Boxing Clever: The Sensational Alex Harvey
Best known for his work fronting The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Glaswegian rock icon Alex Harvey enjoyed a dizzingly varied career before his tragically early death in 1982. With roots in soul, blues and rock’n’roll, Harvey imbued his music with an attention-grabbing theatricality – as so memorably captured on his Old Grey Whistle Test performance of ‘Next’ in 1973.
So unique is Harvey’s music that it’s long been impossible to distill his discography into a one-size-fits-all release… Which is why The Last Of The Teenage Idols, the most comprehensive career-spanning collection of Alex Harvey material ever compiled, runs to 14 discs and 217 tracks (over a third of which have never been officially released before). Released on 18 March, it covers Harvey’s early 60s efforts with His Soul Band (among them an unreleased second album, recorded in 1964), through to solo efforts The Blues and Roman Wall Blues, recordings with Rock Workshop, plus his iconic Sensational Alex Harvey Band outings and post-SAHB New Band recordings. With such a wealth of material, The Last Of The Teenage Idols is set to be the last word in Alex Harvey archival projects.
No description can fully do justice to such an ambitious project, but scroll down and let the tracklisting speak for itself. It goes without saying that such expansive an collection receives suitably lavish treatment: the box set comes housed in a hard slipcase and boasts a 64-page hardcover book with an in-depth essay written by Tim Barr, along with previously unseen photographs from the Harvey family archive, plus a wealth of other Harvey paraphernalia.
Pre-order uDiscover’s limited-edition exclusive T-shirt bundle below. You’ll be giving your compliments to the compilers once you receive it.
Disc One
Alex Harvey And His Soul Band: Alex Harvey And His Soul Band (1963-64)
Including, for the first time on CD, the debut album by Alex Harvey And His Soul Band, plus three previously unreleased songs recorded in May 1964 with Alex’s brother Leslie Harvey, and two songs from the legendary Decca album, Everything’s Alright With Isabella Bond, recorded live at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg in 1964.
Tracklist:
‘What’s Wrong With Me Baby?’
‘The Liverpool Scene’
‘Going Back To Birmingham’
‘Jailhouse Rock’
‘Framed’
‘I Ain’t Worrying Baby’
‘Backwater Blue’
‘Let The Good Times Roll’
‘Going Home’
‘I’ve Got My Mojo Working’
‘Teensville USA’
‘New Orleans’
‘Bo Diddley Is A Gun Slinger’
‘When I Grow Too Old To Rock’
‘Evil Hearted Man’
‘I Just Wanna Make Love To You’
‘The Blind Man’
‘Reeling And Rocking’
‘Lord Randall’
‘Born With The Blues’
‘House Of The Rising Sun’
Disc Two
Alex Harvey And His Soul Band: 2nd Album (1964)
The first official release for the long-lost second Alex Harvey And His Soul Band album, plus three tracks recorded at the time that never found a home.
Tracklist:
‘Shout’
‘Sticks And Stones’
‘Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby’
‘Long Long Gone’
‘Penicillin Blues’
‘Shakin’ All Over’
‘Outskirts Of Town’
‘Tutti Frutti’
‘My Kind Of Lovin’’
‘Parchman Farm’
‘Ten A Penny’
‘Canoe Song’
‘You Ain’t No Good To Me’
‘You’ve Put A Spell On Me’
‘Hoochie Coochie Man’
‘Elevator Rock’
‘You Are My Sunshine’
‘Ain’t That Just Too Bad’
‘The Little Boy Who Santa Claus Forgot’
Disc Three
Alex Harvey: The Blues (1964-65)
Including Harvey’s first solo album, 1964’s The Blues, and his first 7” single for Fontana, the Northern soul stomper ‘Agent Double-O-Soul’, backed with ‘Go Away Baby’.
Tracklist:
‘Trouble In Mind’
‘Honey Bee’
‘I Learned About Woman’
‘Danger Zone’
‘The Riddle Song’
‘Waltzing Matilda’
‘TB Blues’
‘The Big Rock Candy Mountain’
‘The Michigan Massacre’
‘No Peace’
‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out’
‘St James Infirmary’
‘Strange Fruit’
‘Kisses Sweeter Than Wine’
‘Good God Almighty’
‘Agent Double-O-Soul’
‘Go Away Baby’
Disc Four
Alex Harvey: Roman Wall Blues (1966-69)
Comprising the A- and B-sides of Harvey’s second Fontana 7” single, ‘Work Song’, and the two Decca 7” s ‘The Sunday Song’ and ‘Maybe Some Day’, plus Harvey’s second solo album, 1969’s Roman Wall Blues, and the rare solo demo of the later Sensational Alex Harvey Band favourite, ‘Harp’.
