Make Me Smile, Mr. Soft & More – Abbey Road Studio – Collaboration
Abbey Road Recordings with Steve Harley
If you have been part of the MLT Club for a while you might remember us sharing a recording we did with Steve Harley (& Cockney Rebel) of “Here Comes The Sun” at Studio 2 in Abbey Road.
We also posted a lot of photos from that day in the archives!
It was for a project with a company called “GrooveME” who were turning famous and beloved songs into holographic videos (more on that here).
Steve’s version of “Here Comes The Sun” was a big hit for him here in the UK and Europe back in the 70’s, but by far his widest known song is “(Come Up and See Me) Make Me Smile”.
Well, we recorded that one with him, too! As well as his tunes “Mr. Soft” and “Ordinary People”.
That’s four songs recorded during one afternoon at Abbey Road in 2016 with Barry Wickens on violin & guitar, us on backing vocals, guitar, ukulele and percussion, and of course Steve singing and strumming his acoustic Martin.
We have never shared the other 3 recordings with you and they also aren’t on YouTube, so we want to make them available here.
Listen out for Lisa’s bizarre uke solo during “Mr. Soft”!
LISTEN: Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)
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LISTEN: Mr. Soft
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LISTEN: Ordinary People
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While we were putting together this post we also found a little video we uploaded to Instagram in preparation of the Abbey Road trip. It’s of Lisa practising the solo (and Mona on the Acoustic guitar in the background).
At the end of the clip we added a bit of the original recording from ’74.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjyEF93nEKQ
We have written at length in various posts about the magic of the Abbey Road studios. We are grateful that Steve invited us to record with him there. It truly was a 10/10 day! 😉
We’re happy to have all those pictures and recordings to remember it by!
We send lots of peace & love,
Mona & Lisa
A wonderful song and performance to wake up to, M&L! Makes me think of the birds on our feeder. Or squirrels. “Climb” up and see me?
Amazing, the things you find looking around in the MLT Club basement at Midnight. Found a few gems for sure. Love Mr. Soft and the ukulele solo. The other songs are cool too. Love the clip of Lisa’s solo. I should go to bed. Lol
This is fantastic. Watch out Andy Eastwood!
The ukulele solo is amazing and, if I may be so bold to suggest, would make a great YT “short.”
Very Cool, the Uke Riff Solo’s you did was amazing Lisa on Mr. Soft. It must of been a great moment to be in the room where the Beatles played and recorded. What a mind blowing experience!!!! All 3 were really good!!! Stay Groovy!!
We went to Abbey Road studio 2 in the 1980s, when it was briefly open to the public. Guess what they had set up on gig stands in there? A Rickenbacker, a Gretch Country Gentleman, a Hofner violin bass and a Ludwig drumkit. Now who used those?! There was also a harmonium, I think the one used on We Can Work It Out. The room looked as though the Beatles had just gone out for a cup of tea, and would walk back in at any moment to carry on recording. If only! So pleased that my copy of With The Beatles I purchased in the room where it was recorded!
Wow wow wow Mr soft on Ukulele, just fantastic ????
I loved everything about “Mr. Soft”! MBOUM, MBOUM, MBOUM, MBOUM! (did I spell that right?) Obviously, I’m blatantly partial to everything you two contributed, but I also quite enjoyed the violin, quirky lyrics and vocal lead!
LOVE LOVE LOVE the uke solo on Mr. Soft! Lisa, you’re such an amazing talent! And Mona is superb on the guitar! And of course your harmonies are the best! I can’t wait to hear the new stuff! You two are the grooviest!
Every time I watch that clip of Lisa on that uke I can’t help but smile a mile wide! Such a great clip!
Hi Mona, hi Lisa, I´m very impressed of the songs you made with Steve. Your wonderful
guitar solo, Mona and your ukelele playing Lisa. You have my full respect for all what you are doing in present and in future! Good luck! Frank
I absolutely love your uke solo. I find it inspired, serendipity and very difficult to play, especially on an instrument that was, after all, designed only to be strummed -not for precision playing.
Thanks for sharing these three songs you did back up on for Steve Harley. Living in the US, I wasn’t familiar with him at all until you posted your information about touring with him a few years back. Lately I was watching some YouTube videos on one of my favorite musicals; Phantom of the Opera. (I got to see the stage production in Boston when it toured there in the late 1980’s.) All of a sudden on YouTube I see Steve Harley playing the role of the Phantom in the original 1986 promotional video! Yes, the very same Steve Harley it was. You girls probably know the story having spent so much time with him, but he was originally cast in the leading role for the original stage production but got replaced by Michael Crawford at the last minute! He must be quite an interesting guy to get to know.
