Not smiling any more

[Fargo Boyle]

Another part of my teens gone, effing cancer...

Rock star Steve Harley dies after short battle with cancer one month after pausing tour - Mirror Online

[George C.]

RIP.

[Jah Womble]

RIP indeed. Between 1973-1975 Cockney Rebel were one of the UK’s most interesting bands.

Steve was a decent guy. He’ll be missed.

[slackster]

There’s not many of Cockney Rebel’s tunes that I like(d) - maybe one side of an LP’s worth - but the ones I do I like a lot. I remember Danny Baker doing a hatchet job on Harley in the NME after his star had waned and the punk/disco new order was in full swing, which even then I thought was punching well below the belt.

My only other Harley story is an unverified lame to fame: a bloke claiming to be his brother - who tbf looked very like Steve - plaster skimmed my sister’s bedroom after a burst pipe in the attic caused some damage, not long after Make Me Smile was top of the charts.

[Ray de Galles]

Apologies for the tangent but I was a little distracted and genuinely thought that the Radio 4 news had announced the death of Cockney Rejects’ vocalist this morning for a short while. As it is, Stinky Turner is alive and well.

It’s like the time I thought Jilted John had been killed in a drone strike.

[tee rex]

Here's a clip from a Royal Albert Hall gig. "Make me smile" starts after 4 minutes, and then on 8 minutes the audience takes over and nobody wants to stop. It's great fun and sums up the simple pleasure of the crowd singalong. You could imagine players and supporters joining in after a game. I still use it as an occasional pick-me-up.

RIP Steve.

[diggedy derek]

That's really sad news. Eternal music.

[Jah Womble]

Apologies for the tangent but I was a little distracted but genuinely thought that the Radio 4 news had announced the death of Cockney Rejects’ vocalist this morning for a short while. As it is, Stinky Turner is alive and well.

It’s like the time I thought Jilted John had been killed in a drone strike.

I found it a shade bizarre when the report about Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth’s death made the national headlines last autumn - but the idea that the passing of a member of Cockney Rejects might somehow be deemed newsworthy is almost unfathomable.

[johnr]

Used to tangentially know Stinky - last time I saw him was in Newham General A&E, I'd driven him there after nearly breaking his leg in a football match. Left him there saying 'Dickeye' to anyone who would listen...

RIP Steve Harley, it's a pretty good body of original work he left, and I always preferred CR's version of 'Here Comes The Sun' to the original.

[Satchmo Distel]

I thought Jilted John had been killed in a drone strike.

I once saw Graham Fellows do this long routine (in the guise of Brian Appleton) being the cause for the gap in "Make Me Smile".

[MsD]

One of the first bands I ever saw live, in 1974. They were subversively glam and exciting. He wore a feather boa.
Sebastian was stirring (to underage me) in the same way Bowie’s The Bewlay Brothers or Time were. Had no clue what he was on about but wanted some of that drama.
Loved the Psychomodo album, and went see him (then SH plus CR) supported by Sailor in 1975 at a much bigger venue, Hammersmith Odeon.
I lost interest when they had a big hit and by that time he seemed more laddish. Although to be fair and non teen-snobby, that is a great song.
What an interesting artist he could be, RIP.

[Gangster Octopus]

Yup, in that strange period between the gradual fading of glam, the growing uncoolness of prog (as it increasingly wandered up its own arse), and before the rise of punk, the NME were always looking for the next big thing. I remember Cockney Rebel and Be-Bob Deluxe being mentioned regularly.

[willie1foot]

Saw Cockney Rebel twice in my mid-teens, both at the Glasgow Apollo... they were fucking brilliant. Those first 3 albums were played to death by me over the next 40-odd yrears. Genuinely sad to hear he's gone. He did a great rendition of his 'retirement fund' song here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo4-b4rOsYE

[Jah Womble]

Yup, in that strange period between the gradual fading of glam, the growing uncoolness of prog (as it increasingly wandered up its own arse), and before the rise of punk, the NME were always looking for the next big thing. I remember Cockney Rebel and Be-Bob Deluxe being mentioned regularly.

Yep, there was a small subsection of acts that had the 'craft' without the beard-scratching tedium of prog at that time. I'd add to that list 10cc and perhaps Sparks: along with Harley and Bill Nelson, they seemed to be musicians who appeared quite well-read and wanted to take pop music somewhere different.

I don't think I've ever really considered Steve Harley as 'glam', but I guess he did have the make-up, the pose and yes, the feather boa for a while...

[Sits]

I’m afraid I never came across much of their material as I was so young, but I heard Judy Teen around the time it came out (I was ten) and it didn’t sound like anything else. It still doesn’t; to me it’s a totally unique pop song.

RIP

[Ray de Galles]

I found it a shade bizarre when the report about Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth’s death made the national headlines last autumn...

Did you think Steve Harley had died?

[Jah Womble]

Nice arc!

[MsD]

I’m afraid I never came across much of their material as I was so young, but I heard Judy Teen around the time it came out (I was ten) and it didn’t sound like anything else. It still doesn’t; to me it’s a totally unique pop song.

RIP

It is, but there are echoes of Catch a Falling Star in it. But vocally it’s unique.

[HORN]

I saw him in concert about five years ago and grudgingly* thought it was a great show.

* there seemed an arrogance to his stage presence that I didn't really warm to.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I still use it as an occasional pick-me-up.

I first read that as "I still use it as an occasional pick-up line" and thought what a brave but foolish thing that was to admit to on OTF.

Or anywhere, really.

[Jah Womble]

It is, but there are echoes of Catch a Falling Star in it. But vocally it’s unique.

I'd never picked up on that before, but yes, there are.

[Sits]

Same here, and melodically yes it’s true. But the arrangement, as well as the vocal, is pretty unusual.

[Nefertiti2]

This was nice

https://twitter.com/writerlytone/status/1769727718034112859?s=20

[Nefertiti2]

as was this

RIP

I wish there had been more chancers on ToTP

[Jah Womble]

Same here, and melodically yes it’s true. But the arrangement, as well as the vocal, is pretty unusual.

It was a great and innovative single, no question about that.

Sparks made their TOTP debut on 9/5/74 - Cockney Rebel, two weeks later. If glam was starting to fade, the craft certainly wasn't.