Puneet Varma (Editor)

Hobo with a Grin

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Released
  
July 1978

Artist
  
Steve Harley

Producer
  
Steve Harley

Genres
  
Rock music, Pop music

Hobo with a Grin (1978)
  
The Candidate (1979)

Release date
  
July 1978

Label
  
EMI

Hobo with a Grin httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumba

Similar
  
Steve Harley albums, Rock music albums

Steve harley hot youth


Hobo with a Grin is the debut solo album by Steve Harley of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, released in 1978. The album was produced by Harley, except for "Roll the Dice" which was produced by Michael J. Jackson. Jackson also acted as additional producer on the album.

Contents

Background

In July 1977, Harley disbanded his band Cockney Rebel and began working on his debut solo album. The album was largely completed by early 1978. In February of that year, Harley flew to Los Angeles to finish working on the album, which had been given the working title Couples. Of the album's nine tracks, six were recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, and the other three were recorded in Los Angeles at Sunset Sound or Record Plant. Using a range of session musicians and ex-Cockney Rebel members, the album featured contributions from a range of personnel, including Jim Cregan, George Ford, Duncan Mackay, Stuart Elliott, Gloria Jones and Marc Bolan, as well as American musicians such as Tom Moncrieff, Bob Glaub, Bill Payne, Roy Kenner, Bobby Kimball and Michael McDonald. The album featured a mixture of older songs, written when Cockney Rebel were still active, and newer ones. The album was also mixed at Sunset Sound and mastered at Capitol Mastering.

Soon after the album was completed, Harley decided to leave Britain and live in Los Angeles. He had been first attracted to the city when recording and mixing the Love's a Prima Donna album there in 1976. Purchasing a house in Beverly Hills, he stayed there for nearly a year to gain new experience and inspirations. When Hobo with a Grin emerged in July 1978, it was revealed the album cost £70,000 and took 18 months to make, and yet proved to be Harley's biggest flop. The album failed to make any chart appearance, as did its two singles. The first, "Roll the Dice", was released in July too, while the second, a remixed version of "Someone's Coming", was released in February 1979.

At the time of its release, writer G. Brown reported in The Denver Post that the album was becoming his fastest seller in America yet. Long deemed "too British-sounding" during the years of Cockney Rebel, Harley felt the situation was changing with the release of Hobo with a Grin. However, after the album failed to make any commercial impact, Harley began to be dismissive of it. Describing the material as "laid back Californian stuff", Harley told Superpop magazine in 1978:

"My latest album had no guts. I hated it. For the first time in my life I relinquished responsibility, listened to advice and acted on it, rather than do what I thought was right."

In November 1978, he told the Daily Star that the album was "an experience". In early 1979, he told Maggi Russell in an interview that the album was a "difficult album, and hard to market". At the end of 1978, Harley returned to England. During his time living in America, he admitted that he was never inspired to write one single song. Not long after his return, Harley began working on his second solo album The Candidate, which was released later that year. Speaking to the Evening News in October 1979, Harley admitted:

"I spent almost a full year out there and did nothing except swim and sunbathe and head for some party or other at night. I had a rented house in Beverley Hills – it was costing me about £300 a week and all I did was lie by the pool and have friends to stay at the guest house. I then realised that I was getting nowhere fast and booked London's Abbey Road studios for two months. I'm pleased with "The Candidate" – it's the best album I've done in ages."

Speaking of Hobo with a Grin, Harley was again dismissive of the album:

"I looked at that LP the other day – looking is enough. I can't bear to listen to it. It's the worst thing I've ever done. I just want to forget about it. Trash. In fact, I'm getting the old Cockney Rebel band together for a concert in London at the end of this month. And there won't be one song from the "Hobo with a Grin" LP in the set."

Song information

Speaking of the lead single "Roll the Dice", Harley commented: "It's 'poppy,' with that Fleetwood Mac-ish shuffle. 'Catchy' is not a good thing in this country. The more AM radio I hear, the more convinced I am that the goal is to bore.".

