Graham Nash left The Hollies in December 1968, driven in part by the band’s decision to record an entire tribute album of Bob Dylan covers.
Nash founded The Hollies with school friend Allan Clarke in the 1950s, long before the rest of the band joined.
The band was known for their upbeat pop songs like “Stop, Stop, Stop” and “Carrie Anne”. However, by the end of the 1960s, the band wanted to be experimental with their sound, something Nash did not agree with.
Nash wanted the band to record the psychedelic “King Midas In Reverse”, as a single in 1967. American Songwriter notes that the experimental song failed and caused a rift between Nash and his bandmates.
Next, they recorded an album of Bob Dylan covers. While Nash appreciated Dylan, he didn’t want to release covers and didn’t like the arrangements they chose. Nash grew frustrated when the other band members opposed the lyrics in his latest songs.
“I’d written what I thought were some interesting songs at that time — ‘Marrakesh Express’, ‘Right Between the Eyes’, ‘Lady of the Island’ — and the Hollies weren’t interested in them,” he said, per Four Way Street: The Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
“And when I said in the first ‘Sleep Song’ for instance, ‘I’ll take off my clothes and I’ll lay by your side’, they said, ‘Hey, you can’t bloody sing that. We’re not going to sing that filthy stuff.’ Saying those things to a stoned musician is ridiculous,” the singer concluded.
Around this time, he met Stephen Stills and David Crosby. They immediately bonded and found all three were looking for new artistic ventures. Practicing in Joni Mitchell’s lounge, the trio knew they could make great music together, so he decided to quit The Hollies.
“It was a very difficult decision to leave the Hollies. They were my friends for many, many years, but when I heard myself singing with David and Stephen that first time in Joni’s [Mitchell] living room, my life changed dramatically. I needed to sing those songs,” Nash told The Guardian in 2015.
Luckily, Nash and Clarke would reunite years later. “I’m very grateful for that. I think a lot of [the pain] dissipated for me when Crosby & Nash played at the Royal Albert Hall about four years ago,” he said in 2015/
“I decided to invite Allan up to sing Bus Stop and the look on his face when I introduced him to the audience – who cheered madly for him – was very healing for me,” the singer-songwriter revealed.
