Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel ~ BBC Interview And Life Story ~ Come Up And See Me Make Me Smile - YouTube Close Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel ~ BBC Interview And Life Story ~ Come Up And See Me Make Me Smile Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Mar 30, 2014 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel are an English rock band from the early 1970s. Their music covers a range of styles from pop to progressive rock. 'Come up and see me -- Make Me Smile' has to be one of the best tunes of all time! Steve Harley is the lead singer of Cockney Rebel. Harley talks to Belfield about his life, career and new album..... Hear 100's of Exclusive interviews with Alex Belfield @ Category Steve Harley Sebastian (Live) HD - YouTube Steve Harley Sebastian (Live) HD Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist.

Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Oct 16, 2010 Steve Harley (born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice, 27 February 1951, Deptford, London, England) is an English singer and songwriter, best known for his work with the 1970s rock group Cockney Rebel, with whom he still occasionally tours (albeit with many personnel changes through the years). Harley started out playing in bars and clubs in the early 1970s, mainly at folk venues on open-mike nights. He also busked around London on the Underground and in Portobello Road. While auditioning for folk band Odin in 1971, he met violinist John Crocker, with whom he formed Cockney Rebel in late 1972. Cockney Rebel went on to release The Human Menagerie and The Psychomodo before splitting up in 1974.However, Harley carried on with drummer Stuart Elliot, renaming the band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, with whom he had more success.

From the next album, The Best Years of Our Lives, came the number one and million selling single, "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" Harley had two more hits during the mid 1970s with "Mr Raffles" and "Here Comes the Sun" which were both Top 20 hits, but he did not have any further major successes, and in the 1980s he all but faded from the public eye, relocating to the United States. He was set to star as the Phantom in the London premiere of The Phantom of the Opera, and recorded the promotional single of the title song, but was surprised to be replaced close to rehearsals by Michael Crawford. His songs "Sebastian", "Tumbling Down", and "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" were included in the Todd Haynes 1998 rock musical Velvet Goldmine. The soundtrack album included "Make Me Smile", but omitted "Sebastian", yet included a cover version of "Tumbling Down" with vocals by Jonathan Rhys Myers. "Make Me Smile" was also included in the 1997 film, The Full Monty.

Sebastian Described as a "Gothic love song" by Harley himself, the song featured a 50-plus piece orchestra alongside the band, with orchestral arrangements by Andrew Powell. Although the song failed to become a commercial success in the UK, it did manage to become a hit across continental Europe. It peaked at #2 in both Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as #30 in Germany. However since its release in the UK and Europe it has gained reputation over the following years as one of Harley's greatest songs. To date the song has consistently been included in live concerts performed by Harley. When the single failed to make the UK charts, EMI Records told Harley there were no potential singles from the album, and that the band had yet to record one. Harley responded by writing the follow-up single "Judy Teen" which went to #5 in the UK in early 1974. However before the release of the band's breakthrough single, EMI decided to hold the song back at the beginning of the year whilst "Sebastian" was re-issued on 25 January (originally due to be 11 January), as the third time being released as a single.

This was in hope of it becoming a chart hit, however "Sebastian" still did not become a UK hit, and did not make a chart appearance. In the Sunday Express of 5 April 2014 Harley spoke of the song's European success. He said "Sebastian was a number one in most of Europe in 1974. It happened so quickly. I didn't pay many dues to be honest. That's what the NME [New Musical Express] held against me at the time." Harley first began performing the song during his days of busking. In the Daily Express magazine of May 2007 he revealed "I started busking in the early 70's, which gave me a platform to experiment on the public with my songs. I had one called "Sebastian", which was six minutes of gothic poetry! I got absolutely no money." In 1983 Harley released a non-album single "Ballerina (Prima Donna)", a song written by Mike Batt, which just stalled outside the UK Top 50. For the 12" vinyl version of the single a new version of "Sebastian" was recorded, and this version was produced by Batt.

In the UK, the 12" vinyl actually swapped both tracks around so that "Sebastian" was the a-side and "Ballerina" became the b-side. Harley's 1985 non-album single "Irresistible" also featured the song on the 12" vinyl release, although this was the 1973 original version. The 5-minute Interview: Steve Harley, Singer, actor, presenter | The Independent The 5-minute Interview: Steve Harley, Singer, actor, presenter 'Half of the world believes I've only recorded one album' Thursday 14 February 2008 00:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Harley, 57, is lead singer of the 1970s rock group Cockney Rebel, best known for the hit single 'Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)'. He has since released 12 albums and hosted the BBC radio show 'Sounds of the Seventies'. This summer, he and the band will tour the UK, playing The IndigO2 on 7 June. Tickets are available at If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be... Reading the Racing Post.

