5 Stars
N.E.X.T. Next. What a way to start a song as Alex Harvey spells out the letters of the title before leering the word into the microphone. The band breaks into a tango beat to support him, which is perhaps one of the defining moments in the career of “The Sensational Alex Harvey Band” and its inspirational leader.
In 1972 Alex Harvey had reached the grand old age of 38, way too old in those hedonistic days of music to consider becoming a pop star. But tragically, Alex’s younger brother by some ten years, Leslie, had been killed in an electrical accident during a sound check with his group “Stone the Crows” at the Top Rank in Swansea. The cause was an unearthed microphone.
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good time on stage. They were at their best playing the
British Summer Festivals to massive crowds. Showmen
love an audience.
This tragic event spurred Alex on to have one more go at cracking the big time. At the time, Alex was earning a crust in the orchestra of James Rado’s iconoclastic musical ‘Hair,’ but was persuaded by his manager, friend, and mentor, Bill Fehilly, to go up to his native Glasgow, Scotland, to check out a gritty progressive outfit called Tear Gas. The band was in the throes of giving up all dreams of stardom and going back to ‘normal jobs’. They were so broke that, in true Scottish tradition, they had resorted to haggis hunting up the side of mountains to find sufficient nutrition to survive.
However, recognizing talent when he saw it, Alex coerced the band to stick together and plant him in as lead singer and inspirational genius. Putting “Sensational” into the title of the band, they went into the studio and in six days had recorded their first album, released in early 1973, before starting to play live anywhere that would have them. Not surprisingly, they quickly built up a reputation as one of the hottest acts on the live circuit.
Out front was Alex in skintight jeans, with dirty red handkerchief hanging from his back pocket, and black and white hooped T-shirt with Alex’s huge head sticking out the neck (with all the creativity going on in this head, it needed to be a big one), topped off by an unruly mop of jet black hair—the perfect leader.
Next to him was Zal Cleminson in a green rubber jumpsuit with cake white clown’s make-up, which exaggerated his grinning face as he cut loose during the solos and became a complete maniac—the perfect foil.
On the other side of the stage on bass was a man who could have made a living as an Elvis impersonator, or at least one of Elvis’ bouncers, Mr. Chris Glen—the man to have on your side if the chips were down.
On keyboards, as befitting this lot, was Hugh McKenna, who looked more like a university music teacher than a Rock’ n’ Roll star—the perfect musical director.
And keeping it in the family, on drums, you had Hugh’s brother, Ted—the solid rock onto which to hoist your Rock ‘n’ Roll flag.
The first album was a reasonable commercial success, but for once, the record company saw the potential in this group. Later that year, they booked a full month for the band to record their follow-up album and brought in top Glam Rock producer Phil Wainman. The results were ‘Sensational’.
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Alex sang with such pathos you cannot help but love him. Nobody else at the time could have gotten away with singing the title track, the J. Brel tribute to European brothels, or ‘Gang Bang,’ poking fun at an unmentionable subject. Zal Cleminson’s guitar playing throughout is nothing short of brilliant, and the band supports them note for note.
All the songs here were to stay in the band’s stage act in one way or another until the end, especially ‘The Faith Healer’ with its throbbing Tooltelbug drone opening, which was to become the band’s standard bearer and opening song. (The sight of Alex staggering to the front of the stage screaming, “Can I put my hands on you” used to send the audience into raptures.)
‘Vambo Marble Eye’ became a saga that Alex would take to higher plains on the live stage. Final number ‘The Last of the Teenage Idols’ was inspired by an event way back in 1957, when Alex Harvey won a Daily Record-organized competition to find the Scottish Tommy Steele (True – I promise!), which brings the album to a fitting rocking climax before we are lulled away by a final burst of do-wop.
In another year, “The Sensational Alex Harvey Band” was the biggest touring band in Europe, quite a turnaround from haggis chasing. Unfortunately, the workload was just too much. After suffering declining health, Alex left the band in 1978, after which the band imploded, only to reform without Alex, achieving varying degrees of success.
Later in 1982, Alex would die of a heart attack while on tour in Europe, a day before his 47th birthday. Although Alex’s career did not really catch fire until late, when it finally did, it sure burned bright. If “The Sensational Alex Harvey Band” is a mystery to you, pay attention. Alex Harvey was one of the greatest ringmasters to have ever strode across the field of Rock’ n’ Roll. The first two “Sensational Alex Harvey Band” albums, “Framed” and “Next”, have been released as a special 2-for-1 box set—a bargain not to be missed.
band would have to restrain him.
Written next by Mott the Dog on Pattaya’s Darkside.
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