www.steveharley.com/latest-news/1078-ste...s-show.html#ccomment

Thoughts (today), comments and memories of early listening to, The Human Menagerie of Cockney Rebel...all tracks by Harley (except as otherwise stated)...

HIDEAWAY
Great rhythm guitar - Steve played it on the Old Grey Whistle Test (see Patrick's comment on link above) but I wonder whether it was him (or John aka Jean-Paul, on the album)? Of course the album credits Steve with "Vocals" and "All Songs Written & Composed" and Jean-Paul Crocker with "Electric Violin, Mandolin & Guitar", so I suppose that was the case. Especially given that this was the 'introducing album', I can understand Steve wanting each band members part, to play to each of the individual strengths. Undoubtedly, it was a strong band.

What were the lyrics about? Insecurity, fear, the recollection of an event, or something else entirely? Whatever, a brilliant track to open the album. Slightly dark but with an 'up' string melody.

WHAT RUTHY SAID
At one time, relatively recently, looking back on it, Steve made the comment that this could have been the most conventional single. Ruthy is fun to be with and (was) desirable. The Social life of the human animal. Terrific wordplay and great lyric. Great drumming from Stuart.

LORETTA'S TALE
Like Ruthy, I would imagine she (was) desirable. People move on. Beautiful mandolin. A unique sound for the fans, back in the day. Too sophisticated for today's taste. The human condition.

A nice 2012 (live, orchestral version) already in the public domain:


CRAZY RAVER
In 1975 (and today) I thought (/think), this one sounds most like rock n' roll. I can imagine 'Teds' dancing to it. ("Teddy Boys are farming, It's all a little alarming...." was another Harley composition). Whilst I'm adding this, I'll just give out a nod to Harry Thompson, a genuine (late) Ted in 1975, at my school. He said to me (during metalwork) that he thought it would be only a couple of years before Teds made a proper comeback. It never really happened but he was partly correct with a few 'rumblings' in the immediate aftermath of punk. I think there were still pockets, of Ted followers, in London mainly. Anyway, Harry was something of a crazy raver himself. Rave on! Buddy Holly was a huge talent - I know Steve respects his work...(I wonder if Buddy was in Steve's mind when he penned this song?)

SEBASTIAN
With Death Trip, respective tracks closing each side of the album, a masterpiece, on all levels.

MIRROR FREAK
This one, with My Only Vice and Death Trip, are my three personal favourites. These three tracks did the most to enable me to develop my own ego, from all the pop music I've ever listened to. As my first single was Get It On (Bolan, 1971), this seems appropriate to me.

MY ONLY VICE IS...
I confess (lol) that I used to do a kind of a cross between Irish dancing and moves inspired by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, to this one, in front of my mirror (freak)! Vibrant. Celebratory. Endorphin producing, FANTASTIC... (that violin)

MURIEL THE ACTOR
Great fun. Base. Great nod to Biba. Cheery, all with a reference to schizophrenia (one late member of our family - earlier generation - and with six siblings, was diagnosed with this mental illness. I studied it a couple of academic years ago, a common factor, I found at least, was trauma).

CHAMELEON
A preamble (and more) to the magnificent...

DEATH TRIP
Dark but defiant and a trip applying to all individuals of all menageries. The closest (for me) to genius.

As an album, it is my favourite. How could it not be, with the Darwinian and Freudian undertones?! My other Steve Harley / Cockney Rebel favourites are scattered throughout the later albums, singles and B-sides.

BW,
Jem
X

Other relevant link(s):

www.steveharley.com/forum/7-welcome-mat/...the-elgar-esque.html

"...I continued to perform regularly at the Three Tuns [Beckenham]. That's where Cockney Rebel was born." Steve Harley [2017]

Reference: Jerome Soligny (2023), 'David Bowie, Rainbow Man, 1967-1980', Monoray, Octopus Publishing Group Ltd., London.

My mother-in-law got the book for me for Christmas and it's a very good read.


Now that we've heard from Steve, it seems silly to avoid posting until I next see and hear him. I hope you've all had a good Christmas and every best wish for 2024, to, Steve, Stuart, Barry, David, James, Oli, their families, Team Harley and fellow fans!

X

Further discussion (some speculative, fanciful - my views, or part true part false? I feel a Roxy pun coming on, vis-a-vis, the lyrics of For Your Pleasure, Ferry, 1973) on SEBASTIAN (I've also linked the following from elsewhere within this site):

www.steveharley.com/latest-news/1083-ste...tian-celebrated.html


In my second post of my thread, I said;

'SEBASTIAN
With Death Trip, respective tracks closing each side of the album, a masterpiece, on all levels.'

Elsewhere herein (I can't remember quite where, sorry), I made the view that I thought The Human Menagerie, was the nearest to a concept album of any by Cockney Rebel. I feel that even more given a) Sebastian and Death Trip close each side of the exquisite album and b) Having watched/listened last night to Waldemar Januszczak, on Sky Arts, 'Arts Wildest Movement...Mannerism', whilst none of that was directly or obviously connected.

Waldemar said, "...Saint Sebastian the archetypal mannerist saint...He should be in pain but he doesn't show it...The arrows of death have become the arrows of ecstasy...'

