Alex Harvey

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This article is about the Scottish rock singer Alex Harvey, not to be confused with American songwriter Alex Harvey, who wrote for Kenny Rogers, or Canadian drummer Alex Harvey, member of Psychosis and Polk and the Dots.
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Alex Harvey (5 February 1935 - 4 February 1982) was a Scottish rock and roll recording artist. With his Sensational Alex Harvey Band, he built a strong reputation as a live performer during the 1970s glam rock era. The band was renowned for its eclecticism and energetic live performance, Harvey for his charismatic persona and daredevil stage antics.[citation needed]

His younger brother Leslie Harvey was also a musician and became guitarist for Glasgow band Stone the Crows.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Harvey was born at 49 Govan Road, Kinning Park, Glasgow. His musical roots were in Dixieland jazz and skiffle music, which enjoyed considerable popularity in England and Scotland during the late 1950s. During this period, he won a competition that sought "Scotland's answer to Tommy Steele". Alex Harvey was literally the "last of the teenage idols," a distinction he made much of during his subsequent career - practically worshipped by his fans.[citation needed]

In 1959, Harvey formed Alex Harvey's Soul Band, and recorded blues and rock and roll material, with modest success. In 1966, Harvey found more success as a member of the pit band in the London stage production of the musical Hair. This band recorded the live LP Hair Rave Up which contained Harvey originals and other songs not from the stage show. In 1970 Harvey formed Rock Workshop with Ray Russell [1]; their first, self-titled album contained an early version of "Hole In Her Stocking", later to appear on Framed.

[edit] SAHB

In 1972, Harvey formed the Sensational Alex Harvey Band with guitarist Zal Cleminson, bassist Chris Glen, and cousins Ted and Hugh McKenna on drums and keyboards respectively, all previous members of progressive rock act "Tear Gas".

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (often shortened to SAHB) produced a succession of highly regarded albums and tours throughout the 1970s, and would give Harvey his greatest successes, both musically and commercially.

Initially considered a part of the burgeoning glam-rock movement, Harvey's wild imagination and unusual skiffle background led the band to explore an extremely diverse range of topics and styles in the course of their career, from film-noir ("The Man In The Jar") to surf music-tinted tales of shark attacks ("Shark's Teeth") to ominous odes to demented faith healers ("The Faith Healer") and epic symphonies about witchcraft ("Isobel Gowdie").

The band had hits in Britain with the single Delilah, a re-make of the Tom Jones hit, which reached No 7 in 1975, and also with "The Boston Tea Party".

Alex Harvey was also instrumental in the formation of Stone the Crows, by introducing his younger brother Leslie to singer, Maggie Bell [1].

On 4 February 1982 while waiting to take a ferry back to shore after performing his last concert with his new band, the Electric Cowboys, Harvey suffered a massive heart attack. In an ambulance on the way to the hospital, he suffered a second heart attack, this one fatal. It occurred on the day before his 47th birthday, in Zeebrugge, Belgium.

In 2002, a biography of Harvey by John Neil Munro was published: The Sensational Alex Harvey.

[edit] The re-grouping

In 2004 the band reformed and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were voted the fifth greatest Scottish band of all time in a 2005 survey [2], that had 15,000 participants, reaching higher up the list than Runrig, Nazareth, Lulu, Texas or Primal Scream.

In 2008 Zal left the band to be replaced by Julian Hutson Saxby.

[edit] Current band

"Mad" Max Maxwell, Julian Hutson Saxby, Hugh McKenna, Ted McKenna and Chris Glen.

[edit] Tribute band

Since 2005, Not The Sensational Alex Harvey band has been performing in Switzerland. Alex Harvey is portrayed by fellow Scot Gustav Bertha.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Pre-SAHB albums

[edit] Tear Gas albums

"Tear Gas" was a band that Zal Cleminson, Ted McKenna and Chris Glen were in. "Tear Gas" was basically "The Sensational Alex Harvey Band" before Harvey joined, David Batchelor was the singer in "Tear Gas". Here is the discography below.

[edit] Sensational Alex Harvey Band discography

[edit] Remastered SAHB albums

[edit] Compilations

  • Motive, (19??)
  • Big Hits And Close Shaves, (1977)
  • The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (Old Gold 1997)

[edit] Post-SAHB albums

[edit] References

  1. ^ Logan, Nick &Woffinden, Bob (eds.) „The New Musical Express Book of Rock”, W.H. Allen &Co. Ltd (Star), 1973, p. 450. ISBN 0-352-39715-2.
  2. ^ BBC report on Jan 2005 survey

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Alex Harvey
"Mad" Max Maxwell · Zal Cleminson · Chris Glen · Hugh McKenna · Ted McKenna
Former Members: Alex Harvey
Alex Harvey discography
Pre SAHB Albums
Tear Gas Albums
SAHB Albums
Remastered SAHB Albums
Post SAHB Albums
All Alex Harvey Bands
Alex Harvey's Soul Band · The Sensational Alex Harvey Band · The Electric Cowboys
Related Bands
Tear Gas