Alex harvey band biography

Scottish rock musician (1935–1982)

For the American singer-songwriter, see Alex Harvey (country musician).

Musical artist

Alexander Book Harvey (5 February 1935 – 4 February 1982) was top-notch Scottish rock and blues minstrel.

Although his career spanned nearly three decades, he is eminent remembered as the frontman virtuous the Sensational Alex Harvey Cluster, with whom he built expert reputation as an exciting survive performer during the era rot glam rock in the Decennium.

Biography

Harvey was born and peer in the working-class Kinning Compilation district of Glasgow (also account as the Gorbals in say publicly 2009 STV show The Utmost Scot).^[1] By his own cash in, he worked in a enumerate of jobs, from carpentry assessment being a waiter at great restaurant to carving gravestones,^[2] beforehand finding success in music.

Operate first began performing in skiffle groups in 1954.^[1] On Fri, 20 May 1960, at primacy Town Hall in Alloa, Alex Harvey and his Big Pound Band opened for Johnny Tender and His Group, "His Group" being the Beatles (John, Disagreeable, George, Stuart Sutcliffe and Redcoat Moore), on this the prospect night – and biggest engagement – of the Beatles' seven-date tour of Scotland with Gentle.^[3]

His musical roots were in Dixielandjazz and skiffle music, which enjoyed considerable popularity in Britain midst the late 1950s.

From 1958 until 1965, he was picture leader of Alex Harvey's Large Soul Band, playing blues ray rock and roll songs courier spending considerable time touring urgency the United Kingdom and Germany.^[2] He also won a sprinter that sought "Scotland's answer argue with Tommy Steele". Harvey became vigorously identified with British rhythm bid blues music, although he was equally able to play crag songs.

After leaving the Farreaching Soul Band, he briefly peaky for a solo career on the other hand with little success.^[2] By 1967, he found a positive course for his career when elegance became a member of class pit band in the Author stage production of the lilting Hair.^[4] This band recorded glory live album Hair Rave Up, which contained Harvey originals very last other songs not from glory stage show.

In 1970, Doc formed Rock Workshop with Unexpected result Russell; their first, self-titled soundtrack contained an early version end "Hole in Her Stocking",^[5] afterwards to appear on Framed. Scientist remained with Hair for fin years.

Harvey was instrumental play a part the formation of the unit Stone the Crows by intrusion his younger brother Leslie "Les" Harvey to singer Maggie Ding.

Also in Stone the Crows was bassist James Dewar, who later worked with Robin Trower.^[6] Les Harvey was fatally electrocuted in a freak accident behaviour performing with the band strike home 1972.

The Sensational Alex Physician Band

In 1972, Harvey formed picture Sensational Alex Harvey Band (often shortened to SAHB) with player Zal Cleminson, bassist Chris Cwm, and cousins Hugh (keyboards) bid Ted McKenna (drums), all foregoing members of progressive rock bond Tear Gas.

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SAHB penetrate a succession of highly purported albums and tours throughout righteousness 1970s. The Sensational Alex Dr. Band had top 40 hits in Britain with the inimitable "Delilah", a cover version arrive at the Tom Jones hit, which reached number seven in 1975, and also with "The Beantown Tea Party" in June 1976.

The band never achieved commendation in the United States primacy way it did in Just in case Britain, but it had copperplate cult following in certain Admirable cities, especially Cleveland, where depiction group first played at representation Agora Ballroom in December 1974. Thanks to airplay from WMMS, songs like "Next" and "The Faith Healer" became very in favour.

Cleveland remained a city swivel the Sensational Alex Harvey Visitors had a devoted following.^[7] Banish, they were unable to text that popularity in most attention US cities.^[8]

After Harvey left decency group in 1976, the bottle up members continued as SAHB (Without Alex) producing the album Fourplay.

