More famed for his time in the Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB), and tragically dying of a heart attack on 4th February 1982, a day short of his 47th birthday, in Zeebrugge, Belgium, Alex Harvey was considered too be one of the best showmen on the pop circuit.
Born in Govan, Glasgow, on the 5th February 1935, legend has it that Alex Harvey had over 36 jobs before setting out on a career as a performer and started of playing the trumpet circa 1955, before he moved to a singer/songwriter. After several name changes they decided on the Alex Harvey Soul Band circa 1962. It was considered at the time, that the Scottish R+B scene was a few years ahead of artists such as Georgie Fame and his Blueflames, and Graham Bond, but as these artists were London based they got the recognition for being the pioneers of this sound.
In 1963 Alex Harvey leaves Scotland for Germany and is playing clubs in Hamburg like “The Top Ten Club” as there isn’t enough work for him here, and by all accounts built up an atmosphere with the crowd at his gigs, considered to be way ahead of anything better than what the Merseybeat sound could offer.
Polydor signed up Harvey, but his original band were back in Scotland, and so the backing band, was mainly members from Kingsize Taylor And The Dominoes, mainly due too the fact it was contractual and sadly we never get to hear the real Soul Band. What was put out was an LP for the German market, and so it never got the acclaim it richly deserved.
It wasn’t until February 1964 that The Soul Band debuted in Londons Jazz Club, 100 Oxford Street and further gigs in Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow followed. A second LP was recorded in Hamburg in June 1964 and was recorded over two days. By 1965 the band was in debt and disbanded, but recorded an excellent version of Edwin Starr’s soul classic “Agent 00 Soul” but unfortunately that sound wasn’t commercial enough and the song didn’t chart.
Alex Harvey returned to Scotland in 1966, musically a different place to the one he left three years earlier and was now embittered about the way his music career was heading. Another 45 was soon released, this time a version of “Work Song” and sadly yet again never made any impression on the charts.
This was to be the same outcome for Harvey over the next few years until the formation of the SAHB. These two classic Alex Harvey 45s “Agent 00 Soul” and “Work Song” are hear for all too enjoy, and to give an insight to what was being played on the Scottish club scene in the mid 1960s. There is a book by an Edinburgh publisher on the life of Alex Harvey, they have recognised the glasgowmods.co.uk appreciation for the band. If your interested in buying the book you can get here BirLinn Publishers.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:37 am
I’ll bet you saw a few last night after celebrating a Scotland win. Did you manage to get someone in Edinburgh to buy a drink ? And did you hear the one about the offer in the Edinburgh boozer of 1p a pint. It was strangely quiet and the barman asked one of the few people venturing forward why he thought it was so. The guy turned to the barman and replied ‘I think they are all waiting for the happy hour ken.’
September 10th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Well done NG. The film famously features Harvey a 6 foot invisible rabbit who does not actuallt appear until near the end. Everyone thinks James Stewart is imagining it due his drinking, but it is real.
September 10th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
NG you better do Charlies photo’s soon as there’s one more batch from me to come.
September 10th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I totally agree with that Charlie. But has no one heard of the classic James Stewart film. I thought you would have known about it NG, since drink is one of its principle themes.
September 10th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
That’s just a glimpse of how diverse the Glasgow Mods are Chris,
I am only beginning to see myself, just how much content is on the
site, and how good it is to hear Alex Harvey getting the respect he
deserves, to a whole new audience who only associated him with
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
Even his impact on the early Mersey Beat was well overlooked,
now has been the time too put a little bit of Alex Harvey back
into the front via N.G’s “find”. Brilliant N.G!!!