''Valentine'' is the seventh album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist

Roy Harper Roy Harper may refer to: * Roy Harper (character), DC Comics character *Roy Harper (footballer) (born 1929), Australian footballer *Roy Harper (referee) (died 1969), English football referee * Roy Harper (singer) (born 1941), English musician * Roy ...

. It was first released in 1974 by Harvest Records.

History

The album contains mainly love songs and was written whilst Harper was writing and recording his previous albums ('' Stormcock'' and ''

Lifemask ''Lifemask'' is the sixth album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper, and was first released in 1973 by Harvest Records. History ''Lifemask'' was written by Harper during a period of illness when HHT, which lead ...

''). Promotional material at the time included full-page advertisements, in magazines such as ZigZag, of Harper wearing only a pair of socks and the words "music to droop your drawers to".

Tracks on compilation albums

A retrospective

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

'' A Breath of Fresh Air – A Harvest Records Anthology 1969–1974'', was released in 2007. This 3-disc compilation contains the album track "Twelve Hours Of Sunset".

Album cover

The album artwork has altered over the years according to the release label. The original release featured a carbon portrait of Harper erasing himself with a rubber. It was drawn by Joe Petagno whilst working for Hipgnosis The 1989

Awareness Records Awareness Records was a record label founded in the mid-1980s by its owner, Andy Ware. The label was based in England and had Roy Harper and Michael Nesmith among its artists. Artists * Michael Nesmith * Roy Harper * Kurth & Taylor * James ...

release featured a portrait of Harper by his then wife. In 1994, the Science Friction release reverted to a portrait of Harper, very similar to the original release, this time drawn by an old friend of Harper's, James Edgar. The most recent release reverts to the album's original Petagno drawn artwork.

Cover versions

David Bedford, who orchestrated the album, composed a 35-minute choral suite, commissioned by the BBC, "Twelve Hours of Sunset", based on Harper's song of the same name, which was given its live premier at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

, London on 8 August 1975, by the BBC Singers,

BBC Choral Society The BBC Symphony Chorus is a British people, British amateur Choir, chorus based in London. It is the dedicated chorus for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, though it performs with other national and international orchestras. Brief history Background ...

and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with Simon Lindley on organ, conducted by John Poole, as part of the 75th Proms. Another performance for BBC Radio was on 29 August 1997, on

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

, by the Crouch End Festival Chorus and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with Jacques van Steen conducting, as part of a 60th birthday tribute to Bedford, who was also interviewed.

Track listing

Personnel

– guitar and vocals * David Bedford –

orchestral arrangements An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ...

*Steve Broughton – percussion * Pete Sears – electric bass on "Forbidden Fruit" and "Acapulco Gold" * Mike Gibbs – brass arrangement on "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues" * Ronnie Lane – electric bass on "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues" *

Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 19467 September 1978) was an English drummer for the rock band the Who. He was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour and addiction to drugs and alcohol. Moon grew ...

– percussion on "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues" *

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

– electric guitar on "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues" * Max Middleton – piano on "Acapulco Gold" *Marty Simon – percussion on "Acapulco Gold" *Tim Walker – guitar on "Che" *

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist w ...

– flute on "Home" (studio) ;Technical * John Leckie – sound engineer

References

External links

Roy Harper official site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentine (Album) Roy Harper (singer) albums 1974 albums Chrysalis Records albums Harvest Records albums Albums with cover art by Hipgnosis Albums with cover art by Joe Petagno Albums produced by Peter Jenner