Have a Cigar: Roy Harper and Friends

On this day in 1975, Pink Floyd released Wish You Were Here. One of the songs - which many fans had heard during that summer's tour - now featured a guest vocalist, Roy Harper. The same Roy Harper to whom Led Zeppelin tipped their hats with 3:40 of nonsense on Led Zeppelin III. His composition, "Another Day", is one of the songs on the first This Mortal Coil album.

He's a bit of a big deal, or was, among the rock elite in England. He opened up for Led Zeppelin, but the crowds just thought he was a weirdo. Each of his albums throughout the 1970s would have one song where he'd be backed by big names. Moon, Page, and Ronnie Lane back him on "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues". David Gilmour (returning the favor for "Cigar") and John Paul Jones play on "The Game". "One of Those Days in England" features not only Paul and Linda, but Ronnie Lane, Alvin Lee and Jimmy McCulloch. Jimmy Page accompanies him on "Bank of the Dead" and "The Same Old Rock". Bill Bruford plays drums on most of the HQ album.

Whew... that's most of them.

But is the music any good? Oddly, the stronger tracks are those without the super sessioneers. It would have been nice to have heard some of this - especially the HQ album - on the radio....back in the day.

Lastly, here is a video of Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush performing "Another Day" on a 1979 British Christmas special....cheerful....God bless us, everyone.
Lastly, here are Roy and Jimmy taking it back to the country, jamming on some hillside. Down-home guys that they are.

Comments

UnknownDecember 4, 2020 at 8:26 AM
Videos links are a bit screwy, but this stuff is great. One of those day in England is awesome!
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