The Human Menagerie  by Steve Harley

Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel recorded their debut album, The Human Menagerie, in June and July 1973, which balances between glam rock and the musical style known as dark cabaret. EMI selected Neil Harrison as the producer of the album and Geoff Emerick, who had collaborated a few years earlier with the Beatles on the creation of some of the legendary Fab Four albums, as the sound engineer.

Neil Harrison had the idea of including an orchestra and choir in the songs Sebastian and Death Trip. This was an excessive expense, which EMI accepted. As it turned out, at least in this case, it was worth it as it became one of the songs that defined the band as the first single of the album. The second single from the album was Hideaway, which was released only in Denmark (!) All the songs were composed by Steve Harley.

The Human Menagerie did not manage to win over the purchasing public at the time of its release despite the positive reviews it received. Today, it is considered one of the most remarkable examples of the glam rock period in Great Britain.