The Sensational Alex Harvey Band Rocks On

In 1972, a Scottish singer and song writer named Alex Harvey combined forces with a progressive rock band called ‘Tear Gas’. This combination of forces created one of the greatest rock acts of all time, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB). With Alex Harvey (vocals), Zal Cleminson (guitar), Chris Glen (bass), Ted McKenna (drums) and Hugh McKenna (keyboards), these superb musicians pushed rock music to a new level. From 1972 to 1977, they recorded eight albums of progressive, glam and theatre rock that stunned the music industry. With Alex Harvey and Hugh McKenna writing most of the songs, the songs came to life with the brilliant guitar work of Zal Cleminson and the air-tight rhythm section of Chris Glen and Ted McKenna.

After the official breakup of the band in 1978, Alex Harvey went on as a solo artist before his early death in 1982. The other members of the band went on to perform with some of the biggest names in rock music for over twenty-five years. With only a few ‘get-togethers’ over the years, the remaining four members put the classic line up back together in 2005 with a new front man, Max Maxwell. With a small but loyal following, the new Sensational Alex Harvey Band continues to tour and record the early songs to the old and a new generation of SAHBsters.

With the advance of the Internet, both the old and new versions of the band can be seen on many video forums such as youtube.com. It seems the new front man, Max Maxwell, has added an interesting touch to the band Alex Harvey himself did not have. Although Alex Harvey was a brilliant stage performer that combined music and theatre, there was a true separation between the band and the crowd. Harvey seemed to be the performer that created an ‘untouchable’ distance between himself and the audience. Max Maxwell seems to add a unique interaction between himself and the audience and makes each show a very personal experience. The stage performance of this band is an unforgettable experience.

Using the power of the Internet, LAsThePlace.com caught up with the band during rehearsals for their upcoming tour.

Derek Emery for LATP:  The Sensational Alex Harvey Band has over thirty years of a built-in reputation, a repertoire of songs, a cool brand and a small, but loyal, following. Since the music industry has changed so much in the last few years, can the return of SAHB be a profitable venture?

SAHB:  Good question. It’s been difficult, first of all, to find a replacement for Alex and until Max came along it was a struggle. But with Max on board for the last three years, SAHB has gone from strength to strength in terms of image and stage performance. As we like to quote, the SAHB are Sensational again. Financially, the business is as shit as ever…

LATP:   How does the band see the Internet as a positive tool to expand your recognition to a broader audience?
SAHB: We are just beginning to utilize the web as a means to promote SAHB to all our world wide fans. It is certainly the fastest way for any band to expand it’s business. In that sense it has been invaluable in reaching the broader audience you mention.

LATP: Has the band become more aware of its stage presence and quality of each performance because so many pieces of raw footage end up on Youtube.com?

ZC: We are always aware of SAHB’s stage presence and the need for quality. Unfortunately we are at the mercy of the mobile phone and although some footage is interesting it generally lacks quality control.

LATP: Since Alex Harvey was so much against war, do you think he would write a song in protest of the US invasion of Iraq, or would he write a song about the September 11 terrorists who not only killed over three thousand people, but were seen in Florida, just before September 11th, taking pictures of crop dusters, measuring crop dusters and asking pilots how the dispensing apparatus worked; obviously planning mass extermination with chemical weapons?

ZC:  Possibly! He was a lifelong pacifist, although it’s not simply a question of choosing sides in such a political debate. Who does one condemn as being the bad guy in all of this? Alex would probably tell them all that a guitar is far more powerful than a machine gun.

LATP: With bands like the SAHB and the Rolling Stones still touring and recording at what would be considered an older age, do you feel ‘rock and roll’ has its age limitations?

ZC: Not really! If there’s enough fans still alive, why not. And with SAHB we are always picking up new, younger kids who are blown away with the kind of rock theatre they don’t see every day, that’s a bonus…

LATP to Chris Glen: After the breakup of the SAHB in the late 70’s, you went on to play with some of rocks most famous musicians. Do you feel in your heart you were always meant to play with SAHB, or is SAHB just one of the many bands you played with?

Chris Glen:  SAHB was a continuation of Tear Gas and it was a unit, and the whole is more than the sum of the parts. SAHB were also the first band I got gold albums with.
SAHB will always be the favourite band I ever played with and still is…

LATP: Your bass lines in most of the SAHB songs seem to be very well thought out are very prominent in the song structure. Why did you not participate more in the SAHB song writing?

