Ed Harcourt

Infobox musical artist
Name = Ed Harcourt


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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Edward Harcourt-Smith
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1977|8|14
Died =
Origin = Lewes, East Sussex, England
Instrument = piano, guitar, bass, drums
Genre = Singer-songwriter
Occupation = Singer/Writer/Producer
Years_active = 2000-
Label = Heavenly Records (2000-present)
Dovecote Records (2008-present)
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.edharcourt.com/ www.edharcourt.com]
Notable_instruments = Piano

Ed Harcourt (born August 14, 1977) is an English singer-songwriter from Sussex. Born Edward Harcourt-Smith, the third son of a career army officer, his family home is the manor house of Wootton. He is a great-nephew of the celebrated food author Elizabeth David and of Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, and a great-grand nephew of the controversial one-time Mayor of Eastbourne, Roland Gwynne.

Harcourt's primary instrument is the piano, but he also plays numerous less familiar keyboard instruments as well as the guitar and percussion. When performing live he is most often accompanied by a band typically comprising a drummer (usually Raife Burchell), bass player (Ashley Dzerigian / Arnulf Lindner / Ali Friend), guitarist (usually Leo Abrahams or Ewan Warden), violinist (Gita Harcourt) and trumpeter (Hadrian Garrard / Gerry Atkins / Nick Etwell / Stewart Cole). Ed also sometimes performs solo.

In mid-October 2007, Ed released the retrospective collection "", collecting material from the first 7 years of his solo recording career. A tour of the UK followed.

Ed has opened for many artists over the years including R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Wilco, Beth Orton, Gutter Twins, Divine Comedy, Supergrass, Norah Jones, Brian Jonestown Massacre and Neil Finn. Bands and artists who have supported Ed on his own tours include Magnet, The Magic Numbers, The Tiny, and Feist, as well as a wide variety of emerging British talents, notably Hush the Many (Heed the Few). He has peformed with Patti Smith and her band as well as as Marianne Faithful during the 2005 Meltdown.

He recorded several tracks with the French Jazz quartet Erik Truffaz for their album "Arkhangelsk", released in 2007. Harcourt also performed live with the group to promote the album.

Ed is now on Dovecote Records in the U.S. In the UK, however, speculation on the official Ed Harcourt forum claims that Ed and Heavenly Records/EMI have parted ways, although no official statement has been issued. The speculation sustains that "" fulfilled his record contract, and that EMI--since being acquired by new owners Terra Firma Capital Partners--dropped Ed from the label.

Harcourt more recently opened for the Gutter Twins on their European tour as well as joining the group on stage to play guitar on some songs, most notably on their appearance on 'Later! with Jools Holland' [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxrlOfHkl34 YouTube - IDLE HANDS the gutter twins ] ] .

Discography

Albums

* "Maplewood EP" (November 13, 2000)
* "Here Be Monsters" (June 25, 2001) UK #84, Sweden #28
* "From Every Sphere" (February 17, 2003) UK #39, Sweden #6, Norway #25, France #103
* "Strangers" (September 13, 2004) UK #57, Sweden #7, France #130
* "Elephant's Graveyard" (Digital download only album with B-sides and rarities) (August 8, 2005)
* "The Beautiful Lie" (June 5, 2006) UK #97, Sweden #31
* "" (October 15, 2007) UK #191

ide projects

* "Arkhangelsk" with Erik Truffaz (May 14, 2007)

ingles

From "Here Be Monsters"

* "Something in My Eye" (June 11, 2001)
* "She Fell into My Arms" (September 10, 2001)
* "Apple of My Eye" (January 21, 2002)
* "Shanghai" (April 8, 2002) [CANCELED; released as a promo single only]

ingle only

* "Still I Dream of It/The Ghosts Parade" (October 28, 2002)

From "From Every Sphere"

* "All of Your Days Will Be Blessed" (February 3, 2003)
* "Watching the Sun Come Up" (May 19, 2003)

From "Strangers"

* "This One's for You" (August 30, 2004)
* "Born in the '70s" (November 1, 2004)
* "Loneliness" (February 14, 2005)

From "The Beautiful Lie"

* "Visit from the Dead Dog" (May 29, 2006)
* "Revolution in the Heart" (October 23, 2006 - digital download only) [CANCELED as a commercial single release]
* "Until Tomorrow Then" (August 19, 2008 - music video only)

From "Until Tomorrow Then: The Best of Ed Harcourt"

* "You Put a Spell on Me" (October 1, 2007)

Miscellaneous

* Before going solo, Harcourt played the bass and keyboards for Snug. He has a side-project rock band known as Wild Boar.
* Harcourt's collaborations include work with Jamie Cullum, Erik Truffaz, Rosie Thomas, Shivaree, Nada Surf, Dawn Kinnard, Tenebrous Liar, Seafood, Ron Sexsmith, Magne Furuholmen, Yusef Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), The Streets, New York Fund, and Brian Jonestown Massacre as well as tours and performances with a variety of artists including Neil Finn, KT Tunstall, Nada Surf, Tom McRae, Josh Rouse, The Magic Numbers, Jonna Lee and Sondre Lerche. Fact|date=May 2008
* Harcourt produced tracks on Jonna Lee's album "10 Pieces, 10 Bruises" and on Mr. David Viner's forthcoming album "Among the Rumours & the Rye," due September 22, 2008. He has also co-written with other artists such as Kristina Train, Paloma Faith, Alice & the Majesty, Liam Frost, The Boy Who Trapped The Sun, Josephine Oniyama, Lisa Mitchell, Sam Beeton, Lucinda Belle, The Langley Sisters & Sony BMG's Julian Perretta.
* He is married to the singer and musician Gita Harcourt, née Langley, singer and songwriter in The Langley Sisters.
* He covered Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again" for the closing titles of the 2006 horror film "Severance." He has had songs featured in "Georgia Rule" and "Daltry Calhoun." He is currently working on the film score for "S. Darko," the sequel to "Donnie Darko."

References

External links

* [http://www.edharcourt.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/edwardharcourt Profile] on MySpace
* [http://www.edharcourt.org/ Non-official site (in French).]
* [http://www.kidam.net/index.php/2007/02/15/truffaz/ A documentary] about the recording of 'Arkhangelsk' featuring Ed Harcourt, Nya, & Christophe.
* [http://www.leoabrahams.com/ Official website of Leo Abrahams] __NOTOC__