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Hart was a talented frontman, singer and poet who had long battles with alcohol. In 1962, Hart founded Liverpool band The Roadrunners, which he left in July 1965 and later joined Liverpool Scene which featured Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts and Mike Evans. He stayed with them only for one album, leaving to pursue a solo career including an album called ‘Mike Hart Bleeds’ produced by the late John Peel.John Cornelius, author of Liverpool 8 thinks that Hart deserves a place alongside other great musical talents: "I would place Mike Hart on the same pedastal as Bob Dylan and John Lennon: he was that good. He let himself down but he was the genuine article, a Woody Guthrie who led a rolling stone lifestyle."
"Mike Hart Bleeds" was one of the first discs issued on John Peel's Dandelion label (and recorded in 1969). The album is a totally underrated and overlooked classic, which at times bears worthy comparison to some of Bob Dylan's and John Lennon's work. There is much variety in the songs, and every track is a gem in its own right. Hart's lyrics combine bitterness, irony and humour, and are ruthlessly honest. His voice is deeply emotive and affecting. The most outstanding track "Almost Liverpool 8" sounds a bit like Lennon on his first solo album backed by Procol Harum. "Arty's Wife" is another similarly moving tale of failed relationships, while "Disbelief Blues" sounds uncannily similar to the sound of "Bob Dylan's 113th Dream". There are shades of "Mr Tambourine Man" in "Dance Mr. Morning Man" while "Shelter Song" is a tragi-comic tale of working-class life in Liverpool (similar in melody to "Universal Soldier"). Hart delivers a classic protest song of his own with "Aberfan" which details the horrors of the landslide a few years earlier in a Welsh mining village. He also combines protest with humour and mentions Harold Wilson in "Please Bring Back the Birch for the Milkman".
01. Yawny Morning Song 2:45
02. Shelter Song 3:41
03. The Ring Song 4:46
04. Please Bring Back the Birch for the Milkman 2:08
05. Arty's Wife 4:39
06. Disbelief Blues 4:53
07. Aberfan 2:18
08. Dance Mr. Morning Man 5:41
09. Almost Liverpool 8 4:45