Roy Harper
Encyclopedia
Roy Harper is an English
folk
/ rock
singer-songwriter
and guitarist
who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s. He has released a large catalogue of albums (21 studio albums and 10 live albums) most of which are available on his record label Science Friction
(as CD
and / or Music download
).
Musically, American blues
musician Leadbelly
and folk singer
Woody Guthrie
were his earliest influences, and whilst in his teens, jazz musician Miles Davis
. Harper was also exposed to classical music in his childhood and has pointed to the influence of Jean Sibelius
particularly his Karelia Suite
. Lyrically Harper has referenced the 19th century Romantics
(especially Percy Shelley) as being influential, as were the Beat poets
. As a musician, Harper is known for his distinctive fingerstyle
playing and lengthy, lyrical, complex compositions.
His influence has been acknowledged by many musicians including Jimmy Page
and Robert Plant
of Led Zeppelin
(who named the song "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper
" after him), Pete Townshend
of The Who
, Kate Bush
, Pink Floyd
(who invited him to sing guest lead vocals on their song "Have a Cigar
"), and Ian Anderson
of Jethro Tull
; who stated Harper was his "primary influence as an acoustic guitarist and songwriter" .
More recently, Harper's influence has reached across the Atlantic
and been acknowledged by Seattle-based acoustic band Fleet Foxes
and California
n harpist Joanna Newsom
, with whom he has also toured. In 2011, Harper turned 70 and performed a celebratory concert at London's Royal Festival Hall
.
, a suburb of Manchester
. His mother, Muriel, died three weeks after he was born. From the age of 6, he was raised in Blackpool
by his father and stepmother, with whom he became disillusioned because of her Jehovah's Witness beliefs. Harper's anti-religious views would later become a familiar theme within his music.
At the age of 13, he began playing skiffle
music with his younger brother David, ("Davey" on the album Flat Baroque and Berserk
), as well as becoming influenced by blues
music. At 14 he formed his first group (De Boys) with his brothers David and Harry. Harper was educated at King Edward VII School
, Lytham St Annes
, then a Grammar school and left at the age of 15 to join the Royal Air Force
. Harper eventually rejected the rigid discipline, feigned madness in order to obtain a military discharge
and received one electroconvulsive therapy
treatment at Princess Mary's RAF Hospital
, Wendover. After being discharged from there, he spent one day inside the former 'Lancaster Moor Mental Institute' before escaping. These experiences would later make their way into "Committed", a song on Sophisticated Beggar
, Harpers debut album.
Upon his eventual exit from a troubled youth, c. 1961, he busked
around North Africa
, Europe
and London
for a few years. On his return to London, he gained a residency at London's famous Soho
folk music
club, Les Cousins
in 1965, having been introduced to it by Peter Bellamy
of The Young Tradition
. Within the first week Harper saw John Renbourn
, Alexis Korner
, Paul Simon
, Alex Campbell
and Bert Jansch
play and he would play, associate, and 'rub shoulders' with other artists arriving later, including John Martyn
, Joni Mitchell
and Nick Drake
.
, was recorded in 1966 after he was spotted at Les Cousins and signed to Peter Richards' Strike Records. The album consisted of Harper's songs and poetry backed by acoustic guitar
and recorded with a Revox
tape machine
by Pierre Tubbs
. English guitarist Paul Brett
also contributed his skills. CBS Records
recognised Harper's potential and hired American
producer Shel Talmy
to produce Harper's second album, Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith
, which was released in 1967. The 11 minute track "Circle" was notable for marking a widening of Harper's musical style away from the more traditional side of contemporary folk music
heard at the time. Bert Jansch
wrote the sleeve note
. During this period, Harper was managed by American music entrepeneur Jo Lustig
; manager of The Pentangle
and former agent to Julie Felix
.
In June 1968, Harper performed at the first free concert ever held at Hyde Park
, sharing the bill with Jethro Tull
, Pink Floyd
and Tyrannosaurus Rex
, and began to attract a following of fans from the underground music scene. He also toured the UK, performing at numerous venues such as the Lyceum Ballroom
, Klooks Kleek
and Mothers
; venues that would gradually gain recognition for the variety and quality of their musical acts. Mothers in Birmingham
was a venue to which he would frequently return. Harper later told Brum Beat
magazine:
In 1969 Harper undertook a short 6-venue tour with Ron Geesin
and Ralph McTell
. The tour programme contained the introductory paragraph:-
That same year, Harper released his third album Folkjokeopus
. The album was again produced by Shel Talmy, and released by Liberty Records
. Side two included an extended 17-minute track called "McGoohan's Blues", which Harper referred to as the "main statement" within the album. The track's title referred to actor Patrick McGoohan
, who had starred in the UK TV series The Prisoner
two years earlier.
s manager Peter Jenner
signed him to a long-term (and at times confrontational) deal with EMI
's 'underground' subsidiary, Harvest Records
. Over a ten year period, Harper would record 8 albums at the Abbey Road Studios
, for the Harvest label and for much of this period was managed
and produced by Jenner, initially acting for Blackhill Enterprises
. According to Jenner, "Harper is a terrific songwriter, but a bit crazy".
Harper's first tour of the United States followed the release of his fourth studio album, Flat Baroque and Berserk
, in 1969. The album also featured The Nice
on the track "Hell's Angels". Its ethereal sound was achieved by a wah-wah pedal
attached to Harper's acoustic guitar.
After the Bath Festival of 1970, Led Zeppelin
paid tribute to Harper with their version of the traditional song, "Shake 'Em on Down
". Retitled "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper
", it appeared on the album Led Zeppelin III
. According to Jimmy Page
, the band admired the way Harper stood by his principles and did not sell out to commercial pressures. In mutual appreciation of their work, Harper would often attend live performances by Led Zeppelin
over the subsequent decade, contributed sleeve photography to the album Physical Graffiti
and also appeared, albeit uncredited, in the 1976 Led Zeppelin documentary film, The Song Remains the Same
.
Harper's critically acclaimed 1971 album was a four-song epic, Stormcock. The album featured Jimmy Page
on guitar (credited as "S. Flavius Mercurius" for contractual reasons) and David Bedford
's orchestral arrangements (Bedford would also collaborate on some of Harper's future releases). Harper felt the album to be not particularly well promoted by his record label at the time and later stated: Never-the-less, Stormcock would remain a favourite album of Harper's fans and influence musicians for decades to come. Thirty five years later (in 2006) fellow Mancunian
, Johnny Marr
of English alternative rock
band The Smiths
said: Joanna Newsom
cited Stormcock as an influence upon her 2006 release Ys
and in 2011, Robin Pecknold
of Seattle, Washington
-based folk
band Fleet Foxes
stated that he took inspiration from Stormcock when recording Fleet Foxes second album Helplessness Blues
.
In 1972, Harper made his acting debut playing Mike Preston alongside Carol White
in the John Mackenzie film Made
. Harper also recorded the soundtrack for the film, released the following year as Lifemask
. At the time, Lifemask was created as Harper's final bow, as he had been diagnosed with the (then) little-known genetic condition HHT, which caused polycythemia
, incapacitating him. The cover art shows Harper's life mask, as opposed to the 'death mask
' it might have been.
After recovering, (treatment involves frequent venesection) his next album (Valentine
) was released on Valentine's Day
, 14 February 1974, and featured contributions from Jimmy Page. A concert to mark its release was held on the same day at London's
Rainbow Theatre, with Page, Bedford, Max Middleton
, Ronnie Lane
and Keith Moon
performing alongside Harper. His first live album Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion
, recorded at that concert, soon followed.
Pink Floyd
's 1975 release Wish You Were Here saw Harper sing lead vocals on the song "Have a Cigar
". Roger Waters
intended to record the part himself, but had strained his voice while recording "Shine On You Crazy Diamond
" and David Gilmour
declined to sing. Harper was recording his album HQ
in Studio 2 of Abbey Road at the same time as Pink Floyd were working in Studio 3; learning of the band's dilemma Harper offered to sing the lead. The song is one of only two songs by Pink Floyd not sung by one of their permanent members. David Gilmour returned the favour by appearing on HQ, along with Harper's occasional backing band, 'Trigger' (Chris Spedding
, Dave Cochran, Bill Bruford
and John Paul Jones
). The single "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease
", taken from HQ, is one of Harper's best known songs. Harper also co-wrote the song "Short and Sweet" with Gilmour for Gilmour's first solo record, David Gilmour
, released in 1978.
Controversy followed the release of 1977's Bullinamingvase
. The owners of Watford Gap service station objected to criticism of their food – "Watford Gap, Watford Gap / A plate of grease and a load of crap…" – in the lyrics of the song "Watford Gap". Harper was forced to drop it from future UK copies of the album, though it remained on the U.S. LP and reappeared on a later CD reissue. The album also featured the song "One of Those Days in England", with backing vocals by Paul McCartney
and his wife at the time Linda
, the single from the album went to number 42 in the UK charts. During this period, Harpers band were renamed 'Chips' and included Andy Roberts
, Dave Lawson, Henry McCullough, John Halsey and Dave Cochran. In April 1978, Harper began writing lyrics for the next Led Zeppelin
album with Jimmy Page
, but the project was shelved when lead singer Robert Plant
returned from a sabbatical after the death of his son, Karac Pendragon.
Following the success of Bullinamingvase Harper was asked "to write another record quickly". Demo
recordings with Harpers newly formed backing band 'Black Sheep' (Andy Roberts, Dave Lawson, Henry McCullough, John Halsey and Dave Cochran, a.k.a. Dave C. Drill). were made, but Harper felt them to be rushed and the record company who "...were in the first stages of a collapse in sales..." were not interested in the recordings, nor were they prepared to provide studio
time when requested, telling Harper to come back in six months. As a result, Harper witheld the publishing rights
to that which had been recorded; an album provisionally entitled Commercial Breaks (doesn't it?) and was (in his own words) "outlawed" by the record company.
From 1975 – 1980 Harper worked with English musician and 'Black Sheep' member Andy Roberts
sometimes performing as a duo. During this period, Harper spent considerable time in the United States and signed with the US division of Chrysalis Records
, who released HQ with a different title – When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease – and with alternative artwork. Chrysalis considered the original Hipgnosis
designed album cover of Harper walking on water to be too offensive for an American release. Harper disagreed, but was given no choice by the label. Chrysalis also changed the title of Harper's next album, Bullinamingvase
, to One of Those Days in England. In 1978, US Chrysalis reissued Harper's first five Harvest
albums, only one of which (Flat, Baroque and Berserk) had been previously released in America.
Harper returned to the studio a few years after his dispute with EMI to record and prepare his next album The Unknown Soldier
(1980). At the time Harper knew it would be his last release on the label and it was these demos that "...were destined to gather dust on a shelf labelled 'Commercial Breaks'...". (It was not until Harpers 1988 release Loony on the Bus
that some of these songs became officially available, and another six years until the album was finally released as Commercial Breaks
(1994)).
