Monocled Alchemist

Teen Screen magazine send a young reporter to interview The Hollies: April 1968

When I went down to interview The Hollies, I had every intention of
having a regular, sane interview. But, as the song says, I should have known better.

The first warning came when I was sitting in Allan Clarke’s room waiting for the other Hollies to arrive. Allan was just finishing a letter to his folks, when all of a sudden he looked up and informed me that I looked a bit like a chipmunk!

Before I had a chance to think of a good comeback, the other Hollies, Graham Nash, Tony Hicks, Bobby Elliott, and Bernie Calvert, came into the room. It didn’t take long to realize why The Hollies are one of England’s best groups.

Not only are they always looking for new ideas in music, but they are each individuals with strong ideas about everything, especially when it come to group loyalty.

Bobby Elliott sickness

Earlier this year, Bobby was very sick for a couple of months with appendicitis. Although the group was scheduled to play various concerts, they refused to perform anywhere until Bobby was well enough to play with them.

“I’m really very flattered that the fellows didn’t want to work without me,” Bobby said.

“But it left a gap,” added Graham, “because we really enjoy working. Then when we decided it wasn’t worth working without Bobby, there was nothing we could find to fill the gap. Fortunately, we were able to get together and write an album and some singles, which was nice.

We’ve been really hung-up on the recording scene and decided that that’s where we’d like to spend most of our time.”

Then all of a sudden, Graham said, “Do you know, it’s really incredible when you start to think that not even a million days have gone past since Jesus Christ was alive… !”

“He tells me this every week,” confided Allan.

46 million songs

“. . . Imagine,” Graham continued, “and more than 46 million songs have
been written!”

Did I say something earlier about a normal interview?

“But getting back to the subject of records,” Allan countered, “what we really feel is important is communicating to our audience…”

“We just want to make people happy!” exclaimed Bobby.

“But, we also want to make people sad,” added Graham, ‘because you can’t take one without the other. We want to evoke some feeling.

For instance, if somebody hears one of our songs, and says afterwards that it’s rubbish, it’s evoked some sort of comment from him, so the song’s winning. But if one of our songs comes on and people just leave the room, then the song’s lost.”

“That’s a strange thing to say, though,” said Bobby, “because I hear many records that are a load of rubbish, and I can never remember what they are. I just sort of dismiss them as foolish.”

The conversation then shifted to their new touring ideas.

The Hollies consider themselves a comparatively new group here in America, whereas in England they have been known for a much longer time. Therefore they feel they have to do something new and different when they tour their home front.

They are now in the process of planning a special show that will feature a 28-piece orchestra. They said the show should be very entertaining, but that nobody will scream.

Progressive philosophy

When I asked Graham about his progressive philosophy that I had heard so much about, he told me that it centred around his realizing that he has several personal problems, which is a very positive factor in helping rid himself of those problems.

He went on to say that he also does everything the best way he knows how.

“That’s the only way you can do it and be true to yourself. If you’re not true to yourself, then there really isn’t that much point. It’s very difficult. You can’t just become a good person overnight, no matter how much you want to be one. You just have to keep trying.”

“But that’s really saying that you’re a bad person,” said Bobby.

“Exactly, yes,’ Graham agreed. “I don’t think anybody’s 100% pure.”

“I don’t understand that,’ replied Bobby, “because you say you’re going to carry on knowing that you’re doing things wrong, but you’re going to carry on in your own sweet way.”

Graham then went on to explain (?) the way he feels, comparing his philosophies to those of vegetarians and Eastern philosophers.

“My philosophy can be very impractical; but if you really feel that strongly about something, like being a vegetarian, it isn’t that impractical anymore. You just put up with the inconvenience.

The same with Eastern philosophies, which, by the way, is where it’s at for me. It’s very difficult to try and execute meditation, etc., in a Western civilization. You have to live two lives, really.”

Secretive recordings with The Scaffold

Another rumour I wanted straightened out was about an infamous recording session that was held awhile back. It was rumoured that members of every top group in England, including The Hollies, had attended a “secretive” jam recording session.

“Let me explain this,’ Graham said, “because it might get a bit out of hand. I’m quite friendly with Paul McCartney’s brother, Mike, who is himself, an individual. He’s got nothing to do with Paul whatsoever.

He’s very groovy that way in that he doesn’t cash in on a very good opportunity that he really could make a lot of loot from.

Paul McCartney was there

But he has to establish his own identity and his own sort of thing and he’s doing it very well. He fronts a satirical group in England, not a musical group, called The Scaffold. He also happens to write very groovy songs.

They’d been doing an album when he called me and asked would I like to help him with it. So it started like that with only us two. Then Paul came down and so many names that it really got a joke.

It was impossible to keep a secret because it was like 24 of the best musicians in the country there. And it’s very difficult to keep a secret like that. It broke in the press and people made a big thing of it.

But it’s not a big thing at all. It just shows you exactly where pop music is in England because you wouldn’t find that amount of people all grooving onto the same thing here.

You wouldn’t find the Monkees and the Mamas and Papas and the Byrds all at the same session, all contributing ideas, all wanting to produce without any ego hang-ups at all.

And when the album comes out I sincerely hope it’s going to be a hit. It was made with a lot of love and care.”

But will they be able to play the record over the air? It was said that we would probably never hear the record because of record contract hang-ups.

No contracts

“There’s no contracts,’ continued Graham, “because you see what’s going to happen is they’re going to put a liner note on the album that’s going to say the following people definitely did not appear on this album.”

“They’ve got a single out in England from the album,” added Allan. “called ‘Thank You Very Much,’ and it’s so simple.”

“It’s great,” continued Graham. “And it’s really a very catchy song and it’s great. It’s going to be a hit in England I think.”

“It’s like a pub song,” Allan explained. “We call them pub songs in England. Everybody sort of having a good time and singing along.”

“Shall we sing them a couple of lines?” asked Graham.

They did, and it was great. I hope it makes it over here as well. And on that note, it was time for all good chipmunks to say goodbye to The Hollies and quickly begin gathering our nuts for the long cold winter.

The Hollies are still touring and have an official Facebook page with almost half a million followers!