The Hollies: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction (parts 3 and 4 of 4)

I'm including the YouTube links because at least one them has non-embedding, so I'm just being consistent: 

part 3 

part 4 

The Hollies: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction (parts 1 and 2 of 4)

Now to turn my attention to The Hollies. 

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. I recall the time my older brother brought home two new record albums: Raspberries Best and The Hollies' Greatest Hits (or was that The Greatest of the Guess Who?). Anyway... 

After those purchases, I became familiar with more than these groups' hits that were on the radio. The Hollies' induction is well deserved. 

part 1

part 2 

Big Star: ST 100/6; I'm In Love With a Girl

Here are the final cuts of each of their first two albums: 



They are both short songs, so I'm putting both. 



This film clip is from Charlie Chaplin's, "City Lights." 

Big Star: Watch the Sunrise

This exhilarating song is hidden towards the end of their first album, #1 Record: 

Big Star: Try Again

This understated song reminds me of others that came subsequently but I'm not sure which ones!

Bing Crosby and David Bowie: Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy

Happy Holidays, everyone! 



Their voices blend surprisingly well together. 

Big Star: Give Me Another Chance

A song that deserves a much wider audience: 



Love the harmonies in the chorus. 

Big Star: My Life Is Right

Judging by the comments left on YouTube for this video, Chris Bell sings the lead vocals on this song:

Big Star: The Ballad of El Goodo

One of their classics: 

Big Star: Thirteen; Garbage: Thirteen

This is one of their sweetest songs, as well as one of their most well-known: 






It has even been covered by Garbage (I just can't seem to stay away from Garbage these days): 

Big Star: In the Street (live)

Here is a performance from way back in 1994, before That '70s Show even existed! Almost 20 years ago; look how young Jay Leno looked. 




This performance includes Jonathan Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies, & Jody Stephens and the late Alex Chilton, original members of Big Star.

Big Star: September Gurls, and The Bangles: September Gurls

First up is the recorded version by Big Star from their album Radio City: 



Next is the reunited lineup with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow augmenting Jody Stephens (drums) and the late Alex Chilton (standing at far right singing lead vocals): 



and finally, the first version I ever heard of this song was by The Bangles from their album Different Light: 



That's Michael Steele, the bass player, singing lead vocals. In the recorded version, they changed the lyrics slightly, but here they are like the Big Star version. 

This is from a concert at the House of Blues in Los Angeles in 2000. 

The Posies & Friends: September Gurls

Here's another find on YouTube: 

September Gurls - 2013 Todos Santos Music Festival 2013

September Gurls is my favorite song by Big Star and probably the best known, if you don't count television show themes(!). 

Besides Jon and Ken of the Posies, the only other musician that I recognize is Peter Buck of R.E.M. 

The Posies: Black Night / I Am the Cosmos

Not quite sure how I want to segue from The Posies to Big Star, but here's one way to get started: 



That's Black Night by Deep Purple at the beginning, then I Am the Cosmos by Chris Bell, a founding member of Big Star. Tragically he died in the late '70s in a single car accident, and only recorded as a member of Big Star for their 1st album, #1 Record. 

I Am the Cosmos came after he had left the band and was a solo recording. 

The Posies: You're the Beautiful One

Here's a fantastic discovery I made recently: a live performance from 2000 on Dutch TV! 

You're the Beautiful One 

This is the kind of "unplugged" performance I appreciate the most. Jon and Ken sure look different here though - must be the short hair. Assuming it is them (ha!), I was hoping the song would never end.

The performance starts at 1:15. 

The Posies: King Midas In Reverse; The Hollies: King Midas In Reverse

I asked on a post earlier this month if you had decided which '60s band The Posies reminded you of - one good answer would have been The Hollies. Their vocal harmonies sound uncannily similar. 

On their album, The Best of the Posies - Dream All Day, they do a cover of the Hollies song King Midas In Reverse. 

Here they are performing it live at Criminal Records: 





And here is the recorded version by The Hollies: 





What do you think? 

The Posies: Coming Right Along

The final song on their album, Frosting On the Beater: 



Much like the final song on Dear 23, a magnum opus! 

The Posies: Definite Door and Burn & Shine (live)

Here is a great video that was posted on YouTube just a few days ago!!! 

Definite Door and Burn & Shine (live)
From a performance this year in Spain.

The Posies: Love Letter Boxes

Another gem from Frosting On the Beater: 

The Posies: Flavor of the Month

One of my absolute favorite songs by them: 

The Posies: Solar Sister

An absolute gem of a live acoustic performance by Auer and Stringfellow: 



Listen for the title of their album, Frosting On the Beater. 

The Posies: Dream All Day

On to their next album after Dear 23, Frosting on the Beater: 



This says it all for me: I could dream all day. 

The Posies: Flood of Sunshine

The magnum opus of Dear 23: 

The Posies: Everyone Moves Away

One of the loveliest songs on the album, at least melodically: 



Someone made the comment on YouTube that Jon Auer wrote this song for his brother. 

The Posies: Suddenly Mary

Another gem from Dear 23: 




This is a live performance from 3 years ago (to the day!) at the
McNairs Theatre in Petaluma, CA. 

So glad somebody posted this... it's my favorite song on the album. 

The Posies: You Avoid Parties

I saw these guys perform live in San Francisco a long time ago. It was perfect: the people I went with and I all sat up in the balcony right behind the metal rail in front... a perfect view! It was a small club so we weren't so far back that it was difficult to see the band. 



Perfect for me since I'm not total involvement and full of energy - I'd rather just observe and memorize. 

But the crowd that night was also a bit subdued, at least too subdued for the band's liking. For instance, Jon Auer was shredding a fantastic guitar solo and got little back from the crowd. I saw him act a little frustrated because of this, putting his arms up a bit and gesturing as if to say: "What more can I do?" 

This reading of his gesture was substantiated when after the song, Ken Stringfellow said into his microphone: "Ah, a finger-snapping crowd!" 

It was funny. 

The Posies: Any Other Way

Another great song from Dear 23: 



That's Ken Stringfellow on the left, and Jonathan Auer on the right. 

The Posies: Apology

Have you decided which '60s band The Posies remind you of yet? Vocal-wise, I mean? 



As in timbre...