Sometimes I feel like I haven't lived at all. Where was I when all those 70's bands were in their heyday? Sitting in my bedroom listening to Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel probably.
Anyway months ago I booked tickets to see June Tabor and Oysterband who played here in Sevenoaks Stag Theatre last night.
What a revelation. June Tabor, now 71 has the most beautiful voice. I'm not sure if I am in love with her or just want to be her.
Oysterband were great and reminded me somewhat (especially during some of the fiddle playing) of early Cockney Rebel.
Here's a YouTube clip of them playing Joy Division's "Love will tear us apart".

Dulce Pontes - Your Love, theme to Once Upon a Time In The West, just incredible tune, heart achingly breakingly beautiful tune, from the always brilliant Ennio Morricone, simply stunning!

Listening to at the Moment - right now? "Mr SOFT" by Steve, coming from the new Dutch DVD 2018.
Steve, thank you for producing this gorgeous DVD and the wonderful concert (I know it was in 2018 but I could not join the audience then).
The more I enjoy the Songs now!

Another genius in my opinion, still going strong, Ray Dorset. Great performace, reminds me of Steve's 'Songs from the Shed'.

In the interests of keeping the site active, and shifting focus to the here and now (especially as Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel are mentioned first on this list!!!) I've returned to this over thirteen year old thread. I listen to the following tracks - mainly in order of song title as my stick perceives it - the ones not listed that way are recent changes - to keep it - to an extent - fresh. I'd say if not every week, at least every other week:

1. (I Believe) Love's A Prima Donna - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

2. 5AM - Katy B

3. Action - The Sweet

4. All Of My Heart - ABC

5. All That - Sparks

6. Allentown - Billy Joel

7. Are Friends Electric? - Tubeway Army

8. Beauty Queen - Roxy Music

9. Big Girls Cry - Sia

10. Car Trouble - Adam & The Ants

11. Conversation - Gary Numan

12. Could It Happen To Me? - Roxy Music

13. December '63 - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

14. EPitome - my own backing track

15. Fox On The Run - The Sweet

16. Friend Or Foe - Adam & The Ants

17. Gentlemen Take Polaroids - Japan

18. Goose Snow Cone - Aimee Mann

19. Happy For You - Dua Lipa

20. Honaloochie Boogie - Mott The Hoople

21. I Believe - Marcella Detroit

22. I've Been Losing You - AHa

23. It's My Life - Talk Talk

24. Judy Teen - Cockney Rebel

25. King - Years & Years

26. Lazy - Suede

27. Learning To Fly - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

28. Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Ian Hunter (featuring Mick Ronson!)

29. Only To Be With You - Roachford

30. Ripoff - Ian Hunter & The Rant Band

31. Saturday Night - Suede

32. Scoundrel Days - AHa

33. Some Kind Of Fool - Japan

34. Soul Love - David Bowie & The Spiders From Mars

35. Sovereign Light Cafe - Keane

36. Space Invader - The National

37. Strange Town - The Jam

38. taken off (11/10/25)

39. Teenage Rampage - The Sweet

40. taken off (11/10/25)

41. The Night - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

42. The Price Of Love - Bryan Ferry (Everly Brothers cover)

43. The Slider - T Rex

44. The Spirit Of Radio - Rush

45. The Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

46. The Way I Feel - Keane

47. Time To Say Goodbye - Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman

48. Trustfall - Pink

49. Umbrella Man - The Searchers

50. Waves - Mr Probz

51. What Goes On - Bryan Ferry (Lou Reed cover)

52. Who Knew? - Pink

53. Who's That Girl? - Madonna

54. Wide Awake - Katy Perry

55. Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie & The Spiders From Mars

56. Down In The Park - Gary Numan

57. taken off (11/10/25)

58. Just What I Needed - The Cars

59. Hollywood - Madonna

60. One Way Love - Bryan Ferry (cover, Berns [Russell]/ Ragovoy [Meade])

61. Viva Next (my own backing track)

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Additions, 12/09/25:

62. Blackwater - Rain Tree Crow

63. Humpty Dumpty - Aimee Mann

64. I Should've Known - Aimee Mann

65. I'm With You - Avril Lavigne

66. I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys

67. Ships In The Night - Be Bop Deluxe

68. Forbidden Lovers [First Version] - Be Bop Deluxe

69. taken off (11/10/25)

(Whilst listening again to 'Forbidden Lovers' , to me, it sounds quite like Thin Lizzy (I also like them...rock...edge...versatile - for instance, contrasting 'The Boys Are Back In Town', with 'Sarah' - I have a cassette still, by them)

70. Ever Needed Someone So Bad - Def Leppard

(motivated by their recent festival gig to get this on!)