It's my great love after music and my family. A phrase I use far too often... "The answer is yes, what's the question?" I wish people would take more notice of... My musical history. I've written 12 original albums, but half of the world only think I've done one. The most surprising thing to happen to me... I got a gold badge of merit from the British Board of Composers, about three years ago for my contribution to music. That was a surprise. A common misperception of me is... That I lack humility. Although I'm hoping that's in the past, I live by the words of T S Eliot that: "The only wisdom we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility, humility is endless." I am not a politician but... I loathe the arrogance of the mediocre politicians ruling the world. But if I was a politician, I would close down the Scottish Parliament or insist it has its own devolved parliament and rule itself, because I feel its taking advantage to the nth degree. I'm good at...

Official Steve Harley Website UK - Home Friday, 16 December 2016 10:31 Read: 1224 Times Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel reached number one in 1975 with Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me.) Now, 46 years later, Steve could be about to repeat the feat, this time he hopes to top the Christmas charts for a cause that touched his heart, and those of millions of others across the country. Following the tragic murder of MP Jo Cox, Steve, along with Kaiser Chiefs’, Ricky Wilson, KT Tunstall and David Gray, formed The Friends of Jo Cox and their new charity single - released tomorrow (Fri Dec 16) - is raising money for causes supported by her. Here Steve explains why the single is a classic protest song which he hopes could change Britain ... Steve Harley - 必应 Sign in Steve Harley Steve Harley (born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice, 27 February 1951, Deptford, London, England) is an English singer and songwriter, best known for his work with the 1970s rock group Cockney Rebel, with whom he still occasionally tours.

Steve Harley Early life Harley was born Deptford, south London, in 1951, as Stephen Nice, and was the second of five children in his family. As a child, Harley suffered from polio, spending four years in hospital between the age of 3 and 16. He underwent major surgery in both 1963 and 1966. After recovering from surgery at the age of 12, Harley was introduced to the poetry of T.S. Eliot and D.H. Lawrence, the prose of John Steinbeck, Virginia Woolf and Ernest Hemingway, and the music of Bob Dylan, which inspired him to a career of words and music. At the age of 10, he had received a Spanish, nylon-strung guitar from his parents one Christmas. Harley's mother was a jazz singer. Harley was a pupil of Edmund Waller Primary School in New Cross, London. He then attended Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Boys' Grammar School until he was 17. Having taken classical violin lessons from the age of 9 to 15, he played the instrument with the school orchestra.

He left the school without completing his advanced level exams and later took an A-level in English in his mid-30s. Steve Harley Career In 1968, at the age of 17, Harley began work as a trainee accountant with the Daily Express, which was his first full-time job. This was despite having only gained 24% in his mock O-Level maths exam. From here he progressed to become a reporter, and was initially interviewed by various newspaper editors. Harley finally signed to train with Essex County Newspapers. Over this duration of 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 then returned to London to work for the East London Advertiser. Harley became disillusioned when the editor insisted on reporting on a shoplifter who had absentmindedly walked out with a tin of soup and a tin of baked beans. Taking advice fro 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 who took over the desk relinquished by Harley at the ELA in 1972. Harley started out playing in bars and clubs in the early 1970s, mainly at folk venues on open-mike nights. He sang at Les Cousins, Bunjie's and The Troubadour on nights featuring John Martyn, Ralph McTell, Martin Carthy and Julie Felix, who were all popular musicians within the London folk movement of the time. Harley also busked around London on the Underground and in Portobello Road. In 1971 he auditioned for the folk band Odin as rhythm guitarist and co-singer, which was where he met John Crocker, who would become the first Cockney Rebel violinist. The folk scene proved not to be Harley's preference, and in the midst of writing songs, he formed the band Cockney Rebel, as a vehicle for his own work, in late 1972. Through the band Harley first met drummer Stuart Elliott, who has continued to record and tour with Harley on occasion to date.

