B

Clarke, Allan

Band members Related acts

- Ben Benay - guitar (1978)
- Richard Bennett - guitar (1980)
- Gary Brooker - keyboards (1972)
- Larry Brown - drums, percussion (1978, 80)
- Robbie Buchanan - keyboards, synthsizers (1978)
- Allan Clarke - vocals, guitar
- Roge Coulam - keyboards (1972)
- Eric Dillan - drums (1972)
- Joe Egan - keyboards (1972)
- Herbie Flowers - bass (1972)
- Ray Glynn - guitar, backing vocals (1972)
- Jay Graydon - guitar (1978)
- Tom Hensley - keyboards (1978, 80)
- David Kemper - drums (1978, 80)
- Joe Morretti - guitar (1972)
- Dee Murray - bass (1972)
- Tony Newman - drums (1972)
- Alan Parker - guitar (1972)
- Mike Pocaro - bass (1978, 80)
- Doug Rhone - guitar (1980)
- Leland Sklar - bass (1980)

- The Hollies

Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: My Real Name Is 'arold Company: Epic Catalog: KE 31757 Year: 1972 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: minor ring wear Available: 2 Price: $8.00	Best known for his role fronting The Hollies (see separate entry), singer Allan Clarke's never been able to mount much of a solo career. At least in England he's been able to steadily release solo material. Sadly, that's not been the case in the States where much of his solo catalog has never been released, leaving Clarke as little more than a musical footnote. Technically, Clarke's solo career started while he was still in The Hollies. Released in 1972, the self-produced "My Real Name Is 'Arnold" wasn't a bad debut. With Clarke penning most of the material, track such as the rocking "Ruby" and "Bring On Your Smiles" offered up a commercial and radio-ready set of top-40 pop. Sure, the set suffered from an overdose of Hollies-styled mushy, string-ladened ballads ("Nature's Way of Saying Goodbye", "Baby It's Alright with Me" and "You're Losing Me"), but the overall results were easily as impressive as the last few Hollies releases. Unfortunately with Hollies fans ignoring the album, the debut failed to sell. "My Real Name Is 'Arnold" track listing: 1.) Ruby (Allan Clarke - Ray Glynn) - 3:25 2.) Mary Skeffington (Gerry Rafferty) - 3:07 3.) Baby It's Alright with Me (Allan Clarke) - 5:47 4.) Moonshine Whiskey (Allan Clarke) - 4:01 5.) Nature's Way of Saying Goodbye (Allan Clarke) - 4:32 6.) You're Losing Me (Chater - Armand) - 4:27 7.) Let Us Pray (Allan Clarke - Ray Glynn) - 4:29 8.) Patchwork Quilts (Allan Clarke - Slater) - 4:06 9.) Walpurgis Night (Joe Egan) - 3:43 10.) Bring On Your Smiles (Allan Clarke - Herbie Flowers) - 3:04

Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Allan Clarke Company: EMI Catalog: EMC 3041 Year: 1974 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: UK pressing; minor ring wear on back cover Available: 1 Price: $12.00

Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Legendary Heroes Company: Elektra Catalog: 6E 267 Year: 1980 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: original lyric inner sleeve Available: 1 Price: $7.00	Continuing his corporate wanderings (on his fourth label in eight years), 1980's Spencer Proffer produced "Legendary Heroes" found Clarke affiliated with Elektra Records. Featuring a collection of original material largely co-written with Gary Benson (the one exception being a rote cover of Badfinger's "Baby Blue"), the set wasn't a drastic departure from Clarke's earlier solo efforts. As you'd expect, material such as "The Only Ones", "Brandenberg Plaza" (apparently based on an interesting trip to Berlin), and "Driving the Doomsday Car" was highly commercial and surprisingly lyrically oriented (we've seen thesis containing fewer words than "Survivor"). Propelled by Clarke's distinctive voice, any of the ten songs would have made a dandy single, though uptempo tracks such as "Imagination's Child" provided the highlights. Released as a single "Slipstream" b/w "Imagination's Child" (Elektra catalog number 46617) provided Clarke with an isolated top-100 single. Probably one of the best solo efforts he's recorded, like all of his solo albums, it vanished without a trace. "Legendary Heroes" track listing: 1.) Slipstream (Allan Clarke - Gary Benson) - 2.) The Only Ones (Allan Clarke - Gary Benson) - 3.) Walls (Allan Clarke - Gary Benson) - 4.) Brandenberg Plaza (Allan Clarke - Gary Benson) - 5.) The Survivor (Allan Clarke - Gary Benson) - 6.) Driving the Doomsday Car (Allan Clarke - Gary Benson) - 7.) Baby Blue (Pete Hamm) 8.) Sanctuary (Allan Clarke - Gary Benson) - 9.) Imagination's Child (Allan Clarke - Spencer Proffer) - 10.) Legendary Heroes (Allan Clarke - Gary Benson) - In England at least two retrospectives exist: 1981's "The Best of Allan Clarke" and 1993's "Singles A's & B's 1970-1979". We've never seen or heard either.

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