Alex Harvey (musician)
Encyclopedia
Alex Harvey was a Scottish
rock musician. With The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, he built a reputation as an exciting live performer during the 1970s glam rock
era.
district of Glasgow
, Scotland, a working-class neighborhood, where he spent his childhood and youth. By his own account, he worked in a number of jobs, from carpentry to waiting on tables at a restaurant to carving tombstones before finding success in music. He first began performing in skiffle
groups in 1954
His musical roots were in Dixieland
jazz
and skiffle
music, which enjoyed considerable popularity in England and Scotland
during the late 1950s. From 1958-1965, he was the leader of Alex Harvey's Big Soul Band, playing blues
and rock and roll songs and spent considerable time touring in the United Kingdom and Germany. He also won a competition that sought "Scotland's answer to Tommy Steele
." Harvey became strongly identified with British rhythm and blues music, although he was equally able to play rock songs.
After leaving the Big Soul Band, he briefly tried for a solo career, but with little success (Denselow, 8). By 1967, he found a positive direction for his career when he became 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
; their first, self-titled album contained an early version of "Hole In Her Stocking", later to appear on Framed
. Harvey remained with "Hair" for five years.
Harvey was also instrumental in the formation of the band Stone the Crows
by introducing his younger brother, Leslie Harvey
, to singer Maggie Bell
. Tragically, Les Harvey was electrocuted in a freak accident while performing with the band in 1972.
In 1972, Harvey formed The Sensational Alex Harvey Band with guitarist Zal Cleminson
, bassist Chris Glen
, and cousins Hugh and Ted McKenna
on keyboards and drums 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. The band never achieved acclaim in the United States the way it did in Great Britain, but it had a cult following in certain U.S. cities, especially Cleveland. SAHB made their debut in Cleveland at the Agora Ballroom in December 1974. Thanks to airplay from WMMS
, songs like "Next" and "The Impossible Dream" became very popular. Cleveland music critics observed that the Sensational Alex Harvey Band could headline in that city, while in other cities, few people came to see them (Pantsios, 3).
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band had top-40 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" (June 1976). After Harvey left the group later that year, the other members continued as 'SAHB… without Alex'. Harvey re-joined the group for 1978's Rock Drill
but they disbanded shortly afterwards ("Rock Star," 2).
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
. When he died, he left his second wife, Trudy, and two sons (Alex, by his first wife, Mary Martin, and Tyro) .
In 2002, a biography of Harvey by John Neil Munro
was published: The Sensational Alex Harvey. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were voted the fifth greatest Scottish band of all time in a 2005 survey. In 2004, SAHB reformed and, two-years later, released a live album featuring many classic SAHB songs.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
rock musician. With The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, he built a reputation as an exciting live performer during the 1970s glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
era.
Biography
Harvey was born in 1935 in the Kinning parkKinning Park
Kinning Park is a southern suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. In 1897 it had a population of 14326.-Political history:Originally a separate police burgh founded in 1871, it became part of Glasgow in 1905. It was the smallest such burgh in Scotland at just...
district of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland, a working-class neighborhood, where he spent his childhood and youth. By his own account, he worked in a number of jobs, from carpentry to waiting on tables at a restaurant to carving tombstones before finding success in music. He first began performing in skiffle
Skiffle
Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
groups in 1954
His musical roots were in Dixieland
Dixieland
Dixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and skiffle
Skiffle
Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
music, which enjoyed considerable popularity in England and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
during the late 1950s. From 1958-1965, he was the leader of Alex Harvey's Big Soul Band, playing blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and rock and roll songs and spent considerable time touring in the United Kingdom and Germany. He also won a competition that sought "Scotland's answer to Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele OBE , is an English entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star.-Singer:...
." Harvey became strongly identified with British rhythm and blues music, although he was equally able to play rock songs.
After leaving the Big Soul Band, he briefly tried for a solo career, but with little success (Denselow, 8). By 1967, he found a positive direction for his career when he became a member of the pit band in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
stage production of the musical Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
. 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
Ray Russell (musician)
Raymond 'Ray' Russell is an English session musician who is primarily a guitarist. He is also renowned as a record producer, composer and session musician....
