Distant Light (Hollies album)

Last updated

Distant Light
Hollies Distant Light LP.jpg
Studio album by
The Hollies
Released8 October 1971 (UK)
April 1972 (US)
Recorded14 April–30 July 1971 [1]
Studio AIR Studios, London
Length44:14
Label UK: Parlophone PAS 10005
US: Epic KE 30958
Producer Ron Richards, The Hollies
The Hollies chronology
Confessions of the Mind
(1970)		Distant Light
(1971)		 Romany
(1972)
Singles from Distant Light
  1. "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress"
    Released: April 1972 [2]
  2. "Long Dark Road"
    Released: October 1972 [3]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Christgau's Record Guide C+ [5]

Distant Light is a 1971 album released by the Hollies, their 11th UK album and their last before brief departure of lead vocalist and founding member Allan Clarke (who was absent on the following album and returned for their 1974 self-titled album), and reputedly the first album to come out of AIR Studios.[ citation needed ] The album spawned two hit singles: the Allan Clarke penned "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress", which peaked at number two in the US and number 32 in the UK; and Tony Hicks penned "Long Dark Road", which reached number 26 in the US. The US version of the album peaked at number 21 in the album charts. The summer scene on the cover is rendered as a winter scene on the next Hollies album Romany .

Contents

Overview and recording

The album was the band's biggest experiment to date. The use of saxophones, girl choruses, and more complex compositions in the style of the Moody Blues ("You Know The Score"), was very unusual for the Hollies. The lyrics were more serious, containing, for example, anti-war messages ("You Know The Score" or "Promised Land") or dramatic stories ("What A Life I've Led", "Hold On"). Only a few songs were in the traditional Hollies style and sound ("Long Dark Road", "A Little Thing Like Love", "To Do with Love").

The recording featured guest appearances by pianist Gary Brooker (Procol Harum), guitarist Mick Abrahams (Jethro Tull) and saxophonist Jim Jewell. Vocals were sung by Madeline Bell, Doris Troy and Liza Strike. The LP was released on 8 October 1971 in a gatefold sleeve with a painted woodland and summer scene by Colin Elgie of Hipgnosis. The idea was conceived by Storm Thorgerson, famous for his work with Pink Floyd. There were many hidden messages and a good deal of symbolism and, years later, the artist admitted that there were so many that he couldn't remember some of them. [6] The inside cover art consisted of pictures of the band members taken at a house party at Tony Hicks' apartment.

Release and reception

The band performed the first three songs from the album ("What a Life I've Led" and "Look What We've Got" and "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress") live on the television show "Meet the Hollies" on July 25, 1971. Later, they performed "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" and "A Little Thing Like Love" again on another TV show, "It's Lulu". The album was highly praised by critics, Record Mirror wrote: "You could use the word sensational about The Hollies' new album." and it became the biggest success they've had in America (including records with Graham Nash). However, in their native United Kingdom, the LP was only a modest success for the band. The album's biggest hit was the song "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress", composed by Allan Clarke and Roger Cook (whose co-writer Roger Greenaway was also credited by verbal agreement between the two songwriters). [7] The single reached No. 2 in America, No. 1 in Canada and No. 32 in England. It was the Hollies' biggest American hit ever. The song "Long Dark Road" was also released as a single in America and reached No. 26 (and No. 24 in Canada).

Track listing

All tracks composed by Tony Hicks and Kenny Lynch; except where indicated

Side one

  1. "What a Life I've Led" – 3:58
  2. "Look What We've Got" – 4:07
  3. "Hold On" (Allan Clarke) – 4:07
  4. "Pull Down the Blind" (Terry Sylvester) – 3:30
  5. "To Do with Love" – 3:29
  6. "Promised Land" – 4:20

Side two

  1. "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" (Allan Clarke, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway) – 3:19
  2. "You Know the Score" (Terry Sylvester, Allan Clarke) – 5:37
  3. "Cable Car" (Terry Sylvester) – 4:25
  4. "A Little Thing Like Love" (Allan Clarke, Tony Macaulay) – 3:19
  5. "Long Dark Road" – 4:16