In 1980 Harper released The Unknown Soldier, which was indeed his final Harvest
release. The album contains a duet with Kate Bush
on the track, "You". Harper later reciprocated by singing backing vocals on "Breathing
", on Bush's album Never For Ever
. During a BBC Radio interview by Paul Gambaccini
, Bush praised Harper stating: Of Bush, Harper later said, A decade later, Harper and Bush would again collaborate on his 1990 release Once
.
was released on Public Records, a newly-formed record label Harper created with Mark Thompson (son of English historian, socialist and peace campaigner E.P. Thompson and brother of Kate Thompson
). During this period Harper toured with a band consisting of Tony Franklin
on Bass
, Bob Wilson of The Steve Gibbons Band, George Jackson on drums and Dave Morris on keyboards
. The album was chosen by Derek Jewell
of The Sunday Times
as "Album of the Year" in 1982, but it did not sell well and the short-lived label went under.
During this period Harper lost his home, a farm in the village of Marden, Herefordshire
, to the bank. His manager at the time mortgaged Harper's house (by virtue of the Power of Attorney
Harper had granted him), pocketed the proceeds and disappeared to America. Of this period Harper stated:-
The original demo version of Work of Heart was later released (in 1984) on a limited edition (830 copies) vinyl
release entitled Born in Captivity
.
Throughout 1984, Harper toured the United Kingdom with Jimmy Page
performing a predominantly acoustic set at folk festivals under various guises such as The MacGregors, and Themselves. In 1985, Whatever Happened to Jugula?
was released. The album caused a resurgence of interest in Harper and his music. (Tony Franklin
, bass player in Harper's group at this time, would later join Page
in The Firm). In April 1984, Harper and Gilmour performed "Short and Sweet" (a song they co-wrote) during Gilmour's three-night run at The Hammersmith Odeon
. This version later appeared on the David Gilmour Live 1984
concert film. Harper also provided backing vocals on Gilmour's newly released album, About Face
.
On 20 June 1984 Harper performed at the last Stonehenge Free Festival
along with Hawkwind
and The Enid
. The concert was videoed and released as Stonehenge 84.
As a result of Harpers continual touring and the popularity of Whatever Happened to Jugula?, Harper re-signed to EMI
and in 1986 released a live album, In Between Every Line (containing recordings from his performances at the Cambridge Folk Festival
), and in 1988 the studio album, Descendants of Smith
. The renewed relationship between Harper and EMI did not last and from 1985 more of his earlier albums were becoming available on the newly formed Awareness Records
label.
1988 also saw the release of Loony on the Bus
, a collection of tracks recorded a decade earlier and intended for release in 1977 as Commercial Breaks
(with the sub-title, 'doesn't it?'). The original release having been held back because of disputes over funding and content between Harper and EMI. Sales of Loony on the Bus would fund Harper's 1990 release; Once
.
and obtained the rights to all his previously released albums. As a result, from 1994 much of Harper's back catalogue became available on CD once more.
Harper was very productive during the decade, releasing five studio albums: Once (1990), Death or Glory?
(1992), Commercial Breaks
(1994), The Dream Society
(1998), a collection of poetry and spoken word
tracks Poems, Speeches, Thoughts and Doodles
(1997); two live albums: Unhinged
(1993) and Live At Les Cousins (1996), and six individual CDs of live concerts and sessions recorded by the BBC
(1997).
In addition, Harper released a live video Once (1990), an EP
Burn the World (1990), a 4-track CD single Death or Glory? (1992), a limited edition live
cassette
Born in Captivity II
(1992) (featuring cricketer Graeme Fowler
and a cricket poem written by Harper: "Three Hundred Words
"), a compilation album
An Introduction to .....
(1994), and a reissue
of Descendants of Smith
(his 1988 release) renamed Garden of Uranium
(1994).
Once again Harper collaborated with David Gilmour
and Kate Bush
on his 1990 release, Once. The album also featured contributions from Nigel Mazlyn Jones
, a fellow English
guitar
ist, singer and songwriter
. In 1992, his marriage to his wife Jacqui ended and Harper released Death or Glory? an album that contains a number of songs and spoken word
pieces that reference his loss and pain.
Throughout the decade, Harper's musical influence began to be recognised by a younger generation of musicians, some of whom covered
his songs or invited him to make guest appearances on their albums. In 1995 Harper contributed spoken word
s on The Tea Party
's 1995 album The Edges of Twilight
, and appeared on stage for their New Year concert in Montreal. In 1996 Roy recited "Bad Speech" from his album Whatever Happened to Jugula?
on Anathemas
album Eternity (the album also contains a cover version
of "Hope" from the same album). The track "Time" from The Tea Party's 1996 multimedia CD
, Alhambra
, was sung and co-written by Harper.
Harper contributed his version of Jethro Tull's
song, "Up the 'Pool" (from Living in the Past
) for the 1996 tribute album
, To Cry You A Song - A Collection Of Tull Tales, a version Anderson liked so much, he began to perform the "forgotten piece" again in concert.
In 1998, Jethro Tull singer Ian Anderson
contributed flute
to the song, "These Fifty Years" on Harper's The Dream Society
, an album based on emotional, philosophical and actual events in Harper's life. Views of procreation, his mother's continued presence in him and something of his psychological impulses are punctuated by a couple of moments of satire, a love song and a lament, followed by the lengthy "These Fifty years", of which he has said, "In some ways its (anti-organised religion) theme is similar to 'The Same Old Rock', but in many others I think it's stronger". Reportedly, Anderson said that the only reason he originally left Blackpool was because Harper did. Other artists who covered
Harper's songs (or songs on his albums) throughout the decade include Dean Carter, Ava Cherry & The Astronettes, Green Crown, The Kitchen Cynics, The Levellers
, Roydan Styles and Pete Townshend
. Harper also undertook a short tour of the USA, where some performances were supported by Daevid Allen
, former Soft Machine
and Gong
band member.
, accompanied by The Tea Party's
Jeff Martin
on guitar, hurdy gurdy
and numerous other instruments. The following year (2001) Harper celebrated his 60th birthday with a concert at London's Royal Festival Hall
. Harper was joined by numerous guest artists, including David Bedford
, Jeff Martin
and John Renbourn
. A recording of the concert Royal Festival Hall Live – June 10th 2001 was released as a double CD shortly afterwards.
In 2003, Harper published The Passions of Great Fortune, a large format book containing all the lyrics to his albums (and singles) to date, which also included a wealth of photographs and commentary on his songs.
In April 2005, Harper released a lengthy CD single, The Death of God
. The 13 minute song, a critique of the war in Iraq
, featured guest guitarist Matt Churchill, who has also joined Harper on stage at his live performances. A video of this song, intermixing animation with a live performance, is available in four parts on YouTube. The same year saw the release of Counter Culture
, a double
compilation album
featuring songs from a 35-year songwriting period. Counter Culture received a five-star review from UNCUT
magazine. Harper also contributed a recital of "Jabberwocky
" for The Wildlife Album, an 18-track compilation CD to benefit the World Wide Fund For Nature
and the Ulster
Wildlife
Trust.
2006 saw Harper release his first DVD, Beyond the Door. Composed of live footage recorded in 2004 at Irish folk club "De Barra's" in Clonakilty
, Cork, the package includes an additional 10-track audio CD and received a 4-star review from both Mojo
and UNCUT
, as well as from Classic Rock
magazine, who made it their "DVD of the month".
In September 2007, Harper supported California
n harpist Joanna Newsom
at her Royal Albert Hall
performance. Newsom had been impressed by Harper's 1971 album Stormcock, and it served as an inspiration for her second album, Ys
. During his Royal Albert Hall appearance with Newsom, Harper played Stormcock in its entirety. At the time, Harper made an announcement on his website that he was "...taking a break from the live scene... retired from gigging..." and just wanted "...the time and space to write..."
During this period, Harper dedicated his time to collecting and compiling his life's work in various formats. One of the intended projects was to be the making of a documentary DVD to round off this process.
In 2008, plans were announced for a Roy Harper tribute album
. The album, All You Need is What You Have (named after songs on Harper's 1969 release Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith), is being compiled by Laurel Canyon
folk
singer Jonathan Wilson
, and features Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes
), Gary Louris
(The Jayhawks), Johnathan Rice
, Eric Johnson
(Fruit Bats, The Shins
), Benji Hughes
and others. At present, the collection remains unfinished, having been delayed beyond its planned 2009 release date. Some of the tracks can be heard on the project's Myspace page.
In 2010, Newsom once again invited Harper to be special guest for her on several of her European Tour Dates. Plans for Harper to star in the film Rebel City Rumble were also announced.
Legends series.
The concert was recorded on video and and released on DVD as Classic Rock Legends: Roy Harper.
Through the summer of 2011, Harper made a number of appearances on broadcast media. On 24 July 2011, Harper appeared as the lunchtime guest on the British cricketing radio programme, Test Match Special
. During the show Harper was interviewed and also performed "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease
". A televised interview followed on BBC Breakfast
on the 19 September 2011, and Harper was also interviewed by Robert Elms
on his BBC London 94.9
show on the 20 September 2011. During the show, Harper performed "Another Day
", (a song from his 1970 album Flat Baroque and Berserk) live in the studio. A further interview took place on Mike Harding
s BBC Radio 2
show on the 21 September 2011.
On 23 September Harper was interviewed on Jools Holland
s BBC Two
programme, Later... with Jools Holland. A segment of Harper performing "Commune" (from his 1974 album Valentine) on the The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1974 was shown. Harper performed "Another Day", an abbreviated version of "I Hate The White Man" (from his 1970 album Flat Baroque and Berserk) and "The Green Man" (as part of a web exclusive performance).
The media appearances were to promote a new compilation albums release. Songs of Love and Loss
; a 2 disc, 23 track compilation of Harpers love songs, was released as an introduction to the release campaign of 19 of Harpers albums to the digital market place for the first time. The catalogue is to be released in batches of four in the coming months. The album (and most of Harper's back catalogue) is also available to download on Harper's website in FLAC
and MP3
formats.
On 5 November 2011 Harper returned to London's Royal Festival Hall
to celebrate his 70th birthday and perform once again with special guests Jonathan Wilson, Nick Harper, Joanna Newsom and Jimmy Page. The performance was described in the media as "...an evening of devastating musical brilliance..." and an "...historic concert".
was awarded Record of the Year in Portugal in 1975. That year Harper also received a similar award in Finland for the same record.
Work of Heart
was awarded The Sunday Times
Album of the Year in 1982.
