Steve Harley
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Steve Harley (born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice; 27 February 1951) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as frontman of the rock group Cockney Rebel, with whom he still
tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...
, albeit with frequent and significant personnel changes.


Early life

Harley was born in 1951 in Deptford, London, the second of five children. His father was a milkman and his mother a semi-professional jazz singer. During the summer of 1953, Harley contracted
polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe sy ...
, causing him to spend four years in hospital between the ages of three and 16. He underwent two major surgeries in 1963 and 1966. After recovering from the first operation at the age of 12, Harley was introduced to the poetry of T. S. Eliot and
D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...
, the prose of
John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...
, Virginia Woolf and
Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...
, and the music of
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
, which inspired him to a career of words and music. From the age of nine, Harley began taking classical violin lessons and would later play as part of his grammar school orchestra. Aged 10, he began learning the guitar after receiving a Spanish nylon-strung guitar from his parents at Christmas. Harley was a pupil at Edmund Waller Primary School in New Cross, London. He then attended Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Boys' Grammar School until he was 17. He left school without completing his advanced level exams.


Career

In 1968, at the age of 17, Harley began his first full-time job, working as a trainee accountant with the ''
Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet ...
'' – despite having gained only 24% in his mock O-level maths exam. From there he progressed to become a reporter. After being interviewed by several newspaper editors, Harley signed to train with Essex County Newspapers. Over three years, Harley worked at the ''Essex County Standard'', the ''Braintree and Witham Times'', the ''Maldon and Burnham Standard'' and the ''Colchester Evening Gazette''. He later returned to London to work for the ''
East London Advertiser The ''East London Advertiser'' is a weekly local newspaper in east London, England covering primarily the borough of Tower Hamlets. It was formed in late 2011 by Archant's merging of ''The Docklands'' and the ''East London Advertiser''. The ''Ea ...
'' (''ELA''). Harley became disillusioned with the job when his editor insisted he write a report on a shoplifter who had absentmindedly walked out with a tin of soup and a tin of baked beans. Taking advice from his union representative, he stopped wearing a tie, grew his hair and was duly sacked. Among many of Harley's peers who went on to gain successful careers in national journalism were John Blake and Richard Madeley; the latter took over Harley's desk at the ''ELA'' in 1972. Harley started his musical career playing in bars and
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in 1971, mainly at folk venues on open-mike nights. He sang at Les Cousins,
Bunjies Bunjies Coffee House & Folk Cellar was a cafe situated at 27 Litchfield Street (just off Charing Cross Road), London WC2. Opened in 1953 or 1954, it was one of the original ''folk cafés'' of the 1950s and 1960s. Below the café, in a 400-year-old ...
and The Troubadour on nights featuring John Martyn, Ralph McTell,
Martin Carthy Martin Carthy MBE (born 21 May 1941) is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, and later artists such ...
and Julie Felix, who were all popular musicians within the London folk movement of the time. In 1971, he auditioned for the folk band Odin as rhythm guitarist and co-singer, which was where he met Jean-Paul Crocker, who would become the first Cockney Rebel violinist. Harley began busking around London in 1972, including on the Underground and in Portobello Road, whilst also writing songs. After the folk scene proved not to be his preference, he formed the band Cockney Rebel in late 1972 as a vehicle for his own work.


