On a Carousel
"On a Carousel" | ||||
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![]() US Picture Sleeve | ||||
Single by The Hollies | ||||
B-side | "All the World Is Love" | |||
Released | UK: 10 February 1967 | |||
Recorded | 11 & 13 January 1967 Abbey Road Studios[1] | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:07 | |||
Label | UK: Parlophone R5562 US: Imperial 66231 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Graham Nash Allan Clarke Tony Hicks | |||
Producer(s) | Ron Richards | |||
The Hollies singles chronology | ||||
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"On a Carousel" is a song written by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash and Tony Hicks. It was released by The Hollies as a single in February 1967, having been recorded the previous month, on the Parlophone label in the UK and Imperial in the US. Nash would opine: "'On a Carousel' was one of the Hollies' best songs. It's a pop song with an infectious chorus, but flirts with gorgeous shifts in rhythmic texture [that keep] the melody from becoming predictable. And the lyric captures the essence of young love without the usual moon-and-June cliches. We knew it was a hit from the get-go."[2]
Original recording
Nash would recall that prior to "On a Carousel", "our biggest hits were Graham Gouldman songs ... Tony, Allan and I wanted desperately to write a monster A-side ... We thought we were good enough writers, we knew the combination, how to come up with a universal theme, the right kind of hook. So we went through a shitload of ideas until inspiration struck. I'm not sure which of the three of us came up with funfairs ... We [realized] a love affair was pretty much like going round and round and round on a carousel. And before we knew it the song just took shape. It was all there, the words, the tune, there was no stopping it. And Tony and Bobby [Elliott] wrapped it up in an exceptional arrangement." [2]
"On a Carousel" was the Hollies first A-side on which Graham Nash sang lead vocals, although only for the first few lines. It was the Hollies' second-last single to be released in the US by Imperial before the band switched to the Epic label. The song was a hit in the UK, peaking at #4 on the single charts, and in Canada it made #7 in the RPM Magazine charts. It was also a moderate hit in the United States, peaking at #11 on the Billboard chart.
Charts
Chart (1967) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Go-Set)[3] | 14 |
West Germany (Official German Charts)[4] | 8 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] | 16 |
Norway (VG-lista)[6] | 10 |
UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 4 |
US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 11 |
Other versions
- Mike Vickers, formerly a member of Manfred Mann, recorded the song for his 1968 debut album, I Wish I Were a Group Again.
- Progressive rock band Glass Moon covered the song in 1982 on their second studio album Growing in the Dark.
- American rock duo Shaw Blades recorded a version in 2007 for their covers album Influence.
References
- ^ The 30th Anniversary Collection (CD). The Hollies. EMI Records. 1993. D 202205.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b Nash, Graham (2013). Wild Tales: a rock & roll life. NYC: Crown Archetype. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-385-34754-9.
- ^ "Go-Set Australian Charts –26 April 1967". Pop Archives. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Hollies, The – On a Carousel" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Hollies, The"
- ^ "The Hollies – On a Carousel" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "The Hollies – On a Carousel". VG-lista.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "The Hollies Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.