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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZHARVEY, Alex(b 5 Feb. '35, Glasgow; d 4 Feb. '82, Belgium) UK rock singer, leader. Began as guitarist in skiffle, voted 'The Tommy Steele of Scotland' in newspaper competition: persevered nevertheless. Alex Harvey Big Soul Band formed '59, became live draw with mix of brash R&B, Harvey's Scots humour; backed visiting Americans Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent etc; lineup captured live in Germany on Big Soul Band '64, often incl. Bobby Thompson, bass; Gibson Kemp, drums. Split group, recorded The Blues '64 with brother Les, returned to Glasgow with him '66 to form Blues Council with Bobby Patrick, but then went solo. Spotted playing guitar in London's 100 Club by mus. dir. of Hair, played in that five years (recorded Roman Wall Blues '69). Took plunge back into rock, recruited Scots band Tear Gas (had poorly received LPs Piggy Go Getter, Tear Gas, ready to split), new lease of life as Sensational Alex Harvey Band: Zal Cleminson (b 4 May '49), Chris Glen on bass (b 6 Nov. '50), Hugh McKenna on piano (b 28 Nov. '49), Ted McKenna on drums (b 10 March '50) were visually arresting, with Harvey in striped T-shirt wielding can of spray paint, Cleminson in clown make-up; they also put musical muscle into Harvey's narrative epics. Framed '72 well-received; title track (Leiber and Stoller chestnut) was meat and drink for Harvey's melodrama; empathy with teenage audience achieved with mixture of country, heavy metal, cabaret ('There's No Lights On The Christmas Tree, Mother; They're Burning Big Louie Tonight'). Supporting Slade, Mott the Hoople etc brought headline status; LPs edged into charts: Next '73 (with title track by Jacques Brel stage act favourite 'Faith Healer') didn't chart until The Impossible Dream '74 made no. 16, Tomorrow Belongs To Me '75 no. 9; Next then reached top 40. Live '75 caught band in its element, made no. 14; first hit single same year: no. 7 UK with cover of '68 Tom Jones hit 'Delilah', followed by lesser hits. Band reached peak during sellout Christmas shows at Hammersmith Odeon '76, with Harvey spray-painting 'brick wall' backdrop to dramatic musical accompaniment; Penthouse Tapes and SAHB Stories top 15 LPs '76. But the diverse LPs sold by live appeal maintained by punishing workload, and a break proved fatal: the band recorded Fourplay without the leader, who compiled LP of interviews about the Loch Ness monster; neither project was successful and the band split after Rock Drill '77. Punk rock was breaking new, younger heroes and Harvey's health suffered from living the rock'n'roll lifestyle to the full. Formed short-lived New Band for The Mafia Stole My Guitar '79, with Simon Charterton, drums; Matthew Cang, guitar; Don Weller, sax; Gordon Sellars, bass; Tommy Eyre, keyboards; toured until death from heart attack. Cleminson joined fellow Scots Nazareth; Ted McKenna Rory Gallagher, later the Michael Schenker Group which Glen had helped form. Harvey's song characters (Vambo, the Tomahawk Kid, Sergeant Fury) were the nearest rock equivalent to comic-book heroes; these and colourful stage presence suggested the title for his overdue hits compilation The Legend '85. |