The Hollies - Head Out of Dreams (6 CD Compilation)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by ptijerm, Feb 17, 2017.

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  1. ptijerm

    ptijerm Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Although this upcoming release has been mentioned on another Hollies thread, I though I would create a new thread to discuss this new 6 CD compilation being released on March 17, 2017. I'm really looking forward to this release.

    From the Hollies official website:

    6 CD Set for release in March

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    In 1974, The Hollies’ original lead singer Allan Clarke rejoined the legendary English group after releasing two solo albums. It turned out to be the start of a 15-year journey that would expand the band’s extensive hit parade with the addition of tracks like “The Air That I Breathe,” “Just One Look,” “I’m Down,” and more.

    HEAD OUT OF DREAMS explores that extended burst of creativity with a new six-disc collection that’s jam-packed with album tracks and rarities that showcase The Hollies’ uncanny ability to deliver memorable melodies and tight harmonies. HEAD OUT OF DREAMS: THE COMPLETE HOLLIES AUGUST 1973 – MAY 1988 will be available on March 17th.

    This massive collection includes music from eight studio albums: Hollies (1974), Another Night (1975), Write On (1976), Russian Roulette (1976), A Crazy Steal (1978), Five Three One – Double Seven O Four (1979), Buddy Holly (1980), and What Goes Around (1983). Plenty of rarities are featured as well, like the worldwide CD debut of “You’re All Woman” and “You Gave Me Strength.”

    The set opens with “The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee,” a song from 1974 that climbed to #24 in the band’s native UK. Also featured on the first disc is “The Air That I Breathe,” a cover of Albert Hammond’s classic ballad that became a worldwide smash for The Hollies that same year.

    All of the group’s hits from this era are here, including “I’m Down”. In fact, that song inspired the title of this set with its opening line: “Shook my head out of dreams.” The collection concludes with music from the album What Goes Around… (1983), which featured a cover of the Supremes’ hit “Stop! In The Name Of Love,” which became The Hollies’ first Top 30 hit in the US since “Air That I Breathe.”

    Along with album tracks, HEAD OUT OF DREAMS boasts an amazing number of rare recordings. Among the many highlights are several B-sides — “C’mon,” “Crossfire,” “Driver” and “Let Her Go Down” — plus rare tracks like “Lovin’ You Ain’t Easy,” “Sanctuary” and “Can’t Lie No More,” which was originally included on the 2003 boxed set, The Long Road Home.

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  2. BeSteVenn

    BeSteVenn FOMO Resident

    The set doesn't seem to include either Holliedaze or Holliepops. Can't say I'm too disappointed or surprised, but this would have been the place to include them.

    Very glad that The Hollies are continuing this series.
     
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  3. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    Allan Clarke rejoined The Hollies in late summer 1973 not 1974, hence the sub title of this latest CD set

    'Curly Billy' and 'Mexico Gold' were recorded over 7-9 August 1973 at Abbey Road and 'Curly Billy' was released as a UK single on Polydor Records in October 1973

    'Holliedaze' and 'Holliepops' were edited medleys of tracks that were included in full on the earlier CD sets; 'The Clarke, Hicks, Nash Years; 1963-1966' and 'Changin' Times; 1969-1973'
     
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  4. rswitzer

    rswitzer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Golden, CO USA
    This is currently $25 shipped to the US on amazon.co.uk . . .
     
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  5. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Also missing "Purple Rain"-=- yes, that was a little later, but it was (I think) the last with Clarke.
     
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  6. Dennis Metz

    Dennis Metz Born In A Motor City south of Detroit

    Location:
    Fonthill, Ontario
    I'm looking forward to this :cheers:
     
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  7. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    just getting into the Hollies. What were the other titles in this series and how was the SQ on them.?

    Darryl
     
  8. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    First is;
    'The Clarke, Hicks, Nash Years; 1963-1966'

    EMI/Warners opted to use mono tracks where no stereo versions were available plus where the original stereo versions had that very poor basic 'vocals on one channel / most instruments on the other' separation which is largely over late 1964 to mid 1966 plus the 'Evolution' album tracks of 1967 - tho' the earliest tracks on their first UK album; 'Stay With The Hollies' from January 1964 actually have a decent stereo sound, as with a number of singles and the second 1966 album 'For Certain Because...' tracks, plus the 'Butterfly' album tracks from 1967 all of which are in good stereo

    the sound quality overall is strong

    then;
    'Changin' Times; 1969-1973'

    Everything here in decent stereo apart from 'Sorry Suzanne' at the start which is in the basic stereo, again the sound is strong

