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The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live

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The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live
Video by
Released13 October 1989
Recorded1989
GenreConcert Performance Video
Length75 minutes
LabelOdyssey
DirectorSteve Hills
ProducerVance Goodwin
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel chronology
Live from London
(1985)
The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live
(1989)
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival
(2005)

The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live is a live concert video by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which was filmed during their 1989 tour. The concert video has also been released in a variety of guises as a live album.

Background

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Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's 1989 "The Come Back, All is Forgiven" tour was the band's first since their 1981 Christmas tour, and their first concert since a one-off show in London in 1984.[1] Harley made the decision to go back out on the road with a new line-up of Cockney Rebel in 1988 and a UK tour took place in February and March 1989. In addition, Harley made future plans to release new material by returning to the studio during the previous month. With guitarist Jim Cregan, keyboardist Duncan Mackay and drummer Stuart Elliott, six tracks were recorded, including "When I'm with You", which Harley hoped would help the band gain a record deal.[2] Speaking of the tour's name, Harley told the Newcastle Journal in 1989, "That's me being ironic. It stops anyone in your profession calling it a comeback tour or anything derogatory like that."[3]

Following the UK tour, the band returned with a larger 64-date tour under the same name, which covered both the UK and Europe.[4] Two of the concerts on the tour, at the Dome Theatre in Brighton (17 June) and the Derngate Theatre in Northampton (28 June), were professionally filmed to produce a concert video.[5] The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live was released by Odyssey on VHS in October 1989.[6] Featuring fourteen songs of Harley's own personal choice from the two concerts, it was directed by Steve Hills, produced by Vance Goodwin, and produced by G & H Production Partnership in association with Steve Mather for JSE and Adrian Munsey for Odyssey Video.[5] The tour was deemed a success, and the band, under different line-up changes, have continued to tour since.[1]

On the back cover of the VHS, Harley was quoted: "So, how long has it been? Six, perhaps seven years since the last British tour? It's been far too long, of that I am certain. And there's no good reason for it, really. You know how much I love it up there. Quite honestly, there is nowhere I'd rather be. When you sing with me the choruses (often the entire lyrics!) of "Make Me Smile", the smile is genuine. The thanks are from deep inside; the joy is unequalled. To you, without whom... thanks."[5]

Release

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The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live was originally released on VHS on 13 October 1989 by Odyssey.[6] On 20 February 2012, Odyssey gave the video its first DVD release, released under the title Steve Harley + Cockney Rebel - Live.[7]

CD version

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The audio of the video has been released as a CD album under many guises across Europe and beyond. These albums have been released by a number of different 'super-cheapo' labels.[8] The majority of versions of the album omitted the opening track "Dancing on the Telephone", while others placed "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" as the first track.

Title Year Country Label
Live and Unleashed![9] 1990 UK Tring International PLC (also on cassette)
Live: Make Me Smile[10] 1992 Netherlands Point Productions (as part of the Concert Collection series)
Live in the UK[11] 1993 UK & Europe Realisation Records
Star for a Week[12] 1993 Germany Pilz
The Best Years Of Your Life (Live)[13] 1993 UK Going for a Song/Cedar
Sebastian[14] 1994 Germany Legend Records
In Concert[15] 1994 Europe Digimode
Live in Concert[16][17] 1994 Australia Tempo Communications Pty Ltd
The Lighthouse[18] 1994 Europe Cosmus
Make Me Smile - Live on Tour[19] 1994 UK Music De Luxe
The Great Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel[20] 1995 Europe Goldies
Greatest Hits[21] 1996 Europe Merlin
Experience[22] 1996 Europe Experience
Legend of Rock[23] 1996 Greece Free supplement with the Greek newspaper "Free Press"
Gold[24] 1996 Netherlands Gold
Greatest Hits - Live in Concert[25] 2004 Europe Eurotrend
The Magic Collection[26] Unknown Netherlands Arc Records/Telesonic