Tracklist:
‘Work Song’
‘I Can Do Without You’
‘The Sunday Song’
‘Horizons’
‘Maybe Someday’
‘Curtains For My Baby’
‘Midnight Moses’
‘Hello LA Bye Bye Birmingham’
‘Broken Hearted Fairytale’
‘Donna’
‘Roman Wall Blues’
‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’
‘Hammer Song’
‘Let My Bluebird Sing’
‘Maxine’
‘Down At Bart’s Place’
‘Candy
‘Harp (Demo)’
Disc Five
Various: Hair Rave Up, Rock Workshop, The Joker Is Wild (1969-72)
Featuring four songs from the Hair Rave Up album from 1969, four songs from the 1970 Rock Workshop album (featuring Harvey on vocals) and the complete solo LP, 1972’s The Joker Is Wild.
Tracklist:
‘Hair’
‘Royal International Love-In’
‘Bond Street Baby’
‘Birthday’
‘Ice Cold’
‘You To Lose’
‘Hole In Her Stocking’
‘Wade In The Water’
‘Born In The City’
‘The Joker Is Wild’
‘Penicillin Blues’
‘I Just Want To Make Love To You’
‘I’m Just A Man’
‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’
‘Silhouette And Shadow’
Disc Six
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: Framed (1972)
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s debut album is bolstered by the non-album B-side, ‘Harp’, and five songs recorded live on 2 November 1972 for BBC Radio 1 In Concert.
Tracklist:
‘Framed’
‘Hammer Song’
‘Midnight Moses’
‘Isobel Goudie’
‘Buff’s Bar Blues’
‘I Just Want To Make Love To You’
‘Hole In Her Stocking’
‘There’s No Lights On The Christmas Tree Mother, They’re Burning Big Louie Tonight’
‘St Anthony’
‘Harp’ (Live)
‘Midnight Moses’ (Live)
‘St Anthony’ (Live)
‘Framed’ (Live)
‘There’s No Lights On The Christmas Tree Mother, They’re Burning Big Louie Tonight’ (Live)
‘Hole In Her Stocking’ (Live)
Disc Seven
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: Next… (1973)
SAHB’s second album, Next…, from 1973, plus five songs from BBC Radio 1 In Concert (recorded on 2 November 1972) and two songs recorded for BBC TV’s The Old Grey Whistle Test in December 1973.
Tracklist:
‘Swampsnake’
‘Gang Bang’
‘The Faith Healer’
‘Giddy-Up-A-Ding-Dong’
‘Next’
‘Vambo Marble Eye’
‘The Last Of The Teenage Idols’
‘The Faith Healer’ (Live)
‘Midnight Moses’ (Live)
‘Gang Bang’ (Live)
‘The Last of The Teenage Idols’ (Live)
‘Giddy Up A Ding Dong’ (Live)
‘Next’ (Live)
‘The Faith Healer’ (Live)
Disc Eight
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: The Impossible Dream (1974)
The third Sensational Alex Harvey Band album, The Impossible Dream, is expanded to include two songs recorded live at the Ragnarock Festival, Oslo, in 1974. Also included, for the first time on CD, is the spoken-word portion of the legendary promo-only album, Alex Harvey Talks About Everything: An In Depth Session With Alex Harvey Of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a rare historical document running to 24 minutes.
Tracklist:
‘The Hot City Symphony, Part One: Vambo’
‘The Hot City Symphony, Part Two: The Man In The Jar’’
‘River Of Love’
‘Long Hair Music’
‘Hey’
‘Sgt Fury’
‘Weights Made Of Lead’
‘Money Honey/Impossible Dream’
‘Tomahawk Kid’
‘Anthem’
‘Faith Healer’ (Live)
‘Giddy Up-A-Ding-Dong’ (Live)
‘Alex Harvey Talks About Everything: An In depth Session With Alex Harvey Of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’
Disc Nine
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: Tomorrow Belongs To Me (1975)
SAHB’s fourth album is bolstered with three previously unreleased songs recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon in May 1975, plus a version of ‘Give My Compliments To The Chef’, taken from the band’s appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test in May 1975.
