| Uncovered | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 February 2020 [1] | |||
| Length | 46:06 | |||
| Label | Absolute Comeuppance Ltd | |||
| Producer | Steve Harley Matt Butler (co-producer) | |||
| Steve Harley chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Uncovered | ||||
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Uncovered is the sixth and final solo studio album from English singer-songwriter Steve Harley, released on 21 February 2020.
"It's not a covers album. I don't see the point of most covers. They usually sound the same as the originals. We like to call them interpretations. They're nothing like the originals."
—Steve Harley discussing the album's concept. [2]
Uncovered was first announced in a press release on 29 August 2019. In June 2019, Harley spent a 10-day residency with engineer and co-producer Matt Butler at Rockfield Studios, where 12 tracks were recorded with a team of musicians made up of Martin Simpson, Oli Hayhurst, Cockney Rebel member Barry Wickens and Thomas Hooper. [3] [4] Harley, who had long been an admirer of his playing and songwriting, had wanted to work with Simpson and invited him to take part in the recording of Uncovered. Butler recommended Hayhurst and Hooper after Harley expressed his desire to have some new musicians around to provide him with fresh inspiration. [5]
The musicians accompanied Harley and Butler at the studio for approximately six to seven days. Harley commented of the sessions, "These guys played some fabulous, beautiful music. I was inspired by their talents. I was roaring with stamina and passion when I went in to sing the final versions. The hunger and desire to perform was almost primitive." Harley recorded the vocals for all of the tracks in a day and a half. [4]
In August, backing vocals performed by Genevieve Sylva and Jenny Wallace were recorded for some of the tracks at Yellow Shark Studios in Cheltenham. [4] Harley and Butler also travelled to Vosound Studios in Volendam to record a string quartet on a few tracks using arrangements composed by Thomas Tol. [4]
The songs on Uncovered were selected from those that Harley has performed and sung privately at home for many years and wished he had written. [6] In the liner notes for Uncovered, Harley revealed: "I play guitar for hours most days I'm at home. And I play songs I respect deeply and wish I had written. Some of those songs are included here. Lyrics full of imagery, philosophy and wit abound amongst them." [7] Harley wanted Uncovered to be entirely acoustic, with no keyboards or electronic instruments: "I had long planned to record an all-acoustic album, with a band consisting solely of acoustic guitar specialists, other string players and a percussionist." [7]
Uncovered was recorded without the use of equalization. [2] Harley told BBC Radio, "We went in with the best acoustic instruments money can buy, the best microphones, the best studio, the best recording equipment, the best musicians and the best engineer. Now I've got all that going for me, why would I let [the engineer] meddle? I wanted it to sound like I'm in your living room when you play it through your speakers. The voice is up front and everything around me is as if we were playing in your house. No effects. It's as organic and natural as a recording could possibly be, I'm really proud of that. My engineer Matt Butler is the man who made it sound so fabulous." [8] [9]
The album contains two tracks written by Harley. The first is a re-recording of "(Love) Compared with You", which was originally recorded by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel in 1976 for Love's a Prima Donna . [10] The version for Uncovered features a newly written third verse. [4] Harley revealed to BBC Radio 2's Johnnie Walker: "I've sung the song [live] many hundreds of times since 1976 [and] every time I'm thinking 'Why are you repeating [the first] verse? Why didn't you write a third verse? Were you lazy? Were you out of words?' 45 years later and I thought the song deserved an update." [11]
The other Harley composition, "Only You", previously featured in the majority of Harley's two-man acoustic sets between 1998 and 2002. A studio version was never recorded at the time, although a live recording was included on 1999's Stripped to the Bare Bones . [12] The song was recorded for Uncovered at Butler's suggestion. [13]
Harley rediscovered David Bowie's "Absolute Beginners" while on tour with Mike Garson in 2017: "I made friends with Mike and then went on tour with him [for] five or six shows around the UK as a guest singer. They threw some Bowie at me and one was "Absolute Beginners", [which] I didn't really know very well. I knew it was a great song from a useless film. It's very musical, it's all major sevenths and diminished chords." [8] [9]
Speaking to Record Collector on Hot Chocolate's "Emma", Harley commented: "Around the time of my first hit, "Judy Teen", I saw Errol singing this on Top of the Pops . We think of Hot Chocolate as a catchy pop band, but this is so mysterious. Why? It's a story of suicide. It's not "You Sexy Thing"; it's a work of poetic intrigue." [14] Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Harley added: "Errol was a great lyricist and this is a heartbreaking story." [15] The song's guitar solo is performed by former Cockney Rebel member Jim Cregan. [9]