Harper was awarded the MOJO
Hero Award
by the staff of Mojo
magazine on 16 June 2005 at the Porchester Hall, Central London
. The award itself was presented by long time collaborator and friend, Jimmy Page
and now hangs upon the wall at De Barras Folk Club in Clonakilty
, Ireland.
, is a successful singer / songwriter in his own right. In the past, Nick occasionally toured and recorded with Roy, and has appeared (as guitarist) on a number of his albums since 1985.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
/ rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s. He has released a large catalogue of albums (21 studio albums and 10 live albums) most of which are available on his record label Science Friction
Science Friction
Science Friction is an English record label established by English singer-songwriter Roy Harper in 1993 in order to release his back catalogue of recorded music. Generally, all CD releases are prefixed by the coding "HUCD0..."-Albums by catalogue number:...
(as CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and / or Music download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
).
Musically, American blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician Leadbelly
Leadbelly
Huddie William Ledbetter was an iconic American folk and blues musician, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced....
and folk singer
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
were his earliest influences, and whilst in his teens, jazz musician Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
. Harper was also exposed to classical music in his childhood and has pointed to the influence of Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
particularly his Karelia Suite
Karelia Suite
The Karelia Suite, Op. 11, is a collection of orchestral pieces composed by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.The pieces in this suite are drawn from several independent works he wrote in 1893 for a patriotic historical pageant to be presented by students of the University of Helsinki in Viipuri,...
. Lyrically Harper has referenced the 19th century Romantics
Romantic poetry
Romanticism, a philosophical, literary, artistic and cultural era which began in the mid/late-1700s as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day , also influenced poetry...
(especially Percy Shelley) as being influential, as were the Beat poets
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
. As a musician, Harper is known for his distinctive fingerstyle
Fingerstyle guitar
Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking ....
playing and lengthy, lyrical, complex compositions.
His influence has been acknowledged by many musicians including Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
and Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
(who named the song "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper
Hats off to (Roy) Harper
"Hats Off to Harper" is a song played by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the last track on the album Led Zeppelin III, released in 1970. The track features Jimmy Page playing slide guitar, and Robert Plant's vocals, processed through a tremolo...
" after him), Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
(who invited him to sing guest lead vocals on their song "Have a Cigar
Have a Cigar
"Have a Cigar" is the third track on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. It follows "Welcome to the Machine" and on the original LP opened side two...
"), and Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson (musician)
Ian Scott Anderson, MBE is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as the leader and flautist of British rock band Jethro Tull.-Early life:...
of Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
; who stated Harper was his "primary influence as an acoustic guitarist and songwriter" .
More recently, Harper's influence has reached across the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and been acknowledged by Seattle-based acoustic band Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes are a folk rock band which formed in Seattle, Washington. They are signed to the Sub Pop and Bella Union record labels. The band came to prominence in 2008 with the release of their second EP, Sun Giant, and their debut full length album Fleet Foxes...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n harpist Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
, with whom he has also toured. In 2011, Harper turned 70 and performed a celebratory concert at London's Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
.
Early life (1941–65)
Harper was born in 1941 in RusholmeRusholme
-Etymology:Rusholme, unlike other areas of Manchester which have '-holme' in the place name is not a true '-holme'. Its name came from ryscum, which is the dative plural of Old English rysc "rush": "[at the] rushes"...
, a suburb of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. His mother, Muriel, died three weeks after he was born. From the age of 6, he was raised in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
by his father and stepmother, with whom he became disillusioned because of her Jehovah's Witness beliefs. Harper's anti-religious views would later become a familiar theme within his music.
At the age of 13, he began playing skiffle
Skiffle
Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
music with his younger brother David, ("Davey" on the album Flat Baroque and Berserk
Flat Baroque and Berserk
Flat Baroque and Berserk is the fourth album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper, and was first released in 1970 by Harvest Records.-History:...
), as well as becoming influenced by blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
music. At 14 he formed his first group (De Boys) with his brothers David and Harry. Harper was educated at King Edward VII School
King Edward VII and Queen Mary School
King Edward VII and Queen Mary School is an HMC Independent Co-educational school in Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, England.The Lytham Schools Foundation was established in 1719 after a flood disaster in the town. In 1908, one hundred and eighty-nine years after the Foundation's initial formation,...
, Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and St-Anne's-on-the-Sea have grown together and now form a seaside resort...
, then a Grammar school and left at the age of 15 to join the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Harper eventually rejected the rigid discipline, feigned madness in order to obtain a military discharge
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
and received one electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy , formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Its mode of action is unknown...
treatment at Princess Mary's RAF Hospital
RAF Halton
RAF Halton is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom, located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Halton.-History:...
, Wendover. After being discharged from there, he spent one day inside the former 'Lancaster Moor Mental Institute' before escaping. These experiences would later make their way into "Committed", a song on Sophisticated Beggar
Sophisticated Beggar
Sophisticated Beggar is English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper's debut album. It was released in 1966.-History:The album consists of Harper's poetry backed by acoustic guitar and recorded with a Revox tape machine by Pierre Tubbs....
, Harpers debut album.
Upon his eventual exit from a troubled youth, c. 1961, he busked
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
around North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for a few years. On his return to London, he gained a residency at London's famous Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
club, Les Cousins
Les Cousins (music club)
Les Cousins was a folk and blues club in the basement of a restaurant in Greek Street, in the Soho district of London. It had its heyday during the British folk music revival of the mid-1960s and was notable as a venue in which musicians of that period met and learnt from each other...
in 1965, having been introduced to it by Peter Bellamy
Peter Bellamy
Peter Franklyn Bellamy was an English folk singer. He was a founding member of The Young Tradition but also had a long solo career, recording numerous albums and touring folk clubs and concert halls...
of The Young Tradition
The Young Tradition
The Young Tradition were a British folk group of the 1960s, formed by Peter Bellamy, Royston Wood and Heather Wood. They recorded three albums of mainly traditional British folk music, sung in arrangements for their three unaccompanied voices.-Biography:...
. Within the first week Harper saw John Renbourn
John Renbourn
John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
, Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner was a blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a Founding Father of British Blues"...
, Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
, Alex Campbell
Alex Campbell (singer)
Alex Campbell was a Scottish folk singer. Described by Colin Harper as a "melancholic, hard-travelling Glaswegian", he was influential in the British folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s and was one of the first folk singers to tour the UK and Europe...
and Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
Herbert "Bert" Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter...
play and he would play, associate, and 'rub shoulders' with other artists arriving later, including John Martyn
John Martyn
John Martyn, OBE , born Iain David McGeachy, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a forty-year career he released twenty studio albums, working with artists such as Eric Clapton and David Gilmour...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
and Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
.
The first record deals (1966–69)
Harper's first album, Sophisticated BeggarSophisticated Beggar
Sophisticated Beggar is English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper's debut album. It was released in 1966.-History:The album consists of Harper's poetry backed by acoustic guitar and recorded with a Revox tape machine by Pierre Tubbs....
, was recorded in 1966 after he was spotted at Les Cousins and signed to Peter Richards' Strike Records. The album consisted of Harper's songs and poetry backed by acoustic guitar
Steel-string acoustic guitar
A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
and recorded with a Revox
Revox
ReVox is a brand name of Swiss audio equipment created by Studer on March 27, 1951.The ReVox brand name was spun off into Studer Revox AG in 1990. During Studer's acquisition by Harman International Industries, Revox was sold separately to a group of private investors...
tape machine
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording
Reel-to-reel, open reel tape recording is the form of magnetic tape audio recording in which the recording medium is held on a reel, rather than being securely contained within a cassette....
by Pierre Tubbs
Pierre Tubbs
Pierre Tubbs is a British songwriter and music producer. One of his biggest successes is "Right Back Where We Started From" recorded by Maxine Nightingale. He also co-wrote the J.J...
. English guitarist Paul Brett
Paul Brett
Paul Brett is a classic rock guitarist. He played lead guitar with Strawbs, The Overlanders, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera, The Velvet Opera, Tintern Abbey, Fire, Roy Harper, Al Stewart, Lonnie Donegan, and switched to twelve string guitar in the 1970s.His first...
also contributed his skills. CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
recognised Harper's potential and hired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
producer Shel Talmy
Shel Talmy
Shel Talmy is an American record producer, songwriter, arranger best known for his work in London with The Who and The Kinks in the 1960s, with a role in many other English bands including Cat Stevens and Pentangle...
to produce Harper's second album, Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith
Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith
Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith is English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper's second album and was released in 1968.-History:...
, which was released in 1967. The 11 minute track "Circle" was notable for marking a widening of Harper's musical style away from the more traditional side of contemporary folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
heard at the time. Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
Herbert "Bert" Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter...
wrote the sleeve note
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
. During this period, Harper was managed by American music entrepeneur Jo Lustig
Jo Lustig
-Early career:Jo was born on October 21, 1925 in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 12 he saw Billie Holiday singing in a club and fell in love with music. He became an apprentice music journalist, meeting up with Gloria Swanson and Mel Brooks. Having gone solo, he handled publicity for Miles...
; manager of The Pentangle
Pentangle (band)
Pentangle are a British folk rock band with some folk jazz influences. The original band were active in the late 1960s and early 1970s and a later version has been active since the early 1980s...
and former agent to Julie Felix
Julie Felix
Julie Ann Felix is a folk rock recording artist, who was notably produced by Mickie Most on his RAK Records label.-Career:...
.
In June 1968, Harper performed at the first free concert ever held at Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, sharing the bill with Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
and Tyrannosaurus Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
, and began to attract a following of fans from the underground music scene. He also toured the UK, performing at numerous venues such as the Lyceum Ballroom
Lyceum Theatre
- United Kingdom :* Lyceum Theatre, London, a 2,000-seat West End theatre located in the City of Westminster* Lyceum Theatre , an Edwardian period Grade II listed building and theatre* Lyceum Theatre , a 1068-seat theatre in the City of Sheffield...
, Klooks Kleek
Klooks Kleek
Klooks Kleek was a jazz/R&B club in the 1960s, based in The Railway Hotel, West Hampstead , North West London, next to the Decca Records studio. The club was named after a 1956 album by Kenny Clarke .-History:...
and Mothers
Mothers
Mothers was a club in Erdington, near Birmingham, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Mothers opened above an old furniture store in Erdington High Street on August 9, 1968. The club, run by John 'Spud' Taylor and promoter Phil Myatt, closed its doors on 3 January 1971...
; venues that would gradually gain recognition for the variety and quality of their musical acts. Mothers in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
was a venue to which he would frequently return. Harper later told Brum Beat
Brum Beat
Brum Beat was a magazine about the music of Birmingham, England and the neighbouring towns. It was started as Midlands Beat by promoter and band-manager Jim Simpson, who sold it to its latter editor, Steve Morris, who in turn relaunched it in newspaper format as The Beat, before converting it into...
magazine:
In 1969 Harper undertook a short 6-venue tour with Ron Geesin
Ron Geesin
Ronald 'Ron' Geesin is a British musician and composer, noted for his quirky creations and novel applications of sound. He is probably best known as the orchestrator and organizer of Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother" in 1970, after the band found themselves hopelessly deadlocked over how to...
and Ralph McTell
Ralph McTell
Ralph McTell is an English singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s....
