Great to read That The Best Years is to be featured on Radio 2 shortly.Here is an extract from my unpublished book when a young 14 year old lad fell in love with a great album!

" As Steve set about recording The Best Years Of Our Lives in the Autumn of 1974,there must have been considerable pressure on his young shoulders! Having cracked the singles market and album charts with some considerable success in 1974 in many parts of Europe,he had left himself open to serious criticism after the break up of the first Band.Whether it was his choice or the powers that be at EMI to replace the 3 inexperienced musicians with Cregan,Ford and Mackay,who had all been around the block a few times I don't know,but certainly those guys looked and played with great maturity and it appeared that they wouldn't suffer fools gladly!
The pressure to deliver a killer third album was there from EMI,the new Band members and no doubt Steve himself who wanted to show one or two people in the Business that he was a major talent and no flash in the pan.

Ultimatley that pressure,that hunger and the timing of the break up of the first Band led to Steve writing a brilliant album that continued the development from The Human Menagerie and The Psychomodo. The best Years had a maturity and it made a statement that Steve Harley had arrived and was now ready for bigger and better things.
My first introduction to the album was Make Me Smile ( Come Up And See Me) on Top Of The Pops.Initially I was unaware of the meaning of the song.It just had brilliant words a great chorus and an amazing Spanish guitar solo.The next day on the Noel Edmunds breakfast show on Radio 1 he predicted it would be a number 1 in no time and John Peel in his singles review section in Sounds predicted at least a top 10 place.I had to agree, the single sounded stunning ever time I heard it on Manchester's Piccadilly Radio or Radio 1.
Whilst Reading interviews with Steve in the music press at the time it became clear that behind the catchy tune of Make Me Smile there was a hidden meaning and Steve was talking to the band members who had left in July 1974. "You've done it all you've broken every code and pulled the Rebel to the floor". I loved the story and the intrigue.Make Me Smile was the perfect launch pad for The Best Year Of Our Lives,as the single went to Number 1 in the charts and the album smashed straight in at number 4.After I got the album in March 1975,I grew to love every track.The introduction " Oh but it's magic it's the best years of our lives" sung in a comic style was pure slapstick,it always made me laugh and Mad Mad Moonlight which followed was pure Rock and Roll!. Steve seemed to be talking again to the musicians who left Rebel when he also sang on the fade out on Panorama " Look at Judy Teen she's the queen of the scene, a rag doll know what I mean?" and when Steve screamed on Back To The Farm " Nothing No more come from Judy,lots of colour come from Moody,nothing no more,nothing no more,I'M PUTTING NEW COACHES ON THE TRAIN",I could spot the meaning,the first Band had gone,the new coaches were the new players and Steve was the train going faster than ever down the track.
Mr Raffles,It Wasn't Me,49th Parallel..all the tracks were brilliant and every time I played the album I heard something different.My favourite track on the album though was the title track,I'd heard Steve say to Kid Jensen on an interview on Radio Luxembourg that " The Band played it live in the studio,all sat round together,there were no overdubs and they wanted to get the feel of the song on record".This fired up my imagination no end....every time I played the track which started with a haunting siren noise I could see the Band sitting round in a circle as Steve was leading the players through the song.I could hear the emotion in his voice " European Maids Hard to ignore,you me and the boys barred from the shore" by the time Steve sang at the end "oh but it's magggiicccc it's the Best Years Of Our lives" at the end I was emotionally drained and quite stunned! It was the perfect ending to an outstanding album.Disc called The Best years " A Monster Unleashed" I had to agree!!
The tour in the UK and Europe to promote the album in March/April 1975 received wonderful reviews and sold out everywhere.Three sell out nights at The Hammersmith Odeon in April just confirmed to me that Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel were where they deserved to be : right at the top!

I remember receiving the Best Years album for my 14th birthday in February 1975 and playing it to my sister's boyfriend who I'd met for the first time that day. I fell in love with my sister's boyfriend. We secretly eloped (some years later) and we've been married for 31 years but.......

Oh, how I wanted to be the girl in the back of the taxi with Steve Harley on the back of album cover!(why does she look so bored?)

I'll really enjoy Johnnie Walker's show this week as I peel the vegetables!

You Best Years story is great to read, Stewart, and Stella's memories and "intersting" story very interesting!! Steve will be pointed to this later: PLEASE will you send your stories as email to Johnnie?
He will read them, we're sure. He respects Steve very much, and he might read out your great stories.
Same goes to anyone with a special "Best Years" story to tell - Johnnie will really enjoy receiving them.

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many thanks - R

Ok Rachel. Done!
I wonder if Steve remembers playing "Moonlighting" for me on the Sounds Of The Seventies?

Stewart G, why is your book still unpublished? I can't be the only Rebel fan who would love to read it! Is there a spot for your book, in several "episodes", to appear here on the SH website? Your writing is too emotive to remain a secret: I am hungry to read more!!!!

Stella Day wrote:
That's quite a story, Stella. Is your husband as big a fan of Steve's as you are? And, did your sister ever forgive you?

Cheri