Roy Harper
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Roy Harper (born 12 June 1941) is an English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s. He has released a large catalogue of albums as an artist (22 studio albums and 12 live albums) and his influence has been acknowledged by many musicians including Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin (who named the song “Hats Off to (Roy) Harper” after him), Pink Floyd (who invited him to sing guest lead vocals on their song “Have a Cigar”), and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, who is on record as saying that Harper has been his “primary influence as an acoustic guitarist and songwriter”.
Few survivors from the golden age of British folk-rock have kept their reputations intact. Of the generation of troubadours who came of age in the folk clubs of London in the mid-1960s, some have passed away, others have surrendered to the regurgitation of the blandest form of acoustic folk music. But among the survivors, there is one figure whose body of work, comprising 23 studio LPs and almost as many live and compilation releases, has come to stand for a particularly single-minded form of integrity. That man is Roy Harper.
Now officially ‘retired’, and living in a secluded corner of Ireland, Harper has recently been hailed as a key influence by a much younger generation of devoted starsailors who instinctively recognise his innovations, his refusal to compromise and his visionary world view. It is rumoured that Joanna Newsom insisted she’d only play her recent UK shows if he would support her. The likes of Fleet Foxes and Jim O’Rourke are avowed fans; and in previous decades he has enjoyed public endorsements and tributes from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour and many more.
Few survivors from the golden age of British folk-rock have kept their reputations intact. Of the generation of troubadours who came of age in the folk clubs of London in the mid-1960s, some have passed away, others have surrendered to the regurgitation of the blandest form of acoustic folk music. But among the survivors, there is one figure whose body of work, comprising 23 studio LPs and almost as many live and compilation releases, has come to stand for a particularly single-minded form of integrity. That man is Roy Harper.
Now officially ‘retired’, and living in a secluded corner of Ireland, Harper has recently been hailed as a key influence by a much younger generation of devoted starsailors who instinctively recognise his innovations, his refusal to compromise and his visionary world view. It is rumoured that Joanna Newsom insisted she’d only play her recent UK shows if he would support her. The likes of Fleet Foxes and Jim O’Rourke are avowed fans; and in previous decades he has enjoyed public endorsements and tributes from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour and many more.
Shouts:
132 shouts
Top Albums
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Stormcock
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Sophisticated Beggar
Roy Harper
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Flat Baroque and Berserk
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Return Of The Sophisticated Beggar
Roy HarperBuy- Download Album
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Shoutbox
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RussellChap wrote:
Unfairly Ignored...
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fergalmc wrote:
V It's just not right ...
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Sosen wrote:
The Pink Floyd song that he sang on is apparently five times more popular than he is. ONE SONG.
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JellyBean1994 wrote:
How this man is not known and adored by more people I will never know. Absolutely stunningly beautiful music.
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Willdo89 wrote:
Wow, it also seems to me that he's one of the most underrated singer/songwriters I've come across... Not even a million scrobble? (not even half a million!) It's really surprising since he's been there for a long time, has quite a huge discography, worked with some of the most famous songwriters of his generation and has a Led Zeppelin song named after him! And I forgot to mention that Stormcock, Lifemask, Bullinamingvase and HQ are bloody brilliant :)
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KeithJones wrote:
Legend!
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shaantigraphics wrote:
Love Roy! : )
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SmokinWickerman wrote:
Heard his name 20 times now, should rly get into him :)
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PedroLemgruber wrote:
If I were wearing a hat someday and walking on the street and saw Roy, I would definetly take my hat off to him
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kerlonjou wrote:
Just finished watching the web exclusive of The Green Man on the BBC website, excellent.
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nicoinfurs wrote:
He was great at Jools. Lovely to see him perform
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DaddyPobbin wrote:
My Friend <3
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DaddyPobbin wrote:
Hats off to Roy on another great performance on BBC's Jools Holland
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bamski1 wrote:
A supreme musician, highly underated both as a lyricist and guitarist, those of us that were fortunate enough to 'get' Roy Harper have lived off his prolific output for many years, and still do. My favourites are South Africa, Me and My Woman, and once the poets corner buit is over - The Lords Prayer. How he ever remembered the chords and lyrics never ceased to amaze me, but then I guess that was just another of his talents :) Yeah Hat's Off to Roy Harper, a living Legend!
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nocturana wrote:
Hat's Off to Mr Harper, what a scandalous lack of shouts for this wonderful musician!. His magic is a gift from the gods...................
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fergalmc wrote:
666
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Crowriver wrote:
I think it's fair to say that Mr Harper was of major significance to me one way or another back in the day. I took my new girlfriend (later my wife) on our first date to one of his concerts (I seem to remember he performed the whole of McGoohan's Blues as an encore, though I could be wrong). More poignantly, less than six months later and while home on leave from Northern Ireland, I went to another Roy Harper gig, this time with my best friend, a fellow Marine. Right from school, we'd been to countless gigs together given by groups as diverse as The Kinks, The Moody Blues, Blodwyn Pig, Cream and Led Zep. It's what we did, but Roy's would be the last gig we'd see together as my friend was killed by an IRA sniper right in front of me while we were patrolling the Irish border the following week. It would be more than thirty years before I'd go to another concert (Show of Hands), this time with my wife (the same girl). We've been married now for centuries and I love her more than life.
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yug23 wrote:
roy = god <3
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ste_simpson wrote:
_duif's right, stormcock is a masterpiece
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arglactable wrote:
Shit. Why have I never heard of this guy before? He's brilliant.
Videos
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Play
Pinches of Salt, 30 May 2010,…
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Play
When An Old Cricketer Leaves…
1 shout
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Play
's Girlie
1 shout
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Play
One Of Those Days In England
Events
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Aug
31
End of the Road Festival
Larmer Tree Gardens, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
76 going
13 shouts
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Recent Activity
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