“Faith & Virtue” was released by Comeuppance Ltd on 2 May 2010 as the lead single from Harley’s fifth solo studio album, Stranger Comes to Town (2010). The song was written by Harley and Cockney Rebel bandmate Barry Wickens, and was produced by Harley.
Background
“Faith & Virtue” dated back ten years before it was recorded for Stranger Comes to Town. Speaking to the Bolton News in 2010, Harley commented, “The single was being played on the radio and my wife said ‘I’ve always loved that song’. I explained that I’d only just finished the song when I realised that I’d actually been playing it on my piano for the last ten years and hadn’t got round to recording it.”
Release
“Faith & Virtue” was released on 2 May 2010 as a digital-only single, with some promotional CD copies issued to radio stations.
Harley first announced the release of “Faith & Virtue” as a single in a diary entry of 3 March 2010, “All the team is now set up for the big push. We have radio/TV plugger Jackie Gill, who will do everything she can to get the single play-listed on Radio 2, and all the good TV she can muster.”
The song received its first play on BBC Radio 2 on 19 April on the Jools Holland show, when Harley appeared as the show’s guest. The song was also given away as a free MP3 for anyone signing up for email updates on Harley’s official website.
Track listing
Digital and UK promotional single
- “Faith & Virtue” – 4:48
Personnel
“Faith & Virtue”
- Steve Harley – vocals, acoustic guitar
- Barry Wickens – violin, viola, electric guitar, backing vocals
- Robbie Gladwell – backing vocals
- James Lascelles – keyboards, percussion
- Lincoln Anderson – bass
- Stuart Elliott – drums
- Katie Brine – backing vocals
Production
- Steve Harley – producer
- Nick Brine – engineer
- Dougal Watt, Owen Morgan, Alex Edmunds, Nelson Milburn – studio assistants
- Tom Povall – post production
- Denis Blackham – mastering
Other
- Mike Callow – photography
- With thanks to – “The Stranger on the Beach”
- Mark Scarfe at Aarlsen – sleeve design