Personnel

The Hollies

with:

Chart positions

Album

YearChartPosition
1972 Billboard Pop Albums [4] 21

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hollies</span> English pop group formed in the early 1960s

The Hollies are a British rock and pop band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band as a Merseybeat-type group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns further north in East Lancashire. Nash left the group in 1968 to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, though he has reunited with the Hollies on occasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress</span> 1972 single by the Hollies

"Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" (also titled "Long Cool Woman" or "Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)") is a song written by Allan Clarke, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, and performed by the British rock group the Hollies. In an interview with Johnnie Walker on Radio 2 on Sounds of the 70s in April 2023, Clarke said it had been written by himself and Cook, who however had a long-standing agreement with Greenaway that any songs written by one of them should be credited to both. Originally appearing on the album Distant Light, it was released as a single on 17 April 1972 (on Parlophone in the United Kingdom), selling 2 million copies worldwide, including 1.5 million in the United States. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1972 for two weeks, behind Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)". Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song for 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Clarke (singer)</span> Musical artist

Harold Allan Clarke is an English rock singer, who was one of the founding members and the original lead singer of the Hollies. He achieved international hit singles with the group and is credited as co-writer on several of their best-known songs, including "On a Carousel", "Carrie Anne", "Jennifer Eccles" and "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress". He retired from performing in 1999, but returned to the music industry in 2019. Clarke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Cook (songwriter)</span> English singer, songwriter and record producer

Roger Frederick Cook is an English singer, songwriter and record producer, who has written many hit records for other recording artists. He has also had a successful recording career in his own right.

<i>For Certain Because</i> 1966 studio album by The Hollies

For Certain Because is the fifth UK album by the Hollies and their second released in 1966. It was the first Hollies album in which all the songs were written by members Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, and Tony Hicks, and the first on which they did not use the songwriting pseudonym "L. Ransford". It was also the first Hollies album recorded with new bassist Bernie Calvert replacing Eric Haydock. In Bobby Elliott's book It Ain't Heavy, It's My Story, he explains how he came up with the title For Certain Because by taking the three words from the children's song "Teddy Bears' Picnic".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Hicks</span> English guitarist and singer

Anthony Christopher Hicks is an English guitarist and singer who has been a member of the British rock/pop band the Hollies since 1963, and as such was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. His main roles within the band are lead guitarist and backing singer.

<i>Hollies</i> (1974 album) 1974 studio album by The Hollies

Hollies is the 14th UK studio album by the English pop rock group the Hollies, released in 1974, marking the return of Allan Clarke after he had left for a solo career. It features the band's cover of Albert Hammond's ballad "The Air That I Breathe," a major worldwide hit that year. The album has the same title as the band's third album from 1965.

Terence Sylvester is an English musician and songwriter. He is a former member of the Escorts, the Swinging Blue Jeans (1966–1969), and the Hollies. In the latter role, he took on the high parts formerly sung by Graham Nash, who had left the band in December 1968.

<i>Romany</i> (album) 1972 studio album by The Hollies

Romany is the twelfth UK studio album by The Hollies, the first not to feature their lead singer Allan Clarke, who had left to embark on a solo career. He was replaced by Swedish singer Mikael Rickfors. In the opinion of contemporary and retrospective critics, this album moved the band further away from the original vocal harmony style of Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Graham Nash.

<i>The Hollies Greatest Hits</i> (1973 album) 1973 greatest hits album by The Hollies

The Hollies' Greatest Hits is a compilation of singles by the Hollies, released on Epic Records in April 1973. It includes hit singles by the group on both the Epic and Imperial labels over a time span of 1965 to 1972. It spent seven weeks on the Billboard 200 charts, peaking at number 156.

