Work of Heart
Encyclopedia
Work of Heart is the eleventh studio album
by English
folk
/ rock
singer-songwriter
and guitarist
Roy Harper
. It was first released in 1982
and is one of the most produced albums of his career featuring a full backing band.
of The Sunday Times
as "Album of the Year" in 1982.
The demo
version of this album was later released (in 1984) on a limited edition (830 copies) vinyl
release, titled Born in Captivity
. The sound of Born in Captivity
being more typical of previous Harper recordings; featuring him and guitar only.
Whilst Harper describes this period as his musical career nadir, it came at a time of the zenith for the United Kingdom hi-fi industry. Harper released a very limited number of so-called "Real-Time Mastered" compact audio cassette copies of the Work of Heart album. Unlike mass-market cassettes which at the time were produced at high speed from a multi-generational copy of the master, these issues were transcribed in real time from the original two track studio master tape. In order to eke maximum sound quality from this technique, the tape stock used was high quality Maxell
Type I ferric oxide stock in conjunction with Dolby B Noise Reduction. The result was superp audio transcription which beautifully captured the aura and atmosphere of the ethereal tracks therein.
Work of Heart together with Born in Captivity
form the Double CD version of this album currently available.
N.B. The songs "Jack of Hearts" and "No Woman is safe" are basically the same, containing identical lyrics.
Disc one – Born in Captivity
(* The songs "Jack of Hearts" and "No Woman is safe" are basically the same, containing identical lyrics.)
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
/ rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Roy Harper
Roy Harper
Roy Harper is an English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s...
. It was first released in 1982
1982 in music
This is a list of notable events in music from 1982. 1982 was a big year in music with Madonna making her debut as well as the year that Michael Jackson released Thriller which became the world's best selling album and it still holds that title today....
and is one of the most produced albums of his career featuring a full backing band.
History
The original album was released on Harper's own label, Public Records, formed with Mark Thompson, (son of nuclear campaigner E.P. Thompson). Additionally, the album was chosen by Derek JewellDerek Jewell
Derek Jewell, was a British writer, broadcaster and music critic. A music critic for the London Sunday Times for twenty-three years, Jewell wrote extensively about jazz, and also introduced British audiences avant garde jazz, rock and improvisational music, especially through live performances on...
of The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
as "Album of the Year" in 1982.
The demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
version of this album was later released (in 1984) on a limited edition (830 copies) vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
release, titled Born in Captivity
Born in Captivity
Born in Captivity is the twelfth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1984. Essentially, Born In Captivity is the demo tape for his previous 1982 release, Work of Heart....
. The sound of Born in Captivity
Born in Captivity
Born in Captivity is the twelfth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1984. Essentially, Born In Captivity is the demo tape for his previous 1982 release, Work of Heart....
being more typical of previous Harper recordings; featuring him and guitar only.
Whilst Harper describes this period as his musical career nadir, it came at a time of the zenith for the United Kingdom hi-fi industry. Harper released a very limited number of so-called "Real-Time Mastered" compact audio cassette copies of the Work of Heart album. Unlike mass-market cassettes which at the time were produced at high speed from a multi-generational copy of the master, these issues were transcribed in real time from the original two track studio master tape. In order to eke maximum sound quality from this technique, the tape stock used was high quality Maxell
Maxell
, commonly known as Maxell, is a Japanese company which manufactures consumer electronics. The company's notable products are batteries -- the company's name is a contraction of "maximum capacity dry cell" -- and recording media, including audio cassettes and blank VHS tapes, and recordable optical...
Type I ferric oxide stock in conjunction with Dolby B Noise Reduction. The result was superp audio transcription which beautifully captured the aura and atmosphere of the ethereal tracks therein.
Work of Heart together with Born in Captivity
Born in Captivity
Born in Captivity is the twelfth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1984. Essentially, Born In Captivity is the demo tape for his previous 1982 release, Work of Heart....
form the Double CD version of this album currently available.
N.B. The songs "Jack of Hearts" and "No Woman is safe" are basically the same, containing identical lyrics.
Side one
- "Drawn To The Flames" – 6:34
- "Jack Of Hearts"* – 4:14
- "I Am A Child" – 3:09
- "Woman" – 4:42
- "I Still Care" – 4:50
Side two
- "Work of Heart" – 21:32
- "No One Ever Gets Out Alive"
- "Two Lovers in the Moon"
- "We Are the People"
- "All Us Children (So Sadly Far Apart)"
- "We Are the People" (reprise)
- "No One Ever Gets Out Alive" (finale)
Disc one – Born in CaptivityBorn in CaptivityBorn in Captivity is the twelfth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1984. Essentially, Born In Captivity is the demo tape for his previous 1982 release, Work of Heart....
- "Stan" – 5:03
- "Drawn to the Flames" (Demo Version) – 4:43
- "Come To Bed Eyes" – 4:20
- "No Woman Is Safe"* – 4:42
- "I Am A Child" (Demo Version) – 3:59
- "Elizabeth" – 4:47
- "Work of Heart" (Demo Version) – 19:20
- "No One Ever Gets Out Alive"
- "Two Lovers in the Moon"
- "We Are the People"
- "All Us Children (So Sadly Far Apart)"
- "We Are the People" (reprise)
- "No One Ever Gets Out Alive" (finale)
Disc two – Work of Heart
- "Drawn To The Flames" – 6:34
- "Jack Of Hearts"* – 4:14
- "I Am A Child" – 3:09
- "Woman" – 4:42
- "I Still Care" – 4:50
- "Work of Heart" – 21:32
- "No One Ever Gets Out Alive"
- "Two Lovers in the Moon"
- "We Are the People"
- "All Us Children (So Sadly Far Apart)"
- "We Are the People" (reprise)
- "No One Ever Gets Out Alive" (finale)
(* The songs "Jack of Hearts" and "No Woman is safe" are basically the same, containing identical lyrics.)
Personnel
- Roy HarperRoy HarperRoy Harper is an English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, acoustic guitarSteel-string acoustic guitarA steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
, odd synthesiserSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and lead vocals - Bob WilsonBob WilsonBob Wilson may refer to:*Bob Wilson , played for the 1958 L.A. Dodgers*Bob Wilson , British cartoonist of the Stanley Bagshaw series of children's cartoons...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and acoustic guitarSteel-string acoustic guitarA steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound... - Tony FranklinTony Franklin (musician)Anthony James "Tony" Franklin is an English rock musician, best known for his work on the fretless bass guitar with Roy Harper, The Firm, Jimmy Page, John Sykes' Blue Murder, Whitesnake and briefly, with Quiet Riot.-Fretless bass:...
– electric bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, fretless bassFretless guitarA fretless guitar is a guitar without frets. It operates in the same manner as most other stringed instruments and traditional guitars, but does not have any frets to act as the lower end point of the vibrating string...
and percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Dave Morris – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
s, synthesisers, clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and pizzicata violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average... - Charlie MorganCharlie MorganCharlie Morgan is an English drummer and percussionist.In 1985 his drumming work with Nik Kershaw attracted the attention of Elton John, who booked him to play on his Ice on Fire album. Later that year John invited him to play with his band at Live Aid...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Dick MorrisseyDick MorrisseyRichard Edwin "Dick" Morrissey was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor sax, soprano sax and flute.- Background :...
– saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Darrell Lockhart – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
("Woman" and "I Am A Child") - Dorian Healey – additional drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s - Paul Cobbold – additional bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Dave Morgan – OberheimOberheimOberheim Electronics is an American company, founded in 1969 by Tom Oberheim , which manufactured audio synthesizers and a variety of other electronic musical instruments.-Oberheim Electronics:...
DMX drum computer programmes - David Lord – tubular bellTubular BellsTubular Bells is the debut record album of English musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1973. It was the first album released by Virgin Records and an early cornerstone of the company's success...
and additional synthesisers - Yvonne D'Cruz – additional vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
("Woman")
- "THE HARPIES"
- Bob Wilson – backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Tony FranklinTony Franklin (musician)Anthony James "Tony" Franklin is an English rock musician, best known for his work on the fretless bass guitar with Roy Harper, The Firm, Jimmy Page, John Sykes' Blue Murder, Whitesnake and briefly, with Quiet Riot.-Fretless bass:...
– backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - John David – backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- John LeckieJohn LeckieJohn Leckie is a British music producer, notable for producing many high-profile albums such as The Stone Roses's debut and Radiohead's The Bends...
– engineer - Tom Oliver – assistant engineer
- Paul Cobbold – engineer
- David Lord – engineer
- M E Thompson – executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...