The Patrick Hamilton Appreciation Society discussion
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I’ve just devoured the first two of the series, from 2009. The first ever ‘cast - whimsical rock n roll songs on the tea drinking theme, and the second episode a timely “podcast charting the fall of world finance or an excuse to play some of the finest British rock and pop from the mid-sixties to early-70s � you decide!�. I’m hooked.
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Now on to episode 3, British Bubblegum�“Can the British compete with our American cousins to bring us the most sugary rock music? Following last month’s show it’s time to focus on lighter, more upbeat material. I’ve exercised some artistic judgement and only included tracks worth a listen. So no Jack Wild solo material!�
The Sweet’s Honeysuckle Love kicks it off, and I think I’ll leave it until tomorrow’s urban hike so as not to disturb my reading and to derive maximum sonic stimulation.
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The Barry Ryan one will be interesting. I do remember Paul and Barry Ryan being on TOTP around 67-68. I knew little of them, but I think Word mentioned that they were the progeny of a well-known mother, Marion, a singer big on the variety hall circuit I think, who supported them in their endeavours to make a go of showbiz. I can’t remember if they referred to her as the Diana Dors or Marilyn Monroe of song. I’ll dip into that podcast at some point.
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I'll let you know what it's like
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Thanks David - you've improved my life yet again
I was just alerted to this Word In Your Attic/Ear yesterday. Something for everyone here. I don’t share the love occasionally professed for the Maels and the Rollers, but herewith is a kindred spirit for those who do. The real heavy duty stuff for me begins around 45�25�.
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As you say David - ticks boxes right, left and centre
Thanks, as always
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The Sensational Alex Harvey Band? Why, here you are.
Subscribers only, it seems...‘You wouldn’t be able to do half the stuff Alex did on stage nowadays�
DJ and superfan Billy Sloan brings you the stories behind some of Scotland’s favourite albums
The Herald on Sunday Billy Sloan
THE torrent of verbal abuse was something I’d never experienced before from a concert audience in Glasgow. It was directed at a lone figure on stage, illuminated by a single spotlight, who stared defiantly out into the darkness. He wore brothel-creeper shoes, vintage Levi jeans, a battle-torn leather jacket and his trademark black and white hooped T-shirt. As the hate-fuelled tirade reached a crescendo it was time to see who would blink first. Despite being hopelessly outnumbered, he wielded a schoolteacher’s cane menacingly, stepped up to the mic and said: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I’d like to introduce you to my band � The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.�
At the push of a button an electronic “dum-dum-dum-dum-dum� pulse beat boomed out over the PA � the hypnotic intro to an epic song called The Faith Healer.
Guitarist Zal Cleminson, in white face mime make-up, and bassist Chris Glen, in a superhero costume with blue codpiece joined him. They looked like characters from a Marvel comic book.
Completing the line-up were Hugh McKenna on keyboards and Ted McKenna on drums who were almost normal by comparison. The hostile mood instantly evaporated. The discerning audience realised they were seeing something very special.
The gig was the opening night of a UK tour by Slade at Green’s Playhouse on May 31, 1973, admission £1.25p.
The group’s singer, Noddy Holder, has vivid memories of the occasion.
“There was always a great atmosphere at our shows, so the last thing we needed was anything which went against that,� he recalled.
“But Alex loved to challenge our audience. He’d insult them. I remember the reaction he provoked in Glasgow, which was his hometown, don’t forget.
“By the end of the set the crowd had warmed to him. The band got booed on but went down such a storm that they could have got an encore. That’s how good they were. We loved them.�
Within two years, the band would record one of the most acclaimed live albums in rock history. Their first four releases � Framed (1972), Next (1973), The Impossible Dream (1974) and Tomorrow Belongs To Me (1975) � established them as a powerful music force.
“After we made Next I realised just how good we were musically,� said Chris Glen.
“You’ve got to remember Framed was done in just three days and that included mixing it. But when you were working in a studio that cost £100 an hour you had to work fast and really capture a performance. So we were a very tight unit musically.
“But it was on stage that people saw the real essence of SAHB.�
That was captured perfectly at Hammersmith Odeon in London on May 24, 1975.
“We spent a lot of time on the road but never got to hear our show in the way the audience did. We had no idea what we sounded like on stage,� revealed Glen.
“Our manager Bill Fehilly hired the RAK Mobile from producer Mickie Most to record the gig. It was a private thing. There was no plan for a live album.�
The recording contained arguably the ultimate live versions of Tomahawk Kid, Give My Compliments To The Chef and Vambo. Crucially, the band also covered Delilah, a hit for Tom Jones in 1967.
When bosses at Phonogram Records heard the tapes they rush-released Delilah as a single with an album to follow.
