"Irresistible" is a song written and recorded by British singer-songwriter Steve Harley. It was released three times as a single; the first being in 1985 as a non-album single under his band's name Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel In 1986, a remixed version of the song was released by Harley as a solo single in the UK, and in 1992, he re-released this version as a single in Europe from his solo album Yes You Can. "Irresistible" was written by Harley and produced by English producer Mickie Most.
1985 version
Background
"Irresistible" was first performed live at Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's concert at Camden Palace, London, in December 1984. The concert was recorded for a TV broadcast and was released on VHS as Live from London in 1985. This performance of "Irresistible" used lead guitar as a more dominant instrument and featured a verse that was not included in the studio version.
Harley originally offered "Irresistible" to Rod Stewart. The singer expressed an interest in recording it, but knowing how keen Harley was for a hit of his own, he ultimately encouraged Harley to record it himself in the hope that it would put him back in the charts. In a 1985 interview, Harley commented, "I think it's gonna be a single, it's the one Rod's gone away with. [He] wants it as a single, but I want it, I think it's my new 'Make Me Smile'. I think it's a hit [for] anybody. I'm not boasting, I just believe that."
After signing a five-album recording contract with Mickie Most's label RAK, Harley recorded "Irresistible" in 1985 with Most at the producer's helm. It featured Harvey Hinsley on guitar, Adrian Lee on keyboards and Mark Brzezicki of Big Country on drums. Harley told the Daily Mirror in 1985, "I wrote the song for Rod Stewart, but when he heard it he told me it was so good I should do it myself. So I did."
"Irresistible" was released in May 1985 as Harley's debut single for RAK. It peaked at number 81 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for five weeks. Speaking of the song to the Newcastle Journal in 1985, Harley said, "'Irresistible' is pure me. The more I hear it, the more I'm proud of it. It has got its own sound."
Release
"Irresistible" was released by RAK Records as a 7-inch and 12-inch single in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal. The B-side, "Such is Life", was written by Harley and produced by Most. It was exclusive to the single and has not appeared on any other release with the exception of the 1988 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel compilation The Collection. "Such is Life" received its live debut during Cockney Rebel's 1980 UK Christmas tour.
For the 12-inch release, an extended version of "Irresistible" was made by Harley, with Calvin Hayes and Mike Nocito, who would both soon achieve fame in Johnny Hates Jazz. At the time, Hayes, being Most's son, was an A&R man at RAK, while Nocito was an in-house engineer. Cockney Rebel's 1973 song "Sebastian" was included as an additional track on the 12-inch release. Following the song's release as a single, the version has made its only outside appearance on the 1988 compilation The Collection.
Music video
The song's music video was directed by Marcelo Anciano and produced by AWOG. It features Harley performing the song in a dark room with the use of various lighting and spotlight tricks throughout. RAK booked the use of a studio in West London to shoot the video.
Critical reception
On its release, Di Cross of Record Mirror described Harley as a "purveyor of the perfect pop song" and considered "Irresistible" to be "a catchy little number" adding that it is "not quite Cockney Rebel, but then Steve isn't 21 anymore." In another issue of Record Mirror, "Irresistible" was one of a number of singles reviewed by ABC. Mark White commented that the song "sounds like it was written, arranged and produced on a poolside in LA", and David Yarritu added, "This would be good if someone like Lulu was singing it... jaunty, I liked the marimbas." Phil Murphy of Newcastle Journal commented on the unlikely blend of pairing of Harley's "original melodic rock" and Most's "sometimes crass pop". He added, "An ironic letter home from a soldier in Belfast, it is couched in jaunty love song format and works well."
Max Bell of Number One wrote, "Irresistible? Hardly. Remember 'Mr Soft'? 'Come Up and See Me, Make Me Smile'? You don't? You're not missing much, except that they were a thousand times more entertaining than this hackneyed dirge. Knock it on the head Steve, there's a good chap." In his 1990 book The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Donald Clarke noted, "Harley came back in '85 and skirted the charts with the catchy 'Irresistible'."