Cockney Rebel 1972–77 The band signed to EMI Records for a guaranteed three-album deal in 1972. During June and July 1973 the band recorded their debut album, The Human Menagerie, which was released in late 1973. Produced by Neil Harrison, the album included the single "Sebastian" which became a European hit, although, like the album, it failed to chart in the UK. After EMI expressed the wish for Harley to write a song with hit potential, "Judy Teen" was released in early 1974, and peaked at No. 5 in the UK. The band's second album, The Psychomodo, produced by Harley and Alan Parsons, was released in June 1974, and peaked at No. 8 in the UK. The single "Mr. Soft" also peaked at No. 8 in the UK. However, by this time the problems within the band had already reached a head, and all the musicians, with the exception of Elliott, quit at the end of a successful UK tour.

The band members had demanded to write material for the group, despite the initial understanding that Harley was the sole songwriter. On 18 July the band received a 'Gold Award' for outstanding new act of 1974, and a week later they had split up. Following the withdrawn solo single "Big Big Deal", Harley decided to continue the band on with drummer Stuart Elliot, renaming the group Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, with whom he had more success. The next album, The Best Years of Our Lives, was released in March 1975, and featured the number one and million selling single, "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)". This became Harley's only charting in America, peaking at No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Performing Rights Society later confirmed the song as one of the most played records in British broadcasting, and has been covered by more than 100 artists in seven languages. The follow-up single "Mr. Raffles (Man, It Was Mean)" was also a success, peaking at No. 13 in the UK.

In 1975 Harley was approached by Patricia Paay, sister of Yvonne Keeley, (who was Harley's backing vocalist and girlfriend of the time), to assist in the recording and production of her first album. Beam of Light ended up being entirely produced by Harley, and on the album Paay covered "Sebastian", while Harley also penned the song "Understand" for her. This would soon appear on Cockney Rebel's Timeless Flight album. During the latter half of the year, the band went to the States as a supporting act of the Kinks to tour. As success in America was elusive, and a lot of people had never heard of the band, the compilation A Closer Look was released for the American market. The next album Timeless Flight was released in 1976, and became a top 20 UK success, peaking at No. 18; however the two singles "Black or White" and "White, White Dove" were not successful and failed to chart. The band's final studio album Love's a Prima Donna followed later in the year, and spawned a successful cover version of George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun". It reached No.

10 in the UK, and was to prove to be Harley's last UK Top 40 single, discounting later re-releases of "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)". The follow-up single "(I Believe) Love's a Prima Donna" didn't quite crack the Top 40, peaking at No. 41. Love's a Prima Donna peaked at No. 28 in the UK. During the same period Harley also provided leads vocals on the song "The Voice", from The Alan Parsons Project's I Robot album, released in June 1977. When the announcement was made that Cockney Rebel were to split up, the band released the live album Face to Face: A Live Recording in July 1977, which peaked at No. 40, and spawned an unsuccessful single "The Best Years of Our Lives (live)". Beginnings of solo career 1977–79 In 1977 Harley relocated to the United States. While he was recording and mixing for the Love's a Prima Donna album, partly in Los Angeles, he felt attracted to the city and so decided to buy a house in Beverly Hills.

He 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 one single song. He returned in July 1978 with the failed album Hobo with a Grin, which failed to chart. Using a range of session musicians and ex-Cockney Rebel members, the album was a mixture of old songs and a few others Harley wrote upon returning to England that year. The album spawned two singles, "Roll the Dice" and "Someone's Coming", both of which were commercial failures. The track "Amerika the Brave" saw Marc Bolan's last studio performance, shortly before his fatal car accident. Harley's second solo album The Candidate was released in 1979, and was also a commercial failure, despite predictions. However it did feature the moderately successful single "Freedom's Prisoner", which peaked at No. 58. In the middle of the year Harley played a few songs as a guest-star at Kate Bush's benefit concert. Steve Harley References ^ Jason Ankeny. "Steve Harley – Biography – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 October 2014.

^ a b c Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp.424–425. ISBN1-84195-017-3. ^ a b c d e "Official Steve Harley Website UK – Biography". Steveharley.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014. ^ Midgley, Dominic. "Seventies legend Steve Harley reveals why he gave up his rock 'n' roll lifestyle | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV | Daily Express". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2015. ^ "Judy Teen – Album Search – Official Charts". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014. ^ "Mr Soft – Album Search – Official Charts". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014. ^ a b c d e f g "The Great Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel Story". Steveharley. Retrieved 16 September 2014. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – Awards – AllMusic". AllMusic.

