Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1972 in London, England |
| Headquarters | London , England |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel emerged as a British rock ensemble in London during the early 1970s.[1] Their sound encompassed a range from pop to progressive rock, resulting in five albums charting on the UK Albums Chart and twelve singles entering the UK Singles Chart.[2]
Career
Raised in London's New Cross, Steve Harley attended Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Boys' School. His musical journey commenced in the late 1960s, performing as a busker alongside John Crocker (Jean-Paul Crocker) and showcasing original compositions, some of which were later recorded by his band.[3]
The original Cockney Rebel
Following a short stint in journalism, Harley reconnected with his former folk collaborator Crocker (handling fiddle, mandolin, and guitar) in 1972 to establish the original Cockney Rebel. Crocker had recently departed from Trees, and they enlisted drummer Stuart Elliott, bassist Paul Jeffreys, and guitarist Nick Jones. The group’s first appearance took place at London's Roundhouse on 23 July 1973, where they supported the Jeff Beck Group. Shortly thereafter, Pete Newnham replaced Jones; however, Harley opted against using an electric guitar, instead highlighting Crocker's electric violin and Milton Reame-James's Fender Rhodes piano as primary instruments. After only five performances, the band secured a contract with EMI. Their debut single "Sebastian" found success across Europe but did not chart in the UK. The 1973 debut album, The Human Menagerie, cultivated a growing fanbase in London despite modest commercial results.
Harley’s prominence attracted considerable press attention, which led to friction within the band as other members felt overshadowed during the rise of their second single, "Judy Teen." In May 1974, Cockney Rebel launched their inaugural UK tour, featuring a London date at Victoria Palace Theatre. They released The Psychomodo album, generating hits such as "Mr. Soft" and the European single "Psychomodo." A live BBC recording from 1974 was eventually released in 1995. Tensions within the group reached a climax by the conclusion of a successful UK tour; all members except Elliott departed to pursue careers as session musicians. Keyboardist Reame-James later recounted the original lineup’s final session at Abbey Road Studios. Following the split, Crocker formed a duo with his brother and briefly joined Be-Bop Deluxe in 1974, while Reame-James and Jeffreys went on to create Chartreuse in 1976.
Regrouping
Harley's subsequent appearance on BBC Television's Top of the Pops, this time under his own name, featured session players including Francis Monkman and B. A. Robertson. The single "Big Big Deal" was released in 1974 but was soon withdrawn.
From this point forward, the act known as Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel functioned largely as Harley's solo endeavor. In 1974, they released The Best Years of Our Lives, produced by Alan Parsons, which included "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)". This track became a UK number one hit in February 1975 and remains their highest-selling single, having sold over one million copies worldwide. The song features backing vocals by Tina Charles. Harley later disclosed that the lyrics were aimed at former bandmates he believed had deserted him, a statement corroborated by .
Another track from that album, "Mr. Raffles (Man, It Was Mean)", reached the Top 20. Their next album Timeless Flight also achieved Top 20 status; however, its singles "Black or White" and "White, White Dove" did not enter the charts. After 1975, Harley found it difficult to match the success of "Make Me Smile," leading to a decline in visibility; ultimately, Cockney Rebel disbanded. Nevertheless, they scored an unexpected Top 10 hit during summer 1976 with their rendition of "Here Comes the Sun", followed by the Top 50 single "(I Believe) Love's a Prima Donna" and the album Love's a Prima Donna. Additionally, Harley lent his vocals to the Alan Parsons Project's track "The Voice" on their 1977 album I Robot.
Harley’s Solo Career
During the late 1970s, Harley launched two solo albums that failed to achieve commercial success: 1978’s Hobo with a Grin, which included the singles "Roll the Dice" and "Someone's Coming", followed by 1979’s The Candidate. A modest return to the UK charts came with the track "Freedom's Prisoner" from the latter release. After a brief stint in the 1980s contributing a song to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, Harley issued the 1982 single "I Can't Even Touch You" under a band name, then followed it with the 1983 minor hit "Ballerina (Prima Donna)", credited alternately to his band and solo efforts. In 1986, he released two singles through RAK Records: "Irresistible" and "Heartbeat Like Thunder".
Tragically, original Cockney Rebel bassist Paul Jeffreys lost his life in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing while on honeymoon.
Band Reformation
Harley revived Cockney Rebel in 1988, resuming touring activities from 1989 onward. Following the successful "Come Back, All Is Forgiven" tour in 1989, Harley and several band members adopted the name Raffles United in April 1990. They held four nights of auditions at a London pub to fill key positions including bassist, lead guitarist, drummer, and violinist. Throughout the 1990s, Harley’s brother Ian Nice remained on keyboards. The finalized lineup made its debut on June 5, 1990, at Doncaster Dome, featuring Harley; Ian Nice (keyboards); Nick Pynn (violin/guitar); Robbie Gladwell (lead guitar); Paul Francis (drums); and Billy Dyer (bass). As of 2022, Gladwell continues as lead guitarist with Dyer making occasional returns.
