When it comes to a Splendid Racket the Sensational Alex Harvey Band are up there with the best of them.
However unlike some others who are full on from the get go the band liked to build things up gradually ending with a crescendo as was only fitting when there was a showman like Alex leading the line.
Alex Harvey started off playing jazz and skiffle before moving on to blues and rock'n'roll winning a competition as Scotland's answer to Tommy Steele in the process prior to becoming a cast member in the musical Hair.He was constantly reinventing himself a la David Bowie
Somwhow I can't imagine Tommy belting out Next or appearing on stage with a clown faced Zal Clemenson
Sadly Alex died of a heart attack in 1982 the day before his 47th birthday en route to a gig in Zeebrugge. He remains a Glasgow legend
Drummer Ted McKenna died in January aged 68. As far as I am aware the rest of the classic line up - Zal Clmenson (guitar), Chris Glen (bass) and Hugh McKenna (keyboards) are still with us
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - The Faith Healer
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Boston Tea Party
Talking of Splendid Rackets I went to see Domiciles supported by Slime City on Friday at the Old Hairdressers at a Last Night from Glasgow Gig
Domiciles have hints of throbbing krautrock & dreamy shoegaze (LNFG) about them whereas Slime City were the loudest band I've seen in many a year. They were quite bouncy with shades of Devo and Bis (Manda Rin was there cheering them on)
Saw SAHB's first ever live gig when a Glasgow band called Tear Gas played Aberdeen College of Ed. After a break, a bloke in a black and white striped sweatshirt got up on stage with them and sang a bunch of oldies including Del Shannon's "Runaway". Alex Harvey (who'd been rehearsing with the band) blew the roof of the students union and a star was born!
ReplyDeleteAnd "Boston Tea Party" has to be one of the greatest ever rock songs.
Love that story FBCB!
DeleteAgreed and Sid's TOTP recollections as well!
Delete'The Faith Healer' is an absolute classic.
ReplyDeleteThis was what Boston Tea Party looked like on TOTPs.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/VO8pa_T9m1Y
Incidentally this was broadcast the same week that the Sex Pistols played the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester (Cliff Richard was No 1 with "Devil Woman" at that point lest we forget). However, I was sat in front of a TV in a small West of Scotland town watching Alex and the boys. Alex did a live vocal and it was the first tiome I'd ever heard anyone sing in a Scottish accent on TOTPs. This blew my wee 13 year old socks off.
Bear in mind that TOTPs was full of Brotherhood of Man, Our Kid, Wurzels etc at this point. SAHB blew the f*cking roof off.
Mr SDS remembers getting a copy of Melody Maker or similar many years ago featuring an article on Alex Harvey with the headline '40 and still rocking!'....as if 40 was just so shockingly old...ha! Oh how times change.
ReplyDeleteLove Faith Healer.