. The tour programme contained the introductory paragraph:-
That same year, Harper released his third album Folkjokeopus
Folkjokeopus
Folkjokeopus is the third album issued by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was produced by Shel Talmy and was first released in 1969 by Liberty Records.-History:...
. The album was again produced by Shel Talmy, and released by Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
. Side two included an extended 17-minute track called "McGoohan's Blues", which Harper referred to as the "main statement" within the album. The track's title referred to actor Patrick McGoohan
Patrick McGoohan
Patrick Joseph McGoohan was an American-born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage and film career, most notably in the 1960s television series Danger Man , and The Prisoner, which he co-created...
, who had starred in the UK TV series The Prisoner
The Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
two years earlier.
The Harvest years (1970–80)
With Harper's reputation growing, Pink FloydPink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
s manager Peter Jenner
Peter Jenner
Peter Jenner is a British music manager and a record producer. Jenner, Andrew King and the original four members of Pink Floyd were partners in Blackhill Enterprises.- Early career :...
signed him to a long-term (and at times confrontational) deal with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's 'underground' subsidiary, Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
. Over a ten year period, Harper would record 8 albums at the Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, for the Harvest label and for much of this period was managed
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
and produced by Jenner, initially acting for Blackhill Enterprises
Blackhill Enterprises
Blackhill Enterprises was a rock music management company, founded as a partnership by the four original members of Pink Floyd , with Peter Jenner and Andrew King....
. According to Jenner, "Harper is a terrific songwriter, but a bit crazy".
Harper's first tour of the United States followed the release of his fourth studio album, Flat Baroque and Berserk
Flat Baroque and Berserk
Flat Baroque and Berserk is the fourth album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper, and was first released in 1970 by Harvest Records.-History:...
, in 1969. The album also featured The Nice
The Nice
The Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...
on the track "Hell's Angels". Its ethereal sound was achieved by a wah-wah pedal
Wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
attached to Harper's acoustic guitar.
After the Bath Festival of 1970, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
paid tribute to Harper with their version of the traditional song, "Shake 'Em on Down
Shake 'Em on Down
"Shake 'Em on Down" is a country-style blues song recorded by Bukka White in 1937. It is his best-known song and "became part of the repertoire of Chicago blues".-Background:...
". Retitled "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper
Hats off to (Roy) Harper
"Hats Off to Harper" is a song played by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the last track on the album Led Zeppelin III, released in 1970. The track features Jimmy Page playing slide guitar, and Robert Plant's vocals, processed through a tremolo...
", it appeared on the album Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin III is the third studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded between January and July 1970 and released on 5 October 1970 by Atlantic Records. Composed largely at a remote cottage in Wales known as Bron-Yr-Aur, this work represented a maturing of the band's...
. According to Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, the band admired the way Harper stood by his principles and did not sell out to commercial pressures. In mutual appreciation of their work, Harper would often attend live performances by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
over the subsequent decade, contributed sleeve photography to the album Physical Graffiti
Physical Graffiti
Physical Graffiti is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 24 February 1975 as a double album. Recording sessions for the album were initially disrupted when bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones considered leaving the band...
and also appeared, albeit uncredited, in the 1976 Led Zeppelin documentary film, The Song Remains the Same
The Song Remains the Same (film)
The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
.
Harper's critically acclaimed 1971 album was a four-song epic, Stormcock. The album featured Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
on guitar (credited as "S. Flavius Mercurius" for contractual reasons) and David Bedford
David Bedford
David Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
's orchestral arrangements (Bedford would also collaborate on some of Harper's future releases). Harper felt the album to be not particularly well promoted by his record label at the time and later stated: Never-the-less, Stormcock would remain a favourite album of Harper's fans and influence musicians for decades to come. Thirty five years later (in 2006) fellow Mancunian
Mancunian
Mancunian is the associated adjective and demonym of Manchester, a city in North West England. It may refer to:*The city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England**The people of Manchester, or the list of people from Manchester...
, Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
of English alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
said: Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
cited Stormcock as an influence upon her 2006 release Ys
Ys (album)
Ys is the second album by Joanna Newsom. It was released by Drag City on November 14, 2006 to widespread critical acclaim. The album was named after the city of Ys, which according to myth was built on the coast of Brittany and later swallowed by the ocean...
and in 2011, Robin Pecknold
Robin Pecknold
Robin Noel Pecknold is an American singer, guitarist and principal songwriter for the band Fleet Foxes.-Biography:He formed Fleet Foxes with guitarist and friend Skyler Skjelset while the two were at school...
of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
-based folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
band Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes are a folk rock band which formed in Seattle, Washington. They are signed to the Sub Pop and Bella Union record labels. The band came to prominence in 2008 with the release of their second EP, Sun Giant, and their debut full length album Fleet Foxes...
stated that he took inspiration from Stormcock when recording Fleet Foxes second album Helplessness Blues
Helplessness Blues
Helplessness Blues is the second studio album by Seattle, Washington-based folk band Fleet Foxes. It was released on May 3, 2011 as a follow-up to their eponymous 2008 Fleet Foxes album.-Summary:...
.
In 1972, Harper made his acting debut playing Mike Preston alongside Carol White
Carol White
Carol White was a British actress.She achieved notability for her performances in the television play Cathy Come Home and the films Poor Cow and I'll Never Forget What's'isname , but alcoholism and drug abuse damaged her career, and from the early 1970s she worked infrequently.-Life and...
in the John Mackenzie film Made
Made (1972 film)
Made is a 1972 film directed by John Mackenzie. It stars Carol White and Roy Harper.-Cast:*Carol White as Valerie Marshall*Roy Harper as Mike Preston*John Castle as Father Dyson*Margery Mason as Mrs. Marshall*Doremy Vernon as June...
. Harper also recorded the soundtrack for the film, released the following year as Lifemask
Lifemask
Lifemask is the sixth album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper, and was first released in 1973 by Harvest Records.-History:...
. At the time, Lifemask was created as Harper's final bow, as he had been diagnosed with the (then) little-known genetic condition HHT, which caused polycythemia
Polycythemia
Polycythemia is a disease state in which the proportion of blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells increases...
, incapacitating him. The cover art shows Harper's life mask, as opposed to the 'death mask
Death mask
In Western cultures a death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person’s face following death. Death masks may be mementos of the dead, or be used for creation of portraits...
' it might have been.
After recovering, (treatment involves frequent venesection) his next album (Valentine
Valentine (album)
Valentine is the seventh album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1974 by Harvest Records.-History:...
) was released on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, 14 February 1974, and featured contributions from Jimmy Page. A concert to mark its release was held on the same day at London's
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Rainbow Theatre, with Page, Bedford, Max Middleton
Max Middleton
David Maxwell "Max" Middleton . He is an English composer and keyboardist and was originally a docker on the Liverpool docks. Middleton is known for his work on the Fender Rhodes Electric piano, the Minimoog synthesiser and his percussive playing style of the Hohner Clavinet...
, Ronnie Lane
Ronnie Lane
Ronald Frederick "Ronnie" Lane was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands; the Small Faces where he was nicknamed "Plonk", – and, after losing the band's frontman, Faces, with two new...
and Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
performing alongside Harper. His first live album Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion
Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion
Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion is a live double album released in 1974 by Roy Harper.-History:The album's liner notes state the tracks were "recorded at various concerts in England at one time or another". Two of the songs were recorded on Valentine's Day at a concert to mark the release of...
, recorded at that concert, soon followed.
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's 1975 release Wish You Were Here saw Harper sing lead vocals on the song "Have a Cigar
Have a Cigar
"Have a Cigar" is the third track on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. It follows "Welcome to the Machine" and on the original LP opened side two...
". Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
intended to record the part himself, but had strained his voice while recording "Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a nine-part Pink Floyd composition written by Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and David Gilmour. The song is a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett, although it was not originally explicitly written with him in mind. It was first performed on their 1974 French...
" and David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
declined to sing. Harper was recording his album HQ
HQ (album)
HQ is the eighth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1975 by Harvest Records...
in Studio 2 of Abbey Road at the same time as Pink Floyd were working in Studio 3; learning of the band's dilemma Harper offered to sing the lead. The song is one of only two songs by Pink Floyd not sung by one of their permanent members. David Gilmour returned the favour by appearing on HQ, along with Harper's occasional backing band, 'Trigger' (Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as...
, Dave Cochran, Bill Bruford
Bill Bruford
William Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...
and John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
). The single "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease
When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease
"When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" is a track on the Roy Harper album HQ. Released as a single twice, in 1975 and 1978, it is possibly Roy's best-known song. The song captures the atmosphere of a village cricket match and is an elegy to a previous age...
", taken from HQ, is one of Harper's best known songs. Harper also co-wrote the song "Short and Sweet" with Gilmour for Gilmour's first solo record, David Gilmour
David Gilmour (album)
David Gilmour is the first solo album from Pink Floyd guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour, released in May 1978 in the UK and on 17 June 1978 in the US. The album reached #17 in the UK and #29 on the Billboard US album charts and was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA...
, released in 1978.
Controversy followed the release of 1977's Bullinamingvase
Bullinamingvase
Bullinamingvase is the ninth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1977 by Harvest Records...
. The owners of Watford Gap service station objected to criticism of their food – "Watford Gap, Watford Gap / A plate of grease and a load of crap…" – in the lyrics of the song "Watford Gap". Harper was forced to drop it from future UK copies of the album, though it remained on the U.S. LP and reappeared on a later CD reissue. The album also featured the song "One of Those Days in England", with backing vocals by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and his wife at the time Linda
Linda McCartney
Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....
, the single from the album went to number 42 in the UK charts. During this period, Harpers band were renamed 'Chips' and included Andy Roberts
Andy Roberts (musician)
Andrew "Andy" Roberts is an English musician.He gained a violin scholarship to Felsted School. He then attended Liverpool University. He has played with The Liverpool Scene, Plainsong, The Scaffold, Roy Harper, Chris Spedding, Pink Floyd, Hank Wangford, Kevin Ayers, Vivian Stanshall and Grimms...
, Dave Lawson, Henry McCullough, John Halsey and Dave Cochran. In April 1978, Harper began writing lyrics for the next Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
album with Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, but the project was shelved when lead singer Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
returned from a sabbatical after the death of his son, Karac Pendragon.