    The last studio recording with Allan Clarke was the UK single; 'The Woman I Love' in 1993 which actually reached no.42 in the UK chart

    there are about eight or so further studio tracks with Clarke after this latest CD set ends going from 1988 up to 1993 - songs such as that final UK single, 'Naomi', 'Two Shadows', 'Nothing Else But Love' plus the 1989 single; 'Find Me A Family', it's 'B' side 'No Rules' and a German single; 'Baby Come Back' whose 'B' side 'Hillsborough' was written and sung by Tony Hicks

    'Purple Rain' was a rare concert only 12 inch single/cassette three track private Hollies release in 1990

    A Live version was later used as 'B' side on 'The Woman I Love' single and included on a few CD compilations such as the MFP 'Special Collection' 3 CD set and 'The Long Road Home' 6 CD box set.
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2017
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  9. rstamberg

    rstamberg Senior Member

    Location:
    Riverside, CT
    Oh, I'm in.
     
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  10. kennynd

    kennynd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Silver Spring MD
    I have over 100 Hollies cds but I love the great info you guys are providing. It's valuable and inspiring.
     
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  11. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    Added to my wish list.

    Darryl
     
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  12. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    this set is very nice, previously available on 2 extremely well done 4 CD sets called "four by the hollies" and "four more by the hollies". and this set adds to those. if you don;t have the boxes, get this. tons of great music.
     
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  13. BeSteVenn

    BeSteVenn FOMO Resident

    Nice custom labels on the CDs: Parlophone, but printed in the typeface of the Polydor label from the 70s-80s. For a budget set, definite care went into this product. Thank you Hollies, Ltd., someone there is paying attention!
     
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  14. PretzelLogic

    PretzelLogic Feeling duped by MoFi? You probably deserve it.

    Location:
    London, England
    Oh, I missed that this was out! That's a nice surprise, and an instant purchase.
     
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  15. hodgo

    hodgo Tea Making Gort (Yorkshire Branch) Staff

    Location:
    East Yorkshire
    Can I ask how is the mastering and overall SQ?

    The previous Hollies Box was appalling mastered by Peter Mew, how does this set compare to that?
     
  16. Humbuster

    Humbuster Staff Emeritus

    On the way from Amazon.

    Cannot wait as I have been anticipating this set for a long time.

    First up the Another Night and Russian Roulette tracks.
     
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  17. rstamberg

    rstamberg Senior Member

    Location:
    Riverside, CT
    I'm loving this set.
     
  18. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    Glad you are enjoying it...!

    for me CD Four gets a bit heavy going as after 'Caracas' it's all slow ballads - from 'A Crazy Steal' and 'Five Three One...' albums of 1978 and 1979, each song fine in itself of course but ALL grouped together it can get a bit ponderous for me

    - clearly they were playing the 'ballad card' over and over around that point (hoping for another 'He Ain't Heavy'/'Can't Tell The Bottom..'/'Air That I Breathe') and while these were never less than fine songs immaculately played and sung the fact is few were quite in the same league as those rarer big hits in terms of being instantly memorable - and they failed to catch the wider public's imagination in the UK or USA despite having some chart success in other countries

    of the slower ballads they recorded 'There's Always Goodbye', 'Amnesty' and 'Hello To Romance' each had hit potential while 'Soldier's Song' actually DID chart in the UK in 1980....despite Polydor's zilch promotion, but these would have stood more chance had they been exceptions coming between more uptempo livelier more characteristic singles than just ballad after ballad

    - and when they did move up a gear it was with mock-Reggae ('Star') or slowish Disco ("Wiggle That...') !

    a slow meandering cover of 'Heartbeat' (despite a nice sax solo) was a poor single choice from the 'Buddy Holly' album in 1980, when their driving version of 'That'll Be The Day' anticipated Status Quo's very similar styled hit cover of 'The Wanderer' two years later in 1982

    so disc four is very slow moving ...but the other discs are a far better balance of pacing on songs

    interestingly the final ten tracks on CD Six after the 1983 Graham Nash reunion album show the later Alan Coates (on high harmony vocal & guitar) Hollies line up also made some really great recordings over 1985 up to 1988 too...notably; 'Laughter Turns To Tears', 'This is it', 'Stand By Me', 'Shine Silently' and 'Your Eyes'
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2017
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  19. My set is still on the way from Amazon.co.uk. I've never heard a lot of this material so it should be exciting opening the set.
     
