Catching the last bus to Liverpool: The night Graham Nash beat The Beatles in 1959
When Graham Nash first started making music with The Hollies, their goal was simple: get the people dancing.
Nash looks back now and doesn’t think he gave the music he was making back then enough credit, but while it might not have been the most sentimental or emotional music out there, it brought people a lot of enjoyment. In an exclusive interview with Nash, he revealed that he listens back now and thoroughly enjoys what he did with the band.
“I’m realising more and more as I get older just how good The Hollies were,” he said, “They were a band, even though I was part of the band, we wanted to have as much fun on stage as possible, and we wanted our audience to feel the same thing. We wanted them to shake their ass and dance and sing. That’s fine with me. Even today, I love it when people sing my songs back to me.”
While Nash enjoys listening to that music now, when he was younger, he knew he wanted to put together tracks that pushed the boat out a little more. This meant in theme, sound, and concept. There was one band in particular that really encouraged Nash to make something different, and it was The Beatles, as he watched them evolve from a covers band to one of the most forward-thinking groups on the planet.
“So I followed them over the years and watched them develop from an R&B covers group to Revolver and Sgt Pepper’s,” he said in an interview with Uncut, “To see that transition was both fascinating and inspiring.”
When Nash spoke about The Beatles, he would praise how willing they were to ditch what was a working formula in pursuit of something new. It’s very easy for different bands and artists to uncover a style of music that works and not veer much from it, but The Beatles were always keen on pushing themselves creatively. It was hearing them do this so well that made Graham Nash want to try and emulate it.
But how did Graham Nash know so well how The Beatles sounded during their early days? Well, it’s because he played alongside them during a talent show in 1959. Well, he didn’t just play alongside them, actually, but he beat them. In what was a star-studded night in Manchester, Nash and future Hollies member Allan Clarke stole the show.
“I first met The Beatles at a talent show in November 1959, on the final round of TV Star Search, at the New Manchester Hippodrome theatre,” he recalled, “On this particular night, it was me and Allan Clarke, who later became The Hollies. These four kids from Liverpool, who were then called Johnny and The Moondogs. Me and Clarkey actually won. The Beatles did Buddy Holly’s ‘Think It Over’. They weren’t there at the very end because they had to catch the last bus home to Liverpool at nine o’clock.”
It was easy for Nash to truly appreciate the trajectory of The Beatles because he was there from the very start. From simple covers all the way to redefining what a concept album was, the band’s newfound experimentation encouraged him to try some new angles when making new music.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.