Acoustic Trio – Live at Bilston 2016 (2020)

Background

In November 2016, Harley and Cockney Rebel members Barry Wickens (violin, guitar) and James Larcelles (keyboards, percussion) emarked on a nine-date UK tour under the acoustic trio format. Some of the shows were recorded for a potential new live album release, including the final show at the Robin 2 in Bilston, Wolverhampton, on 28 November. In a diary entry for his official website, dated 1 January 2017, Harley stated, “I recorded some of the November concerts, so I’ll be in a studio mixing those tracks for a live CD. I’ll be checking the availability of my dear friend and great engineer, Matt Butler, once Twelfth Night has passed. Bilston was wild, as always (especially so after I’d told them it was being recorded!), so I imagine most of the tracks will be culled from that performance.”

Release

Harley originally announced his intention to have the album ready for a “late Spring release date” in 2017. Although the tracks were subsequently mixed, no immediate release followed and the proposed album was not mentioned again for a couple of years. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Steve Harley Acoustic Band’s tour dates for promoting the new album Uncovered, Harley made two of the tracks, “Star for a Week (Dino)” and “A Friend for Life”, available for free listening on his official website on 31 March 2020.

On 13 April 2020, Harley announced that the full album, which was due to be have been released later in 2020, would be made available to his fans through his official website as a download. It was to be free of charge, but Harley suggested fans may wish to make a donation to the NHS Charities Together’s COVID-19 Urgent Appeal. He wrote on his website, “I am extremely pleased you’ve enjoyed the [two free] live tracks. Your comments have brought a smile and warmed my heart. [The full album] due to be released later this year, but I thought the music might emit a little healing power during these strange, lonesome days.”

The album was made available on Harley’s website on 23 April 2020. He wrote: “Greetings, Friends. As promised, you are entitled to download these tracks, recorded and mixed professionally, free of charge. This is my gift to you, hoping that you might take some enjoyment from this music during the Covid-19 pandemic. Click the button to donate to the NHS Fundraising charity, if you wish. All donations will go to the Comeuppance PayPal account and will be redistributed to the charity. We can all thank Barry and James for their brilliant playing and generosity. I thank you for any pennies you can spare. Stay your way. And stay safe. Steve.”

Apart from an alteration of the true running order, the release contains all of the songs performed at the Bilston show, except for “The Last Time I Saw You”. Harley’s chat between songs was also removed.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Steve Harley except where noted.

1. “Red Is a Mean, Mean Colour” – 4:25
2. “Judy Teen” – 3:07
3. “Journey’s End (A Father’s Promise)” – 4:01 (Harley, Lincoln Anderson, Robbie Gladwell, James Lascelles, Barry Wickens)
4. “Understand” – 6:29
5. “All in a Life’s Work” – 4:42
6. “Save Me (From Myself)” – 4:43
7. “She Belongs to Me” – 3:13 (Bob Dylan)
8. “Stranger Comes To Town” – 4:15
9. “Suzanne + The Best Years of Our Lives” – 9:30 (“Suzanne”: Leonard Cohen)
10. “Tumbling Down” – 6:06
11. “A Friend for Life” – 4:48 (Harley, Jim Cregan)
12. “Mr. Raffles (Man, It Was Mean)” – 5:48
13. “Mr. Soft” – 3:19
14. “Star for a Week (Dino)” – 4:26
15. “The Coast of Amalfi” – 5:44
16. “Sebastian” – 11:06
17. “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)” – 6:56

Personnel

• Steve Harley – vocals, acoustic guitar, guitar
• Barry Wickens – violin, guitar, backing vocals
• James Lascelles – keyboards, percussion

* Photograph at top of page courtesy of the Express & Star feature on the Bilston concert