"White, White Dove" is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, released in 1976 as the second and final single from their fourth studio albumTimeless Flight. It was written and produced by Harley.
Background
After the success of their 1975 album The Best Years of Our Lives, which included the UK number-one single "Make Me Smile ", Cockney Rebel soon returned to the studio to record their next album Timeless Flight. Preceding the album, the single "Black or White" was released in November 1975, however it failed to reach the UK Top 50. With the release of the album in February 1976, EMI Records opted to release "White, White Dove" as the album's second single that same month. Although Timeless Flight was a UK Top 20 success, "White, White Dove", like its predecessor, also failed to make an appearance in the UK Top 50. This was despite the song being enthusiastically released by EMI and receiving sufficient airplay. However, "White, White Dove" did reach No. 6 on the BMRB's UK Breakers Chart on 13 March 1976. The song was recorded at Trident Studios, London. Like the entire Timeless Flight album, it was remixed and cut at Abbey Road Studios, London. The song featured Lindsay Elliott, the younger brother of drummer Stuart Elliott, on congas.
Release
"White, White Dove" was released by EMI Records on 7" vinyl in the UK, Germany, Belgium, Portugal and Australia. A UK promotional demo/DJ copy was also issued. For the Australian version of the single, which was released on 22 March 1976, an exclusive edited version of "White, White Dove" was featured as the A-Side. The single's B-Side, "Throw Your Soul Down Here", was written and produced by Harley. It was exclusive to the single and remained so until it was included as a bonus track on the 1991 EMI CD release of Timeless Flight. The song was recorded after the Timeless Flight sessions at AIR Studios, London. It featured Herbie Flowers on double bass, and B. A. Robertson on piano. One of Harley's more popular B-Sides, it has since been performed live. The UK and Australian releases had no artwork and were issued in a generic company sleeve, while all other releases featured colour picture sleeves. The German release had a similar sleeve to that of Timeless Flight. The Belgian release featuring a photograph of Harley on stage, while the Portuguese release featured a photograph of the original Cockney Rebel group, who had parted from Harley in 1974 and therefore did not play on "White, White Dove" or Timeless Flight. Following its original release, "White, White Dove" has appeared on various Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel compilations, including 1996's Premium Gold Collection, The Best Of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, The Cream of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel and 2008's The Best ofSteve Harley and Cockney Rebel.
Promotion
Upon release, the song was performed live on the UK ITV music programme Supersonic, and this performance has since surfaced on YouTube.
Critical reception
Upon release, UK magazine Street Life reviewed Timeless Flight and described the song as "funk-bubbling". Stewart Parker, for his "High Pop" column in The Irish Times felt the song was "aimless and tuneless". In the American newspaper The Miami News, a review of the album spoke of the song in contrast to the album's theme. Music critic author John Marlowe commented: "...what it is, though, is a fine record that shows Harley obsessed with cabaret and color this time out as evidence the title - "Red is a Mean, Mean Color", "White White Dove", and "Black or White"." In the "Sounds of the Times" section of The Evening Times,, Graham Scott said of the song: "Harley can always be relied upon to come up with something original, and he's done it again with "White White Dove." I understand it's based on the Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil," with Steve's lyrics added. What it's all about I'm not sure, but the music's certainly good". In a 2003 review of Timeless Flight, Martin Aston of Q felt the song's "borderline-poppy chorus is scuppered by skittish, borderline-jazz rock flourishes". Dave Thompson of AllMusic spoke of the song in a review of the 2008 compilation The Best of Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. He wrote: "The real meat, however, lies among the excerpted album cuts. "White White Dove," "Roll the Dice," and the like all deserve a fresh hearing."
