Who is Alex Harvey and why is he Sensational?

September 5, 2008 12:07 AM

He was born in 1935, died in 1982, and as a musician didn't have a big hit record until 1974, yet in a 2004 Scottish poll with over 12,000 respondents [here], The Sensational Alex Harvey (aka SAHB) came in at #5 Scottish band of all time, beating out Simple Minds, Primal Scream, and Franz Ferdindand. Combining powerful Bon Scott-style vocals, progressive/blues rock riffs, outrageous stage antics (seen to good effect here), and a background steeped in the UK skiffle band tradition, while relatively unknown in the States, the legendary Alex Harvey remains one of the best-remembered and memorable rock stage performers in the world.
posted by humannaire (24 comments total)

I saw the Sensational Alex Harvey Band in 1974, warming up Jethro Tull in Vancouver. A sensational evening all around as I recall.

Also worthy of note are Stone The Crows a darned fine rock-blues outfit who featured Alex's younger brother Les Harvey on guitar until he was electrocuted on stage in 1972.
posted by philip-random at 12:19 AM on September 5, 2008

I saw the Sensational Alex Harvey Band in 1974

Yeah, I saw them several times between 1970 and 1973. It seems hard to believe now, but they'd play the same sort of venues as bands like The Who, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, etc. and generally pack them in in much the same way.

Also worthy of note are Stone The Crows a darned fine rock-blues outfit

With the fantastic Maggie Bell, the British Janis Joplin, on vocals.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:44 AM on September 5, 2008

indie-mp3:

The 50 Best Scottish Bands Of All Time (as voted for by the public) are as follows:

1. Belle & Sebastian
2. Travis
3. Idlewild
4. Wet Wet Wet
5. Sensational Alex Harvey Band
6. Simple Minds
7. Teenage Fanclub
8. Bay City Rollers
9. Primal Scream
10. The Proclaimers
11. Texas
12. Mull historical society
13. Big country
14. Snow Patrol
15. Franz Ferdinand
16. Bis
17. Deacon Blue
18. Fish
19. Jesus and Mary Chain
20. Mogwai
21. Runrig
22. Trash Can Sinatras
23. Del Amitri
24. Orange Juice
25. Nazareth
26. Beta Band
27. Biffy Clyro
28. Altered Images
29. Aztec Camera
30. Eddi Reader
31. Goodbye Mr Mackenzie
32. Fire Engines
33. Delgados
34. Arab strap
35. Vaselines
36. Associates
37. The Pastels
38. Eurythmics
39. Aereogramme
40. Blue Nile
41. Boards of Canada
42. Rezillos
43. Incredible string band
44. Cocteau twins
45. Dogs Die in Hot Cars
46. Spare Snare
47. Average White Band
48. Lulu
49. Skids
50. Shamen

posted by pracowity at 12:47 AM on September 5, 2008

damn, there're way more kickass scottish bands than i'd have ever realized were they not listed for me here.

i got in to SAHB via my friend perry's band, vambo marble eye, named after harvey's song about the fictional detective of the same name. their stuff doesn't seem to be available streaming-wise anywhere else i'd link to them...
posted by Hat Maui at 2:22 AM on September 5, 2008

No! Not Simple Minds! Don't forget about them. They're alive and kicking!
posted by sourwookie at 2:25 AM on September 5, 2008

Without a doubt Beta Band are Scottish. Listen to "Squares." Dude sounds like he needs to spit--like McCartney at the dentist.

Kinda of like J. Love's Gavin but he's from Philly.
posted by sourwookie at 2:31 AM on September 5, 2008

Wow, Travis at 2 and Cocteau Twins at 44. Hang whoever compiled that list.
posted by fire&wings at 3:48 AM on September 5, 2008 [1 favorite]

Listeners compiled that list. That it is skewed may indicate that fans of certain acts (Bell-end Sebastian, for example) knew of the poll and fans of certain other acts (Cocteau Twins, Eurythmics, etc.) did not (or did not care).
posted by pracowity at 5:12 AM on September 5, 2008

Alex Harvey doing "Next" [at your seen to good effect here link] is absolutely fantastic.

If I'd ever heard/seen it before, it was totally forgotten. I think his band was one of those I never really 'got' on the Old Gray Whistle Test. Strange...

Wonderful post (which has totally fulfilled its title!). Thanks.
posted by Jody Tresidder at 6:52 AM on September 5, 2008

Their method of compiling the list being seriously flawed, I understand why newer bands are so close to the top. I'm actually surprised Alex Harvey made it so high.
But no Donovan?
posted by rocket88 at 7:56 AM on September 5, 2008

I refuse to believe that the Bay City Rollers, by the standards of any fanbase or mix thereof, are better than Boards of Canada.
posted by shmegegge at 8:07 AM on September 5, 2008

also, I'd never heard of SAHB before, and that video of Next was fantastic. I know what I'm going to be downloading tonight. But pornography aside, I think I'm also going to be downloading some Alex Harvey mp3s if I can find them.
posted by shmegegge at 8:08 AM on September 5, 2008

NEVAH HOID OF 'IM!!