CG: The songs were generally written by Hugh and Alex, and some sounded like pantomime tunes, (only joking Hugh). The band would bring a feel to those songs, and although most of the bass lines were my own, sometimes I would make mistakes and Zal and Alex would say, "that sounds very good." Hugh would give me a hand with some of his major inversions (???), being the most classically trained keyboard player in the band, I would like to thank him very much for that. Also Ted would say, "it’s very good", Alex would say, "leave Chris alone, don’t let him rehearse, he’s quite good on his own."

LATP to Ted Mckenna: Based on your work on "Zalvation" and the current videos posted on the Internet, your drumming sounds more hard hitting today than early SAHB. How do you compare your style today verses your early 1970’s SAHB playing?

Ted Mckenna: Two ways to look at it. The band plays louder than they did back in the 70’s so I have to hit harder. I hit harder in the early 70’s with Tear Gas as they were really loud but I had no drum mikes. Working with Rory Gallagher, Gary Moore and Michael Schenker, who aren’t exactly quiet guitarists, kind of builds you up a bit so, yes I probably do play louder but I can play quiet too you know!

LATP:  Since SAHB came from the early progressive and glam rock days, do you listen to modern drum masters like Virgil Donati or do you listen to older, more traditional, drummers?

TM:  I couldn’t begin to list all the great drummers I’ve listened to over the years both modern and more traditional from Buddy Rich, Joe Morello, Tony Williams, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, wonderful Jeff Hamilton, Ritchie Hayward, "Pretty" Purdy, Elvin Jones, Harvey Mason far too many…then there’s the the rock guys I loved Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker in Cream, Carmine Appice since Vanilla Fudge & Cactus days, he’s the Godfather of Power Rock drumming and the late great "Feel Monster" John Bonham who I had the privilege to meet and play with in 1967 with Robert Plant and the Band of Joy (Pre Zeppelin) and Virgil Donati he’s fantastic. So yes!

LATP to Hugh Mckenna:  Since you were the main song writing partner of Alex Harvey, did he bring the lyrics and melodies to you or did you bring the compositions to him?

Hugh Mckenna:  Alex always brought the lyrics and sometimes he had melodies and sometimes he didn’t, sometimes we worked on them together.

LATP:  Are you currently writing original material for future SAHB recordings?
HM:  Max and me have kicked about a couple of ideas so far and Zal’s writing some new stuff as well…

LATP to Max Maxwell: Alex Harvey was truly a rock legend but came from the early ‘black and white’ days of rock music. You seem to add a tremendous amount of color to the SAHB. Do you feel you have modernized the dinosaurs of rock?

Max Maxwell:  Colour is the new black and white…

LATP:  Your performance on songs like "Framed" and "Boston Tea Party" rival that of Alex Harvey. However, on songs like "Give my Compliments to the Chef", seem to lack the insane energy Alex Harvey had. How do compare yourself to Alex Harvey and how have the fans been to you?

MM:  Insane energy? The fans maybe think I have too much insane energy. The band did not want an Alex Harvey impersonator, so I tried to give it my own particular brand of insane energy. Without being big-headed, they love me…

LATP to Zal Cleminson:  You currently have some musical projects outside of SAHB. Tell us what we can expect next from the guitar God Zal Cleminson?

Zal Cleminson:  I’m rehearsing with a group called OSKURA, a guitar based rock band aiming straight at today’s guitar-based rock market. It’s heavy with a great cross-section of material. The line up is Matt Black (vocals), Jamie Mallender (bass), Buzz Bardot (guitar) and Danny Needham (drums). Things should start happening early next year. But first there’s a new studio album from SAHB called Hail Vibrania to deal with. Much of the material has been written and we will be showcasing a few songs on the December UK tour…

LATP: The early videos of SAHB shows a  huge and beautiful smile behind your clown make-up. Does that smile still exist today or has the rough life of ‘rock and roll’ taken its toll on you?

ZC: The smile does exist, usually only when I get on stage. It’s the shit in between that pisses me off… However, a little angst ridden depression is good for the soul…

www.sahbofficial.co.uk

Band Photo courtesy of Mike Drew