FM
History
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel is an English rock band that began in the early 1970s. Their music covers a range of styles from pop to progressive rock, and while they were contemporary with the glam rock period, their music is not truly classifiable as such. Indeed, many feel that Harley and the band might have been more successful if they had begun their careers earlier, and had not been eclipsed by the glam rock bandwagon. Their track "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)", a UK Number One single, remains the band's biggest selling hit.
Steve Harley (born Steven Nice on 27 February 27 in south London) began his musical career as a soloist in the legendary Beckenham Arts Lab founded by David Bowie. Here, he was busking (with John Crocker) and performing his own songs, some of which were later recorded by him and the band. The original Cockney Rebel was formed when Steve hooked up with his former folk partner, John Crocker (fiddle / mandolin / guitar) in 1972. They auditioned drummer Stuart Elliott, bassist Paul Jeffreys, and keyboardist Milton Reame-James. They were signed to EMI after playing just five gigs, one of the band's first gigs being at The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, London, on 23 July 1972 supporting The Jeff Beck Group . Their first single "Sebastian", a soaring rock epic, was an immediate success in Europe, though failed to score in the UK singles chart. Their first album, The Human Menagerie, was released in 1973 to critical acclaim, and is still felt by many fans to be their best.
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