Steve Harley R.I.P.

icu81b4

Lost his battle with cancer today, 73 years old, I saw him a couple of times, a man who had presence on stage and wrote some excellent songs. 

ESBlonde

Just saw this and came here to report. He lived locally and a number of people I know were in his live band in recent decades. 

I have vivid memories of TOTP Come up and see me. Where the guitarist wore a green suit and a massive kipper tie for that quintessential acoustic solo.
May he rest peacefully.

Brize

Ah, man - great guy. His later renditions of Make Me Smile had some serious oomph. Despite having performed that song so many times he never phoned it in.

Fingers657

This is very sad news.
I saw him live and met him a few times in the mid 70s at the hight of his fame.
He was always really friendly.
I bumped into him one day while shopping in Harrods and he was wearing the same clothes and shoes he wore on the album cover of Human Menagerie.
He always had two big security guys with him.
He couldn't  run from fans because Polio had left his legs weak .
RIP Steve.
You will live on through your music.

rlw

Always liked him and his music. A proper south east London boy.  RIP Steve. 

Strat54

Another great life lost to cancer. What a loss. R.I.P. Watched this recently and thought so good to see a man still enjoying playing the hit that changed his life....

https://youtu.be/lo4-b4rOsYE?si=tI1rsZjOiBP7wZvH

chrisj1602

Strat54 said:

Another great life lost to cancer. What a loss. R.I.P. Watched this recently and thought so good to see a man still enjoying playing the hit that changed his life....

https://youtu.be/lo4-b4rOsYE?si=tI1rsZjOiBP7wZvH

Great performance, I’ve watched this a few times as we added it to our set for a gig in January…. RIP

LPManic

One of my busking songs from back in the day. Discovered Steve Harley when I used to record Vh1 Classics on Sky every night back in the late 90s. Sad news.

rolls1392

Very sad news. Great bloke

steveledzep

Saw him in the seventies at The Steam Machine, Hanley when Make Me Smile was at its peak.  Great show.  RIP Steve.

thermionic

My friend who I wrote a load of songs with in the 90s introduced me to Steve Harley's music. We used to go to a pub where the jukebox was wrongly labelled and you had to select the b-side to hear Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me). That song directly influenced us in at least three ways - I was determined to play a guitar solo on acoustic on one of our songs, another had a stop-start "pregnant pause", and another used brackets in a perverse way (the main title in brackets, followed by a secondary part, or something like that). RIP.

guitars4you

One of my fav songs ever - make me smile - Plus another part of my youth as such songs were part of my young teenage years - Thanks for making me smile when I hear your songs - RIP  Steve

guitars4you

Strat54 said:

Another great life lost to cancer. What a loss. R.I.P. Watched this recently and thought so good to see a man still enjoying playing the hit that changed his life....

https://youtu.be/lo4-b4rOsYE?si=tI1rsZjOiBP7wZvH

That was excellent- thanks for posting that clip - 
A great song from any era - It is not type cast to the 70’s - It would fit just as well in the 60s with Simon n Garfunkel or today with Ed

scrumhalf

Make Me Smile is the thing that he's known fir, but things like Judy Teen and Mr Soft were very much not run of the mill singles. 

Kittyfrisk

Saw the original Cockney Rebel play their first UK tour at Newcastle Mayfair a week or two after TOTP featuring 'Judy Teen'. Place was less than half full but they played a great live set & he was a very charismatic frontman. RIP.

57Deluxe

I always preferred Judy Teen, but I won't hold it against him for incessant 'Smile' indoctrination over the years. Was good you could make a sacking into such a bonanza. kudos Mr Harley.

jonnyburgo

He ploughed his own furrow during the glam years, just something different. RIP.

boogieman

ESBlonde said:

Just saw this and came here to report. He lived locally and a number of people I know were in his live band in recent decades. 

I have vivid memories of TOTP Come up and see me. Where the guitarist wore a green suit and a massive kipper tie for that quintessential acoustic solo.
May he rest peacefully.

Jim Cregan. He went on to play with Rod Stewart’s band. Still touring (as Cregan and Co) and still playing Come Up  and See Me.

RIP Steve, too young. Fuck you cancer. 

ESBlonde

boogieman said:

ESBlonde said:

Just saw this and came here to report. He lived locally and a number of people I know were in his live band in recent decades. 

I have vivid memories of TOTP Come up and see me. Where the guitarist wore a green suit and a massive kipper tie for that quintessential acoustic solo.
May he rest peacefully.

Jim Cregan. He went on to play with Rod Stewart’s band. Still touring (as Cregan and Co) and still playing Come Up  and See Me.

RIP Steve, too young. Fuck you cancer. 

Thanks @boogieman .

HAL9000

Famous really for just one song but… Wow! What a song! Pretty much the perfect pop song.

RIP

Placidcasual79

Strat54 said:

Another great life lost to cancer. What a loss. R.I.P. Watched this recently and thought so good to see a man still enjoying playing the hit that changed his life....

https://youtu.be/lo4-b4rOsYE?si=tI1rsZjOiBP7wZvH

Wow - thank you @Strat54 - bloody lovely that. Thank you Steve Harley- RIP. I guess it makes it easier not to phone the hit in when it's a bloody perfect pop song.