EMI Records Ltd. (1977)

Mixed at Abbey Road and Air Studios, London.

Sleeve design was by Hipgnosis.

I would have thought the title of the album would have been suggested by Steve Harley (?) Steve produced the record. It was mastered by Ken Perry at Capital Studios, Los Angeles. I wonder if Steve had already decided that he was going to the USA (earlier in 1977, or even before - of course Jim Cregan had joined Rod Stewart the year before, and Rod was out there a lot wasn't he. Maybe Jim had given Steve the idea to go out there. Ferry went to Bel Air. Chris Spedding relocated to LA at a similar time, I think. Steve Jones went, around the same time or a little later)?

Steve (on the front cover) is face to face with himself. This could imply that maybe he was re-evaluating his career or thinking of his next move? He's also face to face with his audience, naturally. His haircut (of the Steve looking back at his doppelganger) reminds me of my disco mate Neil S asking me what I thought of Steve's (1976) look, the fringe with hair long at the back - I responded with the thumbs up. It was pretty unique for a male lead of the time.

"...THANX TO CROWDS, PLAYERS, CREW and all who helped and will help..."
(Harley, S, 1977)

I bought this album quite soon after it came out (probably earlier in the SUMMER) - probably from Woolworths (Blackpool), remember them!? Once a staple of 20th Century retailing. I might have mixed this up (hippocampus playing tricks?) with where I bought 'Viva Roxy Music' (1976). If it wasn't 'Woolies' then it would have been Boots (who of course, are still very visible - though not for vinyl LP's, I guess) - BECAUSE I definitely had it when Patricia (from Normandy) came to stay with us for most of August into early September. She got me dancing to the second track, (I Believe) Love's A Prima Donna.

Other things that happened at the time were, Elvis died in August. The Sex Pistols were on top of their game - I was largely indifferent at the time (as I was a 'glam boy' - who was particularly into Cockney Rebel and Roxy Music during, and in the aftermath). Now, I can see the merit in some of the powerful melodies on their (only) album (they needed Glen Matlock to stay in the band - I saw him on the tube - chance meeting - in 1998 - Rich Kids, in 1978, wanted a return to glam, in my view, but instead we got New Wave, which was pretty good, much of it).

I bought my first Split Enz album about a month after Face To Face. What they were doing was about as far removed from punk, as England is from New Zealand (in terms of nautical miles and the Pistols and Enz musical approach - fashion wise though, there were slightly later crossovers between Noel Crombie and John Lydon - with PiL). Steve's suit with hugely baggy trousers - cover artwork/sleeves of Face to Face was kind of, in a similar vein, in my view.

Whilst I'm on this crossover subject, in the past (my Harley and Ferry parallel thread refers) and I've referred to 'Whirlwind' (Roxy) influencing punk, even the year before that what about the opening tracks to 'The Psychomodo' (Rebel) i.e. some of the lyrics (and tempo) of 'Sweet Dreams' and 'Psychomodo'? Did these, if not influence, predict, punk (1974)?

I'd bought Viva Roxy Music (1976) the previous summer, I remember Andy Mackay stating frustration (in the music press) at Roxy releasing only a single album. It seemed to me (as a real fan of each) that there was some tension between Andy and Bryan, at the time (?) There was certainly, competition - I remember a comment Bryan made in the press about Andy's Rock Follies (two series on TV and a number one album came from it).

Another Harley, Ferry parallel, Roxy went on hiatus in 1976 and in 1977, so did Cockney Rebel. I must have a search around YouTube to see whether there is any 'footage' of Rebel's closing tour of the '70's - it seems that there is only audio coverage taken directly from the album, no audio culled straight from a live performance and no film pertaining to December 1976 or January 1977, from which the album tracks are 'culled', as owners of the vinyl (double) LP are informed.

I don't know why I would have been intimidated about going to gigs at the time of this album, but I was (I'd lost a bit of my mojo). I had noticed at college, around this time, I started being prone to some aggression (maybe this is why I might have been reluctant - either that, or I had lived too sheltered a life, lol). I walked two miles, at lunch time, to have an argument with another student whom I really got on with - most of the time.

Perhaps this was partly due to hormonal changes, androgen, testosterone, and partly due to (teenage) angst - driven by earlier experiences and ongoing physiological changes in the brain, involving dendrites etc) and I think I was under pressure - after passing my first exam with credit, in 1977 (no continuous assessment as such, in those days - pure exams WERE the thing!) - I failed all the following ones during that year. I had to knuckle down and I did so, particularly during the final year (bet some of you have been there, yes?) The weird thing is when I did first see Cockney Rebel live, in 1992, a fight did (temporarily) break out (but not involving us).

Thankfully, my initial reluctance changed, from 1980 (too late though for Cockney Rebel Mks I, II and III - when Jo Partridge had replaced Jim Cregan, or for Roxy Music Mk I - I'm only counting from the first album of 1972).

On Face to Face, I particularly like 'Red is a Mean, Mean Colour' (Side One), Sweet Dreams (Side Two), 'Sebastian' (Side Three) and of course, Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me; Track 15, on Side Four).

Duncan Mackay's keyboard solo on Sebastian, is musical and manic - as Steve's vocal...I was also pleased that, when Cockney Rebel went on (indefinite) hiatus after this tour, Stuart Elliott went on to work with Kate Bush and other important artists...So did George Ford.

Now that Steve's been gone a year, all we're left with is the work and the memories. X

Have a great weekend, tara.