Retrieved 16 September 2014. ^ "Mr Raffles (Man It Was Mean) – Album Search – Official Charts". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014. ^ "Patricia Paay – Beam of Light". discogs. Retrieved 17 September 2014. ^ "Love Is A Prima Donna – Album Search – Official Charts". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014. ^ "The Alan Parsons Project - I Robot at Discogs". Discogs.com. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015. ^ "Rick Wakeman – 1984 (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". discogs. Retrieved 17 May 2014. ^ "No Name (What's My Name) Steve Harley and Rick Wakeman". YouTube. Retrieved 17 May 2014. ^ "Ballerina (Prima Donna) – Album Search – Official Charts". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014.

^ "45cat – Anderson, Harley And Batt – Whatever You Believe (Studio Version) / Whatever You Believe (Live Version) – Epic – UK – PEEPS 1". 45cat.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014. ^ "Trebor – Mr Soft – YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 16 September 2014. ^ "Various - Poetry In Motion (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015. ^ "Shop for Mike Read UK Deleted Poetry In Motion vinyl LP album (LP record) MDKR1 (505394) at". Eil.com. 15 April 2010. Retrieved 27 December 2015. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – Live at the BBC". discogs. Retrieved 17 September 2014. ^ "Chart Log UK: H & Claire- Hysterix". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 27 August 2015. ^ Cheal, David (22 May 2007).

"Rock's aristocrats show their class". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 August 2015. ^ "Official Steve Harley Website UK - The Impression Of Being Relaxed". Steveharley.com. 20 September 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2015. ^ The Daily Politics, BBC, 24 February 2010 ^ "Joe Matera – Steve Harley". Joe Matera. Retrieved 8 January 2015. ^ "Official Steve Harley Website UK – Gallery – Category: PHOTOS from Australia, April 2012". Steveharley.com. Retrieved 8 January 2015. ^ "Cockney Rebel Featuring Steve Harley - Cavaliers: An Anthology 1973-1974 (CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 27 August 2015. ^ "2013-10-26 Top 40 Independent Albums Archive – Official Charts". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014. ^ "Ordinary People - Single by Steve Harley on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com.

25 September 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015. ^ "Steve Harley: What makes the Cockney Rebel singer smile?". Daily Mail. 17 February 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2014. 10cc - Music on Google Play 10cc About the artist 10cc are an English rock band founded in Stockport who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians – Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme – who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the name "10cc" in 1972. 10cc featured two songwriting teams, one "commercial" and one "artistic". Stewart and Gouldman were predominantly pop-songwriters, who created most of the band's accessible songs. By way of contrast, Godley and Creme were the predominantly experimental half of 10cc, featuring an Art School sensibility and cinematically inspired writing.

Every member of 10cc was a multi-instrumentalist, singer, writer and producer, and the writing teams frequently switched partners, so that Godley/Gouldman or Creme/Stewart compositions were not uncommon. After Godley and Creme left the band in 1976, Gouldman and Stewart were the main creative forces behind 10cc. Stewart left the band in 1996, and Gouldman continues to lead a touring version of 10cc. 1 $9.49 Look Hear? is the seventh studio album by 10cc, released in 1980. It reached No. 35 in the UK and No. 180 in the United States. The album, recorded at the band's Strawberry Studios South in Dorking... 1 1 $9.49 Bloody Tourists is the sixth studio album by the English rock band 10cc, released worldwide by Mercury Records and in North America by Polydor Records in September 1978. Recorded at Strawberry Stud... 1 $8.99 Deceptive Bends is the fifth studio album released in 1977 by rock band 10cc.

The departure of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme in 1976 to form Godley & Creme almost ended 10cc. However Eric Stewart and ... 1 1 $8.99 How Dare You! is the fourth album by British band 10cc. Released in 1976, it included UK hit singles "I'm Mandy Fly Me" and "Art for Art's Sake". It was also the last 10cc album to feature the orig... 1 1 $9.49 Sheet Music is the second album by Stockport rock band 10cc. It was released in 1974 on UK records and yielded the hit singles "The Wall Street Shuffle" and "Silly Love". The album reached No 9 in ... 1 1 $9.49 10cc is the debut album by British rock band 10cc. It was recorded at Strawberry Studios in Stockport, which was part-owned by guitarist and engineer Eric Stewart, and released on Jonathan King's U...