; their first, self-titled album contained an early version of "Hole In Her Stocking", later to appear on Framed
Framed (SAHB album)
Framed is the 1972 debut album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. The album was released separately on CD, but is more widely available on a 2 in 1 album, the other album being Next. This album also features a cover of the song written by Willie Dixon and originally performed by Muddy Waters, "I...
. Harvey remained with "Hair" for five years.
Harvey was also instrumental in the formation of the band Stone the Crows
Stone the Crows
Stone the Crows were a blues band formed in Glasgow in late 1969.-History:The band were formed after Maggie Bell was introduced to Les Harvey by his elder brother, Alex Harvey...
by introducing his younger brother, Leslie Harvey
Leslie Harvey
Leslie Cameron "Les" Harvey was a guitarist in several Scottish bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s, most notably Stone the Crows....
, to singer Maggie Bell
Maggie Bell
Maggie Bell is a Scottish rock and blues-rock singer, regarded by some as Britain's answer to Janis Joplin.-Career:...
. Tragically, Les Harvey was electrocuted in a freak accident while performing with the band in 1972.
In 1972, Harvey formed The Sensational Alex Harvey Band with guitarist Zal Cleminson
Zal Cleminson
Alistair "Zal" Cleminson is a Scottish guitarist, best known for his prominent role in The Sensational Alex Harvey Band during the 1970s.-Career:...
, bassist Chris Glen
Chris Glen
Christopher 'Chris' Glen is a Scottish bass guitarist who has played in The Jade, Tear Gas, The Party Boys, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Michael Schenker Group...
, and cousins Hugh and Ted McKenna
Ted McKenna
Edward 'Ted' McKenna , is a Scottish drummer who has played with the bands Tear Gas, Rory Gallagher, The Party Boys, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Michael Schenker Group. He also toured with Ian Gillan for a short period alongside fellow former SAHB bassist, Chris Glen...
on keyboards and drums respectively, all previous members of progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
act "Tear Gas". The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (often shortened to SAHB) produced a succession of highly regarded albums and tours throughout the 1970s. The band never achieved acclaim in the United States the way it did in Great Britain, but it had a cult following in certain U.S. cities, especially Cleveland. SAHB made their debut in Cleveland at the Agora Ballroom in December 1974. Thanks to airplay from WMMS
WMMS
WMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
, songs like "Next" and "The Impossible Dream" became very popular. Cleveland music critics observed that the Sensational Alex Harvey Band could headline in that city, while in other cities, few people came to see them (Pantsios, 3).
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band had top-40 hits in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
with the single "Delilah
Delilah (1968 song)
"Delilah" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1968. It was written by Barry Mason, with music by Les Reed.-Success:It reached No 1 in the charts of several countries including Germany and Switzerland. It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth best selling...
", a re-make
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
hit, which reached No 7 in 1975, and also with "The Boston Tea Party" (June 1976). After Harvey left the group later that year, the other members continued as 'SAHB… without Alex'. Harvey re-joined the group for 1978's Rock Drill
Rock Drill
Rock Drill is the last studio album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, which was released in the UK in 1978. This album did not feature the band's keyboardist Hugh McKenna, owing to an internal dispute - however three songs from the album are co-credited to him. McKenna has since recorded his...
but they disbanded shortly afterwards ("Rock Star," 2).
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
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. In an ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
on the way to the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, he suffered a second heart attack, this one fatal. It occurred on the day before his 47th birthday, in Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with hotels, cafés, a marina and a beach.-Location:...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. When he died, he left his second wife, Trudy, and two sons (Alex, by his first wife, Mary Martin, and Tyro) .
In 2002, a biography of Harvey by John Neil Munro
John Neil Munro
John Neil Munro, author of The Sensational Alex Harvey and Some People Are Crazy - The John Martyn Story , was born in Campbeltown and grew up in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis....
was published: The Sensational Alex Harvey. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were voted the fifth greatest Scottish band of all time in a 2005 survey. In 2004, SAHB reformed and, two-years later, released a live album featuring many classic SAHB songs.
