The Hollies’ 1967 hit “Carrie Anne” reached No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but the story behind the song was kept secret for decades.
The British band wrote the song as a tribute to singer and actress Marianne Faithfull, using the name “Carrie Anne” so the real inspiration would not be obvious.
Written by Hollies members Allan Clarke, Graham Nash and Tony Hicks, “Carrie Anne” was recorded on May 1, 1967, at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios. The song was released as a single that same month through Parlophone Records in the United Kingdom and Epic Records in the United States.
The song also became a major hit in other markets. It reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 9 in Canada, No. 4 in Ireland and the Netherlands, and No. 3 in New Zealand. It also reached No. 7 in Australia and Norway and No. 8 in West Germany.
English pop group The Hollies posed circa 1967.Photo by Mark Hayward Archive/Redferns
For years, however, listeners did not know that “Carrie Anne” was connected to Faithfull. Graham Nash later revealed the story in a 1995 documentary.
The Hollies’ ‘Carrie Anne’ and Marianne Faithfull Connection
According to Nash, the song began as a song about Faithfull. The group had seen the singer and were attracted to her, but they did not want to use her real name.
“I must admit that ‘Carrie Anne’ started out to be a song about Marianne Faithfull,” Nash said in an interview. “She was unbelievably attractive. She was an incredibly sexy woman but we just didn’t have the courage to say ‘Marianne,’ because it would have given away the fact that everyone wanted to make love to Marianne Faithfull.”
Nash added, “So we made up this girl’s name, ‘Carrie Anne.’ It seemed to work.”
The choice of name was meant to hide the song’s real subject. According to Songfacts, Faithfull had dated Hollies singer-guitarist Allan Clarke for a short time. Clarke was one of the song’s three writers, along with Nash and Hicks.
The song tells the story of a woman remembered from school days who later became interested in older boys. The lyrics then move into a more grown-up conversation between the singer and Carrie Anne.
The three writers also shared the lead vocals, with Clarke, Hicks and Nash each taking a verse.
Musically, “Carrie Anne” stood out because of its vocal harmonies and unusual instrumentation. The introduction was strongly influenced by the Beach Boys, while the recording featured a steelpan solo.
The instrument was an unusual choice for a pop record at the time, and sources describe the song as possibly the first commercial pop recording to use steel drums.
The identity of the musician who played the steelpan has also been debated. Trinidadian Ralph Richardson is often identified as the likely player, while another account suggests Mario Gibbins may have performed it.
The recording itself was completed quickly. The Hollies recorded “Carrie Anne” in only two takes at Abbey Road Studios on May 1, 1967. The first take was a false start and later appeared on the compilation The Hollies at Abbey Road: 1966 to 1970.
“Carrie Anne” arrived during one of the Hollies’ strongest periods. The band had already built a long run of successful singles, including “Bus Stop,” “Stop Stop Stop” and “On a Carousel.”
The Hollies were known for their tight harmonies and catchy pop-rock arrangements. Their success continued on both sides of the Atlantic, and “Carrie Anne” became another important entry in their 1960s hit run.
The song was released with “Signs That Will Never Change” as its B-side. That song had previously been recorded by the Everly Brothers and appeared on their 1966 album Two Yanks in England.
“Carrie Anne” also remained part of popular culture after its original chart run. It appeared on the soundtrack of Michael Apted’s 1974 film Stardust and was later used in HBO’s The Sopranos, during a flashback in the episode “Down Neck.”
One unusual piece of the song’s legacy is connected to actress Carrie-Anne Moss. The Matrix star was named after the Hollies song, which was on the charts around the time of her birth in August 1967.
For the Hollies, “Carrie Anne” remains one of the songs that helped define their successful 1960s period.
Related: 1976 Folk Song, Recorded in Two Victorian Houses in Toronto, Became a Major Billboard Hit
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