1 Gerry Rafferty 0 Gerald "Gerry" Rafferty was a Scottish singer-songwriter best known for his solo hits "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line" and "Night Owl", as well as "Stuck in the Middle with You" recorded with ... 0 Electric Light Orchestra 0 The Electric Light Orchestra are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970, by songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterise... 0 Godley & Creme 0 Godley & Creme were an English rock duo composed of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The pair began releasing albums as a duo after splitting from the pop band 10cc. In 1979 they directed their first mu... 0 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel 0 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel are an English glam rock band from the early 1970s. Their music covers a range of styles from pop to progressive rock. Over the years they have had five albums in the U...

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The music magazine Record Mirror voted him the top UK male singer of 19... 0 The Hollies 0 The Hollies are an English pop/rock group known for their pioneering and distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. The Hollies became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the m... 0 Hot Chocolate 0 Hot Chocolate are a British Soul band popular during the 1970s and 1980s, formed by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson. The act had at least one hit every year from 1970 to 1984, and their song "You Sexy ... 0 Steve Harley | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny British rocker Steve Harley was born Steven Nice in London on February 27, 1951; the son of a jazz singer, he was stricken with polio at age two and spent the better part of his adolescence in and out of hospitals.

After trying his hand at journalism, by the early '70s Harley was busking throughout London, forming the band Cockney Rebel in 1973 with guitarist Jean Paul Crocker, bassist Paul Jeffreys, keyboardist Milton Reame James, and drummer Stuart Elliott. Signing to EMI, the group debuted with The Human Menagerie ; the single "Judy Teen" followed in early in 1974, becoming Cockney Rebel's first hit. Psychomodo was also a success, but as Harley's combative relationship with the press worsened he dissolved the group soon after. A Harley solo single, "Big Big Deal, " preceded the formation of a new Cockney Rebel lineup, which again featured drummer Stuart Elliott in addition to new guitarist Jim Cregan, bassist George Ford and keyboardist Duncan McKay. 1975's The Best Years of Our Lives generated Harley's first U.K.

chart-topper, "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), " on its way to selling over a million copies; the follow-up Love's a Prima Donna also launched a Top Ten hit with its cover of the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun." But in the wake of 1977's Face to Face -- A Live Recording, Harley again disbanded Cockney Rebel and relocated to the U.S., recording the better part of Hobo With a Grin in Los Angeles before returning to Britain. 1979's The Candidate failed to restore his commercial lustre, and with the exception of a minor 1983 hit "Ballerina (Prima Donna)" he spent the better part of the '80s removed from the pop scene. When his recording of "Mr. Soft" experienced a rebirth thanks to its use in a television commercial, Harley assembled a hits collection of the same name. Soon after he formed a new incarnation of Cockney Rebel and regularly toured into the following decade. 1999's Stripped to Bare Bones documents an acoustic set recorded the year previous. Yes You Can was issued in summer 2000.

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Human Menagerie - Amazon.com Music By R. D. Waters on June 17, 2004 Format: Audio CD Released 30 (gulp!) years ago, "The Human Menagerie" barely created a ripple on the American music scene, but in England and much of Europe it created a sensation. I was into all things Bowie, Roxy Music, and New York Dolls then, so when a friend played this for me I was hooked. It sounded fresh and rather daring in its time - it still does to some extent. Singer Steve Harley wrote artsy, fey lyrics that worked well with the unconventional instrumentation of the early Cockney Rebel recordings. "Hideaway" kicks off the CD with a bang. The formula of drums, bass, acoustic guitar, keyboards, and violin is introduced in a tight, driving song that Harley punctuates with campy phrasing and clever lyrics. Let's just state right up front that Harley's voice was limited, but he was very good at phrasing and could deliver some memorable moments. "What Ruthy Said" and "Loretta's Tale" are the perfect follow up songs - catchy, dramatic, and original.

These two songs also introduced Harley's lyrical technique of storytelling using names like Ruthy, Sebastian, Mona, and Loretta that he continued using for many years. "Crazy Raver" is a completely over the top, well, rave if you must. It is one of the weaker songs on the CD, but not a complete loss. "Sebastian", the notorious hit single, is Harley at the height of his drama queen stance, complete with full orchestra and choir. Listening to it then and now, I could never believe it was ever played on the radio in Europe or anywhere else much less America. It is slow, long, and unconventional. It was the signature song of their concerts for many years. "Mirror Freak", one of the best songs on this CD, was the real hook. Read more › By Paul Allaer TOP 100 REVIEWER VINE VOICE on November 4, 2005 Format: Audio CD Steve Harley made a huge impact in the mid-70's, with 1975's "The Best Years of Our Life" as the exclamation point.

