Allan Clarke (singer) - Career

Career

He and his childhood friend, Graham Nash, began singing together in Manchester while still at school. In April 1963, they added Tony Hicks (lead guitar) (who replaced Vic Steele), along with the later additions of Bobby Elliott and Bernie Calvert (who would replace Eric Haydock on bass in 1966), became The Hollies formed in December 1962, founded by Clarke and Nash. Clarke was their lead vocalist, but also played occasional guitar and harmonica. In the UK they enjoyed 30 chart singles, plus two further chart entries with re-releases, 17 of which made the Top 10, with two – "I'm Alive" (1965) and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (1988 re-issue) – reaching No. 1, the latter on re-release; it had originally been a top three hit in 1969.

In the US charts they achieved 23 chart singles, six of which hit the Top 10. Many of the group’s songs were co-written by Clarke, usually with Hicks and Nash, until the latter's departure at the end of 1968. They used the pseudonym "L. Ransford" initially for their song-writing credits, then 'Clarke-Hicks-Nash' from mid 1966 onwards.

in 1966 Clarke helped along with several Hollies bandmates in The Everly Brothers recording of their album 'Two Yanks In England' which featured Everlys covers of mostly Hollies songs co-written by Clarke.

Clarke-Hicks-Nash between them composed The Hollies albums; 'For Certain Because...' (1966), 'Evolution', and 'Butterfly' (both 1967), while their UK hit singles compilation; 'Hollies' Greatest' topped the UK album charts in August 1968.

Clarke began writing solo songs from 1967 put under the team banner, notably; 'Lullaby To Tim' (dedicated to his son, though sung by Nash), 'Heading For A Fall', 'Water on The Brain', 'Would You Believe', etc.

Besides the full composing team Clarke also still wrote songs with Nash such as: 'Try it', 'Wishyouawish' (1967), 'Tomorrow When it Comes', 'Jennifer Eccles', 'Wings' (1968)

Clarke then assumed more of a figurehead profile as frontman of the Hollies following Graham Nash's departure from the group in December 1968.

Following Nash's exit Clarke took sole lead vocals on 'Hollies Sing Dylan' (a UK No.3 album in early 1969).

Clarke's own songs were then solely credited to him such as; 'My Life is Over With You', 'Goodbye Tomorrow', 'Not That Way At All', 'Marigold' (1969), 'Mad Professor Blyth', 'Separated',(1970), 'Row The Boat Together', 'Hold On' (1971).

Clarke also helped Nash's replacement Terry Sylvester develop as a songwriter teaming with him for a number of songs cut by the band such as; 'Gloria Swansong', 'Look At Life' (1969) 'I Wanna Shout', 'Man Without A Heart', 'Perfect Lady Housewife' (1970), etc.

Keen to launch a solo career due to Nash's success in CSN, Clarke unexpectedly left the group in 1971, and was replaced by the Swedish singer Mikael Rickfors formerly with Bamboo. Clarke made six albums on his own – My Real Name Is 'Arold (Epic, 1972), Headroom (EMI, 1973), I've Got Time (Asylum, 1976), I Wasn't Born Yesterday (Polydor, 1978), Legendary Heroes (Elektra, 1980) and The Only One (Aura, 1980). He followed with a Best of... compilation (Aura, 1981) though none of Clarke's solo works had much acclaim.

Ironically, after Clarke left the Hollies, "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress," a song from their 1971 album Distant Light, which he had co-written with songwriters Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, and on which Clarke sang lead and played lead guitar, became an international hit, reaching No. 2 in the US (their most successful single ever there) and No. 32 in the UK Singles Chart. However, the Hollies toured with Graham Nash's replacement, Terry Sylvester, assuming the lead vocal on performance of the single instead of Clarke.

Rickfors left the group and Clarke rejoined them in July 1973. Their first single with him back in the fold was another of his songs, "The Day that Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee," a Top 40 hit that autumn, that used the same style as "Long Cool Woman."

