7 inch single collection: The Hollies - Stop, Stop, Stop

One of the finest bands of the 60's...

The Hollies

A: Stop, Stop, Stop

B: It's You
(Parlophone 1966)

Here we are then The Hollies - often overlooked amongst the big hitters of the 1960's, and yet solidly performing and producing great records throughout the decade, into the next and beyond. A good variety of sounds and a willingness to experiment from the early beat sounds to magnificent ballads like He Ain't Heavy, the cutesy sounds of Jennifer Eccles and the steel drums of Carrie-Anne - all of these kind of things give a twist to what are otherwise solid pop songs, and raise them beyond the mundane. Possibly they are the best band of the 60's (and 70's) that have fallen out of popular public consciousness. I recall listening to the radio (many, many moons ago), and the DJ commenting that The Hollies were considered "The group's group", in that all the other well-known groups liked and respected The Hollies. Granted the DJ who said that was Jimmy Savile, but I think the point still stands, and I'm sure that I've heard other, less contentious, personalities independently say the same thing.

The Hollies had been established several years by the time Stop Stop Stop was released, and had already become a popular hit machine including a number one record with I'm Alive. So it's unsurprising that this record also ended up in the upper reaches of the hit parade. I mentioned earlier about giving pop songs a twist, and this is no different - instead of this tune being led by the now common-place sounds of the electric guitar, it is, instead underpinned by a banjo. This lends the whole song an slightly other-worldly air, as if the whole thing is taking place in a Gypsy carnival. The continually speeding up of the music building to crescendo in the chorus is like a wild waltzer ride at the funfair*. It's only only the chorus that it comes up for air, takes a chance to breath, and then grows again in the next verse. It is, of course, completely brilliant.

It's You on the flip-side does that very mid-60's thing of opening with a harmonica riff. It is a lesser tune than Stop Stop Stop - but that's why it's on the b-side. It's a fairly standard light mid-tempo beat tune - a dime a dozen in this era - however The Hollies manage to lift it from potential mediocrity simply through some fine vocal work - not only from the lead singer, but the harmonies are really special, and give this otherwise slight song a boost.

I've yet to hear a song from The Hollies that wasn't, as a minimum, very good, and I don't think that I ever will - so all in all an excellent little record.

*Ironically their very next single was "On A Carousel"

Next Time rock music from the stone age...

7 inch single collection: The Maisonettes - Heartache Avenue

One hit wonders ahoy!

The Maisonettes

A: Heartache Avenue

B: The Last One To Know
(Ready Steady Go! 1982)

You know I was in a bit of a quandary as to which YouTube link to add on this one. The official video - which is just the band performing, or the Top of the Pops, which is the band performing with added balloons, fashion victims and David 'Kid' Jenson. If you've followed the link you'll know I've made the right decision.

There is a studied "cool" about this band from stark clean lines of the black and white clothing, to the supercilious sneers of the two female singers on the sleeve of the record. Talking of those two women, the prominence of them in that picture may lead you to think that this band is fronted by two aloof young women, with a backing band made up of white guys with afros. This is the wrong impression - in fact the bearded fellow in the white jacket handles the lead vocals, with the women doing little more than oohing and ahhing in the background. In terms of visual marketing it was probably the right thing to do; in terms of sexual politics it's definitely a step backwards.

The deliberate evocation of a sense of "cool" is down there in the music too. Heartache Avenue delivers a stylised blue-eyed soul - laid-back, with a touch of melancholy. A smooth bass groove provides a swaying rhythm, with a sparkling keyboard bringing a glossy sheen to the whole. I remember the first time that I heard this song; I was watching the TV, and there they were - it might have been the linked clip, or else some Saturday morning kids show (Swap Shop or Saturday Superstore - whichever one was on in '82) - it stood out and had a hypnotic sound, and the visual image was striking and memorable. It stood out as being a little bit different, a bit more adult, and at the time I was enticed. In hindsight, it still has some charm to it, but there's little that makes it exciting.

If Heartache Avenue is laid-back then The Last One to Know, on the flip-side is positively horizontal. It start slow and shimmery, like a mirage on tarmac on hot Sunday afternoon. It's a smooth jazz/pop number with echoes of Sade (the singer, not he Maquis). The sound turns from a hot afternoon, to a rainy night - if you can picture that. If I were to make a video it would be in black and white and feature lampposts in the drizzle - it's that kind of song. Generally it floats around listlessly for three minutes then drifts of aimlessly.

A record of two halves then - something stylish and something bland. The a-side is worth hearing once, but not something that's likely to incite a rabid fandom.

Next time we briefly escape the 80's and listen to one of the best and most under-rated of the 60's groups.