In memory of Jeff Beck who has died at 78, this was probably his most commercial track and not his kind of thing at all. It was produced by Mickie Most, though how those two got together is a mystery to me. According to Wikipedia, Beck said that Hi Ho Silver Lining was like ‘having a pink toilet seat hung around your neck for the rest of your life’. Spot on: it’s awful.
The song was by Americans Scott English and Larry Weiss and first released as a single in March 1967 by the Attack.
Jeff Beck’s version was released a few days later.
The Attack got to No 53 in Britain while Beck reached No 14, and when it was re-released in 1972 it got to No 17. In America it reached No 123 in 1967 – I imagine they did not try it again in 1972.
RIP to Jeff.
I have to disagree about “Hi Ho”, I think it’s a fab song and Jeff Beck’s version is the best. Fun, singalong and great guitar solo. It is said to be out of character but I don’t know. I’ve never understood why some groups disown their greatest, most popular songs. The Small Faces were said to dislike “Lazy Sunday”, but surely that is one of their best?
The b-side of “Hi Ho” is the great “Beck’s Bolero” with mad Keith Moon on drums. All in all it was a very influential single for me.
Jeff Beck’s greatest days were in The Yardbirds in my opinion. That is where his reputation as a guitar genius originated. Equally The Yardbirds’ best days were those with Jeff Beck: “Heartful Of Soul”, “Evil Hearted You”, “Shapes of Things”, “Over, Under, Sideways Down” and this rocker, “Psycho Daisies”…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elPlidNTeog
By the way The Attack were a great group, one of the greatest 60s groups that no-one has ever heard of!
“We Don’t Know”, “Neville Thumbcatch” and best of all “Anymore Than I Do” are unknown classics.