Judy Teen

Although Cockney Rebel's debut single "Sebastian" became a big hit across Europe in 1973, it failed to enter the UK Top 50. The band's debut album, The Human Menagerie, was released in November 1973 and suffered a similar fate, leading the band's label EMI to feel that Harley had yet to record a potential hit single. In response, Harley went away to re-work the unfinished song "Judy Teen", with the objective of making it a potential hit single. Harley later recalled:

"When the first album came out, the record company said, "We don't have a single." And I said very arrogantly, "I'll write one, I know how to do it." That's exactly what I said and exactly what I did. Now I think - what an arrogant young man, fearless! "Judy Teen" was a boy/girl story, a teenage romance, a bit of sex in there, interesting drum rhythm, hooks all over the place - lo and behold big hit! It's a good sexy little teenage love story. When I wrote "Judy Teen", I was 18 or 19 when I had the experience that that song came from."[2]

"Judy Teen" had already been recorded as a demo in 1972, but was not recorded for The Human Menagerie. The band's early incarnation, featuring Pete Newnham on guitar, had recorded three demos at Riverside Recordings: "Judy Teen", "Ritz" and "That's Alright That's Me". Speaking to the fan site Harley Fanzone, Newnham recalled:

We made our first demos at a friend of Steve's studio, Riverside Recordings. "Judy Teen", "Ritz" and "That's Alright That's Me" were the three songs. I had expected to do two guitar tracks, one a rhythm guitar and then a lead overdub for each song - but there was only time for a very rushed guitar take. So, although at the time we all were over the moon with the general result, I wasn't too happy with the guitar. Going back to those demo tracks, they were very clean and untreated, except for a bit of echo on John's violin on "Judy Teen". A lot of time was spent getting Steve's vocals to sound right, and they sounded amazing. Anyway, the demo was to play to prospective management rather than record companies."[4]

Once Harley finished re-working the song, the band recorded it as their next single with Alan Parsons as co-producer. However, its release as a single was delayed after EMI decided to hold the song back at the beginning of 1974. This allowed them to re-issue "Sebastian" on 25 January as the third time being released as a single.[5][6] When "Sebastian" still did not become a UK hit, EMI released "Judy Teen" in March. Successfully breaking the band in the UK, the song reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, and remained in the charts for eleven weeks.[7] It was chosen as Johnnie Walker's 'Record of the Week' on BBC Radio 1. The song was also a hit in Europe too, peaking at No. 23 in Belgium and No. 26 in the Netherlands.[8][9]

"Judy Teen"'s success opened a new wave of popularity for the group, which the band discovered during the UK tour for their second album The Psychomodo. Speaking to New Musical Express in June 1974, drummer Stuart Elliott spoke of the change in audience since "Judy Teen" became a hit: "You see, the only trouble with the hit single is that they only come for that. We'll play a whole set from The Psychomodo and The Human Menagerie, and they don't really appreciate it. As soon as you play "Judy Teen" they go bloody mad." Violinist Jean-Paul Crocker added: {{quote|"The trouble with this tour has been the cock-up because of the single. It went into the charts a week before we started the tour, and it's going up and up and up. It's what? - number five this week. And if it gets any higher by the end of the tour - which is 42 dates - it's going to be a riot. We had riots, literally riots, every night last week. That's why Tony's here (the security guard). We did a gig in York and there were bottlefights - and we had a rough time of it in Newcastle. But when I came off at York I was in tears, because we'd never seen it before. It was the people in the front row who caused all the trouble - because they're the ones who knew the single."[10]

In 2012, the four-disc anthology Cavaliers: An Anthology 1973-1974 was released, combining the two Cockney Rebel albums The Human Menagerie and The Psychomodo, as well as two discs of demo and live versions. On the release, a previously unreleased early version of "Judy Teen" appeared on disc three. This version is dated 1 March 1973 and was recorded at Audio International Studios.[11]

"Judy Teen" was released by EMI Records on 7" vinyl in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Japan and Australia.[1][12] A UK promotional demo/DJ copy was also issued.[13]

The B-side, "Spaced Out", was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Parsons. It was exclusive to the single, but would later be included on a number of CD releases. It first appeared as a bonus track on the 1992 CD single of the band's 1975 single "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)", and later on the 2000 EMI/Comeuppance Discs re-issue of Harley's 1978 album Hobo with a Grin.[14][15] In 2006, it was included on the remastered three-disc box-set compilation The Cockney Rebel – A Steve Harley Anthology and later on the Cockney Rebel Cavaliers: An Anthology 1973-1974 from 2012.[16]

All releases of "Judy Teen", except in the UK and Ireland, came with colour picture sleeves, which featured differing photographs of the band. The German sleeve was the only one not to feature the band on the front cover, but a close-up drawing of a female face.[17] Following its original release as a single, the song has since appeared on the majority of Steve Harley/Cockney Rebel compilations.[18]

