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Steve Harley
Steve Harley was born in Deptford, south London, on February 27th 1951, the second of five children.
Due to a childhood illness, Steve spent almost four years in hospital between three and sixteen years, undergoing major surgery in 1963 and 1966. It was aged twelve years, while in hospital recovering from a major operation, that Steve first heard Bob Dylan and realised that his life was likely to be preoccupied with words and music.
Steve's first guitar was a Christmas gift from his parents when he was ten-years-old. It was a Spanish, nylon-strung instrument.
He took classical violin lessons from the age of nine to fifteen and played in his Grammar school orchestra.
In the spring of 1968, Steve got his first full-time job working in the accounts department of the Daily Express newspaper in Fleet Street, London. But his heart was set on a career in Journalism, so being at the industry's heart was a useful stepping-stone for the nascent reporter. Interviewed by several newspaper editors, Steve finally signed indentures to train with Essex County Newspapers in Colchester, Essex. After three years working within the group, including stints at the Essex County Standard, the Braintree and Witham Times, the Maldon and Burnham Standard and the Colchester Evening Gazette, Steve moved back to London to work for the East London Advertiser, then based in Mile End Road, in the heart of London's East End.
Steve began his singing career "floor-spotting" (singing for free as a member of the audience) in London folk clubs in 1971/2. He sang at Les Cousins, Bunjie's and The Troubadour on nights featuring John Martin, Ralph McTell, Martin Carthy and Julie Felix, all leading lights of the London folk movement at the time.
He later joined folk band Odin as rhythm guitarist and co-singer, which was where he met the first Cockney Rebel violinist, John Crocker. However, the folk scene proved a little tame for Mr Harley and, as he was constantly writing songs, formed Cockney Rebel as a vehicle for his own work. It was here that Steve and Stuart Elliot first met and worked together. Stuart drums with Steve's band on record and on tour from time to time to this day.
The band signed to EMI for a guaranteed three album deal in 1972 and released The Human Menagerie early in '73. From this collection, a single, Sebastian, became a huge European hit, staying at Number One in Holland and Belgium for many weeks. Other Cockney Rebel and/or Steve Harley albums are: The Psychomodo , The Best Years Of Our Lives , Timeless Flight , Love's A Prima Donna , Face To Face (Live), Hobo With A Grin , The Candidate (all EMI), Yes You Can (1992), Poetic Justice (1996) and The Quality Of Mercyreleased in late 2005.
One Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel single, Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me), reached Number One in 1975 in the UK and many European countries and is regularly voted among the top singles in the history of the charts, which covers six decades of releases. The Performing Rights Society has confirmed it one of the most played records in British broadcasting.
The song has been covered More Than 100 Times in seven languages and has been featured in several movies including The Full Monty (whose soundtrack album went Triple Platinum in the UK, and Platinum in the USA and Australia), Velvet Goldmine, Best and Saving Grace. The song has also been used on more than twenty TV and radio advertising campaigns around the world.
Steve's other chart singles include, Judy Teen, Mr Soft, Mr Raffles (Man, It Was Mean), Here Comes The Sun, Lov'es A Prima Donna , Irresistible, Phantom Of The Opera (with Sarah Brightman) and A Friend For Life (a small hit in 2001).
During the eighties, Steve took time out from the rock world as his two children were going through their formative years but did perform on stage, albeit the legitimate stage. He starred as the C16th playwright Christopher Marlowe, in the musical-drama Marlowe, which ran off-Broadway and in London.
Steve and his band continue to tour regularly, playing between 70 and 100 concerts most years. In recent times, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel have played Glastonbury Festival three times, the Isle of Wight festival in 2004 and many of Europe's major rock festivals.
For more information on Steve, including details of his current touring schedule, latest releases and general news, visit his own official website.
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Doves
Special guests on Dermot's show this week
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Sounds of the 70s