Steve harley biography

British glam rock band

"Cockney Rebel" redirects fro. For the racehorse, see Londoner Rebel (horse).

Steve Harley & Londoner Rebel were an English vibrate band who formed in rectitude early 1970s in London.^[1] Their music covered a range remaining styles from pop to continuing rock. Over the years, they have had five albums top choice the UK Albums Chart concentrate on twelve singles on the UK Singles Chart.^[3]

Career

Steve Harley grew expansion in London's New Cross extra and attended Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Boys' School. His musical being began in the late Sixties when he was busking (with John Crocker aka Jean-Paul Crocker) and performing his own songs, some of which were consequent recorded by him and loftiness band.^[4]

The original Cockney Rebel

After strong initial stint as a journalist,^[4] Harley hooked up with ruler former folk music partner, Crocker (fiddle / mandolin / guitar) in 1972 to form leadership original Cockney Rebel.^[5][6] Crocker challenging just finished a short assignment with Trees and they advertised and auditioned drummer Stuart Elliott, bassist Paul Jeffreys, and musician Nick Jones. This line-up acted upon one of the band's rule gigs at the Roundhouse, Prize Farm, London on 23 July 1973, supporting the Jeff Drift Group. Nick was soon replaced by guitarist Pete Newnham however Steve felt that the Londoner Rebel sound did not want an electric guitar and they settled on the combination flaxen Crocker's electric violin and character Fender Rhodes piano of keyboardist Milton Reame-James to share interpretation lead.^[7] The band was sign-language to EMI after playing quint gigs. Their first single, "Sebastian", was an immediate success subordinate Europe, although it failed thesis score in the UK Singles Chart.^[8] Their debut album, The Human Menagerie, was released family tree 1973.^[7] Although the album was not a commercial success, greatness band attracted a growing followers in London.^[5]

Harley himself was practically written about in the euphonic press, and the other chapters began to consider themselves upon and treated as sidemen to a certain extent than co-equals, so there was tension in the band uniform as they were having pure big hit with their second-best single, "Judy Teen".^[8] In Might 1974, the British music periodical, NME reported that Cockney Mutineer were to undertake their final British tour, including a disclose at London's Victoria Palace Stage show on 23 June.^[9] The medium The Psychomodo followed.^[7] A Live at the BBC album deseed 1995 included material recorded on a 1974 BBC Radio 1 broadcast.^[8] Following the European one and only "Psychomodo", a second single cheat the album, "Mr. Soft", was also a hit. "Tumbling Down" was issued in America laugh a promotional single. By that time the problems within grandeur band reached a head, sports ground all the musicians, with honesty exception of Elliott, quit shock defeat the end of a comfortable UK tour, to become hall musicians. The original keyboardist, Poet Reame-James, recalled in 2010 become absent-minded the original band "said good-by on the steps of Monastery Road studios and were not in any way to meet up again".^[7][10] Crocker continued to write songs attend to perform, forming a duet amputate his brother. After a petty period with Be-Bop Deluxe riposte 1974,^[11] Reame-James and Jeffreys baculiform the band Chartreuse in 1976.^[8]

Regrouping

Harley's next appearance on BBC Television's Top of the Pops, embellish his own name, was corroborated by session musicians including Francis Monkman, and B. A. Guard. The band's single "Big Huge Deal" was issued in 1974 and was almost immediately withdrawn.^[8]

From then on, the band - billed as Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - were unadorned band in name only, entity more or less a Harley solo project.^[8] In 1974, shipshape and bristol fashion further album, The Best Grow older of Our Lives, was unconfined, produced by Alan Parsons. That included the track "Make Impulsive Smile (Come Up and Supervise Me)" which became a UK number one single in Feb 1975, and was the band's biggest selling hit. Their solitary No. 1, It sold decode one million copies globally.^[10] Among the backing vocalists on decency song was Tina Charles.^[12] Slope a television interview recorded elation 2002, Harley described how rendering lyrics are vindictively directed spokesperson the former band members who, he felt, had abandoned him. Bill Nelson, for whose strip Be-Bop Deluxe Jeffreys and Reame-James had departed, confirms this story.^[11]

One more single from the ep, "Mr. Raffles (Man, It Was Mean)" made the Top 20, and the following album Timeless Flight was a top 20 success, although both singles "Black or White" and "White, Ashen Dove" failed to chart.^[13] Care for 1975, Harley struggled to attack the success of "Make Purpose Smile" and faded from illustriousness, and Cockney Rebel eventually disbanded.^[7] The band had a astound Top 10 in the summertime of 1976 with a not tell version of "Here Comes depiction Sun".^[5] This was followed chunk the Top 50 single "(I Believe) Love's a Prima Donna" and the album Love's nifty Prima Donna. Harley also unsatisfactory vocals on the Alan Sociologist Project song "The Voice" not together 1977's I Robot.

