Glasgow-born Alex Harvey's career began in the 1950s when he won a competition to become Scotland's answer to Tommy Steele (he dubbed himself 'Last of the Teenage Idols'). He was a devoted family man but in front of an audience he became an unforgettable entertainer -- charismatic, provocative and intense. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band eventually became one of the most exciting live acts of the 1970s --taking in Jacques Brel, rock and vaudeville. But Harvey's life offstage was beset by tragedy and his own alcoholism: his younger brother, Les, was electrocuted on stage; his manager and friend Billy Fehilly was killed in a plane crash. Eventually with his band in tatters, Alex sank into a sea of alcohol, finally succumbing to a fatal heart attack whilst waiting for a ferry home from a gig in Belgium in 1982, the day before his 47th birthday. "The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were one of the craziest, most honest, most creative and most courageous bands of their time . . . [Harvey] would go to any length to enlighten and to entertain." --NME "Alex was cheeky. Special. Very charismatic. A naughty boy who didn't want to grow up.'" --RICHARD O'BRIEN (Rocky Horror Show) "I would have died to have had Alex Harvey as an uncle." --Robert Smith, The Cure

Glasgow-born Alex Harvey's career began in the 1950s when he won a competition to become Scotland's answer to Tommy Steele (he dubbed himself 'Last of the Teenage Idols'). He was a devoted family man but in front of an audience he became an unforgettable entertainer - courageous, provocative and intense. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band eventually became one of the most exciting live acts of the 1970s, taking in Jacques Brel, rock and vaudeville. But Harvey's life offstage was beset by tragedy and alcoholism: his younger brother, Les, was electrocuted on stage; his manager and friend Billy Fehilly was killed in a plane crash; eventually, with his band in tatters, Alex sank into a sea of alcohol, finally succumbing to a fatal heart attack while waiting for a ferry home from Belgium in 1982, the day before his 47th birthday.

When Alex Harvey died in 1982 he left behind a legacy and a passion which survives to this day - truly cult status. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were the biggest-grossing mid-70s live act in the UK; they released eight critically-acclaimed albums in their five years together; and they inspired many of the top names in pop entertainment over the last 30 years.SAHB Story covers the members' early years and provides a blow-by-blow account of the years 1972-77, illustrated with personal anecdotes and unseen photographs. The revised edition completes the story to date with the reunion that began in 2002 featuring Billy Rankin, leading to acclaimed tours and festival shows with 'Mad' Max Maxwell at the helm. Joe Elliott of Dep Leppard, a long-time fan, has contributed a passionate and heartfelt foreword.This is the only authorised biography of the band, written with the cooperation of Zal Cleminson, Chris Glen, Hugh McKenna and Ted McKenna.

Traces the history of Cleveland's WMMS radio station from 1973 to 1986, exploring how the station helped recreate rockradio and the city of Cleveland by showcasing new, influential musicians and inspiring listeners.

Alex Harvey was active in the music industry from the very birth of British rock and roll. A Zelig-like figure, he won a contest to become Scotland's Tommy Steele in the 1950s, followed the Beatles to Hamburg in the early 1960s, dabbled in psychedelic rock during the Summer of Love, and joined the house band of counterculture musical Hair at the close of the decade. By the time 1972 rolled around, he had been there and done that, but had never made it big. He was 37 years old, and thinking of calling it a day. Also thinking of calling it a day were Scottish hard rockers Tear Gas. They had released two albums, each with a different line-up, none of which set the world alight, and now their singer wanted out. In a last-ditch effort to salvage something, Alex Harvey and Tear Gas's respective managers decided to unite their respective acts. The result was Sensational. This book examines not only the eight albums by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, but also Harvey's earlier work with his Soul Band and solo, and his post-SAHB releases. It also reviews those two Tear Gas albums as well as Fourplay, the album SAHB released without Alex.