  20. What's the quality of the albums from this period?
     
  21. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    overall very good

    'Hollies' (1974)

    - was an all original album except for the classic 'Air That I Breathe' - Clarke's 'Curly Billy' was in a similar style to 'Long Cool Woman' and the album had some great rockin' tracks such as Hicks 'Down on The Run', 'It's A Shame It's A Game' (with Jim Jewell on sax), Clarke's dense guitars flavoured 'Rubber Lucy' plus Allan Clarke's lovely ballad 'Don't Let Me Down' and Terry Sylvester's 'Pick up The Pieces Again' (his last album lead vocal until 1979 !) and a song Clarke-Sylvester had written earlier; 'Love Makes The World Go Round'

    'Falling Calling' was a harmonica featured opening track that charted as a single in Europe

    three tracks were new versions of songs from the second 1973 album with Mike Rickfors 'Out on The Road' - that title track a Hicks-Kenny Lynch powering pop/rocker , Sylvester's song plus Bobby Elliott's 'Transatlantic Westbound Jet' a dynamic rock flavoured number co-written with Terry Sylvester

    'Another Night' (1975)

    - saw Clarke, Hicks and Sylvester emerge as a full songwriting team, plus a lovely lone cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'Sandy' - the album title track features Paul and Linda McCartney's distinctive moog synth' from 'Band on The Run' played by Alan Parsons, while rock flavoured tracks such as 'Look Out Johnny' and 'You Gave Me Life' plus pop/rocker 'Time Machine Jive' saw Hicks on top form as guitarist while gentler folky numbers like 'Lonely Hobo Lullaby' and 'Second Hand Hangups' balanced the set out

    - Clarke's 'I'm Down' was a fav song of John Peel's and made no.10 in New Zealand

    'Write On' (1976)

    - again almost a completely original set penned by Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester was a fine mix of styles - the title track was full of tempo changes and became a chart hit in Germany, the free flowing 'Sweet Country Calling' had echoes of the aborted 'Hollies Sing Country' project, while 'Crocodile Woman (She Bites)' saw Hicks guitar and Eliiott's drums in sparkling rocker form

    'Star' (a hit in Europe) was pop/reggae featuring guest Rod Argent on synth' while Pete Wingfield was guest keyboardist on the album too

    'Love is The Thing' was a vocal harmony showcase and other highlights included 'Narida' a brisk song about the Queen of the avenue girls, 'Stranger' a funky slowish number, and the lone cover was a gorgeous version of Randy Richards 'There's Always Goodbye' with a nice layered guitar intro and tight vocal harmonies - this maybe should have been a single ?

    'Russian Roulette' (1976)

    - saw them experimenting with writing in various styles - rockers included the blistering '48 Hour Parole', the title track and 'Louise' (which featured Jim Jewell from Gallagher & Lyle's band on sax) - Jewell also played notable sax on the sublime 'Lady of The Night', while 'Be With You' was another vocal harmonies showcase and included a salute to The Herd's sixties hit 'Paradise Lost'

    'Thanks For The Memories' and 'My Love' were more standard pop style harmony led songs and a disco element was featured in both the latin percussion styled 'Draggin My Heels' (which charted in Canada) and the European hit 'Wiggle That Wotsit' (a song Hollies bass player Bernie Calvert loathed !) despite rather naff lyrics it had some fine guitarwork by Hicks, strong percussion and vocals plus a Chicago like guest brass section featuring Henry Lowther and John Mumford on brass

    'Daddy Don't Mind' which charted in a few countries was the closing pop/rocker on this all originals by Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester set that like 'Write On' never got a proper USA release in it's original form

    'A Crazy Steal' (1978)

    - saw them at something of a crossroads as several business and band members issues were affecting them - Allan Clarke was very unhappy and (briefly) left just after it's release, and while each song was fine it sounded a bit compiled with some THREE songs already having been released as singles !

    The Alan Parsons produced majestic cover of 'Boulder To Birmingham' (Emmylou Harris song) with powerful vocal harmonies in fact dated back some two years to February 1976 !

    while both ballads 'Hello To Romance' and their stirring cover of Danny Douma's 'Amnesty' - with a terrific acapella intro and fine Hicks guitar solo had both been issued as singles by Polydor but minus any promotion had sunk...

    the album was rather top heavy with ballads in fact - 'Writing On The Wall', 'What Am I Gonna Do ?', 'Feet On The Ground' also were slow melodramatic numbers, and while every song was well up to standard the album was a bit heavy going...

    the only contrasts wrere the bluesy 'Clown Service' featuring Clarke's wailing harmonica, the Springsteen like 'Burn Out', the only really fast track on the album and a great pop/rocker with fast delivered Clarke lead vocal and snappy Hicks guitar solo, plus the jaunty 'Caracas' with cool sax, fine percussion, and a latin flair to it (completely the opposite reflection of the actual nightmare-ish situation that happened to the band in the country itself when an argument over a non appearance on a TV show they were not even contracted to do turned nasty, passports were withdrawn and the British Foreign Office had to intervene to sort it out...almost a 'Beatles in Manila' thing !)

    the album had atmosphere but sounded a bit uneven - a very dis-satisfied Allan Clarke once slagged it off ! - but each song in itself was fine...tho' the dreadful album cover let it down somewhat, in the UK coming between 'Hollies Live Hits' (no. 4) and 'Twenty Golden Greats' (no.2)...it FLOPPED totally !

