Why did Allan Clarke insist on frequently performing bare chested throughout the 70s?

Was he competent enough on bass and keys to replace Bernie Calvert? Honestly, technically I can play viola, keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass, harmonica, drums, and flute, but I'd never want to perform in public on half of those. Regardless, Mike was a sublime songwriter and singer, and a real loss to the band in the long run. That song is beautiful. Wish all the Hollies sans Clarke could settle their disputes and issues and have one last tour and album as a group - Tony Hicks, Terry Sylvester and Mike are all still in good voice, and Elliott and Bernie's instrumental playing is as strong as ever. Don't think Hicks is quite as antagonistic as Nash and Clarke either towards former members, though I may be wrong.

 

Yeah. Even himself. "American Food"

 

Mike Rickfors and Bernie Calvert alternated on bass and keyboards at times

re voices quality - Allan Clarke is apparently now recording again with hopefully a solo album planned

per more recent youtube postings sadly it seems that Terry Sylvester's voice is not the superb high harmony and fine balladeer sound it once was...

Tony Hicks is the Hollies band leader and I believe he has a quite 'matter of fact' attitude re things - he turned down Clarke's offer to do that early seventies USA tour they did with Rickfors after 'Long Cool Woman' was a big USA chart hit, but later admitted he made a error there - Hicks has spoken of the various Hollies line ups being 'all interesting chapters' in the band's overall career

- Hicks and Bobby Elliott run the current Hollies and are still on good terms with Graham Nash

 

Surprised that this guy wasn't mentioned yet:

 

In the late 1970s through the early 1980s Mike Oldfield was always shirtless when he and his band was performing 'Punkadiddle'.

 

Shirtless in the 70s is one thing -- combining it with a unitard takes it to the ultimate level!

 

Peter Gabriel as Rael sometimes performed bare chested.

 

I love how how half of this thread is a serious, in-depth discussion of the Hollies and half of it is 7th-grade-level jokes.

 

Five minutes later he ate the book.

 

English is taught in Swedish schools from the grade school level. I have never met a Swede who didn't speak fluent English.

 

But what about Allan's chest?

 

Have we even seen a pic of it yet?

 

I’ve always assumed that the seventies were an unusually warm decade.

 

Oh just let that man-fur breathe y'all! If Barry Gibb with his burns could do it... except maybe at this point someone should hand ol' Iggy a blouse there. Just sayin'.

Yeah, where is the Allan Clark display of shamelessness anyway?

 

Because sometimes, all you need is the air that you breathe.......

 

Yeah, but this was 50 years ago. In general, Swedes weren't as good at English back then. Just listen to any Swedish 60s band, or for that matter, ABBA.

 

In some of the places I used to frequent it was for more tips.

 

All men wore less shirts especially in the summer in the 70's, air conditioning wasn't as ubiquitous as it is today.

 

Steve Walsh - Kansas

 

In related Allan Clarke news, I read a quote by Graham Nash in a recent Rolling Stone piece where he says:

"I heard a rumor that Allan Clarke, who quit the Hollies because he couldn’t sing anymore, is back in the studio. I hope it’s true."

Not sure if there's any truth to this rumour, but it would be nice if Allan were back in the studio and recording again. Hopefully whatever issue he had with his vocals has improved enough to allow him to sing again.

 

The title of this thread alone is pretty classic

 

The HAIR that you breathe.

 

Some are a little broken but not terrible. Most of them were going off English accents and then they have their own accent. A group like Tages did pretty well. I can understand everything they sing. I've never seen one of them without a shirt.

 

I want quotes! Did he have to insist? How much insisting was there?

Allan: OK, we’re on next. Let’s go.

Bobby: Is that what you’re wearing? No shirt again?

Allan: It gets hot out there. I wanna be comfortable.

Tony: You frequently perform bare chested, especially now that the 60s are over. How about a shirt for old time’s sake?

Allan: Naw man! I insist on NOT WEARING A SHIRT!

Bobby: Geez...