Following the success of Bullinamingvase Harper was asked "to write another record quickly". Demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
recordings with Harpers newly formed backing band 'Black Sheep' (Andy Roberts, Dave Lawson, Henry McCullough, John Halsey and Dave Cochran, a.k.a. Dave C. Drill). were made, but Harper felt them to be rushed and the record company who "...were in the first stages of a collapse in sales..." were not interested in the recordings, nor were they prepared to provide studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
time when requested, telling Harper to come back in six months. As a result, Harper witheld the publishing rights
Publishing rights
Literally, the right to publish a work.In the music industry, "publishing" is used as a catch-all shorthand for the administration of matters relating to the songwriter's and composer's share of income from a musical composition or recorded work....
to that which had been recorded; an album provisionally entitled Commercial Breaks (doesn't it?) and was (in his own words) "outlawed" by the record company.
From 1975 – 1980 Harper worked with English musician and 'Black Sheep' member Andy Roberts
Andy Roberts (musician)
Andrew "Andy" Roberts is an English musician.He gained a violin scholarship to Felsted School. He then attended Liverpool University. He has played with The Liverpool Scene, Plainsong, The Scaffold, Roy Harper, Chris Spedding, Pink Floyd, Hank Wangford, Kevin Ayers, Vivian Stanshall and Grimms...
sometimes performing as a duo. During this period, Harper spent considerable time in the United States and signed with the US division of Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
, who released HQ with a different title – When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease – and with alternative artwork. Chrysalis considered the original Hipgnosis
Hipgnosis
Hipgnosis was a British art design group that specialized in creating cover art for the albums of rock musicians and bands, most notably Pink Floyd, T.Rex, The Pretty Things, UFO, 10cc, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Scorpions, Yes, The Alan Parsons Project, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, ELO and XTC...
designed album cover of Harper walking on water to be too offensive for an American release. Harper disagreed, but was given no choice by the label. Chrysalis also changed the title of Harper's next album, Bullinamingvase
Bullinamingvase
Bullinamingvase is the ninth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1977 by Harvest Records...
, to One of Those Days in England. In 1978, US Chrysalis reissued Harper's first five Harvest
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
albums, only one of which (Flat, Baroque and Berserk) had been previously released in America.
Harper returned to the studio a few years after his dispute with EMI to record and prepare his next album The Unknown Soldier
The Unknown Soldier (album)
The Unknown Soldier is the tenth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1980 by Harvest Records and was his last release on the label.-History:...
(1980). At the time Harper knew it would be his last release on the label and it was these demos that "...were destined to gather dust on a shelf labelled 'Commercial Breaks'...". (It was not until Harpers 1988 release Loony on the Bus
Loony on the Bus
-History:The album is mostly a collection of tracks originally intended for release in 1977 under the title Commercial Breaks. The original 1977 release was held back because of disputes between Harper and EMI over funding and content and resultantly, it was not until the release of Loony on the...
that some of these songs became officially available, and another six years until the album was finally released as Commercial Breaks
Commercial Breaks (album)
Commercial Breaks is the eighteenth studio album by Roy Harper. It was recorded in 1977, intended for release in 1978/79, but not officially released in its entirety until 1994.- History :...
(1994)).
In 1980 Harper released The Unknown Soldier, which was indeed his final Harvest
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
release. The album contains a duet with Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
on the track, "You". Harper later reciprocated by singing backing vocals on "Breathing
Breathing (song)
"Breathing" is a single by Kate Bush, the first cut from her 1980 album Never for Ever, with backing vocals by Roy Harper.The single was issued on April 14, 1980, four months before the album was released, and reached number 16 in the UK charts...
", on Bush's album Never For Ever
Never for Ever
- Personnel :* Ian Bairnson: Guitar, Bass vocals* Brian Bath: Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Background Vocals* Andrew Bryant: Vocals, Background Vocals* Kevin Burke: Violin...
. During a BBC Radio interview by Paul Gambaccini
Paul Gambaccini
Paul Matthew Gambaccini is a radio and television presenter in the United Kingdom...
, Bush praised Harper stating: Of Bush, Harper later said, A decade later, Harper and Bush would again collaborate on his 1990 release Once
Once (Roy Harper album)
Once is the sixteenth studio album by English rock/folk singer-songwriter Roy Harper, released in 1990..-History:David Gilmour, Kate Bush, Nick Harper and Nigel Mazlyn Jones appear on the album, with Gilmour and Bush both on the title track....
.
Recession and repossession (1981–89)
Harper's 1982 album Work of HeartWork of Heart
Work of Heart is the eleventh studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1982 and is one of the most produced albums of his career featuring a full backing band.-History:...
was released on Public Records, a newly-formed record label Harper created with Mark Thompson (son of English historian, socialist and peace campaigner E.P. Thompson and brother of Kate Thompson
Kate Thompson (author)
Kate Thompson is an award-winning writer for children and adults. Born in Halifax, Yorkshire, she has lived in Ireland, where many of her books are set, since 1981. She is the youngest child of the social historians and peace activists E. P. Thompson and Dorothy Towers...
). During this period Harper toured with a band consisting of Tony Franklin
Tony Franklin (musician)
Anthony James "Tony" Franklin is an English rock musician, best known for his work on the fretless bass guitar with Roy Harper, The Firm, Jimmy Page, John Sykes' Blue Murder, Whitesnake and briefly, with Quiet Riot.-Fretless bass:...
on Bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Bob Wilson of The Steve Gibbons Band, George Jackson on drums and Dave Morris on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
. The album was chosen by Derek Jewell
Derek Jewell
Derek Jewell, was a British writer, broadcaster and music critic. A music critic for the London Sunday Times for twenty-three years, Jewell wrote extensively about jazz, and also introduced British audiences avant garde jazz, rock and improvisational music, especially through live performances on...
of The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
as "Album of the Year" in 1982, but it did not sell well and the short-lived label went under.
During this period Harper lost his home, a farm in the village of Marden, Herefordshire
Marden, Herefordshire
Marden is a village and civil parish in the English county of Herefordshire.Marden is some due north of the city of Hereford. It is contiguous with the hamlets of Walker's Green and Paradise Green....
, to the bank. His manager at the time mortgaged Harper's house (by virtue of the Power of Attorney
Power of attorney
A power of attorney or letter of attorney is a written authorization to represent or act on another's behalf in private affairs, business, or some other legal matter...
Harper had granted him), pocketed the proceeds and disappeared to America. Of this period Harper stated:-
The original demo version of Work of Heart was later released (in 1984) on a limited edition (830 copies) vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
release entitled Born in Captivity
Born in Captivity
Born in Captivity is the twelfth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1984. Essentially, Born In Captivity is the demo tape for his previous 1982 release, Work of Heart....
.
Throughout 1984, Harper toured the United Kingdom with Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
performing a predominantly acoustic set at folk festivals under various guises such as The MacGregors, and Themselves. In 1985, Whatever Happened to Jugula?
Whatever Happened to Jugula?
Whatever Happened to Jugula? is the thirteenth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1985...
was released. The album caused a resurgence of interest in Harper and his music. (Tony Franklin
Tony Franklin (musician)
Anthony James "Tony" Franklin is an English rock musician, best known for his work on the fretless bass guitar with Roy Harper, The Firm, Jimmy Page, John Sykes' Blue Murder, Whitesnake and briefly, with Quiet Riot.-Fretless bass:...
, bass player in Harper's group at this time, would later join Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
in The Firm). In April 1984, Harper and Gilmour performed "Short and Sweet" (a song they co-wrote) during Gilmour's three-night run at The Hammersmith Odeon
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
. This version later appeared on the David Gilmour Live 1984
David Gilmour Live 1984
Pink Floyd's David Gilmour or simply David Gilmour is a film by David Gilmour from his 1984 tour from the album About Face for Europe. The film is mainly a concert performance from The Hammersmith Odeon in London in April, 1984. It also features promotional clips...
concert film. Harper also provided backing vocals on Gilmour's newly released album, About Face
About Face (album)
About Face is the second solo album by the Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, released in March 1984. The album was co-produced by Bob Ezrin and David Gilmour. Two songs, "All Lovers Are Deranged", and the more radio-friendly "Love on the Air" were co-written by Gilmour, who composed the music,...
.
On 20 June 1984 Harper performed at the last Stonehenge Free Festival
Stonehenge Free Festival
The Stonehenge Free Festival was a British free festival from 1972 to 1984 held at Stonehenge in England during the month of June, and culminating on the summer solstice on June 21. The festival was a celebration of various alternative cultures...
along with Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
and The Enid
The Enid
The Enid is a British rock band founded in 1975 by Robert John Godfrey, Stephen Stewart and Francis Lickerish. Another early member was William Gilmour, who subsequently founded his own band Craft and now plays keyboards in Lickerish's band Secret Green....
. The concert was videoed and released as Stonehenge 84.
As a result of Harpers continual touring and the popularity of Whatever Happened to Jugula?, Harper re-signed to EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and in 1986 released a live album, In Between Every Line (containing recordings from his performances at the Cambridge Folk Festival
Cambridge Folk Festival
The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of music and a wide definition of what might be considered folk. It occurs...
), and in 1988 the studio album, Descendants of Smith
Descendants of Smith
Descendants of Smith is the fourteenth studio album by Roy Harper, released in 1988.-History:As a publicity stunt on the music media, whom Harper thought did not give him or his music fair or considered reviews...
. The renewed relationship between Harper and EMI did not last and from 1985 more of his earlier albums were becoming available on the newly formed Awareness Records
Awareness Records
Awareness Records was a record label founded in the mid 1980s by its owner, Andy Ware. The label was based in England and had Roy Harper and Michael Nesmith among its artists. It has now gone out of business.-Artists:* Michael Nesmith* Roy Harper...
label.
1988 also saw the release of Loony on the Bus
Loony on the Bus
-History:The album is mostly a collection of tracks originally intended for release in 1977 under the title Commercial Breaks. The original 1977 release was held back because of disputes between Harper and EMI over funding and content and resultantly, it was not until the release of Loony on the...
, a collection of tracks recorded a decade earlier and intended for release in 1977 as Commercial Breaks
Commercial Breaks (album)
Commercial Breaks is the eighteenth studio album by Roy Harper. It was recorded in 1977, intended for release in 1978/79, but not officially released in its entirety until 1994.- History :...
(with the sub-title, 'doesn't it?'). The original release having been held back because of disputes over funding and content between Harper and EMI. Sales of Loony on the Bus would fund Harper's 1990 release; Once
Once (Roy Harper album)
Once is the sixteenth studio album by English rock/folk singer-songwriter Roy Harper, released in 1990..-History:David Gilmour, Kate Bush, Nick Harper and Nigel Mazlyn Jones appear on the album, with Gilmour and Bush both on the title track....
.