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Intro/Dancing on the Telephone"Steve Harley, Jim Cregan, Stuart Elliott4:51
2."Mr. Soft"Harley3:25
3."Mr. Raffles (Man, It Was Mean)"Harley5:14
4."When I'm with You"Harley, Cregan, Elliott4:01
5."Star for a Week"Harley5:25
6."Riding the Waves (for Virginia Woolf)"Harley6:13
7."The Lighthouse"Harley7:00
8."The Best Years of Our Lives"Harley5:32
9."Sweet Dreams"Harley1:46
10."Psychomodo"Harley4:06
11."Sling It!"Harley2:49
12."Sebastian"Harley10:07
13."Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)"Harley6:27
14."Love's a Prima Donna/Closing Credits"Harley7:01

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[27]

In an AllMusic review of the 1994 Make Me Smile - Live on Tour release of the concert, Dave Thompson stated: "The highlights are the two cuts from Harley's Yes You Can album, "The Lighthouse" and "Star for a Week," [which] work far more effectively live than they did in the studio. But the retreads of the older material offer only isolated sparks of interest and innovation - ten minutes of "Sebastian" impress with their portentousness, and the medley of "The Best Years of Our Lives"/"Sweet Dreams" is perverse enough to demand a second listen. The problem is, this is meant to be a Steve Harley album. The audience often sings louder than he does."[27]

Personnel

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Steve Harley + Cockney Rebel

  • Steve Harley – lead vocals, guitar
  • Rick Driscoll – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Barry Wickens – electric violin, guitar, backing vocals
  • Ian Nice – keyboards
  • Kevin Powell – bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Stuart Elliott – drums

Concert crew

  • Roy Wood – sound engineer
  • Mick Gibbs – sound recording
  • Steve Harley – sound mix
  • Steve Hills – sound mix
  • Scott Thompson – monitor engineer
  • Dave Thomas – backline technician
  • Clive Davies – lighting designer
  • Leanne Bogen – graphics

Video production team

  • Steve Harley – track selection, sound mix supervision, digital remix supervision
  • Steve Hills – director
  • Vance Goodwin – producer
  • G & H Production Partnership – producer
  • Steve Mather for JSE – production associate
  • Adrian Munsey for Odyssey Video – production associate
  • Stuart Shepherd – VT editor
  • Odyssey Video – studio
  • Virgin Distribution for Odyssey Video – distributor
  • Shoot That Tiger! – design
  • Linda Chapman – cover photo
  • Steve Mather, JSE (London) – representation
  • Skycom TV – facilities

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Great Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel Story". 2015-07-03. Archived from the original on 2015-07-03. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  2. ^ Sloan, Billy (21 January 1989). "Rebels on road!". Daily Record. p. 18.
  3. ^ Jones, Tony (8 June 1989). "Popping up again as time goes by". Newcastle Journal.
  4. ^ Sloan, Billy (27 May 1989). "Rebel Rouser". Daily Record. p. 22.
  5. ^ a b c The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live (Media notes). Steve Harley + Cockney Rebel. Odyssey. 1989.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) Accessed on 22 February 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Steve Harley And Cockney Rebel: Greatest Hits [VHS]: Steve Harley: Amazon.co.uk: Video". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  7. ^ "Steve Harley + Cockney Rebel Live [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Steve Harley: DVD & Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  8. ^ Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock - Google Books. ISBN 9781843531050. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  9. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Live And Unleashed (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  10. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  11. ^ "Steve Harley And Cockney Rebel* - Live In The UK (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  12. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Star For A Week (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  13. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - The Best Years Of Your Life (Live) (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  14. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Sebastian (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  15. ^ Steve Harley (Artist). "In Concert by Steve Harley: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  16. ^ "Live In Concert". 2009-11-28. Archived from the original on 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  17. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Live In Concert (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  18. ^ "The Lighthouse". Archived from the original on 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  19. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile - Live On Tour (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  20. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - The Great Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  21. ^ "Greatest Hits". Archived from the original on 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  22. ^ "Experience". Archived from the original on November 28, 2009. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  23. ^ "Legend Of Rock". Archived from the original on 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  24. ^ "Gold". Archived from the original on 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  25. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Greatest Hits Live In Concert (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  26. ^ Carsten Henkelmann. "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel: The Magic Collection - CD, Best-Of". Musik-sammler.de. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  27. ^ a b Dave Thompson (1996-06-25). "Make Me Smile - Steve Harley, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-02-29.