The Sensational Alex Harvey


Book Description

Glasgow-born Alex Harvey's career began in the 1950s when he won a competition to become Scotland's answer to Tommy Steele (he dubbed himself 'Last of the Teenage Idols'). He was a devoted family man but in front of an audience he became an unforgettable entertainer -- charismatic, provocative and intense. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band eventually became one of the most exciting live acts of the 1970s --taking in Jacques Brel, rock and vaudeville. But Harvey's life offstage was beset by tragedy and his own alcoholism: his younger brother, Les, was electrocuted on stage; his manager and friend Billy Fehilly was killed in a plane crash. Eventually with his band in tatters, Alex sank into a sea of alcohol, finally succumbing to a fatal heart attack whilst waiting for a ferry home from a gig in Belgium in 1982, the day before his 47th birthday. "The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were one of the craziest, most honest, most creative and most courageous bands of their time . . . [Harvey] would go to any length to enlighten and to entertain." --NME "Alex was cheeky. Special. Very charismatic. A naughty boy who didn't want to grow up.'" --RICHARD O'BRIEN (Rocky Horror Show) "I would have died to have had Alex Harvey as an uncle." --Robert Smith, The Cure







The Sensational Alex Harvey


Book Description

Glasgow-born Alex Harvey's career began in the 1950s when he won a competition to become Scotland's answer to Tommy Steele (he dubbed himself 'Last of the Teenage Idols'). He was a devoted family man but in front of an audience he became an unforgettable entertainer - courageous, provocative and intense. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band eventually became one of the most exciting live acts of the 1970s, taking in Jacques Brel, rock and vaudeville. But Harvey's life offstage was beset by tragedy and alcoholism: his younger brother, Les, was electrocuted on stage; his manager and friend Billy Fehilly was killed in a plane crash; eventually, with his band in tatters, Alex sank into a sea of alcohol, finally succumbing to a fatal heart attack while waiting for a ferry home from Belgium in 1982, the day before his 47th birthday.




SAHB Story


Book Description

When Alex Harvey died in 1982 he left behind a legacy and a passion which survives to this day - truly cult status. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were the biggest-grossing mid-70s live act in the UK; they released eight critically-acclaimed albums in their five years together; and they inspired many of the top names in pop entertainment over the last 30 years.SAHB Story covers the members' early years and provides a blow-by-blow account of the years 1972-77, illustrated with personal anecdotes and unseen photographs. The revised edition completes the story to date with the reunion that began in 2002 featuring Billy Rankin, leading to acclaimed tours and festival shows with 'Mad' Max Maxwell at the helm. Joe Elliott of Dep Leppard, a long-time fan, has contributed a passionate and heartfelt foreword.This is the only authorised biography of the band, written with the cooperation of Zal Cleminson, Chris Glen, Hugh McKenna and Ted McKenna.




The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio: A Memoir


Book Description

Traces the history of Cleveland's WMMS radio station from 1973 to 1986, exploring how the station helped recreate rockradio and the city of Cleveland by showcasing new, influential musicians and inspiring listeners.




The Sensational Alex Harvey Band On Track


Book Description

Alex Harvey was active in the music industry from the very birth of British rock and roll. A Zelig-like figure, he won a contest to become Scotland's Tommy Steele in the 1950s, followed the Beatles to Hamburg in the early 1960s, dabbled in psychedelic rock during the Summer of Love, and joined the house band of counterculture musical Hair at the close of the decade. By the time 1972 rolled around, he had been there and done that, but had never made it big. He was 37 years old, and thinking of calling it a day. Also thinking of calling it a day were Scottish hard rockers Tear Gas. They had released two albums, each with a different line-up, none of which set the world alight, and now their singer wanted out. In a last-ditch effort to salvage something, Alex Harvey and Tear Gas's respective managers decided to unite their respective acts. The result was Sensational. This book examines not only the eight albums by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, but also Harvey's earlier work with his Soul Band and solo, and his post-SAHB releases. It also reviews those two Tear Gas albums as well as Fourplay, the album SAHB released without Alex.







Chris Glen


Book Description

Scotsman Chris Glen found fame in 1972 when his band Tear Gas united with an established Glaswegian rock star to become The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. He went on to work with Michael Schenker, Ian Gillan, John Martyn and many others - and made a point of living every experience open to the bona fide rock star over the past five decades. This is Chris Glen's story in his own words. Co-written with author, rock journalist, musician and former colleague Martin Kielty. Foreword by Eric Singer of Kiss.







The Beatstalkers


Book Description

It started in the early 1960s in a Glasgow school, moved to a secret makeshift bedroom in a factory and ended with a stolen van on a London street in 1968. But between those events lay hundreds of concerts, gang warfare, fan hysteria including a riot involving 7000 people, work with David Bowie - and a single that was a hit but went unrecognised. This is the story of The Beatstalkers - Scotland's number one beat group. Dave Lennox, Alan Mair, Ronnie Smith, Eddie Campbell and Jeff Allen were national heroes by their teenage years. They lived and played through Glasgow's No Mean City era and gathered the bruises to show for it. They pioneered an approach to music that set them on the road to fame and fortune. MARTIN KIELTY is author of 17 books, with three in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Permanent Collection. He's a magazine journalist, TV and radio presenter, former band manager and drummer.