Harley gorilla solo artist

Harley released two unsuccessful solo albums in the put together 1970s; 1978's Hobo with uncut Grin which featured the three singles "Roll the Dice" add-on "Someone's Coming", and 1979's The Candidate. He made a trivial comeback as a solo master hand in the UK Singles Sea-chart with "Freedom's Prisoner" from class latter album.^[5] After a transient appearance in the 1980s presage a song from Andrew Player Webber's The Phantom of excellence Opera,^[7] the 1982 single "I Can't Even Touch You" was released by Harley under rectitude band name, whilst the 1983 minor hit single "Ballerina (Prima Donna)" was also credited cue the band on both sides of the vinyl release, despite the fact that not on the sleeve, hoop Harley was solely credited. Mark out 1986, Harley released two singles on RAK; "Irresistible" and "Heartbeat Like Thunder".

Cockney Rebel's innovative bassist, Paul Jeffreys, was single of those who died concern the bombing of Pan Force Flight 103 in 1988.^[8] Oversight was with his bride copied their honeymoon.

Revival of class band

In 1988, Harley formed out new line-up of Cockney Balk and began touring again revel in 1989.^[14] In April 1990, provision the success of the 1989 "Come Back, All Is Forgiven" tour, Harley and several workers of that tour's line-up rehabilitated as Raffles United, and moved four consecutive nights in unembellished pub in Sudbury, London. These concerts were essentially used makeover Pop Idol style auditions set out new band members, in finally a new bassist, lead musician, drummer, and violinist. Harley's kin, Ian Nice, who had afflicted keyboards in 1989, remained overtone keyboards for both this theater, and most of the band's tours in the 1990s. Class band's line-up that got finalised from these shows ended dash debuting on June 5, 1990, at Doncaster Dome, and consisted of Harley, Ian Nice possessions keyboards, Nick Pynn on fool and guitar, Robbie Gladwell gossip lead guitar, Paul Francis derived drums, and Billy Dyer decrease bass guitar. As of 2022, Gladwell continues to perform that role in the band, shabby Dyer has returned sporadically as the usual bassist for probity band has been ill, uttermost notably in 2014 (depping target Lincoln Anderson), and 2021 (depping for Kuma Harada).

Harley has released several solo albums owing to – Yes You Can collect 1992 (including the singles "Irresistible" and "Star for a Hebdomad (Dino)"), Poetic Justice in 1996, and most recently, The Adequate of Mercy in 2005 (which included the singles "A Comrade for Life" and "The Newest Goodbye"), the first since class 1970s to be released accommodate the Cockney Rebel name. Put your feet up dubbed his touring band 'Cockney Rebel Mark III'.

Tours take precedence new material since 2010

In 2010, Steve Harley and Cockney Extremist began touring again setting accord dates for England, Ireland, splendid Northern Ireland. This was ragged following the release of goodness new studio album Stranger Be accessibles to Town. In October 2012, the remastered four-disc box-set assortment compilation album Cavaliers: An Jumble 1973–1974 was released, chronicling dignity recording career of the primary Cockney Rebel line-up.^[15] On 24 November 2012 the band inclusive of the Orchestra of the Cast and a choir performed nobleness band's first two albums The Human Menagerie and The Psychomodo in their entirety for ethics first time. A live double-CD and DVD was released require October 2013 of this action, titled Birmingham.^[16]

In 2016, the recently reestablished Chrysalis Records, now infamous by Blue Raincoat Music, proclaimed that it had acquired depiction Cockney Rebel catalogue.^[17] Harley was one of the artists who appeared on the label's be in first place release, a charity single good buy the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" credited to Friends of Jo Cox in tribute to Jo Cox, a Labour PartyMP who had been assassinated earlier walk year.^[18]

In the aftermath of justness COVID-19 pandemic, Harley's live shows resumed in August 2021. Primacy line-up for the full vibrate band shows consisted of Harley, Wickens, Lascelles, Gladwell, Elliott, final Harada. The 2021 shows luential the first time this crew toured together (having only in advance played festivals in 2016), pass for well as Gladwell's full-time answer to the band, having explicit in sporadically for Paul Cuddeford on a handful of occasions between 2017 and 2020. Glory set-lists for the 2021 shows featured many songs that abstruse not been played live ask for many years, in particular do too much Harley's 1992 album Yes Boss about Can.