Both "Amerika the Brave" and "Someone's Coming" featured contributions by Marc Bolan in his last studio performance before his death in 1977. Speaking to Len Righi of The Morning Call in September 1978, Harley recalled:

"The last time Marc went in the studio was for "Amerika the Brave". He also can be heard singing background on "Someone's Coming," though he's not credited. Bolan was a close friend. I had known him for a couple of years. We were a lot different. He was much more of an extrovert than me, but we grew very close. They say opposites attract."

Although it was not released as a single, "Amerika the Brave" gained some disco play in America. In The Morning Call interview, Harley described the song as being: "my impression of the U.S... just telling what I see". "Someone's Coming" had originally been written for Cockney Rebel and was one of the oldest songs to be included on the album."

"I Wish It Would Rain" is a cover of the 1967 song originally recorded by The Temptations. In The Morning Call, Harley revealed he had replaced the song's R&B sound with a more rock and roll one: "I wanted to have a more rock and roll feel than The Temptations version. I defend it."

"Riding the Waves (For Virginia Woolf)" was dedicated to the 20th century British writer. Harley admitted: "I stole two or three lines from her book, "The Waves," for that song." Harley would later re-record the song for his 1996 album Poetic Justice.

Release

The album was released on vinyl by EMI Records in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. It was released in America and Canada through Capitol Records. Later in 2000, the album received its first CD release through EMI and Harley's own Comeuppance Discs label. It contained two bonus tracks; the 1974 song "Spaced Out", which was b-side to the hit single "Judy Teen", and a live version of the 1996 song "That's My Life in Your Hands", from the Poetic Justice album. Both tracks were not directly related to the album, and the non-album track "Waiting", which was b-side to "Roll the Dice" was not included. On 31 October 2011, Hobo with a Grin was digitally remastered and released on CD by BGO Records as a double album set with The Candidate.

Promotion

In the 19 August 1978 issue of the New Musical Express, a full-page, black-and-white advert was published to promote the album's release. The advert said "This space is normally reserved for record company superlatives. We simply ask you to listen to the new Steve Harley album for yourself." In America, a colour advert was issued by Capitol, which stated "Multi-talented Steve Harley proudly unveils his first solo album "Hobo with a Grin". With the help of his musical friends he has crafted an album that puts him in the mainstream of today's music."

Three music videos were filmed in America to promote the album; "Roll the Dice", "I Wish It Would Rain" and "Amerika the Brave". The videos were filmed over a two-day period, in the Bakersfield Desert, California. They were shot on 35mm film. All three remain hard to find, although the video for "Roll the Dice" has since surfaced on YouTube in 2016.

Critical reception

Upon release, Pete Silverton of Sounds magazine reviewed Hobo with a Grin, writing: "Harley's album is undoubtedly the worst slab of vinyl from a relatively major artist since Framper's "I'm in You". He's a tax exile now. The West Coast fraternity are getting the benefit of his high-powered intellect. Try "Amerika The Brave" - which, sad though it is to admit, has the best tune on the album and could make a single - and it's searching analysis of the state of the Promised Land, its insights so powerful that I can only imagine them being equaled by those of a six-year-old locked in a room with only endless re-runs of 'Perry mason' for company. Beyond the superficial Randy Newmanish attraction of the melody, "Living in a Rhapsody" displays an even deeper understanding of the meaning of life. Okay, I can take guff about love and friendship being more important than money from some brainless poverty-stricken peasant. But, from someone who says, a few lines later: "I've seen half the world in the last seven years"... If I lived in Watts and heard this, I'd be straight up and cruising the Hollywood hills with a blade for Harley's jugular. Other highlights: a version of "I Wish It Would Rain" so spineless that it made me dig out my old marvin Gaye single; a strong contender for dork of the year with "(I Don't Believe) God is an Anarchist" - brackets really making a strong comeback; and, finally, overall unbounded happiness that he's relocated in palm tree and cocaine city. Keep it up, Steve."