Tracklist:
‘Action Strasse’
‘Snake Bite’
‘Soul In Chains’
‘The Tale Of The Giant Stone Eater’
‘Ribs And Balls’
‘Give My Compliments To The Chef’
‘Sharks Teeth’
‘Shake That Thing’
‘Tomorrow Belongs To Me’
‘To Be Continued’
‘Give My Compliments To The Chef’ (Live)
‘Action Strasse’ (Live)
‘Soul In Chains’ (Live)
‘Tale Of The Giant Stone Eater’ (Live)
Disc Ten
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: Live (1975)
The band’s seminal live album, 1975’s Live, features their biggest hit single, ‘Delilah’, and is here expanded with four previously unreleased songs recorded at the same Hammersmith Odeon date, along with a stand-out live recording of ‘Delilah’, taken from the SAHB’s May 1975 appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test.
Tracklist:
‘Fanfare’
‘Faith Healer’
‘Tomahawk Kid’
‘Vambo’
‘Give My Compliments To The Chef’
‘Delilah’
‘Framed’
‘Sgt Fury’
‘Gang Bang’
‘Midnight Moses’
‘Tomorrow Belongs To Me’
‘Delilah’
Disc Eleven
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: The Penthouse Tapes (1976)
An expanded version of the band’s 1976 covers album includes five songs recorded live at the De Montford Hall, Leicester, in May 1976, appearing officially on CD for the first time.
Tracklist:
‘I Wanna Have You Back’
‘Jungle Jenny’
‘Runaway’
‘Love Story’
‘School’s Out’
‘Goodnight Irene’
‘Say You’re Mine (Every Cowboy Song)’
‘Gamblin’ Bar Room Blues’
‘Crazy Horses’
‘Cheek To Cheek’
‘The Tomahawk Kid’ (Live)
‘Isobel Goudie’ (Live)
‘Dance To Your Daddy’ (Live)
‘Framed’ (Live)
‘The Boston Tea Party’ (Live)
Disc Twelve
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: SAHB Stories (1976)
SAHB’s penultimate album, 1976’s SAHB Stories, is expanded to include the non-album B-side ‘Satchel And The Scalp Hunter’ and a live performance of ‘The Boston Tea Party’ (the latter taken from Top Of The Pops), along with the extended version of ‘Amos Moses’, from the US edition of SAHB Stories.
Tracklist:
‘Dance To Your Daddy’
‘Amos Moses’
‘Jungle Rub Out’
‘Sirocco’
‘Boston Tea Party’
‘Sultan’s Choice’
‘$25 For A Massage’
‘Dogs Of War’
‘Satchel And The Scalp Hunter’
‘Boston Tea Party’ (Live)
‘Amos Moses’
Disc Thirteen
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: Rock Drill (1977)
The non-album B-side ‘Engine Room Boogie’ and SAHB rarity ‘No Complaints Department’ are added to Rock Drill (the latter having been pulled from the album at the 11th hour). Also included are the only three existing songs from Alex’s first post-SAHB band, Quad, recorded for Alan Freeman’s BBC Radio 1 show in March 1978.
Tracklist:
‘Rock Drill’
‘The Dolphins’
‘Rock’n’Roll’
‘King Kong’
‘Booids’
‘Who Murdered Sex?’
‘Nightmare City’
‘Water Beastie’
‘Mrs Blackhouse’
‘No Complaints Department’
‘Engine Room Boogie’
‘King Kong’ (Live)
‘Midnight Moses’ (Live)
‘Rock’n’Rool’ (Live)
Disc Fourteen
Alex Harvey Solo/The New Band (1978-83)
Selected highlights from three of Harvey’s post-SAHB albums: Alex Harvey Presents The Loch Ness Monster (featuring an introduction by Richard O’Brien of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame); key album and non-album A- and B-sides from The New Band LP, The Mafia Stole My Guitar; and selected tracks from Alex’s final solo album, 1983’s The Soldier On The Wall, including a previously unreleased home demo recording of ‘Billy Bolero’.
Tracklist:
‘Introduction (Richard O’Brien)’
‘Mrs Grant Of Invermorriston’
‘Billy Kennedy’
‘I Love Monsters Too’
‘Back In The Depot’
‘The Mafia Stole My Guitar’
‘Shakin’ All Over’
‘The Whalers (Thar She Blows)’
‘Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody’
‘Wake Up Davis (Sings The Oil Man Boogie)’
‘(Big Tree) Small Axe’
‘Mitzi’
‘Snowshoes Thompson’
‘Roman Wall Blues’
‘The Poet and I’
‘Carry The Water’
‘Billy Bolero (Home Demo)’
UK English