Science Friction (1990–99)
In 1993 Harper established his own record label Science FrictionScience Friction
Science Friction is an English record label established by English singer-songwriter Roy Harper in 1993 in order to release his back catalogue of recorded music. Generally, all CD releases are prefixed by the coding "HUCD0..."-Albums by catalogue number:...
and obtained the rights to all his previously released albums. As a result, from 1994 much of Harper's back catalogue became available on CD once more.
Harper was very productive during the decade, releasing five studio albums: Once (1990), Death or Glory?
Death or Glory? (album)
Death or Glory? is the seventeenth studio album by Roy Harper and was released in 1992 following the break up of his nine year relationship.-History:...
(1992), Commercial Breaks
Commercial Breaks (album)
Commercial Breaks is the eighteenth studio album by Roy Harper. It was recorded in 1977, intended for release in 1978/79, but not officially released in its entirety until 1994.- History :...
(1994), The Dream Society
The Dream Society
The Dream Society is the nineteenth studio album by Roy Harper, released in 1998.-History:The songs on the album revolve around events in Harpers life, from the early death of his mother to reaching the age of fifty. Other important events covered include the demise of his marriage, heartbreak, his...
(1998), a collection of poetry and spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
tracks Poems, Speeches, Thoughts and Doodles
Poems, Speeches, Thoughts and Doodles
Poems, Speeches, Thoughts and Doodles is a 1997 spoken word album by Roy Harper.- History :The album features 34 of Harper's poems and songs, and was originally only available via mail order or at Harper's concerts. Now out of print on CD, it can be difficult obtain; copies have sold for over $290...
(1997); two live albums: Unhinged
Unhinged (album)
Unhinged is a 1993 live album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper.- History :Initially the album, recorded at various concerts in the UK between 1989 and 1991, was intended as an introductory album for the Canadian market, at a time when Harper appeared to be contemplating a move to...
(1993) and Live At Les Cousins (1996), and six individual CDs of live concerts and sessions recorded by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
(1997).
In addition, Harper released a live video Once (1990), an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Burn the World (1990), a 4-track CD single Death or Glory? (1992), a limited edition live
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
Born in Captivity II
Born in Captivity II
Born in Captivity II is a 1992 live album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper.- History :The album was released as a limited edition cassette available by mail order. Though the album is out of print, it has remained popular with Harper fans due to its sound quality, song selection...
(1992) (featuring cricketer Graeme Fowler
Graeme Fowler
Graeme "Foxy" Fowler is a former English professional cricketer, who played for Lancashire, England, and later for Durham...
and a cricket poem written by Harper: "Three Hundred Words
Three Hundred Words
"Three Hundred Words" for some, is probably a minor, insubstantial piece of poetry, but it showcases a number of Roy Harper's literary techniques and characteristics, and is worthy of further consideration....
"), a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
An Introduction to .....
An Introduction to .....
An Introduction to ..... is a 1994 compilation album by Roy Harper.-History:The album features 13 Harper songs from a 25 year period and is "...a collection of various styles and periods...purely intended for people who may not know where to start ." Roy Harper -Track listing:All tracks credited to...
(1994), and a reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
of Descendants of Smith
Descendants of Smith
Descendants of Smith is the fourteenth studio album by Roy Harper, released in 1988.-History:As a publicity stunt on the music media, whom Harper thought did not give him or his music fair or considered reviews...
(his 1988 release) renamed Garden of Uranium
Garden of Uranium
-History:The album was originally released in 1988 as Descendants of Smith. For this release the track listing is identical, however the album cover has been redesigned.-Track listing:All tracks credited to Roy Harper#"Laughing Inside" – 4:15...
(1994).
Once again Harper collaborated with David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
and Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
on his 1990 release, Once. The album also featured contributions from Nigel Mazlyn Jones
Nigel Mazlyn Jones
Nigel Mazlyn Jones is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter.Jones was born in Dudley, England, where he did part time work at Dudley Zoo from the age of 12...
, a fellow English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. In 1992, his marriage to his wife Jacqui ended and Harper released Death or Glory? an album that contains a number of songs and spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
pieces that reference his loss and pain.
Throughout the decade, Harper's musical influence began to be recognised by a younger generation of musicians, some of whom covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
his songs or invited him to make guest appearances on their albums. In 1995 Harper contributed spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
s on The Tea Party
The Tea Party
The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
's 1995 album The Edges of Twilight
The Edges of Twilight
The Edges of Twilight is the third album by The Tea Party. The album features many instruments from around the world, giving various songs a strong world music flavour in addition to the rock/blues influences evident in the band's earlier releases...
, and appeared on stage for their New Year concert in Montreal. In 1996 Roy recited "Bad Speech" from his album Whatever Happened to Jugula?
Whatever Happened to Jugula?
Whatever Happened to Jugula? is the thirteenth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1985...
on Anathemas
Anathema (band)
Anathema are an English band from Liverpool primarily known for their ever evolving sound. Beginning as pioneers of the death/doom metal sub-genre, their later albums have been associated with genres such as alternative rock, progressive rock, art rock, new prog, and post-rock.-History:Anathema...
album Eternity (the album also contains a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Hope" from the same album). The track "Time" from The Tea Party's 1996 multimedia CD
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
, Alhambra
Alhambra (album)
Alhambra is an EP by The Tea Party and was used as a bridge between The Edges of Twilight and Transmission. It features four intricately re-worked acoustic songs from The Edges of Twilight and two others; the first a song entitled "Time" with Roy Harper on vocals, the second a remix of Sister...
, was sung and co-written by Harper.
Harper contributed his version of Jethro Tull's
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
song, "Up the 'Pool" (from Living in the Past
Living in the Past (album)
Living in the Past is a double album quasi-compilation collection by Jethro Tull which contains album tracks, outtakes, the "Life Is A Long Song" EP, and all of their singles non-lp tracks except "Aeroplane", "Sunshine Day", "One For John Gee", "17" and the original United Kingdom version of...
) for the 1996 tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
, To Cry You A Song - A Collection Of Tull Tales, a version Anderson liked so much, he began to perform the "forgotten piece" again in concert.
In 1998, Jethro Tull singer Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson (musician)
Ian Scott Anderson, MBE is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as the leader and flautist of British rock band Jethro Tull.-Early life:...
contributed flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
to the song, "These Fifty Years" on Harper's The Dream Society
The Dream Society
The Dream Society is the nineteenth studio album by Roy Harper, released in 1998.-History:The songs on the album revolve around events in Harpers life, from the early death of his mother to reaching the age of fifty. Other important events covered include the demise of his marriage, heartbreak, his...
, an album based on emotional, philosophical and actual events in Harper's life. Views of procreation, his mother's continued presence in him and something of his psychological impulses are punctuated by a couple of moments of satire, a love song and a lament, followed by the lengthy "These Fifty years", of which he has said, "In some ways its (anti-organised religion) theme is similar to 'The Same Old Rock', but in many others I think it's stronger". Reportedly, Anderson said that the only reason he originally left Blackpool was because Harper did. Other artists who covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
Harper's songs (or songs on his albums) throughout the decade include Dean Carter, Ava Cherry & The Astronettes, Green Crown, The Kitchen Cynics, The Levellers
The Levellers (band)
The Levellers are an English rock band, founded in 1988 and based in Brighton, England. Their musical style is said to be influenced by punk and traditional English music.-1988-1990:...
, Roydan Styles and Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
. Harper also undertook a short tour of the USA, where some performances were supported by Daevid Allen
Daevid Allen
Daevid Allen , sometimes credited as Divided Alien, an Australian poet, guitarist, singer, composer and performance artist is co-founder of psychedelic rock groups Soft Machine and Gong .-Biography:In 1960, inspired by the Beat Generation writers he had discovered...
, former Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
and Gong
Gong (band)
Gong is a Franco-British progressive/psychedelic rock band formed by Australian musician Daevid Allen. Their music has also been described as space rock. Other notable band members include Allan Holdsworth, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Gilli Smyth, Steve Hillage, Francis Moze, Mike Howlett...
band member.
Into a new millennium (2000–2010)
In 2000, Harper released an almost entirely acoustic album, The Green ManThe Green Man (album)
The Green Man was released in 2000 and is the 21st studio album by Roy Harper.-History:The album takes its name from an ancient character / representation found, principally, throughout Western Europe...
, accompanied by The Tea Party's
The Tea Party
The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
Jeff Martin
Jeff Martin (Canadian musician)
Jeffrey Scott Martin is a Canadian guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for fronting the rock band The Tea Party. Martin began his career as a solo artist in October 2005, when The Tea Party disbanded....
on guitar, hurdy gurdy
Hurdy gurdy
The hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin...
and numerous other instruments. The following year (2001) Harper celebrated his 60th birthday with a concert at London's Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
. Harper was joined by numerous guest artists, including David Bedford
David Bedford
David Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
, Jeff Martin
Jeff Martin (Canadian musician)
Jeffrey Scott Martin is a Canadian guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for fronting the rock band The Tea Party. Martin began his career as a solo artist in October 2005, when The Tea Party disbanded....
and John Renbourn
John Renbourn
John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
. A recording of the concert Royal Festival Hall Live – June 10th 2001 was released as a double CD shortly afterwards.
In 2003, Harper published The Passions of Great Fortune, a large format book containing all the lyrics to his albums (and singles) to date, which also included a wealth of photographs and commentary on his songs.
In April 2005, Harper released a lengthy CD single, The Death of God
The Death of God
"The Death of God" is a 2005 CD single by Roy Harper.-History:Of the 2003 Iraq War, Harper stated "Our famous leader took us into an illegal war and killed thousands of children. Was that cool? Or was it all just a myth?..."...
. The 13 minute song, a critique of the war in Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, featured guest guitarist Matt Churchill, who has also joined Harper on stage at his live performances. A video of this song, intermixing animation with a live performance, is available in four parts on YouTube. The same year saw the release of Counter Culture
Counter Culture
Counter Culture is a 2005 compilation double album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper featuring 25 classic Roy Harper songs, cherry picked according to his mood in April 2005. This collection spans 35 years of song writing and is intended as an introduction for anyone who's not sure...
, a double
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
featuring songs from a 35-year songwriting period. Counter Culture received a five-star review from UNCUT
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
magazine. Harper also contributed a recital of "Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky
"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense verse poem written by Lewis Carroll in his 1872 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
" for The Wildlife Album, an 18-track compilation CD to benefit the World Wide Fund For Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
and the Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
Wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
Trust.
2006 saw Harper release his first DVD, Beyond the Door. Composed of live footage recorded in 2004 at Irish folk club "De Barra's" in Clonakilty
Clonakilty
Clonakilty , often referred to by locals simply as Clon, is a small town on the N71 national secondary road in West County Cork, Ireland, approximately 45 minutes away by road to the west of Cork City. The town is on the southern coast of the island, and is surrounded by hilly country devoted...
, Cork, the package includes an additional 10-track audio CD and received a 4-star review from both Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
and UNCUT
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
, as well as from Classic Rock
Classic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...
magazine, who made it their "DVD of the month".