Since then, Harley has released several solo albums such as Yes You Can (1992), which included singles like "Irresistible" and "Star for a Week (Dino)"; Poetic Justice (1996); and The Quality of Mercy (2005), featuring singles "A Friend for Life" and "The Last Goodbye". Notably, this last album was his first since the 1970s to be released under the Cockney Rebel name. He referred to his touring group during this period as 'Cockney Rebel Mark III'.
Tours and Releases Post-2010
Following the release of Stranger Comes to Town, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel recommenced touring throughout England, Ireland, and Northern Ireland in 2010. In October 2012, a remastered four-disc box set titled Cavaliers: An Anthology 1973–1974 was issued, documenting recordings by the original Cockney Rebel lineup. On November 24, 2012, the band performed their first two albums—The Human Menagerie and The Psychomodo—in their entirety alongside the Orchestra of the Swan and a choir. This concert was subsequently released in October 2013 as a live double-CD and DVD named Birmingham.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of The Best Years of Our Lives and "Make Me Smile," a UK tour comprising sixteen dates took place in 2015. During this tour, Harley reunited with surviving members of Cockney Rebel’s second original lineup—Jim Cregan, Stuart Elliott, and Duncan Mackay—marking their first collaboration since 1976. With original bassist George Ford deceased, Marty Prior filled in on bass. The ensemble also included violinist/guitarist Barry Wickens along with the MonaLisa Twins, Mona and Lisa Wagner, who contributed guitar, percussion, and backing vocals.
In 2016, Chrysalis Records—now under Blue Raincoat Music ownership—acquired Cockney Rebel’s catalogue. Harley participated in the label’s inaugural release: a charity single covering the Rolling Stones’ "You Can't Always Get What You Want", credited to Friends of Jo Cox in tribute to the late Labour MP Jo Cox.
After disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, live performances resumed in August 2021 with a full rock band comprising Harley, Wickens, Lascelles, Gladwell, Elliott, and Harada. This marked their first comprehensive tour together—previously limited to festival appearances in 2016—and represented Gladwell’s full-time return following intermittent involvement between 2017 and 2020. Setlists prominently featured several seldom-performed tracks, particularly from Harley’s 1992 album Yes You Can.
Acoustic tours
Building on the achievements of the 1998 and 1999 'Stripped To The Bare Bones' and 'Stripped Again' tours, Harley maintained his focus on acoustic performances, initially collaborating with Jim Cregan and various members of Cockney Rebel in 2002. This ensemble led to the 2003 release of the live album Acoustic and Pure: Live. Aside from the full band reunion in 2015, Cregan reunited with Harley for a pair of acoustic concerts in March 2020, predominantly spotlighting Harley as a solo performer.
Between 2003 and 2004, a five-piece acoustic ensemble recorded the live album Anytime! (A Live Set) released in 2004. The group featured Lascelles on percussion, Gladwell handling lead guitar duties, Wickens contributing violin and guitar, and Anderson playing double bass. Tours across Holland and Belgium during 2005–2006, which supported The Quality Of Mercy, showcased extensive song reworkings that were absent from performances in England, notably omitting Anderson.
From 2010 through 2019, the acoustic setup was revived as a trio consisting of Harley, Wickens, and Lascelles (on keyboards and percussion). Initially referred to as the '3-man acoustic show', it was rebranded as the 'Acoustic Trio' in 2016. This formation reflected the original 1997 concept featuring Harley alongside Nice and Pynn. In 2020, to promote Uncovered, the arrangement expanded to a four-piece group including David Delarre on lead guitar and Oli Hayhurst on double bass, alongside Harley and Wickens. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most scheduled tour dates were postponed, with only nine concerts proceeding as planned. Late September 2020 saw two shows return to the trio format acoustically, with Hayhurst joining for one performance. Additionally, Harley conducted an online question-and-answer session via Zoom in December 2020.
Reissues and non-band activities
Two of Harley’s major hits experienced renewed commercial exposure through UK advertising campaigns: "Make Me Smile" was featured in a Carlsberg Lager commercial in 1995, propelling it back into the UK Top 40; meanwhile, "Mr Soft" was used extensively in Trebor Softmints adverts from 1987 until 1994. Furthermore, "Make Me Smile" appeared in a Marks & Spencer advertisement in 2005 and was included on soundtracks for films such as The Full Monty (1997) and Velvet Goldmine (1998).