“We were on tour in American with Jethro Tull and first knew about the single when we got a call to say Delilah was in the charts,� Glen recalled.
“We were p off they’d released it without asking us.During the tour, our van had been stolen and we lost all our gear. So we flew home to the UK and had to hire instruments to appear on Top Of The Pops.
“Delilah reached number seve but we were worried people might write us off as a cover band. We’d rather have been known for Midnight Moses.�
In the following 12 months, SAHB scored two more hit singles, a rework of Jimmie Rodgers’s Gamblin� Bar Room Blues, and their own composition, Boston Tea Party.
But it was their colourful � and often controversial � live shows that made the biggest impact. None more so than their Christmas concerts at Glasgow Apollo later that year.
“Alex always treated the songs very seriously but he wanted to present them in a visual way. I think that came from his time playing in the band in the stage musical, Hair,� said Glen.
“We always had a moment where he’d use a bit of choreography. The first time was on Runaway � the 1961 Del Shannon hit � when we did a little Shadows-style dance. We did something similar during the musical break in Delilah.
“When we played Tomahawk Kid � influenced by Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson � Alex would dress as a pirate.
“I got to watch him every night, but it was at too close range. I didn’t get the enjoyment of seeing what the audience were presented with.�
But Alex surpassed himself in the Apollo festive gigs. He decided to interpret Cheek To Cheek � written by Irving Berlin � which had been sung by Hollywood legend Fred Astaire in the movie Top Hat in 1935.
“Alex hired three female models for the show. He said I’m going to dance cheek to cheek with them but it’ll be a little play on words,� recalled Chris.
“The girls were dressed in very elegant evening dresses. What the audience didn’t know was that he’d cut the a**** out of the gowns.
“So when they turned their backs to the crowd their bare bums were sticking out. Alex went along the line and gave each one a wee kiss.
“I don’t know if you’d get away with that today, but you probably wouldn’t be able to do half the stuff Alex got up to on stage.�
But the visuals never detracted from the music. “Back then, if somebody asked you to describe SAHB everybody always talked about the show,� said Glen.
“Our sound incorporated rock, blues, jazz and vaudeville. So there was a lot going on in the songs.
“I always think of us as being like Leicester City FC. Zal was a unique guitarist, Hugh a fantastic musician,
Ted a solid drummer and I’m an okay bass player.
“We weren’t Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal. But at that point we were the biggest-grossing live act in Britain. So just like Leicester, we managed to win the league. I think that is a very good analogy.�
What Glen did get to see at close range was how Harvey could command an audience. The singer’s first claim to fame was when his Big Beat Band opened for Johnny Gentle at Alloa Town Hall in 1960.
Gentle’s backing group were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe, then known as The Silver Beatles.
He played the Star Club in Hamburg years before they became the venue’s resident act.
Harvey also won a newspaper competition to find Scotland’s Tommy Steele. Those valuable years of experience paid dividends for SAHB.
“Alex could get an audience’s attention by doing absolutely nothing,� said Glen. “I remember him saying to me always look at the very back of the hall, not the front. You’ve already got the people at the front.
“He also used to hold the mic close to his mouth and make this little whooshing noise. If the crowd were boisterous, they go � shut up, I can’t hear what he’s saying. So he got them back again.
“Alex was almost like a schoolmaster. It was all based on what he’d seen in the theatre. He knew exactly how to get their attention without saying ‘shut the f*** up�.�
The bassist’s current music project is new group The Outfit featuring Chris Glen, whose set includes several SAHB. classics.
He still rates the Live album highly. “It was produced by David Batchelor who’d been lead singer of Tear Gas � the band Alex recruited to form SAHB,� revealed Glen.
“David mixed it with us in mind. Another producer would have tailored it more towards the record company or general public.
“But he knew our sound and exactly how we wanted to hear it. The record was without doubt one of the finest live albums of that era. I’m incredibly proud of it. SAHB was one of the happiest times of my life.�
And the sidebar? Anything to oblige. What’s in a name?
WHEN Alex Harvey first saw Scottish rock band Tear Gas, he told them: “You’re loud, you’re good, but you’re wrong.�
The singer � who died in 1982 aged 46 � joined forces with Zal Cleminson, Chris Glen, and cousins Hugh and Ted McKenna to form a new group.
“Alex was playing with The Giant Moth and we supported them at the Marquee Club in London,� recalled Glen.
“He said you’re a good band, but with me as lead singer you could become a great band. The first song we rehearsed was Midnight Moses in Thor Studios just up the street from Burns Howff in Glasgow.�
When it came to a band name, Harvey looked to Motown Records for inspiration.
His choice of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band was a real throwing down of the gauntlet.
