3 Songs The Hollies’ Graham Nash, Allan Clarke, and Tony Hicks Wrote for the Everly Brothers and Later Released as B-Sides

As longtime fans of the Everly Brothers, bandmates Graham Nash and Allan Clarke were determined to meet their heroes who were then touring the UK in 1960. The duo, who had already modeled themselves after the Everly Brothers, performing under the moniker Ricky and Dane Young—later The Fourtones with the addition of a rounded-out band—stood on the steps of the Midland Hotel in Manchester, England, waiting for Don and Phil Everly to return from their concert.

“It was 1:20 in the morning, and instead of patting these two young kids on the head and signing an autograph and going to their bedrooms, they stood and talked to me and Allan Clarke for what seemed to be hours, but what actually was several minutes,” remembered Nash in 2014. “My heroes were looking me in my eyes and calling me by name. I realized when you meet a hero or someone you admire, to have a perfect moment of actual contact can change your life. And they did mine that night.” 

Shortly after forming the Hollies in 1962, Nash, Clarke, and Tony Hicks were writing songs for other artists and had a chance to work with the Everly Brothers, serving as the backing band on their 1966 album Two Yanks in England.

Although the Hollies only played on six of the songs on Two Yanks in England, which were recorded in London—the remainder were recorded in Los Angeles with another set of musicians, including Glen Campbell—the group is credited with writing eight of the 12 tracks on the album under their earlier collective songwriting pseudonym of L. Ransford, named after Nash’s grandfather. Led Zeppelin‘s Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones are also purportedly featured on the album but were never credited.

The down-tempo “So Lonely” and “I’ve Been Wrong” (retitled “I’ve Been Wrong Before” on Two Yanks in England) were previously released by the Hollies on their 1965 self-titled album, while “Don’t Run and Hide” was released on their album Bus Stop in 1966, and the melancholy closer “Hard Hard Year” and “Fifi the Flea” were featured on the band’s ’66 release Would You Believe? 

Though the Hollies collaborated with other artists, as Ransford and individually, their work with the Everly Brothers remains one of the greater standouts in their songbook. Here’s a look at three of the songs Nash, Clarke, and Hicks shared with the Everly Brothers and later recorded as the Hollies.

[RELATED: The Story Behind the Hollies’ Cheeky Tribute to Marianne Faithfull]

1. “Signs That Will Never Change” (1967)

After the Everly Brothers’ Two Yanks in England, the Hollies recorded several more songs from the album, which made their way out as B-sides and on LPs. “Signs That Will Never Change” made its way out a year later as a B-side to the band’s hit single “Carrie Anne,” their ode to Marianne Faithfull that peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, 

Leaves come falling on a winter’s day
Robins weep and watch them sail away
Floating on the water now, is autumn’s last farewell
These are signs that will never change
Signs that will never change

Rivers once were frozen now they’re free
Showing winter’s going rapidly
Tadpoles turning into frogs is winter’s last farewell
These are signs that will never change
Signs that will never change

2. “Have You Ever Loved Somebody?” (1967)

When the Hollies were working on their first of two albums in 1967, Evolution, they incorporated the mid-tempo “Have You Ever Loved Somebody?” The lyrics follow the one-sided regrets and longing for a broken romance.

You say that you want me and now that you’ve got me you’re gone
Think what you’re doing or else you’ll regret what you’ve done
Don’t come back tomorrow and say what we did wasn’t right
You’ll cry on your pillow and find it hard to sleep at night

Have you ever loved somebody?
Don’t you know just what it’s like?
Hurting someone that you’re close to
Have you ever loved all night, all night?

Remember what happened the last time that you said goodbye
Remember the saying that once bitten I’ll be twice shy
It’s no use me crying, there is no denying it’s right
When thinking has ruined the feeling that we had to fight

3. “Like Every Time Before” (1968)

While the Hollies were recording their 1967 albums Evolution and Butterfly, they also revisited “Like Every Time Before.” A year later, and two years after the Everly Brothers released the song in ’66, they released it as a B-Side to “Do The Best You Can.”

If you’d only realize
I’d been happy with you once before
Can’t you let it be the same and more
Without you fighting me, fighting me

If you could only look into my eyes
Then you would see the truth within them lies
That I am trying hard to bring us back together

You try so hard to complicate our love
But underneath it all it’s pride my love
That’s hurting us and keeping us apart

Photo: The Hollies (l to r): Graham Nash, Eric Haydock, Allan Clarke, Bobby Elliot, and Tony Hicks by Barry Peake/Shutterstock