Cockney Rebel 1972–77

The original Cockney Rebel consisted of Harley, Crocker, drummer Stuart Elliott, bassist
Paul Jeffreys Paul Avron Jeffreys (13 February 1952 – 21 December 1988) was an English rock musician. He played bass guitar in Cockney Rebel between 1972 and 1974, working on the group's first two albums, and later worked with a number of British bands, i ...
and guitarist Nick Jones. Jones was soon replaced by Pete Newnham; however, Harley felt the band did not need electric guitar, particularly with the arrival of keyboardist Milton Reame-James. They settled on the combination of Crocker's electric violin and Reame-James' Fender
Rhodes piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...
. During 1972, representatives of Cockney Rebel began to send demo tapes to various labels.
Mickie Most Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003), known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind scores of hit singles for acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Ch ...
discovered the band at a London nightclub known as The Speakeasy Club and offered them their first contract with his RAK Publishing. In turn this influenced the A&R personnel at EMI Records, who then offered the band a three-album deal. With producer Neil Harrison, Cockney Rebel recorded their debut album, ''
The Human Menagerie ''The Human Menagerie'' is the debut studio album by Cockney Rebel, which was released by EMI in 1973. It was produced by Neil Harrison. Background After training as a journalist for three years, Steve Harley embarked on a musical career, which ...
'', during June and July 1973. Their debut single " Sebastian" became a hit across Europe, but failed to chart in the UK. When released in November 1973, ''The Human Menagerie'' suffered a similar fate. Despite the lack of commercial success, the album was critically well-received and soon gained cult status. ''The Human Menagerie''s lack of success led EMI to feel that the band had yet to record a potential hit single. In response, Harley went away to re-work the unrecorded song "
Judy Teen "Judy Teen" is a song by the British rock band Cockney Rebel, fronted by Steve Harley. It was released as a non-album single in 1974, and became the band's first UK hit, after their debut single, " Sebastian", was only a hit in continental Europe ...
", with the objective of making it single material. "Judy Teen" was released in March 1974 and peaked at No. 5 in the UK. During February and March 1974, the band recorded their second album ''
The Psychomodo ''The Psychomodo'' is the second studio album by Cockney Rebel, which was released by EMI in 1974. It was produced by Steve Harley and Alan Parsons. Background Cockney Rebel's debut album, ''The Human Menagerie'', was released in 1973 and failed ...
'', which was produced by Harley and Alan Parsons. Released in June, the album peaked at No. 8 in the UK. From May until July the band embarked on a major UK tour to promote the album; tensions grew among them as the tour progressed. On 18 July they received a 'Gold Award' for outstanding new act of 1974; a week later, with the tour finished, several members left over the disagreements. Crocker, Reame-James and Jeffreys chose to quit, having unsuccessfully demanded to write material for the group despite the initial understanding that Harley was the sole songwriter. Following the band's split, the single " Mr. Soft", taken from ''The Psychomodo'', reached No. 8 in the UK. Left without a permanent band, Harley soon began auditioning new musicians. Meanwhile, Harley and Parsons worked with Dutch singer
Yvonne Keeley Yvonne Keeley (born Yvonne Paaij, 6 September 1952) is a Dutch pop music singer. She is the sister of Patricia Paay. She began her career as a session singer in the music industry in London. She was the girlfriend of Steve Harley of Steve Ha ...
in the studio. In August 1974, EMI released her version of " Tumbling Down" as a single, backed by another Cockney Rebel cover, "Loretta's Tale". During September, Harley recorded his debut solo single " Big Big Deal", which was released in November. The song failed to enter the UK Top 50; however, it did enter the unnumbered BMRB's UK Breakers chart. By this time, a new line-up of Cockney Rebel had been finalised. With original drummer Stuart Elliott remaining in the band, the new line-up included guitarist Jim Cregan, keyboard player Duncan Mackay and bassist George Ford. Renamed Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, they recorded the album '' The Best Years of Our Lives'' in November and December 1974, with Harley and Parsons again producing. In January 1975, the lead single from the forthcoming album, "
Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which was released in 1975 by EMI as the lead single from the band's third studio album ''The Best Years of Our Lives''. The song was written ...
", was released. Becoming the band's biggest hit, the song reached the number one spot on the UK Chart in February and received a UK Silver certification that month. It was also Harley's only chart entry in America, reaching No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. In a 2002 television interview, Harley described how the lyrics were directed at the former band members who, he felt, had abandoned him. As of 2015, the song has sold around 1.5 million copies in the UK. The Performing Rights Society have confirmed the song as one of the most played records in British broadcasting, while over 120 cover versions of the song have been recorded by other artists. ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' was released in March 1975, reaching No. 5 in the UK. The second single from the album, "
Mr. Raffles (Man, It Was Mean) "Mr. Raffles (Man, It Was Mean)" is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which was released in 1975 as the second and final single from their third studio album ''The Best Years of Our Lives''. The song was written by Har ...
", was also a success, reaching No. 13. The band embarked on a UK and European tour to promote the album. During the summer, the band recorded their fourth studio album '' Timeless Flight''. Around the same period Harley also produced Dutch singer
Patricia Paay Patricia Anglaia Margareth Paaij (born 7 April 1949), best known as Patricia Paay, is a Dutch singer, radio host, glamour model and television personality. In the Netherlands, she is well known for her musical career, which spans over four decad ...
's album ''
Beam of Light ''Beam of Light'' is the second full-length album by the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock, released on May 28, 2008. It reached No. 17 on the Oricon weekly chart, and charted for six weeks before it dropped out. Track listing Notes * "Abducti ...
'', with members of Cockney Rebel performing on many of the tracks. Later in the year, Harley and the band went on tour in the US as a support act to The Kinks. As the band had not achieved commercial success in the States, the compilation '' A Closer Look'' was released exclusively for the American market. ''Timeless Flight'' was released in February 1976, and became a Top 20 UK success, peaking at No. 18; however, the two singles " Black or White" and " White, White Dove" failed to reach the UK Top 50. They reached No. 2 and No. 6 on the BMRB's UK Breakers Chart respectively. Another UK and European tour followed the album's release. Between June and September 1976, the band recorded their fifth album '' Love's a Prima Donna''. In July they released a cover of George Harrison's " Here Comes the Sun", which reached No. 10 in the UK and became the band's last Top 40 single, discounting later re-releases of "Make Me Smile". ''Love's a Prima Donna'' was released in October 1976 and peaked at No. 28 in the UK. It also spawned a second charting single; "
(I Believe) Love's a Prima Donna "(I Believe) Love's a Prima Donna" is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which was released in 1976 as the second single from their fifth studio album ''Love's a Prima Donna''. It was written and produced by Harley. Th ...
", which reached No. 41. In America, "
(Love) Compared with You "(Love) Compared with You" is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which was released in 1976 as the third and final single from the band's fifth studio album ''Love's a Prima Donna''. Released as a single in America only ...
" was released as a single. During August and September 1976, Mackay recorded his second solo album ''
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'', which was released in 1977. Harley wrote the lyrics to four tracks, and provided lead vocals on "Time is No Healer". In November 1976, Harley provided backing vocals on T. Rex's song " Dandy in the Underworld", which was released as a single from the album of the same name in 1977. In December 1976, the band embarked on an eight-date UK tour to promote ''Love's a Prima Donna''. During the early part of 1977, Harley provided lead vocals on
The Alan Parsons Project The Alan Parsons Project was a British rock band active between 1975 and 1990, whose core membership consisted of producer, audio engineer, musician and composer Alan Parsons and singer, songwriter and pianist Eric Woolfson. They were accompan ...
's song "The Voice" for their album ''I Robot''. In July, Harley disbanded Cockney Rebel, the announcement of which was followed by the release of a live album, '' Face to Face: A Live Recording'', which reached No. 40 and spawned the single " The Best Years of Our Lives".


