Distant Light (Hollies album)

#1971_albums
#The_Hollies_albums
#Parlophone_albums
#Epic_Records_albums
#Albums_with_cover_art_by_Hipgnosis
#Albums_produced_by_Ron_Richards_(producer)
#Albums_produced_by_Allan_Clarke_(singer)
#Albums_produced_by_Tony_Hicks
#Albums_produced_by_Terry_Sylvester
#Albums_produced_by_Bernie_Calvert
Distant Light is a 1971 album released by the Hollies, their 11th UK album and their last before brief departure of lead vocalist and founding member Allan Clarke （who was absent on the following album and returned for their 1974 self-titled album）,
and reputedly the first album to come out of AIR Studios.
The album spawned two hit singles: the Allan Clarke penned "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress", which peaked at number two in the US and number 32 in the UK; and Tony Hicks penned "Long Dark Road",
which reached number 26 in the US. The US version of the album peaked at number 21 in the album charts.
The summer scene on the cover is rendered as a winter scene on the next Hollies album Romany.
The recording of the album featured guest appearances by pianist Gary Brooker （Procol Harum）, guitarist Mick Abrahams （Jethro Tull） and saxophonist Jim Jewell.
Vocals were sung by Madeline Bell, Doris Troy and Liza Strike.
The LP Distant Light was released on October 8, 1971 in a gatefold sleeve with a painted woodland and summer scene by Colin Elgie of Hipgnosis.
The idea was conceived by Storm Thorgerson （famous for his work with Pink Floyd）.
It contained a great deal of hidden messages and symbolism.
The author himself admitted years later that there were so many that he couldn't even remember some of them.
Inside the cover art were pictures of the band members taken at a house party at Tony Hicks' apartment.
The album was the band's biggest experiment to date.
The use of saxophones, girl choruses and more complex compositions in the style of the Moody Blues （"You Know The Score"...