In tribute to the late Steve Harley, we look back on Close-Up Culture’s coverage of one of the best musicians of his generation.
May 10, 2018: “…Harley is much more than these three signature tunes. He is a wordsmith, a poet, whose words cut to the core.
With anecdotes aplenty – funding a son through university, near misses with Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) and a brief audience with Bob Dylan – this was an intimate night in the presence of a great musician. An individual whose passion for live performance and perfection (it shows in his face) remains undiminished.
Yes, he is hard on himself and occasionally others (a photographer annoyed him temporarily until he was informed the individual was ‘official’). But as he told the audience, he ‘lives and breathes’ his live music.” Read more…
February 18, 2019: “Sit through one of Harley’s sets and you will marvel at the cleverness – and beauty – of his lyrics. Sheer magic compared to the banality of most of today’s song-writing… Clever, bloody clever. A wordsmith extraordinaire. In another life, Harley could easily have been a poet. Britain’s answer to Bob Dylan – a Harley idol as indeed are TS Eliot and DH Lawrence and their poetry.” Read more…
March 11, 2022: “Although Harley was only on stage for 35 minutes, he demonstrated why his shows are always sell outs. His heart and soul goes into every song he sings, whether it’s a beautiful ballad (Friend For Life) or a hit from the 1970s (Make Me Smile).
He cares passionately about the music he has created – and rightly so. A perfectionist who has plied his trade for nearly 50 years as Cockney Rebel and then Steve Harley, writing a long trail of lyrics and unforgettable music along the way.” Read more…
March 27, 2023: “As the show progressed, Harley sprinkled a few memories on top of the music that drew smiles from the audience. For example, going back stage to say hello to Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) and encouraging him to sing live How Can I Tell You (That I Love You), something he went on to do in subsequent concerts. And the morning (in a cornfield) he came up with a third verse for Compared With You (the day his Dad’s body was interred) – more than 40 years after he had written the song. ‘I just wish I could have sung it with my Dad there,’ he said.
Indeed, emotion bubbled to the surface on more than one occasion, none more so than when he dedicated Compared With You to two recently departed friends: musical colleagues Kuma Harada and Alan Darby. He was also moved to discover that his grandson was in the audience.” Read more…
May 27, 2023: “Steve Harley is a musical genius, a national treasure. Full stop. End of matter. Irrefutable.
To experience one of his concerts is like being immersed in a vat of champagne with a quart pint jug for company and angels hovering above attending to your every need. Heaven, sheer heaven.” Read more…