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Friday 10 July 2015

Covered by SAHB


Although Alex Harvey has written many a fine song The Sensational Alex Harvey Band are probably best known for their cover of Delilah.
Delilah is not their only cover song. Indeed their 1976 album The Penthouse Tapes consists almost entirely of covers.
And here are their takes on two early 70's classics
I would argue that their version of Schools Out is as good as, if not better, than the Alice Cooper original.
Their version of Crazy Horses is however nowhere near the magnificence of The Osmonds

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - School's Out

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Crazy Horses

For those of you too young to remember them here they are originals









9 comments:

  1. Of course I remember them and the covers by SAHB. For me is their version of School's Out much better. Anyway, it's always a pleasure to listen to them.

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  2. I prefer the Alice Cooper original, a song I've grown to love over the years. Since last Monday school's out for summer indeed!

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  3. You're aboslutely right about Crazy Horses, it sounds like SAHB had just run out of steam, and I'm afraid it's the same with School's Out. Or am I wrong there?

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  4. Good old Alex. I met him briefly, after a gig in Ipswich in 1976. I've always loved these covers, 'School's Out' is particularly fine, but Alice's original just tops it for me. It has an extra spoonful of sleaze somewhere in the mix.

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  5. Alice for me too.

    And on the subject of Alice, I have just finished reading Denis Dunaway’s Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs! and would recommend it to any fans or anyone who likes a well written rock bio.

    Jamie

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  6. So Alice by a whisker and the Osmonds by a country mile

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  7. My word - great stuff. My favourite song of all by SAHB is their take of Brel's 'Next', which, for me, surpasses even Scott Walker's.

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  8. Wonderful performance of Next on The Old Grey Whistle Test - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqx5j-FuqeI

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  9. Yep, credit where it's due Crazy Horses is a superb, nailed down classic. Sure, it could have sounded fuzzier and they could have looked more metally and a load dirtier but....it didn't and they weren't and I for one can settle for that. Off topic but thinking of similar contrasts how about The Motors' Airport single (pure pop) and b side Cold Love (live, sweaty, choppy, menacing and propulsive)

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