    'Five Three One Double Seven O Four' (1979)

    - saw them reunite with both Allan Clarke (again !) and their longtime producer Ron Richards for the last time, again ballads dominate in full with only a few mid paced tracks BUT it does sound a far more complete project

    Tony Hymas from Jack Bruce band guests and three Jack Bruce tracks penned by Hymas and Pete Brown were covered well - 'Song of The Sun', 'Maybe it's Dawn', and 'Something To Live For' (the latter an unsuccessful single)

    plus Terry Sylvester sang 'Boys in The Band' a brisker track and Gary Brooker's 'Harlequin' - which was a Hollies/Procol Harum liason with Brooker himself guesting on keyboards (and fade vocal) and Procol's late great drummer B.J. Wilson at the drumkit

    they covered two Murray Head numbers, 'When I'm Yours' and 'Say it Ain't So Jo', plus a nice harmony flavoured number 'Stormy Waters' and a notable closing cover of the song from Dave Clark's 'Time' musical 'It's in Every One of Us' (that perhaps should have been the single ?)

    only Allan Clarke and Gary Benson's song 'Satellite Three' was an original song, and it got surprisingly heavy at the guitar solo and towards the end - but they made each song 'their own' (the band's oldest skill) and as a mood music late night album it's quite impressive with tight vocal harmonies, excellent musicianship and strong production - again minus any promotion it was sadly quickly in the deletion bargain bins (as a number of FAR STRONGER seventies albums by underrated veteran artists were back then - Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Kinks, Shadows members too !!)

    - this album with it's pocket calculator (explaining the odd title) in space cover is worth seeking out, as are notably 'Write On' and 'Russian Roulette' of the 'forgotten' mid to late seventies Hollies albums...

    'Buddy Holly' (1980)

    - their swansong at Polydor and last with Sylvester and Calvert rather 'bookended' Terry Sylvester's Hollie days well as Terry came in for the 'Bob Dylan' set back in 1969

    where as 'Sing Dylan' was no.3 in the UK album chart if failing to chart in the USA, sadly this 1980 set got a critical thumbs down

    probably the wrong move at the wrong time it upset some Hollies fans, also some Buddy Holly fans and no doubt some Rock & Roll fans as it was NOT a tribute to Buddy the rocker at all...only three tracks were in a rock style - 'Midnight Shift' (Clarke's solo vocal showcase), an echoed percussive take on 'Think it Over' and perhaps best of all a strident guitar led cover of 'That'll Be The Day' (anticipating a similar Status Quo cover of Dion's 'The Wanderer' two years later which WAS a UK chart hit !)

    those more rockin' numbers aside the set WAS firmly a tribute to Buddy the ARTIST, the interpreter of both his own and others material (Paul Anka's 'It Doesn't Matter Anymore' etc) - Buddy had both country and also firm pop leanings too ('True Love Ways' with orchestra etc) so The Hollies took a bunch of Buddy's best known songs and 're-built' them in varying musical styles

    'Loves Made A Fool of You' mixed a carribbean type sound with a Spanish guitar solo !

    'Peggy Sue' got a synth' (an instrument Buddy would never have heard in his short lifetime) makeover laced with vocal harmonies to the fore

    'Peggy Sue Got Married' was done here in reggae (!!) - later they did a west coast arrangement featuring both Graham Nash, and Buddy himself on lead vocal for the 'Not Fade Away' tribute album

    a reflective take on 'Maybe Baby' and 'Everyday' contrasted with a jaunty version of 'I'm Gonna Love You Too' complete with country fiddles in places !