Harvey re-joined the group primed 1978's Rock Drill. SAHB look after Alex toured the UK dynasty Autumn 1981 with the carry on gig at Workington's Carnegie Stage production on 1 November.^{[citation needed]}

Single, albums and death

After he stay poised the band for good, take steps released two more solo albums and went on tour tighten his solo band from 1979.

On 4 February 1982, repeated from performances in Belgium, Medico died from a heart air strike, a day before his Ordinal birthday.^[9]

Personal life

Married twice, first fall prey to Mary Martin, with whom settle down had a son; second seat Trudy, with whom he challenging a son.^[10]

Harvey was a Master hand Mason in Lodge Union, Negation.

332, in the City all but Glasgow, in Scotland. He was initiated on 22 June 1955 and was passed to picture Second Degree in Freemasonry with reference to 24 August 1955. He customary his Third Degree on 16 November 1955.^[11]

Legacy

In 2002, a curriculum vitae of Harvey by John Neil Munro was published: The Galvanizing Alex Harvey.

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were voted probity fifth greatest Scottish band pan all time in a 2005 survey.^[12] On 4 February 2012, a rowan tree was rootbound in memory of Harvey sneak the grounds of the People's Palace museum in Glasgow. Integrity tree was planted by Alex Harvey Junior and the unused members of the band.^[13] Fastidious limited edition book entitled Alex Harvey: Last of the Juvenescence Idols, photographed by Janet Macoska and edited by Martin Kielty was released for the Ordinal anniversary of his death.^[14]

Two novels by Christopher Brookmyre, The Dedicated Art of Stealing and A Snowball in Hell, reference SAHB's work.

On 18 March 2016, Universal Music released a 14-disc box set of Harvey's be anxious, entitled The Last of leadership Teenage Idols. This multi-disc backdrop was the most comprehensive compiling of Harvey's music to modernday, including many rare and out-of-print titles.

Discography

Solo artist

Studio albums

Singles

• "Agent Motivate Soul" / "Go Away Baby" (1965) Fontana: TF 610
• "Do high-mindedness Dog" / "Something You Got" (1966) GTA Records: PO 40018
• "My Girl Slooping" / "Mashed Potatoes" (1966) GTA Records: PO 40019
• "Work Song" / "I Can Exceed Without Your Love" (1966) Fontana: TF 764
• "Maybe Some Day" Narrate "Curtains for My Baby (St.

  James Infirmary)" (1967) Decca

• "The Seemly Song" (1967) Decca
• "Midnight Moses" (1969) Fontana
• "Alex Harvey Talks About All (An In-Depth Session with Alex Harvey of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band)" (1974) Vertigo: MK 71974
• "Runaway" (1976) Vertigo
• "Mitzi" (1984) Victoria: VIC-117, 10.282
• "Runaway" (1976, remastered 2002) Vertigo
• "Midnight Moses" (2015) Fontana: 535 854-6

Live albums

• Hair Rave Up (1969)
• Alex Harvey Talks About Everything (1974)
• Live (1975) (live at Hammersmith Odeon, London on 24 May 1975)
• Alex Harvey Presents: The Loch Indifference Monster (1977)
• BBC Radio 1 Animate in Concert (1991) (recorded muddle up the BBC at The Town Theatre 1972 and The Coliseum 1973)
• Live on the Test (1995)
• The Gospel According to Alex Harvey (1998)
• British Tour '76 (2004)
• Live distrust the BBC (2009)

Alex Harvey unthinkable His Soul Band

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Compilations/other records

• Band on interpretation Wagon (1969)
• Hot City (recorded pound 1974; released in 2009)
• Alex Dr.

  and His Soul Band, 20 unreleased tracks, CD only (1999)

• Teenage a Go Go - Interpretation Unreleased Recordings of Alex Doc 1963-67 (Alchemy Entertainment 2003)
• Last manage the Teenage Idols (2016) - a 14-CD/217-track box set with 21 previously unreleased songs, 59 songs on cd for picture 1st time and a figure of rare recordings plus uncluttered hardback book of photographs

References

External links