocals of Allan Clarke's "Goodbye
Tomorrow" and "My Life Is Over With You" both have great harmonies
in them - while Side 2 highlights include the 'you ain't having me on a leash'
of "Soldiers Dilemma" and the epic double-track "Marigold/Gloria
Swansong" compliments the piano and strings 'theme' feel to the
instrumental "Reflections Of A Long Time Past" (a Bernie Calvert
creation).
Their
seemed to be immense maturity in their early Seventies stuff - the Production
values going through the roof too. Tony Hicks provided the jaunty "Lady
Please" and the 'teardrops' of "Little Girl" on 1970's
"Confessions Of The Mind" - while Allan Clarke threw in the
accomplished "Separated" (I've always loved that Acoustic/Tabla combo
while he shouts words. Fans will love the wickedly good B-sides too you never
get to hear like "Not That Way At All" - a song that could easily
have been a winning A - and "'Cos You Like To Love Me" (presented
here in Mono despite the Stereo logo on the CD). Their cover of Doug Kershaw's
"Louisiana Man" (first appeared on the "Rarities" CD) is
good rather than great - and I've always thought 1972's "Romany" LP
with "Magic Woman Touch" and their version of Judee Sill's lovely
"Jesus Was A Crossmaker" is a bit of an overlooked harmony
masterpiece (it can be sequenced from this set in both its 12-track UK guise or
the different 11-track US variant - see Disc 5 above).
Further
glory would follow for The Hollies on Polydor with Alan Clarke taking the
song-writing ascendancy ("The Air That I Breathe") - while Graham
Nash went on of course to conquer the West Coast of America and then the entire
world with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Neil Young and all of the CSNY
off-shoots.
"…Cast
your spell upon me one more time..." - THE HOLLIES sang on the wonderful
"Magic Woman Touch". Great sound, top songs and quality presentation
– like its predecessor - there's so much to enjoy on here. And even after five
discs - a trunk load of admiration into the bargain…
