The Hollies - Shake With The Hollies

Shake With The Hollies was a 2017 Record Store Day release only in the UK, but Facebook sites like Allan Clarke Appreciation Society and Hollies Appreciation Facebook Area (both are closed groups) brought it to the attention of people around the world. I bought one on eBay for a reasonable price, and there may still be copies available via that route. Like a lot of Record Store Day limited-edition vinyl, it offers alternative versions and/or previously unreleased material.

As noted on the LP’s back cover, the five 1963 tracks were captured by “an enthusiastic fan who placed a microphone in front of the radio speaker!” The sound quality drifts in and out on a 1965 recording of “Just One Look” from Shindig, but otherwise the dated technology on Shake With The Hollies shouldn’t keep avid Hollies fans from enjoying these unearthed treasures. Particularly the rousing renditions of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Reelin’ And Rockin’,” which have never been released before.

The opening track “I Can’t Let Go” was recorded in 1966 and features Eric Haydock grabbing the spotlight with some spirited bass playing. There’s also an early version of “Don’t Even Think About Changin’” from that same radio session. The song would later appear on The Hollies’ first of three consecutive masterpieces, For Certain Because. (Evolution and Butterfly were the other two.) All 16 songs exude a raw, fun energy, and the brief interviews with Graham Nash, Allan Clarke, and Tony Hicks add to allure of Shake With The Hollies.