<i>Confessions of the Mind</i>

Confessions of the Mind is the tenth studio album by the Hollies. It was released in the United States as Moving Finger, with a different track sequence and the tracks "Separated" and "I Wanna Shout" replaced with the Clarke/Sylvester penned "Marigold: Gloria Swansong" saved from the previous album and "Gasoline Alley Bred". In Germany, it was released by Hansa as Move On with an alternate track sequence with "Gasoline Alley Bred" added. The UK version peaked at number 30 in the charts and the US version at number 183.

<i>Hollies Sing Hollies</i> 1969 studio album by The Hollies

Hollies Sing Hollies is the ninth studio album released in the UK by the Hollies. It was released in November 1969 by Parlophone. It was their second album that year, coming 6 months after an entire album of Bob Dylan covers. It was their first album of original compositions since the departure of Graham Nash. It was also the second album by the Hollies to feature Terry Sylvester and the first to feature his compositions, as well as an instrumental by bassist Bernie Calvert. The US version, titled "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", included the hit single of the same name, while omitting the tracks "Soldier's Dilemma" and "Marigold: Gloria Swansong". The UK album did not chart, but its US version peaked at number 32.

<i>Another Night</i> (Hollies album) 1975 studio album by The Hollies

Another Night is the 15th UK studio album by English rock/pop band, the Hollies. It is the band's second album with returning vocalist Allan Clarke who rejoined in 1974 for the album Hollies, after leaving for a solo career in 1972. The album is made up of original material, with the exception of "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" by the relatively unknown Bruce Springsteen.

<i>Write On</i> (album) 1976 studio album by The Hollies

Write On is the first of two 1976 studio albums from English rock/pop band, the Hollies, and their 16th UK studio album. This album, like the previous one, features mostly songs written by the group's songwriting team. The final track of the album is the only one not composed by them. This album was not issued in the US.

<i>Russian Roulette</i> (Hollies album) 1976 studio album by The Hollies

Russian Roulette is a 1976 self-produced album by English rock/pop group, the Hollies, and their 17th UK studio album. The album is the band's second release in 1976. It was composed entirely by the group's songwriting team. The album was not issued in the US.

<i>A Crazy Steal</i> 1978 studio album by The Hollies

A Crazy Steal is the 18th UK studio album by English rock/pop group, the Hollies. It includes their version of Emmylou Harris' "Boulder to Birmingham", which had been released two years prior, reaching number 10 in the charts in New Zealand. Three other songs from this album were released in 1977, and 1978 as singles, yet failed to chart anywhere.

<i>Five Three One - Double Seven O Four</i> 1979 studio album by The Hollies

Five Three One - Double Seven O Four is the 19th UK studio album by the English rock/pop group the Hollies. When rendered as digits, the album title is the band's name upside down in digital number view. The idea is credited to guitarist Terry Sylvester.

<i>What Goes Around...</i> (Hollies album) 1983 studio album by The Hollies

What Goes Around... is the 21st UK studio album by English rock/pop group, the Hollies. It includes their version of The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love", which became their last US hit single. The Hollies reunited with Graham Nash for this album and for the following US tour. The LP was the band's first and last album with Nash since Butterfly (1967) and also their last one with lead singer Allan Clarke. Among the guest musicians, you can find Brian Chatton who was formerly keyboardist for The Warriors with Jon Anderson, and Flaming Youth with Phil Collins.

<i>Hollies Live Hits</i> 1977 live album by The Hollies

Hollies Live Hits is the first live album by the Hollies, released in 1977. It reached number four on the UK Album Chart.

References

  1. ↑ "Session Listing". Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  2. ↑ ""Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" single release information". Hollies.co.uk. 1 April 1972. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "Radio Action and Pick Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 28 October 1972. p. 67. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 Unterberger, Richie. "Distant Light - The Hollies". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  5. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: H". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved 26 February 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  6. ↑ Malcolm C. Searles (2021). Riding the Carousel. Troubador Publishing Limited. p. 315. ISBN   9781800463493.
  7. ↑ Malcolm C. Searles (2021). Riding the Carousel. Troubador Publishing Limited. p. 313. ISBN   9781800463493.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.