And therefore, thanks so much for the post, humannaire. Interesting fellow indeed. This guy was one of the most overtly theatrical rockers this side of David Bowie. Really pretty unique thing he had going.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:10 AM on September 5, 2008

But no Donovan?

Maybe because Donovan isn't a band? Mind you, that didn't stop them listing Lulu.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 9:23 AM on September 5, 2008

But no Donovan?

Donovan is indeed conspicuous by his absence. I think Wet Wet Wet in the top five says all that's needed about the validity of this list.
posted by philip-random at 9:26 AM on September 5, 2008

I BELIEVE IN ALEX HARVEY.
posted by katillathehun at 9:48 AM on September 5, 2008

But no Donovan?

No Mike Scott either – and The Delgados at 33 is shameful.
posted by mandal at 10:11 AM on September 5, 2008

What, no Rufus Harley? (YouTube Goodness). He's Scottish, amirite? (Skip ahead to to 5:00 to see him in action.)
posted by beelzbubba at 11:11 AM on September 5, 2008

I think Wet Wet Wet in the top five says all that's needed about the validity of this list.

I'm more perturbed by the fact that loser hippie scientologists the Credulous String Band actually made it onto the list.

Also, Lulu should actually have topped it. Her version of Shout is better than the Isley Brothers original. Her version of Man Who Sold the World is better than Bowies. And her version of Relight My Fire is better than Dan Hartman's.

OK, I'm exaggerating, but they're all creditable and she's still all kinds of awesome.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:39 PM on September 5, 2008

I'm more perturbed by the fact that loser hippie scientologists the Credulous String Band actually made it onto the list.

When it comes to gaming popularity lists, the Scientology folk (not to mention the Randy folk) are old hands. Here are the top ten novels of the 20th century according to a reader poll that Random House hasn't had the sense to invalidate:

1. ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand
2. THE FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand
3. BATTLEFIELD EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard
4. THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien
5. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
6. 1984 by George Orwell
7. ANTHEM by Ayn Rand
8. WE THE LIVING by Ayn Rand
9. MISSION EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard
10. FEAR by L. Ron Hubbard

(And who the fuck is Charles de Lint?)
posted by pracowity at 1:34 PM on September 5, 2008

Thanks for the SAHB links, but there's one thing bothering me:

Who was the man in the jar?
posted by Herodios at 2:01 PM on September 5, 2008

SAHB kick ass. One of the great proto-punks, he was.
posted by jonmc at 5:01 PM on September 5, 2008

SENSATIONAL
Some words are used to lightly...
...and some are just about right
posted by humannaire at 6:06 PM on September 5, 2008

^too

Next,...

Vambo

Who is Vambo? From the Alex Harvey Talks About Everything spoken word LP [transcript]:

"Vambo is like between Santa Claus and Captain Marvel, coming to the rescue. Vambo is not a vandal, cos Vambo knows the streets belong to him and you, therefore he must look after it, he lives there.

"I'm one of those people, I've lived in the streets. It can be a very warm place to live. People have got heart more than maybe people that don't live in the streets, think they have. Vambo is everybody's secret identity. Vambo is based on my growing up in the street. Vambo is no vandal, he don't cut down trees. Teenagago sunday go, I don't really know what that means but it means something its just, saying if if somebody was not illiterate but inarticulate, that would mean something. That would like, give some form to the language."

And, who was The Man In The Jar? [Same source as above]:
"...The Man In The Jar, which is the second part of the Hot City Symphony, represents to me, an impression of New York. Suppose this guy that, that's so involved - that, that he can't get out but everybody can see him. That's why it's called The Man in the Jar.

He's smashing the glass, smashing the glass, because he wants to get out He is a failure, he's not really gettin it together, he doesn't know how to explain it and it's all getting to much for him, so that's why he's smashing the glass.

"When we're on stage, we are not so much violent as an act of violence. We go close to the edge. I am the director and we're making a movie every night we're on stage and we're playing the sound track at the same time and the sound track's got to be good, that goes without saying. The band is spot on, they can really do it, anything at all from hard heavy metal to a sophisticated nightclub kind of a thing, but always, it's intense and if we can play intense, we can act on it, I can get triggered from this. If I can feel the song, I suppose I'm really an actor rather than a singer although it's still the truth, I believe it implicitly while being on stage I believe everything we're doing."
posted by humannaire at 6:44 PM on September 5, 2008