Harley told BBC Radio Cornwall of The Beatles' "I've Just Seen a Face": "It's pure Paul McCartney. It's Paul alone on this, it's his beautiful lyric. It's all about serendipity, there's more to it than meets the eye. It's magical." [8] Of "Lost Myself", Harley described it as "the song of songs in this collection" and one which he "get[s] very moved by". [15]
"Star of Belle Isle" is a duet with Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader. [13] Harley was introduced to the song through the Bob Dylan version, which appeared on the 1970 album Self Portrait : "Belle Isle touched me immediately. The Dylan version always stayed with me. It's a lovely romantic story." [14] Harley's version features two additional verses not included in Dylan's recording: "I knew the song well for years but also knew from a folk aficionado that two verses were missing from every version you ever hear. It took me months of research but I finally tracked them down. I found an elderly Scottish gentleman in a pub in Scotland singing "Star of Belle Isle" with these two extra verses." [13] Harley had long been a fan of Reader's work and met her backstage at one her concerts in 2019. Later in the year he approached her regarding the recording of the song as a duet, to which she agreed. Harley then travelled to Gloworm Studio in Glasgow to record with her. Speaking to The Arts Show, Harley commented: "To have someone of her caliber share a song with me [is] very humbling." [13]
Harley also recorded the Frankie Valli/Walker Brothers song "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" for Uncovered but it was not included in the final track-listing. [11]
"I've Just Seen a Face" was released as a single on 4 February 2020. A music video was released on YouTube on 7 February. [16] "Out of Time" was released as the album's second single on 18 September. [17]
The release of Uncovered was supported by a UK and European tour. Due to other commitments, Simpson was unable to join the band and he recommended David Delarre in his place. [18] [19] The touring band, billed as the Steve Harley Acoustic Band, was made up of Harley, Delarre, Wickens and Heyhurst. [20] In March 2020, all upcoming shows were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with only the first nine shows played as planned. The concerts resumed in August 2021, with the rescheduled 2020 tour starting in May 2022, and finishing in July. [21] Delarre and Hayhurst later took over from Robbie Gladwell and Kuma Harada as the respective lead guitarist and bassist for Harley's rock band format (Cockney Rebel) beginning in December 2022. [22] This continued for the April 2023 Benelux rock band shows, amid Gladwell's ongoing professional commitments which precluded his involvement in the tour, and Harada's March 2023 death, respectively. The effects of this would however be mitigated when Harley cancelled his November-December 2023 dates (for medical reasons) in the September of that year. [23]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Classic Rock |   [24] |
| Record Collector |   [25] |
| RnR | [26] |
Upon its release, Paul Moody of Classic Rock described Uncovered as an "eclectic collection" and added: "Highlights include a rootsy rendition of the Stones' "Out of Time" and a poignant version of Bowie's "Absolute Beginners", but Harley's obvious love of the source material shines throughout." [24] Nick Dalton of Record Collector considered the album "a thing of great beauty", which contains "the air of the acoustic trio [Harley] often tours with" and "delicate, yet often driven versions of favourite songs". [25]
Malcolm Smith of Fireworks felt Uncovered was "generally an unqualified success". He described Harley's choice of material as "relatively obscure" and "all [being] very engaging pieces that suit Harley's very individualistic approach". Smith also praised the album's "simplicity" and Harley's vocals for "convey[ing] a real sense of emotion and drama". He highlighted "Star of Belle Isle" as a "standout cut". [27] Andrew Darlington of RnR wrote: "The atmosphere seeps in even when you don't expect it to, until you're submerged in it. Everyone's entitled to do one Pin Ups . This is Steve's." He picked "Lost Myself", "I've Just Seen a Face" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece" as some of the album's standouts. [26]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Compared with You (Your Eyes Don't Seem to Age)" | Steve Harley | 4:37 |
| 2. | "Absolute Beginners" | David Bowie | 5:44 |
| 3. | "Ae Fond Kiss" | Robert Burns/Traditional | 4:24 |
| 4. | "Emma" | Errol Brown, Tony Wilson | 4:39 |
| 5. | "How Can I Tell You" | Cat Stevens | 4:19 |
| 6. | "I've Just Seen a Face" | Lennon–McCartney | 3:01 |
| 7. | "Lost Myself" | Crispin Hunt | 4:07 |
| 8. | "Only You" | Harley | 4:19 |
| 9. | "Out of Time" | Jagger/Richards | 3:47 |
| 10. | "Star of Belle Isle" | Traditional | 3:21 |
| 11. | "When I Paint My Masterpiece" | Bob Dylan | 3:48 |
| Production
Other
|
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [28] | 24 |
| UK Album Downloads Chart (OCC) [29] | 44 |
| UK Albums Sales Chart (OCC) [29] | 27 |
| UK Vinyl Albums Chart (OCC) [29] | 33 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [30] | 9 |
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel were an English rock band who formed in the early 1970s in London. Their music covered a range of styles from pop to progressive rock. Over the years, they have had five albums on the UK Albums Chart and twelve singles on the UK Singles Chart.
Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice, known by his stage name Steve Harley, was an English singer-songwriter and frontman of the rock group Cockney Rebel. He had six UK hit singles with the band in the mid-1970s, including "Judy Teen", "Mr. Soft", and the number one "Make Me Smile ".
"Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" is a song by the English rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, released on 31 January 1975 by EMI as the lead single from the band's third studio album The Best Years of Our Lives. The song was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Alan Parsons. In February 1975, the song reached number one on the UK chart and received a gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry in October 2021. It spent nine weeks in the Top 50, and as of 2015, has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. The song is one of the most-played songs in British broadcasting history.
Timeless Flight is the fourth studio album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which was released by EMI in 1976. It was written and produced by Steve Harley.
Poetic Justice is the fourth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Steve Harley, which was released by Transatlantic on 26 August 1996.
The Quality of Mercy is the sixth and final studio album by English rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which was released by Gott Discs on 3 October 2005. The album was Steve Harley's first studio album in 9 years and the first in 29 years to be released under the Cockney Rebel name. The album was produced entirely by Harley, with Jim Cregan co-producing the track "A Friend for Life". The album's title is based on the Shakespearean phrase.
Stranger Comes to Town is the fifth solo studio album from English songwriter and musician Steve Harley, released by Absolute on 3 May 2010. The album was produced by Harley.
"Star for a Week (Dino)" is a pop-rock song by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, which was released as a promotional single in 1993 from his third solo album Yes You Can. The single coincided with the UK release of the album that year (Yes You Can had been released in Europe in 1992). It was the second single to be released from the album, following "Irresistible" as a European single in 1992. "Star for a Week (Dino)" was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Matt Butler.
"Irresistible" is a song written and recorded by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley. It was released three times as a single; the first being in 1985 as a non-album single under his band's name Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. In 1986, a remixed version of the song was released by Harley as a solo single in the UK, and in 1992, he re-released this version as a single in Europe from his solo album Yes You Can. "Irresistible" was written by Harley and produced by English producer Mickie Most.
The Cockney Rebel – A Steve Harley Anthology is a remastered three-disc box-set anthology by Steve Harley, released in 2006. The anthology features material from Cockney Rebel, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel and Harley's solo career. It covers all of Harley's albums, spanning over 33 years, from 1973's The Human Menagerie to 2005's The Quality of Mercy. The anthology was released by EMI Music UK. It was released on CD in the UK only. Today, the physical CD release is out-of-print.
Anytime! is a live acoustic album by Steve Harley, released under the name The Steve Harley Band and featuring members of the Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel line-up of the time. It was released in 2004.
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"(Love) Compared with You" is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, released in 1977 as the third and final single from the band's fifth studio album, Love's a Prima Donna (1976). Released as a single in America only, the song was written and produced by Harley.
"A Friend for Life" is a song by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, released by Intrinsic Records on 30 April 2001 as a non-album single. The song was written by Harley and former Cockney Rebel guitarist Jim Cregan, and was produced by Cregan. Harley's first release of new material since his 1996 album Poetic Justice, "A Friend for Life" was later included on Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's sixth studio album The Quality of Mercy (2005).
Acoustic and Pure: Live is a live acoustic album by English songwriter and musician Steve Harley, released in 2003. The album features ex-Cockney Rebel guitarist Jim Cregan, while certain tracks also include other members of Cockney Rebel.
"Mr. Soft" is a song by the British rock band Cockney Rebel, fronted by Steve Harley, which was released in 1974 as the second single from their second studio album The Psychomodo. The song was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Alan Parsons. "Mr. Soft" peaked at number 8 in the UK Singles Chart.
Stripped to the Bare Bones is a 1999 live acoustic album by English musician and songwriter Steve Harley. The album was produced by Harley and features Nick Pynn.
"Sebastian" is a song by the British rock band Cockney Rebel, fronted by Steve Harley. It was released as the band's debut single in 1973 from their album The Human Menagerie. The song was written by Harley and produced by Neil Harrison.
"The Best Years of Our Lives" is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, released in 1975 as the title track from the band's third studio album The Best Years of Our Lives. In 1977, a live version of the song was released as a single from the album Face to Face: A Live Recording.
"Ordinary People" is a song by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley, which was released as a non-album single in 2015. It was written by Harley, Jim Cregan and Robert Hart, and produced by Harley. The song was Harley's first new song of five years, following the release of his fifth solo studio album Stranger Comes to Town in 2010.
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