But his band, Cockney Rebel, came on the European music scene with this album, originally released in 1973, with a "new" concept: no electric guitars, but instead a violin as the lead instrument, what a concept! "The Human Menagerie" (12 tracks, 51 min., including 2 bonus tracks) is mostly famous for its hit single "Sebastian", a 7 min. beautiful epic, yet slow and mostly quiet song, truly an enigma that this somehow found an audience (try imagine this today: not gonna happen!). But the album offers a lot more: the opener "Hideaway" is a delicious starter that perfectly introduces the band's "revolutionary" sound. "Mirror Freak" is another stand-out track, but the closer of the original album looms larger than any other: the 10 min. epic "Death Trip", with full-blown orchestration, just beautiful. This reissue comes with 2 bonus tracks: "Judy Teen", the great hit single released after this album and before the subsequent "Psychomodo" album, and "Rock and Roll Parade", the B-side.

Cockney Rebel is often classified as a "glam" band of the mid-70's era (based on their looks--check the album cover of "The Human Menagerie"), but that is just plain wrong. Their sound is unique. "The Human Menagerie" is a good album, but to hear Cockney Rebel at their peak, check out 1974's "Psychomodo", truly a classic. Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Morten Vindberg on January 13, 2005 Format: Audio CD This was Steve Harley and Cockney Rebels' first album - originally released in 1973. Cockney Rebel was a glam-rock act ; somewhere between David Bowie and Doctor's of Madness. At least their first 3 albums were really great; from then Harley's songwriting seemed to be somewhat exhausted. This album, probably their most consistent, contains their first classic single "Sebastian", which was a hit record in several countries, though never made it to the top 20 in Britain.

The song may appear a little dated today ( maybe because of its 7 minutes playing time ) - but their follow up single "Judy Teen", which is included as a bonus-track, is still among my favourite Rebel songs. The album contains many great tracks; both ballads and rockers - quite impressive considering that this was their debut-album. Songs like "Hideaway", "Loretta's Tale" and "Mirror Freak" have obvious hit-potential. "My Only Vice" and "Muriel the Actor" are simply charming tracks. "Death Trip", like Sebastian, is an ambitious piece of work, with a lot of inspiration from classical music. A great album! Comment 9 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Bryan on September 8, 2011 Format: Audio CD My first experience with the Steve Harley/Cockney Rebel collaboration is definitely a unique one! My assumption that they were some forgotten blues/rock band was entirely *wrong*, haha.

Every time I try to compare Steve Harley/Cockney Rebel to some other artist (such as Paul McCartney or Roxy Music) I'm never *quite* able to do so. Why? Because the music on the Human Menagerie is a pop/rock album that falls under the category of quirky, fun and just entirely different. Perhaps if anything, a comparison to 10cc is the most logical choice but... then again, they don't resemble 10cc in the slightest. Different songwriting altogether. Brian Eno's pop period? Yes, that's probably the best comparison. Well wait just a darn minute! How about a theatrical Roxy Music? Yeah *that's* what the Human Menagerie sounds like to me. The most remarkable aspect of Steve Harley/Cockney Rebel's sound is that it is -in my opinion at least- instantly likeable. Talk about insanely catchy vocal melodies. This album is positively *loaded* with them. I feel that "Loretta's Tale" wouldn't be out of place on an early Roxy Music album.

The vocal melody reminds me of something Bryan Ferry would have created back then, though the most interesting thing is that the most appropriate Roxy Music album for this song to make an appearance on would probably be Country Life but... that album didn't come out until a year *after* the Human Menagerie so perhaps it was Roxy Music who was listening to these guys (and not the other way around). Hmmm... Anyway, the vocal melody not only resembles Bryan Ferry but also makes me think it's a lost Paul McCartney classic. It's not however. Too darn bad. "Mirror Freak" is probably the most normal song here. Read more › Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Question: Steve Harley was the lead singer in which 1970’s band?
Answer: Cockney Rebel