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On a Carousel
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Wikipedia article
"'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."
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."
"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 hit in the United States, peaking at #11 on the 'Billboard' chart.
Charts
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
Category:1967 songs
Category:The Hollies songs
Category:Parlophone singles
Category:Songs written by Graham Nash
Category:Songs written by Allan Clarke (singer)
Category:Songs written by Tony Hicks
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