From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Unknown Soldier (album)
The Unknown Soldier (album)
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Allmusic [1]
The Unknown Soldier Cover for German (Electrola) release
The Unknown Soldier is the tenth studio album by English
folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It
was first released in 1980 by Harvest Records and was his
last release on the label.[2]
History
The album was originally released on EMI’s Harvest
Records label (SHVL820) in 1980 (also Harvest ST6474
(CAN) and Electrola 1C06407259 (FRG)). In 1998 the album
was reissued on Harpers Science Friction label
(HUCD031).
Whilst duets are not commonplace on Roy Harper al-
Studio album by Roy Harper bums, Kate Bush accompanies Harper on the song "You"
to great effect. The song "Short and Sweet" features
Released 1980 (1980)
David Gilmour on guitar and is also found on Gilmour’s
Recorded England first solo album, David Gilmour. In fact, Gilmour plays
guitar on most of the songs and co-wrote five of the al-
Genre Rock
bum’s ten songs, Harper providing the lyrics and Gilmour
Label Harvest SHVL 820, the music.[3]
Science Friction HUCD031 Originally, the songs "I’m In Love With You", "Ten
Producer Roy Harper, Peter Jenner Years Ago" and "The Flycatcher", were to be released on
an earlier (1977) Harper album, Commercial Breaks. How-
Roy Harper chronology
ever, a dispute between Harper and EMI meant Commer-
Bullinamingvase The Unknown Soldier Work of Heart
cial Breaks was not released until 1994. These three songs
(1978) (1980) (1982) were re-recorded for The Unknown Soldier, and vary
slightly from their original composition.
Alternative cover
Perhaps the most remarkable moment in...the
making of this record was the trip... to the bat-
tlefield at Verdun in France to take the pic-
tures for the sleeve...disembarking at
Boulogne in an undrivable hired Rover with
an arse-end three miles in the air and a steer-
ing wheel on the wrong side. We hurtled down
France for half a day...at the end of which we
walked, stoned and soaked, into a Pension and
I asked for a room for the night in my school-
boy French. "Avez vous une chambre ce soir....
etc." And a lizard woman looked us up and
down... What we saw the following day
brought me to tears... A sea of graves, sur-
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Unknown Soldier (album)
mounted by a monument the like of which • Stephen Galfas – assistant producer
I’d never seen anywhere. In style, it is pure • Haydn Bendall – sound engineer
Art Deco, in deference it is Egyptian, and in • John Tropea – producer
effect it is devastating. And it is full of the • Jimmy Bain
bones of hundreds of thousands of men; vis- • David Bedford
ible through the windows of the basement • Steve Broughton – guitar
around the building. We took the pictures, • Hugh Burns – guitar
even though it seemed like a sacrilege. And • B.J. Cole – steel guitar
isn’t that the nature of our beast..? I can’t re- • George Constantino
member the journey home, except for its si- • Jim Cuomo
lence. Roy Harper.[2] • Sal DiTroia – guitar
• Timmy Donald
Track listing •
•
Don Grolnick – keyboards
Neil Jason
All tracks credited to Roy Harper except where indicated • David Lawson – keyboards [4]
• Will Lee
Side one • Toni Levi
1. "Playing Games" (Harper/Gilmour) – 3:12 • Jimmy Maelen – percussion
2. "I’m In Love With You" – 3:45 • Andy Newmark – percussion
3. "The Flycatcher" – 4:10 • Joe Partridge
4. "You" (The Game Part II) (Harper/Gilmour) – 4:37 • Sara Pozzo
5. "Old Faces" (Harper/Gilmour) – 4:09 • Dave Scance
• Pete Wingfield – keyboards
Side two
1. "Short and Sweet" (Harper/Gilmour) – 6:28 References
2. "First Thing in the Morning" – 3:40
[1] Allmusic review
3. "The Unknown Soldier" – 3:33
[2] ^ Roy Harper official site
4. "Ten Years Ago" – 3:35
[3] Interview
5. "True Story" (Harper/Gilmour) – 3:50
[4] Dave Lawson’s portfolio
Personnel External links
• Roy Harper – vocals
• Roy Harper Official Site
• Kate Bush – vocals
• Excellent Roy Harper resource
• David Gilmour – guitar
• Roy Harper fan site
• Andy Roberts – guitar
• Verdun Memorial Website
• Peter Jenner – producer
• Chris Briggs – assistant producer
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Unknown_Soldier_(album)&oldid=465871452"
Categories:
• Roy Harper albums
• 1980 albums
• Harvest Records albums
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