One of the perks of being a journalist for many years is that you have the opportunity to interview some nationally-renowned people, including politicians, sportsmen and women and celebrities.
In February 1991 I was given the opportunity meet rock star Steve Harley – who had a string of hits in the mid 1970s, including the classic number one single Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me).
Steve and his band Cockney Rebel were my favourite group as a teenager. I loved Steve’s theatrical performances on Top Of The Pops, his intriguing lyrics and the music, which combined pop, folk and prog elements. My first concert was seeing Steve play at the Grand Theatre in Leeds and I was blown away by the music, the lighting and the spectacle.
I’d heard that Steve had a sometimes difficult relationship with the music press although – as a former journalist – he got on well with newspaper reporters.
But it was still with some trepidation that I drove to Wood Broughton, near Cartmel, on a bright winter’s morning to interview Steve face to face at the home of Marten Julian, who was (and still is) heavily involved in the horse racing business, but who was experimenting that year with putting on rock shows in South Lakeland.
Steve Harley at Wood Broughton in 1991 (Photo by Steve Barber)
Many people say you should never meet your heroes in case you are disappointed. Maybe, I thought, but that was not going to put me off.
Steve is only about eight years older than me but there is a massive gulf between a music-loving teenager and a twenty-something-year-old rock star selling hundreds of thousands of records and playing packed out concerts at the Hammersmith Odeon. But now I was an adult and an experienced reporter and I was determined to play it cool and be professional.
That said, as Marten greeted me and Gazette photographer Steve Barber at his lovely home and led us through to the sunny lounge, I glanced right and spotted a casually-dressed Steve sitting at the breakfast table reading a newspaper and having a cup of tea – and the nerves kicked in again.
Steve came in, we shook hands and I introduced myself and started asking questions. I was delighted that he was friendly and keen to talk and engage. Steve had been on the road playing nearly 200 gigs all over the world in the past two years and told me that touring and travelling was in his blood and something he relished.
We spoke about how he wrote – often in hotel rooms and during sound checks - and how he had been playing some old, never-released songs on a tape during his and Marten’s journey up from Surrey the day beforehand and how some of those songs might make it on to his next album.
He also recalled a visit to South Lakeland two years previously when he and Cockney Rebel drummer Stuart Elliott had gone out on to Windermere and Steve had taken pictures using a camera he bought in Kendal.
Steve Harley and myself at Wood Broughton in 1991 (Photo by Steve Barber)
With most of what I needed in my notebook, eventually I could not resist and told Steve I was a big fan of his music. He was interested to learn that I had won a copy of his 1976 album Timeless Flight through a competition in The Sun newspaper.
Steve Barber took some great portrait photos in the lounge and some outdoor shots in the extensive gardens. Knowing I was a fan, Steve took a picture of me with Steve Harley.
And then it was back to the office to write up the interview, which appeared in The Westmorland Gazette on February 15, 1991.
For me it was a fascinating and exciting assignment. I have since interviewed Steve many times over the phone and, through my friendship with Marten Julian, which grew out of that day at Wood Broughton, I have met Steve several times. And he has always been open and charming.
So, when people ask should you ever meet your heroes my answer is simple: absolutely yes!
Steve Harley’s new album, Uncovered, will be released on February 21 - see https://www.steveharley.com/