Steve's first memorable line and a half in his song is, of course, "Radiate simply, the candle is burning,
so low for me..." and the later repeated chorus is (simply);

"Somebody called me Sebastian
Somebody called me Sebastian"

My thoughts are that pain and ecstasy are the joint main themes of the song, latterly, "...Love me sublime..." My view is that somebody, perhaps, did call (Steve) Sebastian. True or false, assuming true, such a person would have to be very important in the life of the writer. Whatever, Steve undeniably wanted the record 'out there', very early on in his and Cockney Rebel's career...

Writing (again) on my other two threads under the 'Welcome..' section of the Forum this morning, has made me realise that there is also, perhaps a slightly tenuous link (though, for me, revealing Steve's writing talent during his initial period of 'hunger' and after all, All men are hungry, forgive the pun) between this, my favourite album, and his and Cockney Rebel's biggest single hit, Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me).

The earliest origins of Make Me Smile, occurred in 1971 or 1972 (somewhere Steve) I believe, confirmed that (I'm pretty sure it's during a written or oral interview, that I've also commented on one of the features within the Home/ Latest News sections).

If this is correct, Steve, between 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and ultimately, 1975, was learning and developing, at a fantastic rate, and was in full dendritic, neuronal and creative flow...

XXX

In my view, something about 'The Human Menagerie of Cockney Rebel' (1973) should 'lead' the Welcome Mat (anyone who has the vinyl LP and gatefold cover will know that that is the correct album title). I've said previously that this is one of the two (at least) concept albums - this is representing a, for the time, lifestyle. The clothes, the images, the personas, the music - with violin for guitar.

Coventry Dave mentioned the 'suits'. In particular, for me, the bowler hat (I asked my mother-in-law, a former milliner, to make me one), which was worn in the presence of Harley, in Cheltenham, on the evening of 19 December 2022. I also had on a coloured waistcoat I had bought in about 1994 - when they were mainstream male fashion for a short time (actually about 1991-1994) and on the back of it I had a coloured reproduction of the album cover itself - that image alone got me to 'buy into' the presentation (though I did so in 1975, later than some fans - I knew of Judy Teen and Mr Soft beforehand, of course). I didn't own an album until the start of '75 (only singles).

Leon K's post of about three months ago (not far from this, also in the Welcome Mat) also got me thinking about the name, or you might say, the brand, of COCKNEY REBEL. We know that Steve, around the summer of 2023 (or that was when it was announced) had sold the whole back catalogue (song rights), but did the contract include the name?

I have some knowledge of 'contract' from my twenty plus years as a Major Projects QS (I was involved with the Jubilee Line at London Bridge - in my peak) and for about half of that, as a former MCIArb, but I don't know much about 'copyright'. I do know that the latter tends to apply to whole or substantial parts of works e.g. books, plays, films, songs etc. Dorothy, Steve's widow, would be one of the very few that would know the essence of the bargain that Steve had made.

Comparing the names of my two favourite bands from youth, Roxy Music and Cockney Rebel, whilst Roxy were clever in implying a whole genre of their own, Rebel could extend, yes, into a lifestyle, involving fashion maybe (although Steve made that comment of him dressing or presenting more like a Geography Teacher, ha)?

This last Bank Holiday, for the first time in my (male) life, I bought a pair of women's jeans - for the cut - a la Bowie during the Hunky Dory period. You know I'm fond of the mid seventies for parallels and Oxford Bags. It transpires I can get into a size 14! Because they are long I've today just bought a pair (second pair this year) of Doc Marten (sandals with very thick Air Ware soles - my earlier pair Elvis might have favoured, or maybe not as they are kind of Lilac!) This reminds me of Steve's nail varnish on the cover of that seminal first album, the pinkish trousers and the eye shadow! The shoes also pushed masculine boundaries but they were great, weren't they?!

Going back to the thing about 'Cockney Rebel' the name, this got slightly relegated, possibly, when Steve continued with the second 'incarnation' of the band. This, intentionally or otherwise, in one way or by degree, 'separated' him from the other members of the band.

Stuart Elliott was also a founder of the band - together with Steve - and he was also still in some of the late performances - so glad I saw and heard him play, two years after we exchanged emails (gigs with the full band).

Did Harley ever say whether he came up with the name or was it Elliott, Crocker, Reame-James or Jeffreys, or was it collective (Roxy discussed their name - starting with the names of old cinemas - so it's conceivable that the original band members discussed it)?

Anyway, Steve has left a huge void in gigs I'd like to go to, though the body of recorded work is ever present - and this is one good reason to remain...

X

The Who's That Girl thread has also reminded me about another point I think I know (but please check I'm right before relying on this - in any way) but titles ALONE (in the absence of any other intellectual work) are not subject to copyright - though they can still be caught by other sources of (English) law (possibly other jurisdictions too) - for example, if there was such a company as Who's That Girl Limited, which also was trademarked then that would be caught twice (also Who's That Girl, without the 'Limited', might be trademarked, phew! Whilst I recognised I found law interesting - Kerr Nice - Dorothy and Steve's son - took it much further - I'm glad I only went into the quasi-legal adjudication/arbitration. X

www.steveharley.com/forum/5-forum-questi...who-s-that-girl.html

Hi Jem, over the years I've heard Steve give 2 origins of the Cockney Rebel name. Firstly, he said it was a nickname his dad used to call him but later he said it was the name of a poem that he wrote when he was very young.
After the first incarnation of Cockney Rebel broke up (due in part of other members wanting to write songs), Steve put his name before the bands name so there would be no doubt as to who was in control.
I agree, the buckled shoes with 'rock n roll' on were great.