Beginnings of solo career 1977–79

With Cockney Rebel's split, Harley signed to EMI for a further three years and began recording his debut solo album. He flew to Los Angeles in February 1978 to complete it and soon decided to emigrate to the US. He purchased a house in
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
and stayed there for nearly a year to gain new experience and inspirations. However, Harley later admitted that during his time in America he was never inspired to write a single song. The album ''
Hobo with a Grin ''Hobo with a Grin'' is the debut solo album by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, which was released by EMI in 1978. The album was produced by Harley, except for " Roll the Dice", which was produced by Michael J. Jackson. Jackson also acte ...
'' was released in July 1978, but was a commercial failure. The lead single " Roll the Dice" failed to chart, as did the second single, a remixed version of " Someone's Coming", which was released in early 1979. On the album, the track "Amerika the Brave" featured Marc Bolan's last studio performance, recorded shortly before his fatal car accident. Harley returned to London at the end of 1978. In February 1979, he recorded his second solo album '' The Candidate''. On 12 May, Harley and
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...
appeared as guest stars at one of Kate Bush's Hammersmith Odeon concerts during her Tour of Life. The show was staged as a benefit concert for the family of lighting technician Bill Duffield, who had died after a tragic fall earlier on Bush's tour. Duffield had previously worked for Harley and Gabriel. The concert was Harley's first performance on stage for over two years. Released in September, ''The Candidate'' was another commercial failure, although its single "
Freedom's Prisoner "Freedom's Prisoner" is a song by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, which was released in 1979 as the only single from his second solo album '' The Candidate''. The song, which was written and produced by Harley and Jimmy Horowitz, reached ...
" was moderately successful, peaking at No. 58. In October, Harley performed a one-off show at the Hammersmith Odeon. Following the disappointing sales of ''The Candidate'', EMI dropped Harley from their label.