    Pete Wingfield again guested as keyboardist/arranger and set shimmering synth' strings to a harmony vocals flavoured version of 'What To Do' while 'Wishing' had an instrumental intro section before vocals came in and they revisited 'Take Your Time' (first cut with Nash way back in 1966 with Byrds like jangling guitars on 'Would You Believe ?' album) this time performed in a more late night mood music style with synth's and featuring Terry Sylvester's high harmony voice

    'Heartbeat' was another slow ballad with a nice sax solo, but probably too low key to work as the single...and sank without trace in the UK

    a charming version of 'Tell Me How' had vocal sections by 'Clarke', then 'Clarke-Sylvester', then 'Clarke-Hicks-Sylvester' plus a phased intro and outro sound...

    only a rather odd edit of the album's tracks titled 'Reprise' at the end (included on a single 'B' side too !) was something of a rip off...they could easily have done a rockin' version of 'Rave On' or 'Maybe Baby' etc

    the vocals were spot on, the harmonies as tight as ever and the instrumentation was impeccable with some unusual arramgements - however it was NOT a rock & roll album as most people would have expected (Buddy then going through a big revival) thus the album drew some rather hostile critical flak and duly slipped between several stools on it's way to the deletion bins in local stores....and was probably the last straw for Polydor - and no doubt for Sylvester and Calvert too !

    BUT the album is fascinating and a lot better than some try to have us think...

    the final album included was;

    'What Goes Around..' (1983)

    - which saw the unexpected and welcome return of Graham Nash for one studio album.

    Nash was still friends with his old band and wth CSN at the time on hold Graham was persuaded to initially return for a TV show appearance with them to plug the 'Holliedaze' medley hit single in the UK

    this led to Nash joining in on a Hollies recording of Alan Tarney's song 'Somethin Ain't Right' in 1981

    by 1983 this led to a full reunion album and a short US Tour

    the album is o.k. but COULD have been a lot stronger - the best tracks are probably that Alan Tarney pop/rocker plus Mike Batt's 'If The Lights Go Out' (first cut in 1980 with Terry Sylvester but shelved) and the surprise USA chart hit their pop/rocker cover of The Supremes old classic 'Stop in The Name of Love' with fine vocals and great guitar solo

    A few Paul Bliss songs were featured of which 'Someone Else's Eyes' was the most memorable, and they re-cut their final 1981 Polydor single 'Take My Love and Run' written by Brian Chatton of John Miles band and a rather uninspired and maybe unwise 'laid back' re-cut of their old 1964 classic hit 'Just One Look' that I feel failed to match their original hit version by some way !

    but while it's all at best o.k. with a few stronger tracks standing out, the lack of anything original plus the sheer briefness of the set - the 1983 LP had large run out grooves at the centre making it look all the more of a let down ! - was a big disappointment to many of their fans

    only the great sound of Clarke-Hicks-Nash harmonies (sounding as tight as ever as if Graham had never departed the band) really saved the album - which flopped !

    had they cut 'new' Hollies versions of Nash's CSN songs 'Teach Your Children' and 'Wasted on The Way' (both songs sung in Hollies concerts with Nash then and thereafter) plus Clarke's lone solo USA hit 'Shadow In The Street' and brought in the rather wasted as 'B' sides songs; 'Musical Pictures' and the excellent 'Let Her Go Down' and dropped the lame re-cut of 'Just One Look' ...they could have given us a longer better looking on vinyl 14 track album (like their first way back in January 1964) of the better songs plus three 'originals' that would have strengthened the album considerably...and maybe had more appeal to CSN fans too ??

    but then hindsight is SO very easy to have...eh ?

    whatever as it was and is the ten tracks plus the two 'B' side songs feature tight harmonies and strong instrumentation at least with several really good songs too - as are the ten tracks that follow on the sixth disc in this set

    hope this is of use
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2017
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  22. PPL Runner

    PPL Runner Forum Resident

    Location:
    southeast ohio
    Billo- I really enjoyed reading your comments/review of the albums in this set and your insights were good,too. Thanks.
     
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  23. PretzelLogic

    PretzelLogic Feeling duped by MoFi? You probably deserve it.

    Location:
    London, England
    Billo, or anyone else, I've just got this and am enjoying a lot of what I've heard. However, I'm unable to find out who the composers of 'Stormy Weather' and 'Mexico Gold' are. They're only listed by their surnames (D. White, and Alexander/Overton/Campbell respectively), and they're outside writers, but these seem to be their sole forays into songwriting, so it'd be great if anyone can shed light on who they are and how they came to write for The Hollies - am guessing they were picked from demo discs or something?
     
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  24. RickA

    RickA Love you forever Luke, we will be together again

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    A big Thanks for Billo. Having just received this set earlier in the week your write up was really informative and will allow me to enjoy this set even more so.

    Rick A.
     
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  25. Bob J

    Bob J Forum Resident

    I wish the demo take of "Harlequin" with Gary Brooker on lead vocal had been included on one of the Procol reissues.
     
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