Jennifer Eccles by The Hollies

Album: Evolution (1968)

Charted: 11 40

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In 1967, The Hollies had a hit with "Carrie Anne," where they recall looking for love on the schoolyard. A year later, they released "Jennifer Eccles," another breezy tune about an innocent childhood romance. The name was constructed from the first name of lead singer Allan Clarke's wife (Jennifer Bowstead) and the maiden name of guitarist Graham Nash's wife (Rose Eccles).
Several months after this became a hit, Graham Nash of the Hollies contributed some backing vocals to The Scaffold's UK chart-topper "Lily The Pink." One of the lines, "Jennifer Eccles had terrible freckles," alludes to this song.
This is one of the last Hollies hits with Graham Nash, who left before they recorded their next album, a set of Bob Dylan covers called Hollies Sing Dylan. He picked up with David Crosby and Stephen Stills to form Crosby, Stills & Nash.

"Me, Graham and our wives were at his flat in Hampstead," Allan Clarke recalled to Mojo magazine. "We said, 'Let's write a silly song, and we wrote Jennifer Eccles. Graham said, 'I don't want to do these sorts of songs anymore.'"

Comments: 9

Sam Burkes from 39350A sleeper hit, came out in March 1968, while we were living in Tucson, AZ. Opinion: Never really liked the half-step key change as that quick steel guitar octave passage happens. But, thats,the way they all wanted it. Believe to be the "swansong" of the Clark/Hicks/Nash writing/vocal triumvirate.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 10th 1968, "Jennifer Eccles" by the Hollies entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #76; and nine weeks later on May 12th, 1968 it peaked at #40 {for 1 week} and spent 11 weeks on the Top 100...
It reached #5 in Austria and Norway...
Between 1964 and 1983 the quintet had twenty-four Top 100 records; six made the Top 10 with "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" being their biggest hit, it peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} in 1972...
The two weeks that "Long Cool Woman" was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
Steve from Whittier, CaThis is as close to so called "bubblegum" as the Hollies got!!!! There was this "wolf whistling" sound, something not mentioned...there was a dollfrom Ideal Toys with a somewhat like-styled and wolf-whislting theme, Tiffany Taylor in the 70s and same #of syllables.
Daevid from Glendale, CaI actually went out with a girl named Jennifer Eccles------a good natured sweet gal.
Rob from West Sussex, EnglandThis song was written in response to the 'failing' in the charts (in the UK) of King Midas In Reverse.
It was decided to go straight back to the more commercial sound of The Hollies, and Jennifer Eccles was the product.
Graham Nash wasn't overly impressed by this turn against his more flamboyant songwriting ideas...co-incidence or not that he left the band later this year?
Rob from West Sussex, EnglandGraham Nash actually guest sings the line about Jennifer Eccles in Scaffold's Lily The Pink...small world, this pop business...
Fiona from Napier, New ZealandHeh, here I was thinking that this Jennifer Eccles was the same one as in Lily the Pink... like she became really popular with the lads after taking Medicinal Compound.
Matthew from Shrewsbury, EnglandActually peaked in the UK at number 7, this is one of my most favourite (if there is such a need for a qualifier before such a word) Hollies tracks.
Gene from Hammond, InThis song, like many Hollies songs, featured very unique instrumentation. Considering it was the early to late 1960's, it was unique indeed to hear a pedal steel guitar in the "middle 8" bars of this song, especially from a British group!

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