1980–89

During the 1980s, which he would later describe as his "wilderness years", Harley took time out from the music business while his two children were growing up. In 1980 he formed a new line-up of Cockney Rebel for a short UK tour in July, followed by a UK Christmas tour. The latter tour followed the release of the compilation '' The Best of Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel'' in November. During the same year " Somebody Special" and " Gi' Me Wings", two songs co-written by Harley, were released by
Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
on his 1980 album ''
Foolish Behaviour '' Foolish Behaviour '' is Rod Stewart's tenth studio album, released on 21 November 1980 on the Riva label in the United Kingdom (RVLP 11) and on Warner Bros. Records in both The United States (HS 3485) and Germany (WB 56 865). The tracks wer ...
''. "Somebody Special", as the album's third single in 1981, reached No. 71 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and "Gi' Me Wings" reached No. 45 on the ''Billboard'' Top Rock Tracks chart. In 1981, Harley was approached by Rick Wakeman to provide vocals on the song "No Name" for Wakeman's album '' 1984''. He also made an appearance to perform the song at Wakeman's concert at the Hammersmith Odeon. Harley and his band would embark on another small UK tour during Christmas 1981. In March 1982, the band released the non-album single "
I Can't Even Touch You "I Can't Even Touch You" is a song by the British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, which was released in 1982 as a non-album single under his band's name Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. The song was written by Harley and produced by Midge Ure. Bac ...
". Produced by
Midge Ure James Ure (born 10 October 1953) is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim, the diminutive form of his actual name. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980 ...
, the song failed to chart, despite expectations that it would become a hit. In August 1982, Harley made his acting debut as the 16th-century playwright
Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (; baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights. Based upon t ...
in the rock musical ''Marlowe'' at the John Crawford Adams Playhouse at
Hofstra University Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of New ...
,
Hempstead, New York The Town of Hempstead (also known historically as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) in the U.S. state of New York. It occupies the southwestern part of the county, o ...
. Cockney Rebel played a one-off concert in London in June 1983, and Harley also released the single "
Ballerina (Prima Donna) "Ballerina (Prima Donna)" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Steve Harley, released by Stiletto Records as a non-album single in 1983. The song, written and produced by Mike Batt, reached number 51 in the UK Singles Chart. Backgrou ...
", which was written and produced by Mike Batt. It was one of Harley's most successful singles of the decade, peaking at No. 51 in the UK. In July, the band appeared at the Reading Festival. In December 1984, Harley and his band played a one-off concert at the Camden Palace in London. It proved to be the band's last show until 1989, and was filmed for a special TV broadcast. It was also released on VHS in 1985, titled '' Live from London''. In 1985, Harley signed a five-album recording contract with RAK Records and recorded " Irresistible" with
Mickie Most Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003), known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind scores of hit singles for acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Ch ...
as producer. Released as his debut single for the label in June 1985, it peaked at No. 81 in the UK. Harley had originally offered the song to
Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
, who encouraged Harley to record it in the hope that it would put him back in the charts. Later that year, Mike Batt suggested that Harley sing the title track of the upcoming '' The Phantom of the Opera'' musical.
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musical ...
had decided to record and release a single to promote the upcoming musical. Agreeing to audition, Harley was given the job and soon recorded the song with Sarah Brightman. The song reached No. 7 in the UK charts in January 1986. A music video was also created, featuring Harley as the Phantom. A prime candidate for the role in the musical, Harley soon auditioned to play the Phantom. Successful in getting the part, he then spent five months working on the role, including rehearsal with producer
Hal Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...
. He was later surprised when he ended up being replaced by Michael Crawford. While rehearsing for the musical, Harley released the non-album single "
Heartbeat Like Thunder "Heartbeat Like Thunder" is a song by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, released in 1986 by RAK as a non-album single. The song was written by Harley and ex-Cockney Rebel keyboardist Duncan Mackay, and produced by Mickie Most. Background ...
" in April 1986, though it was a commercial failure. In June 1986, a newly remixed version of "Irresistible" appeared as a single. Released as the lead single from Harley's forthcoming solo album ''El Gran Senor'', the single failed to chart. Shortly afterwards, RAK folded and was sold to EMI, leaving the album to be shelved. Later that year, Harley starred again as Marlowe when the musical of the same name ran in London. Harley's performance was described by one leading critic as "a major and moving performance." During the same period, Harley undertook an English 'A' level course, to which he devoted three hours of study each day. He passed in June 1987 with a 'B' grade. In 1988, Batt approached Harley to provide vocals on his song "
Whatever You Believe "Whatever You Believe" is a song by the British singer-songwriter Mike Batt, which was originally recorded and released as a collaboration charity single featuring Batt with Jon Anderson of Yes and Steve Harley of Cockney Rebel. Released in 1988, ...
", alongside
Jon Anderson John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across thre ...
. On 3 May 1988, the trio performed the song at a live TV broadcast at Battersea Park in London, as part of the Thames/LWT charity fundraising effort for the
ITV Telethon The ITV Telethons were three charity telethons organised and televised in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. They took place in 1988, 1990 and 1992. Each lasted for 27 hours and all were hosted by Michael Aspel. The final telethon in July 1 ...
. Later in November, a studio version was released as a charity TV tie-in single under the name Anderson, Harley & Batt. It did not chart. Following its use in a successful TV advert for Trebor Softmints, "Mr Soft" was re-issued as a single in 1988, but also failed to chart. In 1989, Harley assembled a new line-up of Cockney Rebel and began touring in the UK and Europe. The band's return to touring was a success and has led Harley to continue performing with various incarnations of Cockney Rebel to the present day. To promote the 1989 summer tour, Harley released the solo single " When I'm with You", which had been recorded in early 1989 with ex-Cockney Rebel members Duncan Mackay and Jim Cregan at London's Point Studios. Later in October, a VHS using concert footage from the tour was released under the title '' The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live''. In late 1989, Harley was scheduled to play the title role in a feature film based on the true story of
John 'Babbacombe' Lee John "Babbacombe" Lee (15 August 1864 – 19 March 1945) was an Englishman famous for surviving three attempts to hang him for murder. Born in Abbotskerswell, Devon, Lee served in the Royal Navy, and was a known thief. In 1885, he was ...
, an Englishman famous for surviving three attempts to hang him for murder. However, the film never raised the necessary funding and the project was cancelled in the early 1990s.