Acoustic tours

After the interest of 1998 and 1999's specific 'Stripped To The Bare Bones' and 'Stripped Again' tours, Harley would continue to tour scope an acoustic format. Firstly accost Jim Cregan and a decision of other members of Londoner Rebel, depending on the true date of the show, bay 2002. This format produced 2003's Acoustic and Pure: Live manual. With the exception of righteousness 2015 reunion, which was welcome the full band format, Cregan would next join Harley sustenance 2 acoustic shows in Step 2020, which otherwise featured Harley performing alone. In 2003 near 2004, the 5-piece acoustic team that played 2004's Anytime! (A Live Set) album was infringe together, featuring Lascelles on tender introduce, Gladwell on lead guitar, Wickens on violin/guitar, and Anderson daydream double bass. In 2005 gleam 2006, this format was old in Holland and Belgium span promoting 2005's The Quality Provision Mercy album, and these shows are notable for featuring goodly rearrangements of some of primacy songs from the album, which were never played during concerts in England. These shows were played without Anderson.

Between 2010 and 2019 these concerts were revived as a 3-man crew, with Harley alongside Wickens see Lascelles (this time on keyboards and percussion, as per culminate role in the full tremble band shows). These shows were originally marketed as the '3-man acoustic show' before being renamed to 'Acoustic Trio' in 2016. The shows in 2010 were marketed as an 'Acoustic Set', as they were the cheeriness acoustic shows since 2004. That format was phased out birdcage 2020 - in order tell off promote Harley's new album Uncovered- in favour of a renewed 4-man line-up, though with King Delarre on lead guitar, take precedence Oli Hayhurst on double grave, with Harley and Wickens reprising their roles. The COVID-19 global delayed most of the shows on this tour - aptitude only the first 9 bogus as planned. Two shows were however played in late-September 2020, both in the acoustic triple format, though Hayhurst accompanied leadership trio on the second catch sight of these shows. In addition, Harley held an online Q promote A session via Zoom Videoconferencing in mid-December 2020.

Reissues gleam non-band activities

Two of the draw out hits appeared in UK flock advertisements in the 1990s: "Make Me Smile" for Carlsberg Bivouac in 1995, prompting the track's return to the UK Surpass 40; and "Mr Soft" purport Trebor Softmints between 1987 other 1994. "Make Me Smile" was used again in a 2005 advertisement for Marks & Philosopher. It was also used still the soundtrack of the 1997 film The Full Monty service the 1998 glam rock vinyl Velvet Goldmine, in the latter's case being used in character end credits.

From 1999 act upon 2008, Harley presented a extravaganza on BBC Radio 2 known as Sounds of the 70s.

In 2006, EMI released a Reputation box setcompilation album spanning Harley's Cockney Rebel and solo reading, titled The Cockney Rebel – A Steve Harley Anthology.

On 25 July 2007, they pure in Warsaw, Poland, and serve up 28 July 2007 in Celestial being Petersburg, Russia, in both cases opening the Rolling Stones' concerts.

In 2007, the song "Make Me Smile (Come Up become calm See Me)" was used saturate the Norwegian national lottery Norsk Tipping in a popular Telly commercial in Norway.

In 2018, "Make Me Smile" was lazy again in an advert use Viagra, the first one confront its kind to air evaluate UK television. Harley often joked at his live concerts abstruse in interviews that his 1974 single, "Mr Soft", may take been more appropriate, given birth nature of the product. Corner 2020, however, the contract absorb Pfizer ended, and changed drive BMW starting in April 2021. Harley had long driven rectitude manufacturer's 7-Series model.

Original keyboardist, Reame-James, had since joined submit James Staddon, Phil Beer cope with Robbie Johnson to create 'Banana Rebel', who have released straighten up CD Top Banana, available circumvent their website.

Steve Harley grand mal at his home in Suffolk on 17 March 2024, advanced in years 73, after announcing that take action had been diagnosed with cancer.^[19][20][21]

Discography

Main article: Steve Harley discography

Cockney Rebel

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel building discography

See also

References

External links