Both of you have always been the undisputed Guitar Queens bar none, and after seeing that Ukelele clip, Lisa you are the Ukelele Queen too! Just delightful, didn’t know such wonderful intricate sounds can be made on a Ukelele, loved it! Mr Soft is awesome, both your vocals are wonderful and come across like instruments along with the guitar, ukelele, and violin, just a fun and delightful song. And your harmonies shine in the backing vocals on Make Me Smile. Ordinary People is a really sweet and beautiful ballad. Wow these 3 songs and Lisa’s Uke clip really made me smile ear to ear here! You both cease to impress with you talent that just shine in every aspect of what you do! Thanks for sharing this, was so enjoyable. 🙂
I’m blown away with what you did with that Ukulele!!! You are an amazingly talented musician. It’s like you could fit in with an orchestra and do a Mozart concerto and that just sounds crazy (but I mean it)
I agree Diana, Lisa is a little Mozart on the Ukelele! 🙂
Wow, Lisa. Fantastic work on the Ukulele. You and Mona just keep getting better and better. Mona’s guitar skills are catching up to your’s. But, yours keep getting better and better. Y’all are amazing and so much fun to follow. Thank you for providing such a high level of entertainment.
So kool you got to record at Abbey Road. I can imagine just being there would be very overwhelming. And then to actually get to play and sing?
Groovy, indeed. Anyone would be lucky to have you two as a backup band.
A funny thing just happened.
I listened to Come Up and See Me and then scrolled down to watch the rehearsal video. As I clicked play on the video, Come Up and See Me began playing again at the same time. I sat through about thirty seconds watching the video thinking, “Her playing doesn’t match this song at all?” I guess you had to be there, but when I realized what was happening, it was hilarious. I think I need another coffee, or maybe sleep?
The uke video is great I love watching you two play. Lisa gets that serious look on her face as she eyes the fretboard, and then breaks into that smile that lights up the world, never missing a note. awesome
Oh ya, if you talk to Steve Harley, let him know we all said thanks for letting you cover “The Best Years Of Our Lives”. I know a lot of us treasure that one, too.
TGIF
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
JP
Very interesting and enjoyable. Always great to see another aspect to behind the scenes with MLT and your engagement with “other” performers. Little wonder that you both have such an interesting and eclectic insight in to what it takes to be successful and talented musicians.
Hi Mona, Hi Lisa I loved these audios and Lisa’s rehearsal video .. I especially liked Mr. Soft.,the ukulele solo and the backing vocals don’t leave my mind .. I already heard it dozens of times .. ???????? Boom Boom Boom Boom ????????????♥️
Well Girls, first of all “Thank You” a truly wonderful insight to a very special day in your life and for for the great music it produced,
Secondly, as a teen growing up with Steve Harley in the charts as a regular club banger and backing track to my daily life I Never – EVER REALLY listened to the lyrics of his great songs !!!
Wow – what a mistake – I humbly apologise – The Abbey Road recordings you have just posted throw a whole different perspective on the songs, and what they are actually saying – I should send this to Steve because he did have many hits in the day never really got the recognition he deserved – I would put him in the same plain as Paul Weller but nobody seemed to agreed during the ongoing years ( I’m not going to discuss Oasis – yet !)
AND – ON A FINAL NOTE ::
Your very brief and passing mention of Holographic filming and the link you put up captured my imagination so I followed through and checked out everything about it – And did find some very interesting footage about the concept – Alas couldn’t actually find a full version of your session but did find this short clip which I hope everyone enjoys so if you do know where it is please do share – I’m on a mission now !!
https://vimeo.com/242646630
<iframe src=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/242646630″ width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″ allow=”autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/242646630″>KNEBWORTH SHOWCASE WITH STEVE HARLEY</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/groovemenow”>GrooveME Now</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>
NOTE : YOU WILL PROBALY SEE A NOT ALLOWED NOTICE – NO PROBLEM GO THE VIMEO LINK – IT’S SAFE AND YOU CAN SEE THE WHOLE CLIP IN FULL
LOL! That was wonderful!
I was not familiar with Steve Harley and I really like these three songs you did with him! And that uke solo (especially the video) is outrageous!! Thanks for sharing!
Hello Mona and Lisa, could you please tell us how your cooperation and close connection to Steve Harley happened?
Thanks for sharing .This was the first time I took some time to listen to Steve Harley. I will be searching out more of his music.
Always nice to see the photo’s you share. Keep them coming.
Whoa… these audio clips , instagram stuff re: Abbey Road MLT Day with Steve Harley… Absolutely magic, and that Studio’s Magical Essences certainly eminated, and indeed to be in awe of having the opportunity to set foot in there, and record…. just blows my mind, and happy you were able to realize a dream… to be in the very Abbey Road Studios, Thankyou for this bonus stuff from that day. Made my Friday, wknd ☮????