1990–99

Throughout 1989 and 1990, Harley continued recording material and working on a new album. During 1990, Harley also contributed to the album ''Poetry in Motion'' by providing lead vocals on the track "Harrow on the Hill". The album consisted of fourteen tracks featuring the words of Sir John Betjeman and music by Mike Read. In October 1991, Harley was invited to play Night of the Proms, where he performed "Sebastian" and "Make Me Smile". By the early 1990s, Harley and his band had established themselves as a major live act across Europe. In 1992, EMI released a new compilation album, ''
Make Me Smile – The Best of Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel ''Make Me Smile – The Best of Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel'' is a compilation album by the British band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, released by EMI in 1992. Background Harley was approached by EMI to personally select the 16 tracks featured ...
'', along with a re-issue of "Make Me Smile" as a single, which reached No. 46 in the UK. Harley's solo album '' Yes You Can'' was released in Europe in 1992 and the UK in 1993. The album featured a mix of older songs dating from the ''El Gran Senor'' period, as well as some newer tracks. In Europe, "Irresistible" was released as a single from the album, while "
Star for a Week (Dino) "Star for a Week (Dino)" is a pop-rock song by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, which was released as a promotional single in 1993 from his third solo album ''Yes You Can''. The single coincided with the UK release of the album that year ( ...
" was released as a UK promotional single in 1993. In 1995, the live compilation '' Live at the BBC'' was released; it included some early Cockney Rebel sessions from 1974, as well as a 1992 session. The same year saw a re-issue of "Make Me Smile" reach No. 33 in the UK. Harley released a new studio album, '' Poetic Justice'', in 1996, which was a critical success. In 1997, he participated in the Granada
Men & Motors Men & Motors was a men's lifestyle television channel in the UK. It was the last remaining station operated by the former ITV Digital Channels Ltd, Granada Sky Broadcasting joint venture, set up by Granada Television (now part of ITV plc) and sa ...
TV music quiz show ''Elvis Has Just Left the Building'', hosted by Mike Sweeney, with Noddy Holder and
Clint Boon Clinton David Boon (born 28 June 1959) is an English musician, DJ and radio presenter. Boon originally rose to fame as the keyboard player (and sometimes vocalist) of Inspiral Carpets. Music career Born in Oldham, Lancashire, Boon joined the Ins ...
as team captains. In 1998, Harley embarked on his first acoustic tour "Stripped to the Bare Bones". Alongside Cockney Rebel violinist/guitarist Nick Pynn, the pair played over a hundred dates, including fifty-four concerts in the UK alone. Coinciding with the tour was the release of the new compilation album ''
More Than Somewhat – The Very Best of Steve Harley ''More Than Somewhat – The Very Best of Steve Harley'' is a compilation album by Steve Harley, which was released by EMI in 1998. It features sixteen tracks recorded by Cockney Rebel, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel and Harley as a solo artist, sp ...
'', which reached No. 82 in the UK. In September 1999, the live acoustic album ''
Stripped to the Bare Bones ''Stripped to the Bare Bones'' is a 1999 live acoustic album by English musician and songwriter Steve Harley. The album was produced by Harley and features Nick Pynn. Background Having returned to touring as Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel in 1989 ...
'' was released, which had been recorded at The Jazz Café in London during March 1998. In 1999, the new compilation '' The Cream of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel'' was released, which would later reach No. 21 on the UK Budget Albums Chart in 2006. In 1999, Harley began presenting the BBC Radio programme ''The Sounds of the Seventies'', with the first series that year featuring eight editions. He also formed his own label "Comeuppance" that year.


