Last night we watched the PopMaster TV Series 4 Grand Final, which was won by David from Yorkshire with a 39/39 final score. The quiz show is owned by Ken Bruce and aired by Channel 4. David also went on to win a Platinum Disc.

One of David's questions required him to answer which band had a number 1 hit with Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)! He answered, "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel", of course!

This reminded me that the last time I saw/heard Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel Live, on 19 December 2022 (Cheltenham Town Hall), Steve referred to Ken Bruce - I've mentioned why on another thread, without referring to Ken (myself) at that time, because Steve was (maybe fancifully) referring to re-releasing Mr Soft, '...for Ken Bruce to play...'

Of course, Steve referred to this possibility before he sold the rights to his back catalogue, the following year. I've just realised today that Steve and Ken were both born in the same month of the same year.

Make Me Smile was hugely important to Steve of course - as well as to the fans. Cockney Rebel were already pretty well known at that point, but ...(Come Up And See Me), made HIM a star.

It's occurred to me that even in 2023 - with what is in the public domain (Steve's own comments, following the sale of the rights, together with certain officialdom...) - that the song may still have had an estimated valuation of circa £2 million, perhaps more?

We know that the final words of the song came from a degree of adversity, but not the whole song. Steve had some of the melody in either 1971 or 1972, though originally I think the song was in a different tempo. They changed this (I think) in 1974/5. It must have been all the sweeter (the length of time to fully conceive), when it did happen.

Steve was almost exactly 24 years old. An age when full of vitality.

Now that the dust has settled, I feel privileged to have seen and heard him at two key periods of his mid-late career, the Yes You Can comeback in 1992, following leaner years and the later period, that saw larger audiences returning once again, at Cheltenham and Harrogate, for instance.

As he said on his album 'Poetic Justice' (1996), for Steve, it was all in a life's work...he would be rewarded further, for his effort, dedication, gregarious caring nature and not least, talent.

Enjoy the weekend.

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