EMI (1977)

Biography
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel are an English glam rock band from the early 1970s. Their music covers a range of styles from pop to progressive rock. Over the years they have had five albums in the UK Albums Chart and twelve singles in the UK Singles Chart. Steve Harley grew up in London’s New Cross area and attended Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College. His musical career began in the late 1960s when he was busking (with John Crocker aka Jean-Paul Crocker) and performing his own songs, some of which were later recorded by him and the band. After an initial stint as a music journalist, the original Cockney Rebel was formed when Harley hooked up with his former folk music partner, Crocker (fiddle / mandolin / guitar) in 1972. Crocker had just finished a short stint with Trees and they advertised and auditioned drummer Stuart Elliott, bassist Paul Jeffreys, and guitarist Nick Jones. This line-up played one of the band’s first gigs at the Dagenham Roundhouse, London on 23 July 1972 supporting The Jeff Beck Group. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Harley_%26_Cockney_Rebel

Album & Cover
Face to Face: A Live Recording is a live album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, released in 1977. It was produced by Steve Harley and Tony Clark. To promote the release of their album Love’s a Prima Donna, Cockney Rebel embarked on an eight-date UK tour in December 1976. On the tour, Jo Partridge replaced guitarist Jim Cregan, who had left the band after the recording of the album to join Rod Stewart’s touring band. The band’s concerts at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, Birmingham Odeon, Glasgow Apollo and Newcastle City Hall, were recorded for a possible live album, using the live mobile recording studios RAK Mobile and La Maison Rouge. Later in February 1977, the band played a one-off charity concert at the London Rainbow in aid of the homeless in Northern Ireland. This show was also recorded for potential use on the live album. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_to_Face:_A_Live_Recording

The concept for this cover came from the title of the album. Hipgnosis were adverse to portraits on their covers but relented if they could put a different slant, such as Peter Gabriel’s ‘Melt’ album or Syd Barrett’s ‘The Madcap Laughs and others. For this photograph Steve Harley is being apprehended by ‘Himself’ just before he goes on stage.

Cover Location: Hipgnosis Studio, London, UK and on Tour
Who Did What: Photography: S. Thorgerson/P. Christopherson
Label: EMI SKBB-11661(US, EMSP 320(UK)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell

Tracklist

Credits
Backing Vocals – John Perry , Stuart Calver, Tony Rivers
Bass – George Ford
Drums – Stuart Elliott
Engineer, Co-producer – Tony Clark
Keyboards – Duncan Mackay
Lead Guitar – Jo Partridge
Mastered By – Ken Perry
Percussion – Lindsay Elliott
Producer – Steve Harley
Sound Designer – David Jacobson
Written-By – George Harrison (tracks: A1), Steve Harley (tracks: A2 to D3)