Steve Harley (born Steven Nice on 27 February 27 in south London, died on 17th March 2024 at the age of 73)) 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.
Harley managed to irritate a significant segment of the music press with his self-aggrandisement, even as the music itself was getting rave reviews and gaining a wide audience. It was becoming clear that Harley regarded the band as little more than accompaniment to his own agenda, and already there were signs that things would not last, despite having a big hit with their second single, "Judy Teen". There then followed the album The Psychomodo, an adventurous and ambitious production which showed that there was real talent in the group. A second single from the album, "Mr. Soft", was also a big hit. The band was voted the 'Most Outstanding New Act' of 1974. By this time the problems within the band had already reached a head, and all the musicians, with the exception of Stuart Elliott, quit at the end of a highly successful UK tour. Harley's next appearance on Top of the Pops was supported by session musicians drafted in for the show.
From then on, the band was a band in name only, being more or less a Steve Harley solo project. In 1974, a further album, The Best Years Of Our Lives was made, produced by Beatles recording engineer, Alan Parsons. This included the track "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)" which would go on to be a UK Number One single and the band's biggest selling hit. In a television interview recorded in 2002, Harley described how the lyrics are vindictively directed at the former band members, whom he felt had abandoned him - a fact which eludes a majority of listeners who enjoy the apparently happy chorus.
After 1975, Harley struggled to match the success of "Make Me Smile" and faded from fame, and Cockney Rebel eventually disbanded in 1977.
In 1998 Harley began to use the Cockney Rebel name again. The 2005 album "Quality of Mercy" (which included the singles "A Friend for Life" and "The Last Goodbye") was the first album since the 1970s to be released with the Cockney Rebel name
In 2010, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel began touring again setting concert dates for England, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. This was done following the release of the new studio album Stranger Comes to Town. On 24 November 2012 the band including the Orchestra of the Swan and a choir performed the band's first two albums The Human Menagerie and The Psychomodo in their entirety for the first time. A live double-CD and DVD was released in October 2013 of this performance, titled Birmingham (Live with Orchestra & Choir).
Current members
Steve Harley - vocals, guitars (1972–1977, 1998–present)
Stuart Elliott - drums (1972–1977, 1998–present)
Lincoln Anderson - bass (2001–present)
Robbie Gladwell - guitar, vocals (1998-present)
Former members
John Crocker - violin, mandolin, guitar (1972–1974)
Paul Jeffreys - bass (1972–1974; died on 21 December 1988 in the Lockerbie air disaster)
Nick Jones - guitar (1972)
Pete Newnham - guitar (1972)
Milton Reame-James - keyboards (1972–1974)
Jim Cregan - guitar (1975–1977)
George Ford - bass (1975–1977)
Duncan Mackay - keyboards (1975–1977)
Jo Partridge - guitars (1976–1977)
UK Discography
Singles
* "Sebastian" - 1973
* "Judy Teen" - 1974 - Number 5
* "Mr. Soft" - 1974 - Number 8
* "Big Big Deal" - 1974
* "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)" - 1975 - Number 1
* "Mr. Raffles (Man It Was Mean)" - 1975 - Number 13
* "Black Or White" - 1975
* "White White Dove" - 1976
* "Here Comes The Sun" - 1976 - Number 10
* "(I Believe) Love's A Prima Donna" - 1976 - Number 41
* "The Best Years Of Our Lives" (live) - 1977
* "Freedom's Prisoner" - 1979 - Number 58
* "Ballerina (Prima Donna)" - 1983 - Number 51
* "The Phantom Of The Opera" - 1986 - Number 7
* "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)" - re-issue - 1992 - Number 46
* "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)" - 2nd re-issue - 1995 - Number 33
*"The Last Goodbye" - 2006 - UK # 186
Albums:
Cockney Rebel:
* The Human Menagerie - 1973
* The Psychomodo - 1974 - Number 8
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel:
* The Best Years Of Our Lives - 1975 - Number 4
* Timeless Flight - 1976 - Number 18
* Love's A Prima Donna - 1976 - Number 28
* Face To Face - A Live Recording - 1977 - Number 40
* The Quality of Mercy - 2005
* Birmingham (Live with Orchestra & Choir) - 2013 UK Independent Chart # 36
Mr Soft
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mr. Soft turn it on and force the world
And watch the things you're going through
Oh Mr. Soft believe ev'rything they tell you
And be damned if they'll thank you
You paint ev'rything so cruel
Comin' on like mister cool
Paint your face and shut the gate
Bom bom bom bom
Don't you know, life gets tedious enough
Without this extra grudge to bare
You so slow, shift your ideas, make your mind up
In a jiffy, let's be fair
We'd all be taken off tonight
Turn off your eyes and shut the light
Oh, you're the most, you're so unreal
We'd all be dead without your spiel
Ooh-la ooh take it
Mmmmmm ....
Ooh - bom bom bom bom
Oh Mr. Soft, go to town and bring the dawnin'
In the mornin' on your way
Mr. Soft, put your feet upon the waters
And play Jesus for that day
You begin to hear them mumble
Spot the starman, ruff and tumble
Fight the good fights, sling your axe
Watch the speaker, lead the packs
Ooh - here we go again
In Steve Harley's "Mr Soft," the lyrics call out to a man who is seen as a charismatic leader. Mr. Soft is depicted as someone who can turn on the charm and force the world into submission. He is described as constantly going through something and believing everything that is told to him, even if it will lead to his own demise. The song's protagonist urges Mr. Soft to shift his ideas and make his mind up before it's too late.
