Love's a Prima Donna
| Love's a Prima Donna | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel | ||||
| Released | October 1976 | |||
| Recorded | June–September 1976 | |||
| Genre | Glam rock | |||
| Length | 45:39 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer | Steve Harley | |||
| Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Sounds | |
| Record Mirror | |
| Music Talk | favourable |
| National RockStar | unfavourable |
| The Miami News | favourable |
Love's a Prima Donna is the fifth studio album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, released in 1976. It was produced by Harley, and would be the band's last album before splitting in 1977.
In February 1976, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel released the album Timeless Flight, which reached the UK Top 20. Having embarked on a tour to promote the album, Harley began writing new material and the band soon returned to the studio to record their fifth album, Love's a Prima Donna. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London between June and September 1976.
While work on the album continued, EMI would release the preceding single "Here Comes the Sun" - a cover of the George Harrison song, originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1969 album Abbey Road. Released in July 1976, the band's version became the most successful UK cover, peaking at #10 in the UK Top 50, and lasting on the chart for seven weeks.
In the 11 September 1976 issue of Record Mirror, it was announced that the album had been completed, with Harley due to fly to Los Angeles to cut the disc. Having finished recording the album, guitarist Jim Cregan left the band to join Rod Stewart's touring band.
Released in October, Love's a Prima Donna peaked at #28 on the UK Albums Chart, remaining in the Top 50 for three weeks. It became Harley's last studio album to reach the UK Top 100. During the same month, the second single, "(I Believe) Love's a Prima Donna", was released. Although it failed to reach expectations, it did peak at #41 in the UK Top 50, remaining on the chart for four weeks. Additionally, EMI had made plans to release "(Love) Compared with You" as the third single, however the release was cancelled. Instead, the song was released as the album's only American single.
Following the album's release, the band embarked on an eight-date UK tour in December 1976. On the tour, Cregan was replaced by Jo Partridge. Having toured with the band for the Timeless Flight tour, Partridge also contributed to two tracks on Love's a Prima Donna. He provided guitar and backing vocals on "Here Comes the Sun", as well as backing vocals on "(If This Is Love) Give Me More". During the tour, Harley recorded a number of concerts, which he used to create the double live album, Face to Face: A Live Recording, which was released in 1977. It reached #40 in the UK and includes six tracks from Love's a Prima Donna.
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