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Audio CD auf dem Booklet von Ed Harcourt mit schwarzem Edding signiert, Case beschädigt /// Edward Henry Richard Harcourt-Smith (born 14 August 1977) is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released ten studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, Here Be Monsters, was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize.[1] Since 2007 he has been writing for other artists, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Paloma Faith, and has performed with Marianne Faithfull and the Libertines.[2] His music is influenced by Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and Jeff Buckley, among others.[3][4] Career Harcourt was born Edward Henry Richard Harcourt-Smith on 14 August 1977, in Wimbledon, London, England.[1] The youngest of three, Harcourt is the son of Maj. Charles Harcourt-Smith of the Life Guards and also a former diplomat,[2][5] and his wife Sabrina, an art historian. Ed began to study piano at the age of nine and achieved grade 8 when he was 17.[6] He declined the offer to study music, citing "the idea of having to analyze, dissect and everything [of one piece of music] would completely destroy any enjoyment".[6] Before going solo, Harcourt played the bass and keyboards for Snug, a band formed at school in the mid-1990s by Harcourt, James Deane, Ed Groves and Johnny Lewsley.[7] The band recorded two albums and a handful of singles together before dissolving. In 2000, Harcourt recorded his debut mini-album Maplewood EP straight to a 4-track recorder at Wootton Manor.[8] After signing with Heavenly Records and releasing Maplewood in November 2000, Harcourt recorded his debut studio album Here Be Monsters with producers Gil Norton and Tim Holmes.[8] The album was released in June 2001, and charted on the UK Albums Chart at No. 84.[9] One month after its release, the album was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize.[1] He later described the period as "very strange for me, I was naive, I knew nothing. I was used to making music in my room, so it felt very odd being on stage".[2] In the US he signed with Capitol Records.[10] Following the non-album single release of the Brian Wilson cover "Still I Dream of It" in October 2002, Harcourt recorded and released his second album From Every Sphere in February 2003. The album became his highest-charting release in the UK, peaking at No. 39.[9][11] The album also performed moderately well across Europe, peaking at No. 6 in Sweden,[12] No. 25 in Norway,[13] and No. 103 in France.[14] From Every Sphere also yielded his highest-charting single to date, "All of Your Days Will Be Blessed", at No. 35.[9] A second single, "Watching the Sun Come Up", was less successful, peaking at No. 79.[9] After a steady schedule of tour dates in the UK, Harcourt's third album, Strangers, was released in September 2004. The album peaked at No. 57 in the UK and at No. 7 in Sweden, and produced the singles "This One's for You", "Born in the '70s", and "Loneliness."[9][12] Through 2005 Harcourt played some live dates with a side-project he called Wild Boar.[15] In August 2005, the B-sides and rarities compilation Elephant's Graveyard was released as a digital download. In the same year he performed at the annual Meltdown Festival in London, supporting the Brian Jonestown Massacre and joining the curator Patti Smith for a rendition of "Pissing in a River".[16] He was also part of the ensemble that performed the William Blake inspired Songs of Innocence.[17][6] Harcourt's fourth album The Beautiful Lie was released in June 2006 to generally favourable reviews,[18] with Allmusic describing the album as "an invigorating and frequently gorgeous affair, essential for old fans and a good place to start for newcomers."[19] The album was not as successful on the UK charts, peaking at No. 97. The Beautiful Lie was co-produced with Jari Haapalainen, and features contributions from The Magic Numbers, who sing backing vocals on "Revolution in the Heart"; Graham Coxon, who plays guitar on first single "Visit from the Dead Dog"; and Ed's wif.
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