Studio albums
- Alex Harvey and His Soul Band (1964)
- The BluesThe Blues (Alex Harvey album)The Blues was the second album by Alex Harvey. The album was released in 1964. Alex Harvey was accompanied by his brother Les on this album.-Track listing:#Trouble In Mind#Honey Bee#I Learned About Women#Danger Zone#The Riddle Song#Waltzing Matilda...
(1964) - Roman Wall BluesRoman Wall BluesRoman Wall Blues is an album by Alex Harvey made after the Soul Band, and his time in the Hair pit band. This album was released in 1969 and contains one song from Hair , plus some Harvey originals he would later re-record .The album was recorded at Philips Studio, London.-Track listings:#"Midnight...
(1969) - The Joker is WildThe Joker is Wild (album)The Joker is Wild was the second album and created by Alex Harvey after the Soul Band. The album was released in 1972. Some time after 1972 the album The Joker Is Wild was reissued and repackaged, the album song listings stayed the same, but the album was credited as being made by "The Sensational...
(1972) - FramedFramed (album)Framed is the 1972 debut album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. The album was released separately on CD, but is more widely available on a 2 in 1 album, the other album being Next. This album also features a cover of the song written by Willie Dixon and originally performed by Muddy Waters, "I...
(1972) - Next (1973)
- The Impossible DreamThe Impossible Dream (The Sensational Alex Harvey Band album)The Impossible Dream was the third album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. It was released in 1974. The album was released separately on CD, but can be hard to find, however, the CD is widely available on a 2 in 1 album, the other album being Tomorrow Belongs to Me.-Track listings:#"Hot City...
(1974) - Hot City -- The 1974 Unreleased Album (1974)
- Tomorrow Belongs to Me (1975)
- The Penthouse Tapes (1976)
- SAHB StoriesSAHB StoriesSAHB Stories is the seventh album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, released in 1976. It features their hit single Boston Tea Party. The album was released separately on a CD, but is more widely available on a 2 in 1 album, the other album being Rock Drill. To view the remastered version, see...
(1976) - Rock DrillRock DrillRock Drill is the last studio album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, which was released in the UK in 1978. This album did not feature the band's keyboardist Hugh McKenna, owing to an internal dispute - however three songs from the album are co-credited to him. McKenna has since recorded his...
(1978) - The Mafia Stole My GuitarThe Mafia Stole My GuitarThe Mafia Stole My Guitar is the second album produced by Alex Harvey. Alex recorded this album with an entirely different band, the first album he recorded with the different band was the album Alex Harvey Presents: The Loch Ness Monster which was made at the time, the remaining four members of...
(1979) - Soldier on the WallSoldier on the WallSoldier on the Wall is the third and final album that was recorded by Alex Harvey after The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. This album was released shortly after Alex Harvey's death. In 2003 however, the album was given a compact disc release, with tracks being remastered from their original master...
(1982)
Live albums
- Hair Rave Up (1969)
- Alex Harvey Talks About EverythingAlex Harvey Talks About EverythingAlex Harvey Talks About Everything was an interview album in which Alex Harvey talks about the band, his childhood, explains what Vambo means on the song "The Hot City Symphony Part 1: Vambo" from the album "The Impossible Dream"...
(1974) - LiveLive (The Sensational Alex Harvey Band album)Live was the first live album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and was originally released in 1975. The album was released separately on CD, but it can be hard to find. However, the album is widely available on a 2 in 1 album. The other album being The Penthouse Tapes...
(1975) - Alex Harvey Presents: The Loch Ness MonsterAlex Harvey Presents: The Loch Ness MonsterAlex Harvey Presents: The Loch Ness Monster was a spoken word album about The Loch Ness Monster. The album was recorded in 1977, Alex Harvey had left The Sensational Alex Harvey Band for a short while to work on this project. The remaining four members of The Sensational Harvey Band recorded a...
(1977) - BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert (1995)
- Live on the Test (1995)
- British Tour '76 (2004)
- Live At the BBC (2009)
Compilations
- ... Delilah, (Spectrum 1994)
- Hot City (2009)
- Big Hits And Close Shaves (1977)
- The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (Old Gold 1997)
- Teenage A Go Go (Alchemy Entertainment 2003)
- All Sensations (Vertigo 1992)
- The Best of the Sensational (UK chart peak: #148)