In September 2007, Harper supported California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n harpist Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
at her Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
performance. Newsom had been impressed by Harper's 1971 album Stormcock, and it served as an inspiration for her second album, Ys
Ys (album)
Ys is the second album by Joanna Newsom. It was released by Drag City on November 14, 2006 to widespread critical acclaim. The album was named after the city of Ys, which according to myth was built on the coast of Brittany and later swallowed by the ocean...
. During his Royal Albert Hall appearance with Newsom, Harper played Stormcock in its entirety. At the time, Harper made an announcement on his website that he was "...taking a break from the live scene... retired from gigging..." and just wanted "...the time and space to write..."
During this period, Harper dedicated his time to collecting and compiling his life's work in various formats. One of the intended projects was to be the making of a documentary DVD to round off this process.
In 2008, plans were announced for a Roy Harper tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
. The album, All You Need is What You Have (named after songs on Harper's 1969 release Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith), is being compiled by Laurel Canyon
Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California
Laurel Canyon is a canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was first developed in the 1910s, and became a part of the city of Los Angeles in 1923 ....
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer Jonathan Wilson
Jonathan Wilson (musician)
Jonathan Wilson is an American musician and producer who was born in Forest City, North Carolina in 1974.- Solo Artist :Wilson completed a solo album titled, Frankie Ray in 2007. The record was never officially released...
, and features Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
), Gary Louris
Gary Louris
Gary Louris is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter of alternative country and pop music. He was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based band The Jayhawks, and their principal songwriter and vocalist after the departure of Mark Olson; he is often credited with the band's subsequent move from...
(The Jayhawks), Johnathan Rice
Johnathan Rice
Johnathan Rice is a Scottish-American singer-songwriter. His first album, Trouble is Real, was released on Reprise Records on April 26, 2005. His follow up, Further North, was released by Reprise on September 11, 2007...
, Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
(Fruit Bats, The Shins
The Shins
The Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Mercer, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer Joe Plummer and bassist Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, indie rock,...
), Benji Hughes
Benji Hughes
Benji Hughes is an American artist from Charlotte, North Carolina. On July 22, 2008, Benji Hughes released his debut album, entitled A Love Extreme on New West Records. A Love Extreme is a double-disc album containing 25 songs...
and others. At present, the collection remains unfinished, having been delayed beyond its planned 2009 release date. Some of the tracks can be heard on the project's Myspace page.
In 2010, Newsom once again invited Harper to be special guest for her on several of her European Tour Dates. Plans for Harper to star in the film Rebel City Rumble were also announced.
2011 onwards
On 2nd April 2011, Roy Harper played a concert for a small audience at Metropolis Studios as part of the ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Legends series.
The concert was recorded on video and and released on DVD as Classic Rock Legends: Roy Harper.
Through the summer of 2011, Harper made a number of appearances on broadcast media. On 24 July 2011, Harper appeared as the lunchtime guest on the British cricketing radio programme, Test Match Special
Test Match Special
Test Match Special is a British radio programme covering professional cricket, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 , Five Live Sports Extra and the internet to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world...
. During the show Harper was interviewed and also performed "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease
When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease
"When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" is a track on the Roy Harper album HQ. Released as a single twice, in 1975 and 1978, it is possibly Roy's best-known song. The song captures the atmosphere of a village cricket match and is an elegy to a previous age...
". A televised interview followed on BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
on the 19 September 2011, and Harper was also interviewed by Robert Elms
Robert Elms
Robert Elms is an English writer and broadcaster. Elms was a writer for The Face magazine in the 1980s, and has a self-confessed love of clothes and fashion...
on his BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...
show on the 20 September 2011. During the show, Harper performed "Another Day
Another Day (Roy Harper song)
"Another Day" is a song by Roy Harper from his album Flat Baroque and Berserk.The track's bittersweet lyrics are written from the point of view of a man looking back with regret upon a missed chance. A chance that might have led him to a love he searches for. Eternally. He views his former...
", (a song from his 1970 album Flat Baroque and Berserk) live in the studio. A further interview took place on Mike Harding
Mike Harding
Mike Harding is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, author, poet and broadcaster. He is known as 'The Rochdale Cowboy' after one of his hit records...
s BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
show on the 21 September 2011.
On 23 September Harper was interviewed on Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
s BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
programme, Later... with Jools Holland. A segment of Harper performing "Commune" (from his 1974 album Valentine) on the The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1974 was shown. Harper performed "Another Day", an abbreviated version of "I Hate The White Man" (from his 1970 album Flat Baroque and Berserk) and "The Green Man" (as part of a web exclusive performance).
The media appearances were to promote a new compilation albums release. Songs of Love and Loss
Songs of Love and Loss
Songs Of Love And Loss is the 11th compilation album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper-History:In early 2011, Roy Harper signed a deal with Believe Digital to release 19 of his albums, for the first time, to the digital market place...
; a 2 disc, 23 track compilation of Harpers love songs, was released as an introduction to the release campaign of 19 of Harpers albums to the digital market place for the first time. The catalogue is to be released in batches of four in the coming months. The album (and most of Harper's back catalogue) is also available to download on Harper's website in FLAC
FLAC
FLAC is a codec which allows digital audio to be losslessly compressed such that file size is reduced without any information being lost...
and MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
formats.
On 5 November 2011 Harper returned to London's Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
to celebrate his 70th birthday and perform once again with special guests Jonathan Wilson, Nick Harper, Joanna Newsom and Jimmy Page. The performance was described in the media as "...an evening of devastating musical brilliance..." and an "...historic concert".
Awards
HQHQ (album)
HQ is the eighth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1975 by Harvest Records...
was awarded Record of the Year in Portugal in 1975. That year Harper also received a similar award in Finland for the same record.
Work of Heart
Work of Heart
Work of Heart is the eleventh studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1982 and is one of the most produced albums of his career featuring a full backing band.-History:...
was awarded The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
Album of the Year in 1982.
Harper was awarded the MOJO
MOJO Awards
The MOJO Awards is an awards ceremony that began in 2004 by Mojo, a popular music magazine published monthly by Bauer in the United Kingdom...
Hero Award
2005 MOJO Awards
-Nominees:Complete list of nominees :* Best New Act - presented to an act whose impact has been unparalleled in the last 18 months** Antony and the Johnsons** Ray LaMontagne** Rufus Wainwright** Arcade Fire** Willy Mason...
by the staff of Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
magazine on 16 June 2005 at the Porchester Hall, Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
. The award itself was presented by long time collaborator and friend, Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
and now hangs upon the wall at De Barras Folk Club in Clonakilty
Clonakilty
Clonakilty , often referred to by locals simply as Clon, is a small town on the N71 national secondary road in West County Cork, Ireland, approximately 45 minutes away by road to the west of Cork City. The town is on the southern coast of the island, and is surrounded by hilly country devoted...
, Ireland.
Nick Harper
One of Roy's sons, Nick HarperNick Harper
Nick Harper is an English singer-songwriter/guitarist. He is the son of English folk musician Roy Harper.-Early life:Nick Harper was born in London in 1965 to the famous folk singer-songwriter Roy Harper...
, is a successful singer / songwriter in his own right. In the past, Nick occasionally toured and recorded with Roy, and has appeared (as guitarist) on a number of his albums since 1985.
Studio albums
- 1966 – Sophisticated BeggarSophisticated BeggarSophisticated Beggar is English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper's debut album. It was released in 1966.-History:The album consists of Harper's poetry backed by acoustic guitar and recorded with a Revox tape machine by Pierre Tubbs....
- 1967 – Come Out Fighting Ghengis SmithCome Out Fighting Ghengis SmithCome Out Fighting Ghengis Smith is English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper's second album and was released in 1968.-History:...
- 1969 – FolkjokeopusFolkjokeopusFolkjokeopus is the third album issued by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was produced by Shel Talmy and was first released in 1969 by Liberty Records.-History:...
- 1970 – Flat Baroque and BerserkFlat Baroque and BerserkFlat Baroque and Berserk is the fourth album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper, and was first released in 1970 by Harvest Records.-History:...
- 1971 – Stormcock
- 1973 – LifemaskLifemaskLifemask is the sixth album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper, and was first released in 1973 by Harvest Records.-History:...
- 1974 – ValentineValentine (album)Valentine is the seventh album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1974 by Harvest Records.-History:...
- 1975 – HQHQ (album)HQ is the eighth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1975 by Harvest Records...
(US title: When an Old Cricketer Leaves the CreaseHQ (album)HQ is the eighth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1975 by Harvest Records...
) - 1977 – BullinamingvaseBullinamingvaseBullinamingvase is the ninth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1977 by Harvest Records...
(US title: One of Those Days in EnglandBullinamingvaseBullinamingvase is the ninth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1977 by Harvest Records...
) - 1980 – The Unknown SoldierThe Unknown Soldier (album)The Unknown Soldier is the tenth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1980 by Harvest Records and was his last release on the label.-History:...
- 1982 – Work of HeartWork of HeartWork of Heart is the eleventh studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1982 and is one of the most produced albums of his career featuring a full backing band.-History:...
- 1984 – Born in CaptivityBorn in CaptivityBorn in Captivity is the twelfth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1984. Essentially, Born In Captivity is the demo tape for his previous 1982 release, Work of Heart....
- 1985 – Whatever Happened to Jugula?Whatever Happened to Jugula?Whatever Happened to Jugula? is the thirteenth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1985...
(with Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
) - 1988 – Descendants of SmithDescendants of SmithDescendants of Smith is the fourteenth studio album by Roy Harper, released in 1988.-History:As a publicity stunt on the music media, whom Harper thought did not give him or his music fair or considered reviews...
- 1988 – Loony on the BusLoony on the Bus-History:The album is mostly a collection of tracks originally intended for release in 1977 under the title Commercial Breaks. The original 1977 release was held back because of disputes between Harper and EMI over funding and content and resultantly, it was not until the release of Loony on the...
- 1990 – OnceOnce (Roy Harper album)Once is the sixteenth studio album by English rock/folk singer-songwriter Roy Harper, released in 1990..-History:David Gilmour, Kate Bush, Nick Harper and Nigel Mazlyn Jones appear on the album, with Gilmour and Bush both on the title track....
- 1992 – Death or Glory?Death or Glory? (album)Death or Glory? is the seventeenth studio album by Roy Harper and was released in 1992 following the break up of his nine year relationship.-History:...
- 1994 – Commercial BreaksCommercial Breaks (album)Commercial Breaks is the eighteenth studio album by Roy Harper. It was recorded in 1977, intended for release in 1978/79, but not officially released in its entirety until 1994.- History :...