A music video was filmed in April 1974 to promote the single. It featured the band performing the song, with some shots using kaleidoscope effects.[19] On 23 May 1974, the band performed the song on the UK music show Top of the Pops. While small segments of the performance survive, the original, full video has been presumed lost.[20]

The song has consistently been a popular inclusion of Harley and the band's concerts. As a result, live versions of the song have also been recorded and released. On 14 April 1975, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel performed the song as part of their set at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. The concert was filmed and released as a film titled Between the Lines.[21] The song was performed at Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's 1984 concert at the Camden Palace, London, which was filmed for TV and released on the VHS Live from London in 1985.[22][23] Live versions also appeared on 1999's Stripped to the Bare Bones, 2004's Anytime! (A Live Set),[24][25][26] and 2005's Live at the Isle of Wight Festival DVD.[27] In November 2012, the band performed the song live at the Birmingham Symphony Hall. On the night, Harley and the band, supported by an orchestra and chamber choir, performed the first two Cockney Rebel albums in their entirety, along with "Judy Teen". It was released on CD and DVD in 2013 as Birmingham (Live with Orchestra & Choir).[28]

Upon release, Charles Shaar Murray of New Musical Express described the song as "another mincingly affected Roxy Music copy, but it could conceivably affect others differently". He added that the song's introduction was "exactly the same" as the DeFranco Family's "Abra-Ca-Dabra".[29] The Belgian magazine Juke Box described the song as mixing "the rhythm of "Sweet Pea" (the Manfred Mann version) with a little bit of "Catch a Falling Star".[30] In 1976, Bob Hart described the song, along with the band's "Mr. Soft", as "superb".[31] In 1977, Hart again spoke of the song in an article for The Sun, where he said: "Tune in to hits like "Mr. Soft" and "Judy Teen", and they still sound fresher than much of the music being pumped out in 1977."[32] Daily Mirror wrote: "A hanky panky hit for madcap popsters Cockney Rebel. Clever words, a commercial tune and screwball sound effects make for a sure-fire success."[33]

Donald A. Guarisco retrospectively reviewed the song for AllMusic, stating: "Most glam acts were either arty or purely commercial, but other groups were able to blend both styles to create singles that were as challenging as they were catchy. Steve Harley was able to straddle this balance and "Judy Teen" is a good example of this skill". He noted the "light-hearted lyrics", the "swinging mid-tempo verses" with a "waltz-like beat" and the "more up-tempo chorus that builds to an effervescent peak". He concluded: "The song's plentiful hooks [are wrapped] in some unique ear candy, the result catchy enough for a wide audience but clever enough to snare in ambitious listeners with its wordplay".[34]

Guarisco mention the song again in a review of the 1987 compilation Greatest Hits. He noted: "Tunes like "Judy Teen" and "Love's a Prima Donna" may have been poppy enough to sail into the English singles charts, but they also boasted unconventional instrumentation and poetic lyrics with lots of surreal, Bob Dylan-esque wordplay."[35] AllMusic reviewer Dave Thompson highlighted the song as a AMG Pick Track on the 2000 compilation Best of the 70's.[36] In a review of the 1983 compilation The Collection, he described the B-side, "Spaced Out", as "one of Steve Harley's most characteristically brilliant compositions".[37]

Carol Clerk of Classic Rock, in a 2006 review of The Cockney Rebel – A Steve Harley Anthology, commented on the song being "exquisitely crafted and arranged, and determinedly eccentric to boot".[38] Chris Roberts of Uncut commented: "Harley's band slid perfectly into the post-Ziggy/Roxy slipstream, all mannered English vocals, florid lyrics and sexual-theatrical rock. Tricksy hits like "Judy Teen" and "Mr Soft" displayed arch wit."[39] In 2013, Geoff Barton of Classic Rock said in a review of Birmingham (Live with Orchestra & Choir): "The eclectic glam rock of 70s chart-busters "Judy Teen" and "Mr Soft" is reproduced with stunning accuracy."[40]

In a 1990 interview, English musician and singer David Gedge of The Wedding Present recalled of "Judy Teen": "The first single I heard was "Judy Teen" on Top of the Pops and I thought it was brilliant. I've always liked things which are a bit extreme, and for someone to come into TOTP and look like that and make this record that was so strange, I was quite impressed by it really."[41]

7-inch single

1. "Judy Teen" – 3:45
2. "Spaced Out" – 3:04

Cockney Rebel

• Steve Harley – lead vocals, producer
• Jean-Paul Crocker – electric violin, guitar
• Paul Jeffreys – Fender bass
• Milton Reame-James – keyboards
• Stuart Elliott – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Alan Parsons – producer

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics