''Commercial Breaks'', provisionally entitled Commercial Breaks' (doesn't it?)'', is the 18th studio

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by Roy Harper. It was recorded in 1977, intended for release in 1978/79, but not officially released in its entirety until 1994.

History

A dispute between

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

and Harper over funding and content prevented the planned release of this album (

Harvest Harvesting is the process of collecting plants, animals, or fish (as well as fungi) as food, especially the process of gathering mature crops, and "the harvest" also refers to the collected crops. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulses fo ...

(SHSP 4077)) though a few

test pressing A white label record is a vinyl record with white labels attached. There are several variations each with a different purpose. Variations include test pressings, white label promos, and plain white labels. Test pressings Test pressings, usua ...

s do exist. Of the originally intended ten songs, seven were eventually released on the 1988 Awareness Records release '' Loony on the Bus'' (AWCD1011). One track, "Sail Away", was released in advance as a single at the time of the release of '' Bullinamingvase'' (1977), the single's label noting that it was "Taken from the new LP "Commercial Breaks"", Harper's proposed next album. The 1994 Science Friction release (HUCD016), included the original track listing plus two

bonus tracks An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...

, (both previously released on ''Loony on the Bus'') i.e. "Burn The World (Part 1)" and "Playing Prisons". Three of the album's songs ("I'm In Love With You", "Ten Years Ago" and "The Flycatcher") were re-recorded for Harper's 1980 release, '' The Unknown Soldier''. The

album cover An album cover (also referred to as album art) is the front packaging art of a commercially released album, studio album or other audio recordings. The term can refer to: * the printed paperboard covers typically used to package: ** sets of a ...

features logos, products and advertising, primarily from

television commercials A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...

of the era. Most visible are the Smash Martian,

Honey Monster Honey Monster Puffs is a breakfast cereal manufactured in the United Kingdom from Puffed grain, puffed wheat sweetened with sugar and honey, Food fortification, fortified with vitamins and iron. The cereal was originally sold as Sugar Puffs, ...

Michelin Man Bibendum (), commonly referred to in English as the Michelin Man or Michelin Tire Man, is the official mascot of the Michelin tire company. A humanoid figure consisting of stacked white tire, tires, it was introduced at the Lyon Exposition inter ...

and a large pack of Wrigleys gum.

Track listing

''All tracks credited to Roy Harper''

Unreleased album

Side One

# "My Little Girl" – 2:36 # "I'm In Love With You" – 4:07 # "Ten Years Ago" – 3:19 # "Sail Away" – 4:49 # "I Wanna Be Part of the News" – 3:32

Side Two

# "Cora" – 3:26 # "Come Up and See Me" – 4:21 # "The Flycatcher" – 3:55 # "Too Many Movies" – 4:14 # "Square Boxes" – 4:04

1994 CD release

# "My Little Girl" – 2:36 # "I'm In Love With You" – 4:07 # "Ten Years Ago" – 3:19 # "Sail Away" – 4:49 # "I Wanna Be Part of the News" – 3:32 # "Cora" – 3:26 # "Come Up and See Me" – 4:21 # "The Flycatcher" – 3:55 # "Too Many Movies" – 4:14 # "Square Boxes" – 4:04 # "Burn The World" (Part 1) – 5:06 (from '' Loony on the Bus'') # "Playing Prisons" – 4:22 (from '' Loony on the Bus'')

Personnel

* Roy Harper –

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

and

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

John Leckie John William Leckie (born 23 October 1949) is an English record producer and recording engineer. His production credits include Magazine's ''Real Life'' (1978); XTC's '' White Music'' (1978); Dukes of Stratosphear's '' 25 O'Clock'' and the F ...

–

sound engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a sound recording, recording or a Concert, live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization (audio), equalization, Dynamic range ...

* Dave Cochrane –

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

* John Halsey –

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

* Dave Lawson – keyboards *

Henry McCullough Henry Campbell Liken McCullough (21 July 1943 – 14 June 2016) was a musician and singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland. He was best known for his work as a member of Spooky Tooth, the Grease Band and Paul McCartney and Wings. He al ...

–

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...

* Andy Roberts –

guitars The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

References

External links

Roy Harper Official Site

Roy Harper Biography and Discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Commercial Breaks (Album) Roy Harper (singer) albums 1994 albums