“Alex wanted a name like The “fabulous� Temptations or The “great� Four Tops,� said Glen. “But we thought we were setting ourselves up to take a hit. What band ever called themselves sensational?
“We reckoned audiences would ask just who do you think you are?�
SAHB played their first gig at Clouds disco opening for Stone The Crows, who featured Harvey’s younger brother Les on guitar.
The singer took another risk when they made their debut on The Old Grey Whistle Test presented by Bob Harris.
They played Next � title track of their 1973 album � which was written by Jacques Brel. Harvey was a fan of the Belgian musician who was also an influence on David Bowie and Scott Walker.
He hired string players from The Johnny Dankworth Orchestra to guest on the track but insisted they wear stocking masks and ill-fitting wigs.
“Next was a controversial choice even for a late-night show like Whistle Test,� recalled Glen.
“We’d been given this great opportunity. That one performance could have changed everything for us. The song was about a guy in the Foreign Legion who looked forward to the brothel truck arriving once a month.
“I thought are we going to get away with this? I was certain the BBC would beep out any lyrics they thought would cause offence. But they didn’t.
“So God love Whistle Test for letting us do it. It brought us to a much wider audience. The clip is on YouTube. Fans still talk about it to this day.�
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Weirdly the link worked for me
I know Mark will be v interested so will doubtless appreciate your great work on the copy and paste
I was rooting for your boys at Celtic but sadly they couldn't hold out for a draw
Many grateful thanks for this one, David... it turned up just as I’m going through one of my SAHB binges, so your timing is impeccable. I’ll look forward to reading it later on this afternoon.
You’re welcome!I only saw the SAHB once. June 76 at Celtic Park, Glasgow, home ground (and thanks for the commiseration on today’s outcome there, Mr B).
They were second on the bill to The Who, and on before Alex were Widowmaker (the great Steve Ellis and ex-Mott Luther Grosvenor/Ariel Bender), Family remnants the Chapman-Whitney Streetwalkers, The Outlaws (RIP Hughie Thomassen), and only Little Feat. LITTLE FEAT!!!
All for four quid.
Alex took the stage to Zal chiming out the riff of Alice’s School’s Out, mortar board-equipped, flexing his headmaster’s cane, and advising 40000 of us,
“Remember boays and gurls..when ye get yer freedom…DON’T PISH IN THE WATTER SUPPLYYYY�.
Crikey.
They were superb. Zal and Alex worked a couple of marvellous mime routines, and they’re among the tightest bands I’ve ever heard.
Whether or not their panache inspired The Who or not, I’ll never know, but they smashed it too. The second and final time I saw them with Keith Moon on board, unfortunately.
A little bit of Brin to cheer up a drizzly Saturday? Here you go, then. A lovely story about touring with Wings included. I must investigate the new album more thoroughly.
It doesn’t seem like Cherry Red are planning to keep their pinchers out of my wallet in 2022...In a surprisingly suave move, they’ve had the taste to include the brilliant Lemming, by Father John...
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Sold! Even though I've easily got about a third of it already
Can The Glam! is a great title too
I’m in the same boat, but the two-thirds that I haven’t already got -- and have never heard -- is enough to prey on my weakness. I’m convinced that the Cherry Red offices contain a think-tank boardroom full of experts knowing my own personal vulnerabilities. There’s also this, which I’m absolutely scooping up...
...not least of all because it contains one of my all-time favourite Jamaican tracks, Ba Ba Ri Ba Skank...
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Money In My Pocket � The Joe Gibbs Singles Collection 1972-1973
There is another Joe Gibbs comp out next month, Freedom To The People which might be more heavyweight...
What a time to be alive
Nigeyb wrote: "AND they've got..."I thought you were supposed to be my friend, Nige...
Yeah, I noticed those as well. I can feel my miserly resolve weakening!
Nigeyb wrote: "I know that feeling Mark"On the bright side, Cherry Red’s decision to not hop aboard the present Vinyl-Only train seems to be keeping their prices very reasonable, which is appreciated in this era of new vinyl costing £30-40. If a less trendy format translates to more music for less money, I’m all for it. Even if it means my eyes wrestle with being able to read -- or not being able to read, more like -- their extensive and undoubtedly interesting liner notes.
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As a side issue I am convinced that CDs will become collectable again at some point
Anything that has scarcity in the future digital age should have some additional cache
You heard it here first
It’s bound to happen, and probably sooner than later. The fact that labels are currently issuing and re-issuing music on cassette is all the foreshadowing any reasonable listener needs. It smacks of the desperate gasps of an industry that has spent the past 25-30 years repeatedly shooting itself in the foot.Far better to have a music fetish than a format fetish.
Indeed CDs are a godsend for music fetishists. I bought two 2nd hand Coltrane LPs for about £5 last week. Long may they remain an unfashionable format.