2000–09

In 2000, Harley re-issued his first two solo albums ''Hobo with a Grin'' and ''The Candidate'' on CD through Comeuppance, while in March–May he embarked the acoustic tour "Stripped Again", accompanied by Cockney Rebel guitarist
Robbie Gladwell Robert "Robbie" Gladwell (born 16 June 1950), also known as Dr Robert, is an English rock and blues guitarist from London. He has been described as "one of Suffolk's most renowned musicians. Music career Gladwell has played with numerous band ...
. That same year saw the airing of the second series of ''The Sounds of the Seventies'' show, which had twelve editions across 2000. Following high listening figures for the first two series, Harley accepted the BBC's offer to present the show all-year round. To accommodate his touring schedule, Harley began the new deal by pre-recording three shows at a time. The show continued for the next eight years, with the last programme airing on 27 March 2008. The show reached an audience of over 400,000 weekly. In 2000, Harley started working on a new studio album and began talks with various record companies. Although no album would surface for a few years, the single "
A Friend for Life "A Friend for Life" is a song by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, which was released by Intrinsic Records in 2001 as a non-album single. The song was written by Harley and former Cockney Rebel guitarist Jim Cregan, and produced by Cregan. ...
" was released in April 2001. It reached No. 125 in the UK. Co-written with Jim Cregan, Harley had offered the song to Rod Stewart, who would later record a version for his 2015 album '' Another Country''. In 2001, Harley and the band embarked on their first tour in four years, which was named "Back with the Band". Since 2002, Harley has been involved with the charity Mines Advisory Group. He later became an Ambassador for the charity and has led two fundraising treks; one around Cambodia in 2002 and the other across Death Valley in 2007. During 2002, Harley was also awarded a Gold Badge of Merit by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters. In 2003, Harley released the acoustic live album '' Acoustic and Pure: Live'', featuring recordings from various UK concerts played during the previous autumn with Cregan. Towards the end of the year, Harley travelled to Cologne to collaborate with German artist Guido Dossche on the song "Ich Bin Gott", which was released as a single in Germany in 2004. In 2004, the live album ''
Anytime! (A Live Set) ''Anytime! (A Live Set)'' is a live acoustic album by Steve Harley, released under the name The Steve Harley Band and featuring members of the Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel line-up of the time. It was released in 2004. Background Following the e ...
'' was released under the name The Steve Harley Band. During June of that year, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel played at the Isle of Wight Festival. The full performance was released on DVD in 2005, titled '' Live at the Isle of Wight Festival''. In June 2005, a newly recorded version of "Make Me Smile" was released, dubbed as the "30th Anniversary Re-mix", which reached No. 55 in the UK. A new studio album, '' The Quality of Mercy'', was released in 2005, which was Harley's first studio album to be released under the Cockney Rebel name since 1976. To promote the album, the band embarked on their biggest UK and European tour since the 1970s, with over 50 dates set between September–December. The album was a critical success and also charted at No. 40 in Norway in early 2006. The album included "A Friend for Life", while " The Last Goodbye" was released from it as a single in 2006. It reached No. 186 in the UK, and No. 21 on the UK Independent Singles Chart. In 2006, EMI released a CD box-set compilation album spanning Cockney Rebel and Harley's solo work, titled ''
The Cockney Rebel - A Steve Harley Anthology ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
''. In 2007, Harley starred with Mike Bennett in the West End premiere of the Samuel Beckett plays '' Rough for Theatre I'' and '' Rough for Theatre II''. The plays ran for a week in July at London's
Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre censorship by the Lord Chamber ...
. In 2008, Harley released his first book ''The Impression of Being Relaxed''. Published by Halstar, it is a collection of diary entries Harley had published on his website between 2000 and 2008. In 2009, Harley received a Special Award from Childline Rocks for his work for charity at the ''
Classic Rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...
'' magazine Award ceremony at London's
Park Lane Hotel The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane is a 5 Star hotel on Piccadilly, London. The hotel opened in 1927 as The Park Lane Hotel to designs by architects Adie, Button and Partners, in a grand Art Deco style, and was constructed by the developer ...
. His work raising money for the Mines Advisory group and several schools for Disabled Children were cited in a speech delivered by blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa.