71. Body Talk - Foxes

72. You Have Killed Me - Morrissey

(his three album 'Renaissance Period', refers - this one produced by Visconti!)

73. Everything (Neneh Cherry)

(my 'crush', 1988-96 - style/influences from everywhere!)

74. One Step Ahead - Split Enz

75. My Only Vice (Is The Fantastic Price I Charge For Being Eaten Alive) - Cockney Rebel

(from my first and favourite LP!)

76. Lovesong - The Cure

(It's taken a while for me to appreciate The Cure, but I do, Sash has loved them since she became aware of them - as a youngster)

Added: It's So Easy - T31 (11/10/25 - my own backing track). Started on top line and (fit-in, not quite nonsense) lyrics (early demo).

In the near future, I'm going to add four tracks by Adam Ant and 'Another Time, Another Place', by Bryan Ferry. The first song of his own that he recorded outside Roxy Music (1974). 'Mirror Freak' by Cockney Rebel (1973) is also going on the playlist. Then I can start listening to it more regularly again - that is, without my phone, laptop or record player...freer, more mobile, less distraction...x

12/10/25 Actually, I have eight tracks that I want to, fairly imminently download, so they can go on my stick (three of which I already have on vinyl) are:

Adam Ant;

Wonderful
Desperate But Not Serious
Can't Set Rules About Love
Gotta Be A Sin


Bryan Ferry;

Another Time, Another Place


Steve Harley and/or Cockney Rebel;

Mirror Freak
Sweet Dreams
Victim of Love

The last of these songs may stimulate a new thread...x

There's a ninth. And here's a link to a tribute by TMK

Japan;

The Other Side of Life

18/10/25 Eight out of nine of the immediately above are now downloaded. Sadly, my absolute 'hook' of the moment, 'Victim of Love', hasn't been - the only proper format it's still available in, is the full CD version. That is either Yes You Can studio album or Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel Live At The BBC. Still, I'll still have the other two Harley's on my stick by the next time it goes on charge! X

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28/10/25 - I've taken the link out. Even though it is not my account, I'm uncomfortable with leaving links in to material that use, in essence, the whole of the song that is available on record - unless the owner of the intellectual work gave express consent. In other words, I'm returning to the status quo as it was prior to 14 February 2005, when YouTube was created. All the best...

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Have a good weekend

X

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28/10/25 - I've taken the link out. Even though it is not my account, I'm uncomfortable with leaving links in to material that use, in essence, the whole of the song that is available on record - unless the owner of the intellectual work gave express consent. In other words, I'm returning to the status quo as it was prior to 14 February 2005, when YouTube was created. All the best...

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'Later with Jools Holland', BBC2 (1993)





06/11/25

In my view this (above) is one of the top three tracks of Aimee's (solo) debut album, 'Whatever', in 1993. This is a CD that I've retained. We saw and heard her in Kentish Town, in 1995. I saw and heard her again, in 2008, at Inigo2.

I've already said that my 'first tier' bands are:

ROXY MUSIC (since '73) COCKNEY REBEL (since '74) SPLIT ENZ (since '76)

THE SWEET ( since '73. I've always referred to them in conversation as just 'Sweet')

MOTT THE HOOPLE (since '73)


My 'second tier' bands or artists are:

SUEDE (since '92) AIMEE MANN (since '93) JAPAN (since '81) PINK (originally, about '02, but stronger, over the last few years)

12/11/25 - For those so affected BEWARE of flashing lights towards the end of the Split Enz link.

"And how could I not fall madly, madly, madly in love with the Ziggy Stardust album? Of course I did. Because Mick Ronson was all over it. He was everywhere. Mick was really gifted..."

Steve Harley (2017)

Source: 'David Bowie Rainbow Man 1967-1980' by Jerome Soligny (2023) Monoray p241