Clarke continued to record and release solo albums while remaining with The Hollies, although his solo career did not achieve much chart or single success: one reason for this was that Clarke never did a solo tour, or much in the way of promotion of himself as a soloist besides issuing solo albums and singles, always putting The Hollies first. His next album was I've Got Time (1976). He also performed guest vocals on the 1977 album I Robot by The Alan Parsons Project (most notably, lead vocals on the FM-hit Breakdown). He briefly left The Hollies for the second time in March 1978 and made I Wasn't Born Yesterday (1978) an album of original material mostly written by Clarke with singer/songwriter Gary Benson, which yielded a US chart hit single in '(I Will Be Your) Shadow In The Street', but then returned to the group in August. Subsequent solo albums included Legendary Heroes (1979), another largely original set, with its UK title and track running order changed to The Only One when released in 1980. His final solo album was Reasons To Believe (1990) issued in Germany on Polydor Records (still unissued in the US and UK). A single 'Reasons To Believe In' featured a non album 'B' side 'Without Love'.

Between 1974 and 1978 Clarke composed most of the original songs The Hollies recorded on a series of studio albums (several unissued in the US) along with Tony Hicks and Terry Sylvester.

By the mid seventies The Hollies' UK chart career was almost over however; their run of hit singles culminated with "The Air That I Breathe," No. 2 in 1974, which was followed by a long run of commercial failures (despite a minor UK chart hit with Mike Batt's 'Soldier's Song' in 1980), although they had continued to have overseas chart hits and enjoyed several years of much-acclaimed concert tours throughout the world. The success of their live shows was captured in their album Hollies Live Hits recorded live at a two-night concert in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1976, which made No. 4 in the UK album charts, then a 1978 compilation '20 Golden Greats' made No.2 in the UK album charts.

In 1982 Clarke issued a rare non album single; 'Someone Else Will' c/w 'Castles In The Wind' on Forever Records, however this failed to chart.

A 1983 reunion with Graham Nash resulted in the albums; 'What Goes Around...' and 'Reunion' (a live US concert recording issued later), plus a US singles top thirty chart hit with a cover of 'Stop In The Name of Love'.

During Clarke's solo period, he composed several albums of his own material ( 'Arold', 'Headroom') and partly relied on outside material, with two mid seventies albums comprising cover versions ('Allan Clarke', 'I've Got Time') and was unlucky in 1973 that his record company were slow in spotting the potential of his strong version of Mentor Williams' 'Drift Away' (the lone cover on 'Headroom'), giving Dobie Gray the hit single. He was one of the first acts in Britain to champion the work of Bruce Springsteen. Clarke recorded a cover version of "Born to Run" and "Blinded by the Light." Ultimately, Clarke's record label thought the lyrics of these songs were too obscure, thus his versions did not receive much attention; his version of "Born to Run," although recorded a few months before Bruce Springsteen's, was delayed upon its release, and not released until after Springsteen's version, and "Blinded by the Light" was dropped altogether as a potential single (later appearing on 'I've Got Time' album) with Clarke thus giving Manfred Mann's Earthband the go-ahead to record their own hit version. Clarke also cut a version of Springsteen's If I Were The Priest' in 1974. In this period, Clarke also used material of Lindsey Buckingham pre-Fleetwood Mac, plus recorded covers of songs by Janis Ian, Gavin Sutherland, and Randy Newman.

The Hollies charted in the UK with a hits medley; 'Holliedaze' in 1981 (Graham Nash joining them for UK TV promotion of this), then later enjoyed a surprise UK No.1 in Autumn 1988 with a re-issue of 'He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother' (thanks to use in a TV Commercial) restoring much public profile for the band.

In 1993 Clarke (with The Hollies & Graham Nash) contributed harmony and support vocals to a new version of 'Peggy Sue Got Married' featuring Lead vocals by Buddy Holly, which credited as; 'Buddy Holly and The Hollies' led off the 'Not Fade Away' tribute album to Holly by various artists.

Also that year Clarke's final recording with The Hollies; 'The Woman I Love' charted in the UK reaching No.42.

Clarke retired from the music industry in 1999, and was initially replaced in the group by Carl Wayne, former vocalist with The Move, who then died in 2004. The Hollies continue touring and recording today with Peter Howarth as their vocalist.

Allan and the other members of the Hollies of the sixties and seventies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 15 March 2010. On that occasion he and Graham Nash performed a few of their songs, including 'Long cool woman'.