2010–present

During September and October 2009, Harley and his band returned to the studio to record a new album at Leeders Farm Residential Studios. In May 2010, Harley released his new studio album ''
Stranger Comes to Town ''Stranger Comes to Town'' is the fifth studio album from English songwriter and musician Steve Harley, which was released by Absolute in 2010. The album was produced by Harley. Background Harley has described ''Stranger Comes to Town'' as "a s ...
'', which peaked at No. 187 in the UK. Described by Harley as a protest album, two digital singles were released from the album; " Faith & Virtue" and " For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn". Earlier that year in February, Harley, a self-confessed technophobe, attributed poor literacy rates and the moral corrosion of British society to modern technology.'' The Daily Politics'', BBC, 24 February 2010 In April 2012, Harley teamed up with Australian guitarist
Joe Matera Joe Matera is an Australian guitarist, rock journalist and author. In addition to a solo career, Matera is the guitarist in the Sweden-based rock band Rough Rockers, and was formerly the lead guitarist of Australian famous pop rock band Geisha ...
and embarked on a promotional tour of Australia. The pair made a number of appearances on radio and TV, performing live acoustic sessions. This included the SBS TV show RocKwiz, Noise 11 TV and Melbourne radio station Gold FM 104.3. In October 2012, EMI released a remastered four-disc box-set anthology compilation '' Cavaliers: An Anthology 1973-1974'', which chronicled the recording career of the original Cockney Rebel line-up. On 24 November 2012, Harley and his band, along with the Orchestra of the Swan and their Chamber Choir, performed the first two Cockney Rebel albums ''The Human Menagerie'' and ''The Psychomodo'' in their entirety for the first time. A live double-CD and DVD was released in October 2013 of this performance, titled ''
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...
''. The album peaked at No. 158 in the UK and No. 36 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. In 2014, Harley and the band performed the same show again four times in the UK. In January 2015, "Make Me Smile" re-charted at No. 72 in the UK, after '' Top Gear'' presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May urged viewers to download the song, as part of their discussion that Harley had recently received a speeding fine. Later in September, Harley's first new song of five years, "
Ordinary People ''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an uppe ...
", was released as a single on iTunes. In November, Harley and the surviving members of the original second line-up of Cockney Rebel, embarked on a 16-date UK tour to celebrate the 40th anniversary of ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' album. On the tour, the band were backed by the
MonaLisa Twins MonaLisa Twins are a pop rock band, fronted by twin-sister singer-songwriters Mona Wagner (vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion, harmonica, flute) and Lisa Wagner (vocals, lead guitar, ukulele, cello). Biography The twins were born in Austria (born ...
. In 2015, Harley pledged to help raise funds for a new memorial to his late friend Mick Ronson. In April 2016, Harley played for free at the Hull City Hall to help kick-start the appeal. In November 2016, Harley was one of a number of musicians who teamed up with British Members of Parliament and the Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus to record a charity version of the Rolling Stones song "
You Can't Always Get What You Want "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones on their 1969 album ''Let It Bleed''. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by '' Rolling Stone' ...
" in memory of Labour MP Jo Cox. The song was released by Chrysalis Records in December 2016, with all proceedings going to the Jo Cox Foundation. It reached No. 136 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 24 on the UK Singles Sales Chart and No. 9 on the Top 30 Indie Singles Chart. After the success of 1998 and 1999's respective 'Stripped To The Bare Bones' and 'Stripped Again' tours, Harley would continue to tour in an acoustic format. Firstly with Jim Cregan and a selection of other members of Cockney Rebel, depending on the exact date of the show, in 2002. This format produced 2003's ' Acoustic and Pure: Live' album. With the exception of the 2015 reunion, which was in the full band format, Cregan would next join Harley for 2 acoustic shows in March 2020, which otherwise featured Harley performing alone. In 2003 and 2004, the 5-piece acoustic line-up that played 2004's '
Anytime! (A Live Set) ''Anytime! (A Live Set)'' is a live acoustic album by Steve Harley, released under the name The Steve Harley Band and featuring members of the Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel line-up of the time. It was released in 2004. Background Following the e ...
' album was put together, featuring Lascelles on percussion, Gladwell on lead guitar, Wickens on violin/guitar, and Anderson on double bass. In 2005 and 2006, this format was used in Holland and Belgium while promoting 2005's ' The Quality Of Mercy' album, and these shows are notable for featuring significant rearrangements of some of the 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 line-up, with Harley alongside Wickens and Lascelles (this time on keyboards and percussion, as per his role in the full rock 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 first acoustic shows since 2004. This format was phased out in 2020 - in order to promote Harley's new album ' Uncovered'- in favour of a revived 4-man line-up, though with David Delarre on lead guitar, and Oli Hayhurst on double bass, with Harley and Wickens reprising their roles. The
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
delayed most of the shows on this tour - with only the first 9 played as planned. Two shows were however played in late-September 2020, both in the acoustic trio format, though Hayhurst accompanied the trio on the second of these shows. In addition, Harley held an online Q and A session via Zoom Videoconferencing in mid-December 2020, and will hold another in late-November 2021. In the aftermath of the 2020 pandemic, Harley's live shows eventually resumed in July 2021. The set-lists for these shows are notable in that they include much material that has been left unplayed for, in some cases, almost 30 years.