(previously unreleased album from 1977; 9 of its 11 tracks are available on Loony on the BusLoony on the Bus-History:The album is mostly a collection of tracks originally intended for release in 1977 under the title Commercial Breaks. The original 1977 release was held back because of disputes between Harper and EMI over funding and content and resultantly, it was not until the release of Loony on the...
) - 1994 – Garden of UraniumGarden of Uranium-History:The album was originally released in 1988 as Descendants of Smith. For this release the track listing is identical, however the album cover has been redesigned.-Track listing:All tracks credited to Roy Harper#"Laughing Inside" – 4:15...
(re-issue of Descendants of SmithDescendants of SmithDescendants of Smith is the fourteenth studio album by Roy Harper, released in 1988.-History:As a publicity stunt on the music media, whom Harper thought did not give him or his music fair or considered reviews...
) - 1997 – Poems, Speeches, Thoughts and DoodlesPoems, Speeches, Thoughts and DoodlesPoems, Speeches, Thoughts and Doodles is a 1997 spoken word album by Roy Harper.- History :The album features 34 of Harper's poems and songs, and was originally only available via mail order or at Harper's concerts. Now out of print on CD, it can be difficult obtain; copies have sold for over $290...
(A collection of spoken tracks with occasional instrumentation) - 1998 – The Dream SocietyThe Dream SocietyThe Dream Society is the nineteenth studio album by Roy Harper, released in 1998.-History:The songs on the album revolve around events in Harpers life, from the early death of his mother to reaching the age of fifty. Other important events covered include the demise of his marriage, heartbreak, his...
- 2000 – The Green ManThe Green Man (album)The Green Man was released in 2000 and is the 21st studio album by Roy Harper.-History:The album takes its name from an ancient character / representation found, principally, throughout Western Europe...
Live albums
- 1974 – Flashes from the Archives of OblivionFlashes from the Archives of OblivionFlashes from the Archives of Oblivion is a live double album released in 1974 by Roy Harper.-History:The album's liner notes state the tracks were "recorded at various concerts in England at one time or another". Two of the songs were recorded on Valentine's Day at a concert to mark the release of...
- 1984 – Live at the Red Lion, Birmingham (Volume I & II Limited edition cassetteCompact CassetteThe Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
) - 1985 – Live at the Red Lion, Birmingham (Volume III Limited edition cassette)
- 1986 – In Between Every Line
- 1992 – Born in Captivity IIBorn in Captivity IIBorn in Captivity II is a 1992 live album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper.- History :The album was released as a limited edition cassette available by mail order. Though the album is out of print, it has remained popular with Harper fans due to its sound quality, song selection...
(Limited edition cassette) - 1993 – UnhingedUnhinged (album)Unhinged is a 1993 live album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper.- History :Initially the album, recorded at various concerts in the UK between 1989 and 1991, was intended as an introductory album for the Canadian market, at a time when Harper appeared to be contemplating a move to...
(Edited version of Born in Captivity IIBorn in Captivity IIBorn in Captivity II is a 1992 live album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper.- History :The album was released as a limited edition cassette available by mail order. Though the album is out of print, it has remained popular with Harper fans due to its sound quality, song selection...
) - 1996 – Live At Les Cousins
- 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume II (In Concert 1974)
- 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume IV (In Concert 1975)
- 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume VI (In Concert 1978 with Andy Roberts)
- 2001 – Royal Festival Hall Live – June 10th 2001
Compilations, reissues and remixes
- 1977 – The Early Years (reissue of Come Out Fighting Ghengis SmithCome Out Fighting Ghengis SmithCome Out Fighting Ghengis Smith is English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper's second album and was released in 1968.-History:...
) - 1978 – Harper 1970–1975
- 1994 – An Introduction to .....An Introduction to .....An Introduction to ..... is a 1994 compilation album by Roy Harper.-History:The album features 13 Harper songs from a 25 year period and is "...a collection of various styles and periods...purely intended for people who may not know where to start ." Roy Harper -Track listing:All tracks credited to...
- 1997 – Song of the Ages (3-CD collection of Roy Harper interviews)
- 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume I (1969–1973)
- 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume III (BBC Sessions 1974)
- 1997 – The BBC Tapes – Volume V (BBC Sessions 1975 - 1978)
- 1998 – Death or Glory?Death or Glory? (album)Death or Glory? is the seventeenth studio album by Roy Harper and was released in 1992 following the break up of his nine year relationship.-History:...
(tracks 1 & 9 remixed) - 2001 – Hats OffHats Off (album)Hats Off is a 2001 compilation album by Roy Harper featuring 14 of Harper's own songs "...accompanied by some of rock's most legendary performers." .-History:...
(compilationCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of collaborativeCollaborationCollaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
tracks) - 2001 – East of the Sun (compilationCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of love songs) - 2002 – Today Is YesterdayToday Is YesterdayToday Is Yesterday is a 2002 compilation album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper. Amongst its 17 tracks are six unreleased and eight rare songs. All the tracks were recorded between 1964 and 1969.- History :...
(compilationCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of demo, unreleased and rare material from 1964–1967) - 2005 – Counter CultureCounter CultureCounter Culture is a 2005 compilation double album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper featuring 25 classic Roy Harper songs, cherry picked according to his mood in April 2005. This collection spans 35 years of song writing and is intended as an introduction for anyone who's not sure...
(double disc compilationCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
) - 2007 – From Occident to OrientFrom Occident to OrientFrom Occident to Orient is a 2007 compilation by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper. It was initially released as a collectors item by Vinyl Japan to coincide with Harpers 2007 tour there.-Track listing:All tracks credited to Roy Harper...
(compilationCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
and initially, only released in Japan whilst Harper toured there) - 2011 – Songs of Love and LossSongs of Love and LossSongs Of Love And Loss is the 11th compilation album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper-History:In early 2011, Roy Harper signed a deal with Believe Digital to release 19 of his albums, for the first time, to the digital market place...
(two volume compilationCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of love songs)
Collaborations
- 1970 – "St. Thomas" (guest lead vocal and lyrics for The NiceThe NiceThe Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...
and appears on America - The BBC Sessions) - 1971 – "Ravneferd" (co-written with Lillebjørn NilsenLillebjørn NilsenBjørn "Lillebjørn" Falk Nilsen is a prominent Norwegian singer-songwriter and folk musician. He is also considered somewhat the leading "voice of Oslo" thanks to numerous classic songs about the city from the 1970s and up....
and appears on the album Tilbake) - 1975 – "Have a CigarHave a Cigar"Have a Cigar" is the third track on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. It follows "Welcome to the Machine" and on the original LP opened side two...
" (guest lead vocals for Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
) - 1978 – "Short and Sweet" (co-written with David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
and appears on The Unknown SoldierThe Unknown Soldier (album)The Unknown Soldier is the tenth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1980 by Harvest Records and was his last release on the label.-History:...
) - 1995 – The Edges of TwilightThe Edges of TwilightThe Edges of Twilight is the third album by The Tea Party. The album features many instruments from around the world, giving various songs a strong world music flavour in addition to the rock/blues influences evident in the band's earlier releases...
(spoken word on hidden trackHidden trackIn the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
for The Tea PartyThe Tea PartyThe Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
) - 1995 – "Time" (guest lead vocals for The Tea PartyThe Tea PartyThe Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
's AlhambraAlhambra (album)Alhambra is an EP by The Tea Party and was used as a bridge between The Edges of Twilight and Transmission. It features four intricately re-worked acoustic songs from The Edges of Twilight and two others; the first a song entitled "Time" with Roy Harper on vocals, the second a remix of Sister...
multimedia CD) - 1996 – "Hope" (spoken word on AnathemaAnathema (band)Anathema are an English band from Liverpool primarily known for their ever evolving sound. Beginning as pioneers of the death/doom metal sub-genre, their later albums have been associated with genres such as alternative rock, progressive rock, art rock, new prog, and post-rock.-History:Anathema...
's album, Eternity)
Singles / 12" Singles / EPs
- 1966 – Take Me Into Your Eyes / Pretty Baby
- 1967 – Midspring Dithering / Zengem
- 1968 – Life Goes By / You Don't Need Money
- 1972 – Bank of the Dead / Little Lady
- 1974 – (Don't You Think We're) Forever / Male Chauvinist Pig Blues (live)
- 1974 – Home (live) / Home (studio)
- 1975 – When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease / Hallucinating LightWhen An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease"When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" is a track on the Roy Harper album HQ. Released as a single twice, in 1975 and 1978, it is possibly Roy's best-known song. The song captures the atmosphere of a village cricket match and is an elegy to a previous age...
(live) - 1975 – Grown-Ups Are Just Silly Children / Referendum (Legend)
- 1977 – One of Those Days in England / Watford Gap
- 1977 – One of Those Days in England / Watford Gap (Germany)
- 1977 – Sail Away / Cherishing the Lonesome
- 1978 – When an Old Cricketer Leaves the CreaseWhen An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease"When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" is a track on the Roy Harper album HQ. Released as a single twice, in 1975 and 1978, it is possibly Roy's best-known song. The song captures the atmosphere of a village cricket match and is an elegy to a previous age...
/ Home (studio) - 1980 – Playing Games / First Thing in the Morning
- 1980 – Short and Sweet / Water Sports / The Unknown Soldier
- 1982 – No-One Ever Gets Out Alive / Casualty (live at GlastonburyGlastonbury FestivalThe Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
1982) - 1983 – I Still Care / Goodbye Ladybird (acoustic)
- 1985 – Elizabeth / Advertisement / I Hate the White Man (live) (12" single)
- 1988 – Laughing Inside (acoustic)
- 1990 – Burn the World (2 track CD / EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - 1992 – Death or Glory? (4-track CD / single)
- 2005 – The Death of GodThe Death of God"The Death of God" is a 2005 CD single by Roy Harper.-History:Of the 2003 Iraq War, Harper stated "Our famous leader took us into an illegal war and killed thousands of children. Was that cool? Or was it all just a myth?..."...
(2-track CD / single)
Bootlegs
- 1992 – Heavy Crazy (Live in London 1974) (incomplete bootlegBootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
CD of The BBC Tapes – Volume II (In Concert 1974))
Videography
- 1984 – Stonehenge 84
- 1986 – Live in Your Living Room
- 1990 – Once
- 2005 – Beyond the Door (DVD)
- 2011 – Classic Rock Legends: Roy Harper (DVD)
Filmography
- 1972 – MadeMade (1972 film)Made is a 1972 film directed by John Mackenzie. It stars Carol White and Roy Harper.-Cast:*Carol White as Valerie Marshall*Roy Harper as Mike Preston*John Castle as Father Dyson*Margery Mason as Mrs. Marshall*Doremy Vernon as June...
- 1976 – The Song Remains the SameThe Song Remains the Same (film)The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
- 2009 – Brokeback Cowboy
- 2011 – Rebel City Rumble (in pre-production)