Stephen wrote: "Indeed CDs are a godsend for music fetishists. I bought two 2nd hand Coltrane LPs for about £5 last week. Long may they remain an unfashionable format."
Rip the CDs to your computer, then put the discs in storage... you’ll probably be able to flog them for a few hundred quid apiece on the collectors� market in ten years� time!
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Stuart Cosgrove's Young Soul Rebels: A Personal History of Northern Soul
Northern Soul is one of the most durable underground musical scenes, probably the most durable. Stuart Cosgrove has been there since the 1970s so knows his onions
Review here...
/review/show...
4/5
Thanks for this one, Nigel, which seems like one I need to read. Will absolutely be picking up a copy.
I’ve read Stuart’s books on Detroit �67 which was good, but inferior to Memphis 68, probably due to my personal Stax/Volt obsession which is covered very well. The Soul Rebels one will be essential reading. I was too young and geographically-removed to be part of it, but the soul sounds are so sublime that I listen to them frequently, but not on ultra-rare and impossibly-expensive 45s.
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I intend to read Stuart's Detroit, Memphis, and Harlem books
Watch this space
I'm sure you'll both find plenty to enjoy and appreciate in Young Soul Rebels: A Personal History of Northern Soul
I read the Detroit and Memphis books some time ago and really enjoyed them, Nigeyb. I need to re-read and then finish the trilogy.
Harlem 69 completes Stuart’s soul trilogy, and I assume that his baseload sources will be the Summer of Soul Harlem festival, held over several summer weekends. I’ve just recently watched the film of that name (Disney+)* and it’s magnificent. Sly Stone, Mahalia Jackson, The Staple Singers, David Ruffin, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder and many others at their peak, cheered on by Harlem soulsters just knowing that there’s change on the way. I’ll get around to reading Harlem 69 for the sake of completeness. Stuart’s an old pal in a way. I used to be invited on to his Radio Scotland show Off The Ball, back in my football fanzine days. Salt of the earth, and a St Johnstone über-fan. He wrote the itreverent Hampden Babylon about the seamier side of Scottish football.
* Fear ye not. I have not gone over to the dark side of exploitative non-PSB TV. My daughter’s subscription to Disney+ allowed me in to see the Rubin/McCartney interviews, and Get Back, both life-affirming.
My daughter also wanted Disney+ David and it was worth it for Get Back, which she watched with me. She's only 15 but a huge fan of A Hard Day's Night :)
Good to know, Susan. I suspect we’ve had this conversation before! My daughters (37 and 32 this year) were brought up on the principle ‘No Beatles? No dinner.� The elder one does occasionally look me over and say, “What a clean old man�. When her 4 year old son says it to me, I will rest, happy that my life’s work is done.
Ha ha! My sons are not great fans (although my eldest loved Paul's Fireman album), but my daughter has a poster of Paul, alongside Blackpink and Harry Potter, so quite pleased that I have achieved something positive. She likes Paul best, but often goes for the Lennon songs as favourites.
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David Hepworth was raving about it on a Word podcast recently and Mark Kermode was similarly smitten
For the uninitiated in the ways of A Hard Day’s Night:A cunning and knowing reference to Steptoe and Son, in which Wilfrid Brambell (Albert) was constantly berated “you dirty old man� by son Harold (Harry H Corbett, predicted to be ‘Britain’s Marlon Brando�), who resented the sit-com typecasting, but enjoyed the rewards. It was Pinter re-hashed each week, but hugely enjoyable.
Yes, but I always thought how sad it was for Paul that he had to say his mother had asked him to keep an eye on him. My daughter always loved AHDN more than Help! although she enjoyed both. Like many before her though, Magical Mystery Tour left her somewhat baffled!
I’ve been chipping away at the podcast mountain which expanded due to concentration on an e-book, and non-listening when on temporary walking duties with two Border Terriers who own my elder child. I heard the Word In Your Ear one yesterday. Top stuff as ever. Those were the foothills. Now for the massif.
David wrote: on temporary walking duties with two Border Terriers who own my elder child....":)
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Doh
Everyday’s a learning day at Beatle School, Nigey!Lord have Mersey�
The Patrick Hamilton Appreciation Society
Books mentioned in this topic
Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (other topics)Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley (other topics)
Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom (other topics)
The Story of John Nightly (other topics)
Young Soul Rebels: A Personal History of Northern Soul (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Nik Cohn (other topics)Stuart Cosgrove (other topics)
Dave Ball (other topics)
Danny Baker (other topics)
Mark E. Smith (other topics)
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The initial offering is linked below, and the whole archive is available. I shall turn my attention firstly to Dave Cousins, John Ford and Blue Weaver, and then pick off anything else that demands attention as I work my way through the list.