Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Fronted by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Steve Harley, Cockney Rebel first came to the pop forefront in 1972 when they were signed by EMI Records. Yet Harley himself - a former journalist with a flair for self-publicity - had already made a small mark as a solo artist on the folk scene as a regular at famous London club Les Cousins. Fiddle and mandolin player John Crocker (formerly with Trees) decided to develop their line-up and style, adding drummer Stuart Elliott, bass player Paul Jeffreys and guitarist Nick Jones (soon replaced by Pete Newnham) and the unusual sound of a fiddle-led band and Harley's lyrical songs and appealing vocals quickly attracted attention. Their debut single, “Sebastian,” won them a following in Europe, but it was the Bob Dylan-influenced second single “Judy Teen” (1974) that made them a serious commercial force. Internal disputes within the band caused a bitter split, with Elliott becoming the only member of the original line-up to stay loyal to Harley as he put together a new version of the band, re-named as Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. With Harley as the undisputed leader and primary force, they achieved their biggest hit in 1975 with the million-selling “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me),” which also gave them their breakthrough in America. The group then split in 1977 when Harley relocated to America and launched a solo career. Steve Harley re-formed the group in 1989 for a tour and they have sporadically continued to put together different Cockney Rebel line-ups for occasional gigs. Chiefly focused on his solo career, Steve Harley was sidelined – along with the rest of the world – when a planned tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He resumed touring in 2021 and continued performing until October 2023, when he cancelled shows due to health issues. At the end of 2023, he announced that he had cancer. Steve Harley died on March 17, 2024, at the age of 73.
©Copyright Music Story Stephen Schnee 2024
Discography
14 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The Human Menagerie (2012 Remaster)
Pop - Released by Chrysalis Records on 1 Nov 1973
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Psychomodo (2012 Remaster)
Pop - Released by Chrysalis Records on 1 Jun 1974
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Birmingham - Live with Orchestra & Choir (Live)
Rock - Released by Chrysalis Records on 13 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cavaliers: An Anthology (1973-1974)
Pop - Released by Chrysalis Records on 29 Oct 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Introducing Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (Live)
Rock - Released by Carter Lane - OMiP on 1 Dec 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Timeless Flight
Rock - Released by Chrysalis Records on 1 Jan 1976
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Years of Your Life
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Steve Harley, Cockney Rebel
Rock - Released by Autarc Media GmbH on 13 May 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live From London
Rock - Released by The Store For Music Ltd on 15 Dec 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel Live
Progressive Rock - Released by Carter Lane - OMiP on 25 Nov 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - BBC Radio Broadcast John Peel Show 28th May 1974.
Rock - Released by Symbol on 7 Aug 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - BBC Radio Broadcast Nicky Campbell Show London 1st May 1992.
Rock - Released by Symbol on 10 Aug 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mr Soft (Live)
Progressive Rock - Released by Lumi OMP on 16 Dec 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live At BBC (Live)
Rock - Released by Cult Legends on 26 Jan 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo