Irresistible (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel song)

"Irresistible" was first performed live at Cockney Rebel's December 1984 concert at Camden Palace, London.[2] The concert was recorded for a special TV broadcast (and later released on the VHS Live from London in 1985).[3][4] This performance of the song used lead guitar as a more dominant instrument and featured a verse that was not included on the studio version.

After writing it, Harley offered "Irresistible" to Rod Stewart, however Stewart turned it down. He knew how keen Harley was for a hit of his own and so encouraged him to record it in the hope that it would put him back in the charts.[5] During 1984, Harley signed a contract to record five albums for Mickie Most's label RAK.[6] Working with Most at the producer's helm, "Irresistible" was recorded with Harvey Hinsley on guitar, Adrian Lee on keyboards and Mark Brzezicki of Big Country on drums.

The song was released in May 1985 as Harley's debut RAK single.[7] It peaked at No. 81 on the UK Singles Chart and stayed in the Top 100 for five weeks. It had debuted on the chart in mid-June 1985 at No. 98.[8] Speaking of the song to Newcastle Journal in 1985, Harley said: ""Irresistible" is pure me. The more I hear it, the more I'm proud of it. It has got its own sound."[9]

"Irresistible" was released by RAK Records on 7" and 12" vinyl in the UK, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.[10] The B-Side, "Such is Life", was written by Harley and produced by Most. It was exclusive to the single and did not appear on any other release until 1988 when it was included on the Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel compilation The Collection.[11] "Such is Life" was debuted live by the band during their 1980 Christmas tour. Harley also introduced "My Cold Heart", "I Could Be Anyone" and a reggae-version of "Mr. Soft" on the same tour.[2]

For the 12" vinyl release, an extended version of "Irresistible" was included, remixed by Harley, along with Calvin Hayes and Mike Nocito, who would both later achieve fame in the British pop rock band Johnny Hates Jazz. At the time, Hayes, being the Mickie Most's son, was an in-house producer at RAK, while Nocito was an in-house studio engineer. An additional track included on the 12" version was "Sebastian", which was Cockney Rebel's 1973 debut single.[12] All versions of the release featured a full colour picture sleeve.[13] Following the song's release as a single, the version made its only outside appearance on the 1988 compilation The Collection, like the B-Side "Such is Life".[11]

A music video was filmed to promote the single, which received plays on channels such as MTV and Music Box. It featured Harley performing the song in a dark room with the use of various lighting and spotlight tricks shown throughout.[14][15] RAK had booked the use of a studio in West London to shoot the video. Additionally, Harley also appeared on European TV performing the song along with his 1975 UK number one hit "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)". At the time of its release, an A4 promotional black-and-white advert of "Irresistible" was featured in the British music magazine Number One, based on the single's sleeve artwork.[16]

Upon release, Max Bell of Number One wrote: "Irresistible? Hardly. Remember "Mr Soft"? "Come Up and See Me, Make Me Smile"? You don't? You're not missing much, except that they were a thousand times more entertaining than this hackneyed dirge. Knock it on the head Steve, there's a good chap."[17] In Record Mirror, "Irresistible" was one of a number of singles reviewed by ABC. Mark White commented that the song "sounds like it was written, arranged and produced on a poolside in LA", and David Yarritu added: "This would be good if someone like Lulu was singing it... jaunty, I liked the marimbas."[18]

Phil Murphy of Newcastle Journal commented on the unlikely blend of pairing of Harley's "original melodic rock" and Most's "sometimes crass pop". He added: "An ironic letter home from a soldier in Belfast, it is couched in jaunty love song format and works well."[9] In his 1990 book The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Donald Clarke noted: "Harley came back with a band in '85, and skirted the charts with the catchy "Irresistible"."[19]

7" Single

1. "Irresistible" - 3:30
2. "Such is Life" - 3:50

12" Single

1. "Irresistible (Extended Version)" - 4:07
2. "Sebastian" - 5:42
3. "Such is Life" - 3:52

• Steve Harley - vocals, remixer of "Irresistible (Extended Version)"
• Harvey Hinsley - guitar
• Adrian Lee - keyboards
• Mark Brzezicki - drums
• Mickie Most - producer
• Mike Nocito - engineer, remixer of "Irresistible (Extended Version)"
• Calvin Hayes - remixer of "Irresistible (Extended Version)"
• Neil Harrison - producer of "Sebastian"
• Crocodi Le Suite (London) - sleeve design

In 1986, "Irresistible" was remixed and released again as a single. For the new version, Harley worked with recording engineer Stuart Breed at Air Studios in London. Breed had come to Harley's attention through Mickie Most, who knew of his work. For the remix, the pair used the original 1985 recording on a 2" Master tape. Harley and Breed mixed-and-matched parts of the track, and experimented with equipment. The song ended up being sped-up and dramatically altered from its original form. The 1985 version's guitar solo was replaced by a keyboard solo, which had been recorded during the original sessions with Most. The vocals used were from a different take, taken from the original 24-track 2" tape of the original 1985 sessions.

Speaking to Record Collector in 1992, Harley said of the remixing of "Irresistible":

"Irresistible came out here in the 80s, but this is a new mix and it's fabulous. I gave it to a guy who works at Air Studios in London, Stuart Breed. He has done a fantastic job. I went in initially as the producer to do it with him, but after half an hour of this guy hitting the buttons and doing fantastic things with sampling machines, I said "I'm going for a cup of tea, you get on with it."[21]

In 2013, the engineer Matt Butler recalled of the 1986 remix:

"This mix was made by Stuart Breed. He did an exceptional job, not least as a maintenance engineer made a career-threatening error on the morning of the session and recorded a sublime 1kHz tone over the original multi-track up until around the first chorus of "Irresistible" as made by Mickey Most a year before. The client (Steve Harley) kept his cool of course and he and Stuart came up with this gem of a version that was justly included on the forthcoming album."

Once the remix was completed, Most chose to release it as a single. Following Harley's second RAK single, "Heartbeat Like Thunder", which had been released in April, "Irresistible" was released in June 1986 as the lead single from the forthcoming solo album El Gran Senor. However, the single failed to enter the UK Top 100. Soon after its release, RAK folded and was sold to EMI,[22] leaving the El Gran Senor album to be shelved. Some of the songs due to appear on the album would later appear on Harley's 1992 album Yes You Can.[7] The full five-minute extended remix of "Irresistible" was later featured as the album version on Yes You Can. In 2015, Harley commented on the song: "I always thought it should be a hit. I found it hard to give up trying!"

The B-Side, "Lucky Man", featured Mick Ronson on guitar. Harley had known Ronson since the 1970s. During sessions with Most, Harley contacted Ronson and asked him to play guitar on the track. Harley later commented: "Mick played guitar on a track called "Lucky Man". It's a white reggae rhythm. Mick was as easy as could be, musically he was very quick and adaptable. I experimented with several guitar approaches, and naturally they were all well within his scope."[23] Speaking to Classic Rock in 2008, Harley said: "I produced a track for myself in the mid-80s - a song called "Lucky Man" - with Mick on electric guitar. It was difficult for me. Not that Ronno was a problem himself - you couldn't wish to meet a nicer, more generous man and musician - but I was in awe of him, even though we had socialised somewhat and shared a mutual respect."[24]

"Irresistible" was released by RAK Records on 7" and 12" vinyl in the UK only.[10] The B-Side, "Lucky Man", was written by Harley and produced by Most. It was exclusive to the single and has not appeared on any other release since.[25] The 12" vinyl edition of the single featured an extended remix of "Irresistible".[26] Both formats of the release came with a full colour picture sleeve, featuring a close-up photograph of Harley, taken by John Stoddart.[27]

Following the song's release as a single, and later on the Yes You Can album, the extended remix/album version of the song has appeared on three compilation albums: 1992's Make Me Smile: The Best of Steve Harley,[28] 1998's More Than Somewhat – The Very Best of Steve Harley and 2006's The Cockney Rebel – A Steve Harley Anthology.[29]

No music video was filmed to promote the single. On 30 July 1986, Harley appeared on the British BBC television chat show Wogan, presented by Terry Wogan. Featuring a performance of "Irresistible", Harley's appearance on the show was later broadcast on TV again on 13 August.[30] On 13 August, Harley also appeared on the UK ITV children's TV programme Razzamatazz, where he performed the song with a backing group.[31] At the time of the single's release, a collectable pin badge was also issued. It featured a blank design with the words "Who is irresistible?"[32]

In July 1986, the Newcastle Evening Chronicle reviewed the single and commented that the song was "as the title says".[33]

7" Single

1. "Irresistible" - 3:26
2. "Lucky Man" - 3:36

12" Single

1. "Irresistible (Extended Re-Mix)" - 5:12
2. "Lucky Man" - 3:36

• Steve Harley - vocals
• Mickie Most - producer
• Stuart Breed - remixer
• Matt Butler - engineer
• Mick Ronson - guitar on "Lucky Man"
• John Stoddart - photography
• Shoot That Tiger! - sleeve design

In 1992, "Irresistible" was released for the third and final time as a single. It was released in Europe as the lead single from Harley's third solo album Yes You Can, using the 1986 remix by Stuart Breed. The release failed to enter any European charts.

In his 1992 interview with Record Collector, Harley revealed "I've just released a new album called Yes You Can in Europe, but it's not out in this country [UK]. I'm very proud of it. "Irresistible" is out over there as a single - it was never released over there at the time. It came out here in the 80s, but this is a new mix and it's fabulous."[21]

"Irresistible" was released by Comeuppance Ltd on CD in Europe.[34] It was manufactured in Switzerland. The release featured a "Radio Edit" of the song, using the 1986 remix by Breed. It also included the full extended/album version of "Irresistible" and a B-Side titled "The Waggon". The single was mastered by Steve Rooke and Ian Jones at Abbey Road Studios in London. On the release, as well as Yes You Can, production on the song was credited to Most and Harley.

"The Waggon" was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Matt Butler. An earlier version of the song had originally appeared as the B-Side to Harley's 1989 single "When I'm with You". It was originally titled "The Theme From Babbacombe Lee" and was supposed to be the theme to the forthcoming film Babbacombe Lee which was to star Harley in the lead role. However, the film never found its required budget and the project was dropped.[35][36]

No music video was filmed to promote the single. Since Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's return to touring with the "Come Back, All is Forgiven" tour in 1989, the song was included in the band's set-list, and continued to be regularly played by the band into the early 1990s.

Dave Thompson of AllMusic spoke of the song in a review of Yes You Can: "There are some heartwarming moments on this album. "Irresistible" very nearly is..."[37]

CD Single

1. "Irresistible (Radio Edit)" - 3:21
2. "Irresistible (Album Version)" - 5:04
3. "The Waggon" - 3:04

• Steve Harley - vocals, producer
• Stuart Breed - remixer
• Mickie Most - producer
• Matt Butler - producer on "The Waggon"
• Ian Jones - mastering
• Steve Rooke - mastering
• Kevin Williamson - illustration
• Mike Simister - illustration
• Steven D. Schwachter - art layout and design