Harley served as host of BBC Radio 2's Sounds of the 70s program from 1999 through to 2008. EMI issued a comprehensive anthology titled The Cockney Rebel – A Steve Harley Anthology in 2006, encompassing both Harley’s solo work and his contributions with Cockney Rebel.
In July 2007, Cockney Rebel had the opportunity to open for The Rolling Stones during their concerts in Warsaw and Saint Petersburg. Meanwhile, original keyboardist Reame-James formed a new group named 'Banana Rebel' alongside James Staddon, Phil Beer, and Robbie Johnson; this band released an album entitled Top Banana.
Steve Harley passed away at his residence in Suffolk on 17 March 2024 at age 73 after having publicly shared his cancer diagnosis.
Discography
- Cockney Rebel
- The Human Menagerie (1973)
- The Psychomodo (1974)
- Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel studio discography
- The Best Years of Our Lives (1975)
- Timeless Flight (1976)
- Love's a Prima Donna (1976)
- The Quality of Mercy (2005)
1970s
Cockney Rebel: initial formation (1972)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- John Crocker – violin, mandolin, guitar
- Nick Jones – guitar
- Paul Jeffreys – bass
- Stuart Elliott – drums
Cockney Rebel: second formation (1972)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- John Crocker – violin, mandolin, guitar
- Pete Newnham – guitar
- Paul Jeffreys – bass
- Stuart Elliott – drums
Cockney Rebel: third formation (1972–1974)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- John Crocker – violin, mandolin, guitar
- Milton Reame-James – keyboards
- Paul Jeffreys – bass
- Stuart Elliott – drums
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (1974–1977)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- Jim Cregan – guitar (departed in 1976)
- George Ford – bass
- Duncan Mackay – keyboards
- Stuart Elliott – drums
- Lindsay Elliott – percussion (1975–1977)
- Snowy White – guitar (featured only on The Best Years of Our Lives tour, 1975)
- Jo Partridge – guitar (1976–1977)
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (1979)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- Jo Partridge – guitar
- Nico Ramsden – guitar
- Jimmy Horowitz – keyboards
- John Gibb – bass
- Stuart Elliott – drums
- Lindsey Elliott – percussion
1980s
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (1980)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- Rick Driscoll – guitar
- Alan Darby – guitar
- Duncan Mackay – keyboards
- Kevin Powell – bass
- Lindsay Elliott – drums
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (1981)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- Rick Driscoll – guitar, backing vocals
- Alan Darby – guitar
- Andy Qunta – keyboards
- Gavin Hodgson – bass
- Lindsay Elliott – drums
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (1984)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- Rick Driscoll – guitar, backing vocals
- Alan Darby – guitar
- Barry Wickens – violin, guitar, backing vocals
- Ian Nice – keyboards
- Kevin Powell – bass, backing vocals
- Lindsay Elliott – drums
- Martin Jay – backing vocals
- Suzanne Murphy – backing vocals
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (1989)
- Steve Harley – lead vocals, guitar
- Rick Driscoll – guitar, backing vocals
- Barry Wickens – violin, guitar, backing vocals
- Ian Nice – keyboards
- Kevin Powell – bass, backing vocals
- Stuart Elliott – drums
1990s
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (1990)
- Steve Harley – lead vocals, guitar
- Robbie Gladwell – guitar
- Nick Pynn – violin, guitar
- Ian Nice – keyboards
- Bill Dyer – bass
- Paul Francis – drums
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (1996)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- Nick Pynn – guitar, violin, mandocello
- Tom Arnold – keyboards
- Susan Harvey – keyboards, backing vocals
- Bill Dyer – bass
- Andy Houghton – drums
2000s
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (2001)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- Robbie Gladwell – guitar
- Barry Wickens – violin, guitar, backing vocals
- James Lascelles – keyboards
- Lincoln Anderson – bass
- Andy Houghton – drums
- Victoria Beebee – backing vocals, percussion
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (2005)
- Steve Harley – vocals, guitar
- Robbie Gladwell – guitar
- Barry Wickens – violin, guitar, backing vocals
- James Lascelles – keyboards
- Lincoln Anderson – bass
- Andy Houghton – drums
2010s
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (2015)
- Steve Harley – lead vocals, guitar
- Jim Cregan – guitar
- Barry Wickens – violin, guitar, backing vocals
- Duncan Mackay – keyboards
- Marty Prior – electric and double bass, backing vocals
- Stuart Elliott – drums
- Lisa Wagner – guitar, backing vocals
- Mona Wagner – percussion, backing vocals
See also
- List of songs recorded by Steve Harley
- List of glam rock artists
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of Peel sessions