The lyrics further describe Mr. Soft's behavior as cruel, painting the world in a negative light and acting like he's above everything. The song's narrator claims that nobody will be coming home until late because of Mr. Soft's actions. The song shifts the blame onto Mr. Soft, stating that life is already tedious enough without his extra burden, and that if he doesn't alter his actions, everyone will be dead without his spiel.
The song's finale urges Mr. Soft to go to town and bring the dawn in the morning. The song further compels Mr. Soft to put his feet upon the waters and play Jesus for a day. The song instills upon Mr. Soft the need to fight the good fight and lead the packs.
Line by Line Meaning
Bom bom bom bom - bom bom bom bom
Repetitive humming sound with no meaning
Mr. Soft turn it on and force the world
Be confident and assertive to make a name for yourself
And watch the things you're going through
Observe and learn from your experiences
Oh Mr. Soft believe ev'rything they tell you
Be gullible and trust others blindly
And be damned if they'll thank you
People won't appreciate you for being naive
You paint ev'rything so cruel
You see the negative in everything
Comin' on like mister cool
Acting like you're too cool for everything
Paint your face and shut the gate
Hide your true self from others
No one's comin' home till late - ooh-la cha
Everyone will be out having fun without you
Don't you know, life gets tedious enough
Life is already hard, don't make it harder
Without this extra grudge to bare
Don't hold onto unnecessary bitterness
You so slow, shift your ideas, make your mind up
Stop being indecisive and figure out what you want
In a jiffy, let's be fair
Make a decision quickly and fairly
We'd all be taken off tonight
We would all leave this world tonight
Turn off your eyes and shut the light
Close your eyes and let go peacefully
Oh, you're the most, you're so unreal
You're fake and not genuine
We'd all be dead without your spiel
We wouldn't survive with your fake persona
Ooh-la ooh take it
Unintelligible vocalization with no meaning
Oh Mr. Soft, go to town and bring the dawnin'
Be a leader and bring positive change
In the mornin' on your way
Start early in the day to make things happen
Mr. Soft, put your feet upon the waters
Take risks and do the impossible
And play Jesus for that day
Be a savior and make a difference
You begin to hear them mumble
You start to hear the doubters and naysayers
Spot the starman, ruff and tumble
Identify the real talent and tough competitors
Fight the good fights, sling your axe
Fight for what's right with all your might
Watch the speaker, lead the packs
Learn from influential speakers and become a leader
Ooh - here we go again
We're back to the beginning, starting over
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVE HARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@outsidersongs2682
Bom bom bom bom - bom bom bom bom
Mr. Soft turn it on and force the world
And watch the things you're going through
Oh Mr. Soft believe ev'rything they tell you
And be damned if they'll thank you
You paint ev'rything so cruel
Comin' on like mister cool
Paint your face and shut the gate
No one's comin' home till late - ooh-la cha
Bom bom bom bom
Don't you know, life gets tedious enough
Without this extra grudge to bare
You so slow, shift your ideas, make your mind up
In a jiffy, let's be fair
We'd all be taken off tonight
Turn off your eyes and shut the light
Oh, you're the most, you're so unreal
We'd all be dead without your spiel
Ooh-la ooh take it
Mmmmmm ....
Ooh - bom bom bom bom
Oh Mr. Soft, go to town and bring the dawnin'
In the mornin' on your way
Mr. Soft, put your feet upon the waters
And play Jesus for that day
You begin to hear them mumble
Spot the starman, ruff and tumble
Fight the good fights, sling your axe
Watch the speaker, lead the packs
Ooh - here we go again
@patmays7344
Another truly great song, long remembered. RIP. Steve Harley. Your music will live on. Like all good music does. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@paulcardin6344
The singles were one thing - and brilliant - but the album tracks were simply sublime. RIP Steve Harley. Seriously underrated, but an absolute legend.
@theoldfice
The Psychomado - boss album
@SteveSmith-ze8fl
Think I have all his albums .to many great tracks to pick one .rip Steve
@neilroberts9070
Followed you from the 70’s loved every bit of your music career, thanks for all the good times RIP my friend
@twigsandrews6978
Such a loss. I'll never forget spending a lunchtime in Guildford many years ago completely awestruck that I was talking to you. Thank you for the music. R.I.P.
@Krientjeuh
So sad another icon of my youth years passed away, tears... Rest in heaven... for ever in my heart with your music ! love RIP
@davehooper5115
Oh wow, I haven't heard this song In 40 years R.I.P Steve you will be sadly missed. The Human Menagerie was an awesome album with that class song Sebastian and all the others like What Ruthy Said, and Lorettas Tale. Ohhh them were the days
@kevinbennett7615
When I heard the news, this is the first track I wanted to listen too. great record. Brilliant musicianship and a lot of fun. The Seventies! So long, Steve, thanks for all the great tracks.
@achimschmidtke8404
He was one of my musical heroes. — STEVE HARLEY (1951-2024) — R.I.P