In another contemporary review, Disc magazine writer Rosalind Russell commented: "If Steve Harley thinks this is rock and roll, he's living in his own nightmare. Except he probably doesn't see it that way: to him it must be a beautiful dream. So what happens to people when they fall to the seductive charms of California? Does the sound of the sea at Malibu impair their ability to hear? Does the sun soften their brains? The definition he had with Cockney Rebel has melted, he's gone fuzzy round the edges. And it bores me to death. His dream isn't my dream and the second hand images are too vague for me to grasp. He's also become surprisingly soppy. I can appreciate the idea behind "Someone's Coming" for instance, but the emotion drenched drama is too strong to stomach. This track, like most of the others, suffers from an oddly old fashioned arrangement. That goes too, for the schmultzy strings on "I Wish It Would Rain". And I wonder what prompted him to record that. An excellent but much over used song that deserves a rest of a couple of years. While it was obvious who was top dog in Rebel, the band worked more as an unit. With this collection of session artists, Harley doesn't seem to have as much discipline, at least with himself. The only track I even began to like was "Amerika the Brave". It has a kick, it has some of the Harley bite. But, apart from this, the album has no teeth to speak of. Just a gentle, un-threatening wave of the jaw, like a dreamer murmuring in his sleep."

In the 29 July 1978 issue of the American magazine Billboard, the album was listed in the "Recommended LPs" section, under the pop genre category. The review noted: "The ex-leader of Cockney Rebel explores a number of musical styles here from a solid rock 'n' roll base. Lots of rock instrumentation is employed including various electric and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, saxophones, synthesizer, percussion and drums. Some tunes have a bluesy, r&b quality, while others have a soft, melodic feel. Overall the writing is poignant and Harley's voice has a pleasing pop sound." The album's 'Best Cuts' were listed as "Roll the Dice," "I Wish It Would Rain," "Riding the Waves," "Hot Youth," and "Faith, Hope and Charity".

In the 23 September 1978 issue of The Morning Call, writer Len Righi had commented: "One of the best things about "Someone's Coming" is Jo Partridge's guitar work. Two of the finest cuts on the LP are "Riding The Waves" and "(I Don't Believe) God is an Anarchist." The former has a nice melody, poetic images, acoustic piano by Bill Payne of Little Feat (a Harley favourite), and Partridge's oh-so-sweet guitar. The latter song features a powerful vocal and an R&B flavour."

In an article by The Denver Post, writer G. Brown stated: "If Harley is due for a hit single, "Roll the Dice" could fill the bill nicely. Led by a catchy keyboard introduction, the song boasts a great hook and a youthful Harley vocal. "(I Don't Believe) God is an Anarchist" is a vocal explosion by Harley, harkening to his old, tough phrasing and verbal imagery."

In the September 2000 issue of Q magazine, a review of the album's first CD issue commented: "Fast declining sales, punk rock and hysterical critical opprobrium exiled Steve Harley to America for the recording of much of 1978's "Hobo with a Grin". Sneered at then, it's aged rather well. Harley's self-production is as lush as his songs deserve, the towering "Roll the Dice" features Michael McDonald on backing vocals and "Riding the Waves (For Virginia Woolf)" is the sound of a man who'd been boorish as a star maturing into dignified old age. Charts remained untickled. Time surely for a little readjustment of history."

Dave Thompson of AllMusic retrospectively reviewed the album, writing: "Hobo with a Grin marks the utter desecration of everything which Harley once stood for. Two new songs peep out of Hobo with anything remotely resembling pride - "Riding the Waves" has sufficient art house pretension to remind us of "Mr. Soft" and his friends; and "Living in a Rhapsody" shares a vague familial resemblance to "Make Me Smile." There's also a smartly stylized cover of the Temptations' "I Wish It Would Rain," which, while not a patch on the Faces' then-recent revision, possesses a heartfelt joyousness all the same. But "Amerika the Brave," "God Is an Anarchist," and "Roll the Dice" are Harley wordplay-by-numbers: clever on paper, but too clever-clever by half. We already know he's a brilliant wordsmith; does he have to keep trying to show us how brilliant? And does there come a point when he'll stop, and try his hand at tunes as well? At its best, the bulk of Hobo is almost completely devoid of memorable melody. At its worst, it doesn't even pretend to care. And so we sadly replace the record in its sleeve, shed a tear for so much talent down the pan, then turn again to ponder."

