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''For other uses see The Best Years of Our Lives (disambiguation)'' ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' is an album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel released in March 1975. It was the first album that used Harley's name ahead of the band (the band was previously known simply as Cockney Rebel).〔 The album contains the band's biggest hit, the million selling "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)". ==Background== The original Cockney Rebel line-up split up during 1974. After an extensive tour promoting the band's second album ''The Psychomodo'', the band members, with the exception of drummer Stuart Elliott, confronted Harley on songwriting issues. The members left Harley, who then had to assemble a new line-up. Harley announced in the Record Mirror of 3 August 1974 that he was going to return with "the greatest rock 'n' roll band ever heard."〔http://www.harleyfanzone.com/70/Scrapbook/1974/had_to_split/had2split.htm〕 In the meantime, to keep the momentum going, Harley released his debut solo single "Big Big Deal". Although it failed to enter UK Top 100, the single kept Harley in the public eye, as a new line-up for Cockney Rebel was finalised later in 1974. Harley revealed in 2014: ''"The people at my record label, EMI, were right behind me. They believed I could find new band members without too much of a problem and continue on to a new level of success. They believed it wasn't a major stumbling block."'' The band, now under the name Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, were made up of guitarist Jim Cregan, bassist George Ford, keyboardist Duncan Mackay, and Stuart Elliott on drums. The band went into the studio during November and December 1974 to record the third Cockney Rebel album. Recorded and mixed at the EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London and Air Studios, London, the album, like ''The Psychomodo'', would be produced by Harley along with Alan Parsons.〔 In January 1975, the album's leading single "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" was released. Reaching the number one spot on the UK chart, the song received a UK Silver certification the following month,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Certified Awards )〕 and has sold around 1.5 million copies in the UK as of 2015. Over 120 cover versions of the song have been recorded by other artists.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Steve Harley reflects on 40 years of Make Me Smile )〕 Years later Harley would reveal that the lyrics revolved around the split of the original band. In a television interview recorded in 2002, Harley described how the lyrics were vindictively directed at the former band members who, he felt, had abandoned him.〔http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4760〕 The album was released in March, and reached #4 on the UK Albums Chart. It entered the chart on 22 March at its peak position, and lasted within the Top 100 for nineteen weeks.〔http://www.theofficialcharts.com/search-results-album/_/The+Best+Years+Of+Our+Lives#album〕 In May a second single "Mr. Raffles (Man, It Was Mean)" was released, which reached #13 in the UK.〔http://www.theofficialcharts.com/search-results-album/_/Mr+Raffles+%28Man+It+Was+Mean%29#single〕 The song "It Wasn't Me" lyrically details mankind's tendency to blame their misdemeanors on their chosen god.〔http://www.harleyfanzone.com/70/Scrapbook/Patch_Review/Best_Years.htm〕 To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album, along with "Make Me Smile", Harley announced a 16 date UK tour to commence in November 2015. Harley, who has continued to play with various Cockney Rebel line-ups since, will be reuniting with the surviving members of the original line-up: Jim Cregan, Stuart Elliot and Duncan Mackay for the tour. The band's bassist George Ford died in 2007. This will mark the first time the lineup has played together since 1976. Each show will consist of two sets - the album in its entirety, and a set of other tracks, some of which are due to be chosen by a fans poll via the Harley website and social media. Harley commented: "The three guys are still my mates. The fun we had back then, when we toured and recorded together, holds fabulous and special memories. I take life on the road a lot more seriously now, though, so they'd better be prepared. I'm thrilled to think they'll be up there on the great UK concert hall stages with me once again."〔https://classicrock.teamrock.com/news/2015-03-19/steve-harley-reunites-cockney-rebel-best-years-of-our-lives-lineup-uk-tour〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Best Years of Our Lives (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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