Stop Stop Stop

"Stop Stop Stop" is a song by British pop group The Hollies[2] that was written by group members Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks, and Graham Nash, and was a rewrite of an earlier song by the group. It was first released as a single and later appeared on the album For Certain Because in the United Kingdom.

This article is about the Hollies song. For the Hollies album, see For Certain Because. For the Nu Virgos album, see Stop! Stop! Stop! (album).
"Stop Stop Stop"
Single by The Hollies
from the album For Certain Because
B-side"It's You"
Released7 October 1966 (1966-10-07)[1]
Recorded20 June & 17 August 1966, EMI Studios, London
GenrePop rock, folk rock, psychedelic pop
Length2:47
LabelParlophone (U.K.) Imperial Records (U.S.)
Songwriter(s)Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks, Graham Nash
Producer(s)Ron Richards
The Hollies singles chronology
"After the Fox"
(1966)		 "Stop Stop Stop"
(1966)		 "On a Carousel"
(1967)

The song was released as a single by the Parlophone label in October 1966[3] and was released around the same time in the United States by Imperial Records. It was the last single that The Hollies released that year (see 1966 in music) and became a worldwide hit reaching the top 10 of the singles charts in 8 countries, including at #1 in Canada.[4] There is also an Italian version, made by Rita Pavone. The song was covered by Minneapolis Celtic-punk group Boiled in Lead on their 1989 album From the Ladle to the Grave, also interpolating a traditional Egyptian melody into the song.[5]

Background and recording

"Stop Stop Stop" is notable for being one of the few recordings by the group that feature Tony Hicks playing the banjo, and was the only song with that instrument to be performed live by the group.[6] The banjo was played through tape delay so that it sounds like a balalaika, while the tempo was similarly influenced by Middle Eastern and Greek music, which, combined with Bobby Elliott's vehement cymbal crashes, results in what critic Richie Unterberger describes as one of the most offbeat rock songs of 1966.[7] The song – like most others by the group – feature a three-part vocal harmony between Clarke, Hicks, and Nash. The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, England and was produced by Ron Richards.

Graham Nash has said in various interviews that this song was inspired by the time American record executive and impresario Morris Levy took him and the rest of the band to a strip club. They had not been to one before since they did not have any in their hometown of Manchester, England.

"Stop Stop Stop" is similar to the song "Come On Back", also written by Clarke-Hicks-Nash, which was released as the B-side of "We're Through" in September 1964.[3]

Reception

The reception for the song in North America was so strong that the group's record labels in the United States (Imperial) and Canada (Capitol) released a studio album by the group titled Stop! Stop! Stop!, which was originally released in the United Kingdom as For Certain Because.

Charts
Chart (1966) Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set)[8] 11
Canadian Top Singles[4] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] 5
Norway (VG-lista)[10] 4
Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[11] 4
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 7
West Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 4

References
  1. The History of The Hollies: 24 Genuine Top Thirty Hits (Vinyl sleeve). The Hollies. EMI. 1975. Back cover. EMSP 650.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 38 - The Rubberization of Soul: The great pop music renaissance. [Part 4]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
  3. "RPM 100" (PHP). RPM. 6 (16). 19 December 1966. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  4. Lipsig, Chuck (17 January 2011). "Boiled in Lead: The Not Quite Complete Recordings". Green Man Review. Archived from the original on 21 January 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  5. Epic Anthology: From the Original Master Tapes (CD liner). The Hollies. United States: Epic Records. 1990. EGK 46161.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. Unterberger, Richie. "Song Review by Richie Unterberger". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  7. "Go-Set Australian Charts –14 December 1966". Pop Archives. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  8. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Hollies – Stop Stop Stop" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  9. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Hollies – Stop Stop Stop". VG-lista.
  10. Hallberg, Eric (1993). Kvällstoppen i P3 (1st ed.). Sweden: Drift Musik. ISBN 91-630-2140-4.
  11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  12. "The Hollies Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Hollies, The – Stop Stop Stop". GfK Entertainment Charts. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Hollies, The"
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