In the Record Collector magazine, Terry Staunton reviewed the BGO double CD release of the album along with The Candidate. He wrote: "Harley's opening brace of releases not to feature the Cockney Rebel name on their sleeves took him ever further away from the glam/art rock of his chart past. As road maps to what he had in mind for the next stage of his career, they're both a tad confused, arrows scrawled all over them in numerous directions. Hobo takes stabs at anything and everything; "Amerika The Brave" stutters with Bowie bombast (its guitar riff lifted wholesale from Starman), "Living in a Rhapsody" and "Riding the Waves" tentatively exploring the subdued folk of Nick Drake, while a cover of The Temptations' "I Wish It Would Rain" has the bleary-eyed fatigue of last orders pub-rock. The following year's offering draws from just as big a notice board."

Personnel

  • Steve Harley - vocals, producer (all tracks)
  • Jo Partridge - electric guitars (tracks 1, 6), guitar (track 2), acoustic guitar (tracks 5-7), electric lead solo (track 5), electric guitar (track 7)
  • Fred Tackett - acoustic guitar (track 1)
  • Marc Bolan - guitar (track 2), acoustic guitar (track 6), backing vocals (track 6)
  • Jim Cregan - acoustic guitar, electric guitar (track 3)
  • Ian Bairnson - acoustic guitar, electric guitars (track 4)
  • Tom Moncrieff - electric guitar solo (track 4)
  • Greg Porée - electric guitar (tracks 5, 8), classical guitar (track 8)
  • Bill Payne - acoustic piano (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8), organ (track 4)
  • Duncan Mackay - electric piano (tracks 1, 5-6), harpsichord (track 1), synthesizer (tracks 1-3, 5, 8-9), keyboards (tracks 2, 7, 9), piano (track 4), Hammond organ (track 8)
  • Chris Mercer - saxophone (track 2)
  • Bob Glaub - bass (tracks 1, 5)
  • Alan Jones - bass (track 4)
  • George Ford - bass (track 6)
  • Herbie Flowers - acoustic bass (track 7)
  • Reggie McBride - bass (track 8)
  • Rick Shlosser - drums (tracks 1, 5)
  • Ricky Fataar - drums (tracks 2, 4)
  • Stuart Elliott - drums (track 6)
  • Paul Humphrey - drums (track 8)
  • Simon Morton - percussion (track 2), additional percussion (track 8)
  • Chris Caron - percussion (track 2), additional percussion (track 8)
  • Luís Jardim - percussion (tracks 2, 7), additional percussion (track 8)
  • Lindsey Elliott - congas (track 6)
  • King Errisson - congas (track 8)
  • Michael McDonald - backing vocals (track 1)
  • Bill Champlin - backing vocals (tracks 1, 5)
  • Rosemary Butler - backing vocals (tracks 1, 4)
  • Bobby Kimball - backing vocals (tracks 1, 5)
  • Tom Kelley - backing vocals (tracks 1, 5)
  • Yvonne Keeley - backing vocals (tracks 2-3, 6, 8-9)
  • John Townsend - backing vocals (track 4)
  • Roy Kenner - backing vocals (track 4)
  • Gloria Jones - backing vocals (tracks 6, 9)
  • Barry St. John - backing vocals (track 8)
  • Jimmy Horowitz - string arrangement (tracks 3-4, 6), horn arrangement (track 3)
  • Michael J. Jackson - producer (track 1), additional production (all tracks), mixing (all tracks), percussion (track 1), intro piano (track 9)
  • James Isaacson - remix engineer (all tracks), additional recording (all tracks), engineer (tracks 1, 5), tambourine (track 6), drums (track 9)
  • John Haeny - engineer (track 1)
  • Tony Clark - engineer (tracks 2-3, 6-7, 9)
  • Peter James - engineer (track 4)
  • Gary Ladinsky - engineer (track 8)
  • Paul Black - assistant engineer (track 1)
  • Haydn Bendall - assistant engineer (tracks 2-3, 6-7, 9)
  • Ken Perry - mastering
  • Jim Shea - photography
  • Kosh - design
  • Songs

    1Roll the Dice
    2America the Brave
    3Living in a Rhapsody

    References

    Hobo with a Grin Wikipedia