There are some songs written by Steve Harley that make me happy; here is one from the first Album of Co
ckney Rebel, a "Glam-Rock" or whatever British band from the early 70ies. I did like their first album immediately, and also their second single "Judy Teen". The two albums recorded by the original line-up of the band, "The Human Menagerie" and "The Psychomodo" are classics, and so is the third Steve Harley album, "The Best Years of Our Lives", by "Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel". The band got re-named after every member but Harley and drummer Stuart Elliott left - due to the not so easy personality of SH (?) -, turning into a changing ensemble of musicians accompanying Harley. Nevertheless, he had his biggest hit with "Make Me Smile" from the third album (at least it was #1 on UK charts) - with the possible exception of "Sebastian" from the first CR album. "Sebastian" is a beautiful song, but I do not think that it is considered to be a song "that makes me happy" by anyone. In contradistinction, listening to "Hideaway" makes at least one person in the world happy, to my knowledge.
ckney Rebel, a "Glam-Rock" or whatever British band from the early 70ies. I did like their first album immediately, and also their second single "Judy Teen". The two albums recorded by the original line-up of the band, "The Human Menagerie" and "The Psychomodo" are classics, and so is the third Steve Harley album, "The Best Years of Our Lives", by "Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel". The band got re-named after every member but Harley and drummer Stuart Elliott left - due to the not so easy personality of SH (?) -, turning into a changing ensemble of musicians accompanying Harley. Nevertheless, he had his biggest hit with "Make Me Smile" from the third album (at least it was #1 on UK charts) - with the possible exception of "Sebastian" from the first CR album. "Sebastian" is a beautiful song, but I do not think that it is considered to be a song "that makes me happy" by anyone. In contradistinction, listening to "Hideaway" makes at least one person in the world happy, to my knowledge.The same holds for "Judy Teen", a song in a Cockney accent that does not make it easy to understand the words. For example, until very recently I have understood Steve's words "she made us happy", to render the German name "Schneider Seppi". As Judy Teen made 'em appy, it is the song named after her to make me appy :
And, last not (but among these three, probably) least, to have it completed "Make Me Smile", as rendered on "Top of the Pops". Definitely not playback, as Steve changes the lyrics after the first chorus; the whole band gives the impression of having had one or more good nose jobs before performing (Cocaine Rebel?):
Link to the studio recording
By the way, the sad thing is that the bassist of the original line-up, Paul Jeffreys, died on the Lockerbie airplane-accident, along with his bride on their way to their honeymoon.
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