Personal life

Harley lives in North Essex with his wife, Dorothy, whom he married at Marylebone Register Office in February 1981. They have two children, Kerr and Greta. In 1991, the pair celebrated their tenth anniversary with a wedding blessing ceremony at their local church in Belchamp Otten, Essex. Harley has been involved in racehorse ownership since 1984, and racing has become his main pastime.


Partial discography


Studio albums

* ''
The Human Menagerie ''The Human Menagerie'' is the debut studio album by Cockney Rebel, which was released by EMI in 1973. It was produced by Neil Harrison. Background After training as a journalist for three years, Steve Harley embarked on a musical career, which ...
'' (1973) (as Cockney Rebel) * ''
The Psychomodo ''The Psychomodo'' is the second studio album by Cockney Rebel, which was released by EMI in 1974. It was produced by Steve Harley and Alan Parsons. Background Cockney Rebel's debut album, ''The Human Menagerie'', was released in 1973 and failed ...
'' (1974) (as Cockney Rebel) * '' The Best Years of Our Lives'' (1975) (as Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel) * '' Timeless Flight'' (1976) (as Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel) * '' Love's a Prima Donna'' (1976) (as Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel) * ''
Hobo with a Grin ''Hobo with a Grin'' is the debut solo album by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, which was released by EMI in 1978. The album was produced by Harley, except for " Roll the Dice", which was produced by Michael J. Jackson. Jackson also acte ...
'' (1978) * '' The Candidate'' (1979) * '' Yes You Can'' (1992) * '' Poetic Justice'' (1996) * '' The Quality of Mercy'' (2005) (as Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel) * ''
Stranger Comes to Town ''Stranger Comes to Town'' is the fifth studio album from English songwriter and musician Steve Harley, which was released by Absolute in 2010. The album was produced by Harley. Background Harley has described ''Stranger Comes to Town'' as "a s ...
'' (2010) * '' Uncovered'' (2020)


References


External links


BBC Radio 2 BiographyOfficial Steve Harley website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harley, Steve 1951 births Living people People from Deptford English male singers English radio presenters English rock singers English songwriters Rak Records artists People with polio Glam rock musicians Musicians from Kent Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel members British male songwriters