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.
Alex Harvey (February 5 1935 - February 4 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.
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[edit] Early life
Harvey was born at 49 Govan Road, Gorbals, 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.
In 1959, Harvey formed "Alex Harvey's Soul Band," and recorded blues and rock and roll material, to modest success. In 1966, Harvey found more success as a member of the cast in the London stage production of the musical Hair.
[edit] SAHB
In 1972, Harvey formed the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, composed of himself, guitarist Zal Cleminson, bassist Chris Glen, and his cousins Ted and Hugh McKenna on drums and keyboards respectively. All four were former members of a progressive rock band called Tear Gas.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (or SAHB, as they were often known) gave Harvey his greatest successes, both musically and commerically. Harvey's skiffle background led him to include unusual material for the period in his sets, including old pop songs and Broadway musical material. Other styles explored included the folk music of both Harvey's native Scotland ("Anthem") and countries such as Turkey ("Action Strasse").
His live act also usually featured a tale of "Vambo", an urban superhero who was the subject of some of his more energetic numbers. His performances combined a musical and verbal flair with both humour and sincerity and his songs often contained messages and morals. The concept albums The Impossible Dream and Tomorrow Belongs To Me rival even The Beatles and The Rolling Stones late 1960s albums for richness of texture.[citation needed]
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band scored chart hits in Britain with the single "Delilah", a re-make of the Tom Jones hit, 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 <ref> 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. </ref>.
On February 4 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.
[edit] The Re-grouping
Since Alex Harvey died in 1982 the band have re-grouped a number of times, but to little success. It appeared that the band that was one of the greatest live acts in the 1970s had lost its touch. That is until they decided to call it quits in 2004 with a farewell tour in the UK with "Mad" Max Maxwell (formerly of the Shamen) as lead singer. The tour was all sell-out and SAHB had become sensational once again (they also released a live album from the tour), having such unexpected success and their popularity reflecting more what it was like in the 70s, the band decided they could not quit and continued touring. In 2006 they played in front of 20,000 fans at the Sweden Rock Festival (that included other legends such as Alice Cooper and Whitesnake), and opened for Def Leppard and Cheap Trick at the Apollo in London. In July 2006 they released their first international release in twenty years, the album entitled Zalvation.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were voted the fifth greatest Scottish band of all time in a recent survey, that had 15,000 participants, reaching higher up the list than Scottish legends such as Runrig, Nazareth (band), Lulu, Texas and Primal Scream. They are currently touring the UK, for tour dates check their site -[1]
[edit] Current band
Max Maxwell, Zal Cleminson, Hugh McKenna, Ted McKenna and Chris Glen.
[edit] Notes
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[edit] Alex Harvey's Soul Band discography
[edit] Sensational Alex Harvey Band discography
- Framed, 1972
- Next, 1973
- The Impossible Dream, 1974
- Live, 1975
- Tomorrow Belongs to Me, 1975
- Penthouse Tapes, 1976
- SAHB Stories, 1976
- Big Hits and Close Shaves, 1977
- Rock Drill, 1978
- Zalvation, 2006
