Commercial Breaks
1994 studio album by Roy Harper
Commercial Breaks, provisionally entitled 'Commercial Breaks' (doesn't it?), is the 18th studio album by Roy Harper. It was recorded in 1977, intended for release in 1978/79, but not officially released in its entirety until 1994.
History
A dispute between EMI and Harper over funding and content prevented the planned release of this album (Harvest (SHSP 4077)) though a few test pressings do exist. Of the originally intended ten songs, seven were eventually released on the 1988 Awareness Records release Loony on the Bus (AWCD1011). One track, "Sail Away", was released in advance as a single at the time of the release of Bullinamingvase (1977), the single's label noting that it was "Taken from the new LP "Commercial Breaks"", Harper's proposed next album.
The 1994 Science Friction release (HUCD016), included the original track listing plus two bonus tracks, (both previously released on Loony on the Bus) i.e. "Burn The World (Part 1)" and "Playing Prisons". Three of the album's songs ("I'm In Love With You", "Ten Years Ago" and "The Flycatcher") were re-recorded for Harper's 1980 release, The Unknown Soldier.
The album cover features logos, products and advertising, primarily from television commercials of the era. Most visible are the Smash Martian, Honey Monster, Michelin Man and a large pack of Wrigleys gum.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Commercial Breaks” is 1994 studio album by Roy Harper. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Commercial, Breaks and studio, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “1994 studio album by Roy Harper” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 22, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q3684622. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1977, 1978, 1994 and 1988.
Rights, attribution and provenance may remain disputed even when a general reference summary presents a stable account. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Commercial Breaks”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Commercial Breaks primary sources, Commercial Breaks archive and Commercial research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Commercial Breaks”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Commercial Breaks” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.