Book description
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 (SAHB) 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, from Robert Smith to Nick Cave;
from Billy Connolly to Richard O'Brien. In 1972 a former teenage idol,
Alex Harvey, joined Scotland's loudest rock group to form The
Sensational Alex Harvey Band. As early pioneers of punk and glitter,
they caused a sensation at live gigs and became one of the strongest
artistic forces in popular music at the time. SAHB Story (based on the
title of the band's fifth album) is the definitive biography of
Scotland's most influential artists. It follows Alex's first outing as
a 50s pop star then a 60s soul star, and at the end of the decade
picks up the rest of the band as legendary too-loud prog-rockers Tear
Gas. The mainstay of the book is a blow-by-blow account of the SAHB
years 1972-77, illustrated with personal anecdotes and
never-before-seen photographs. The career of each artist is followed
into the 80s, after Alex died on tour at the age of 47. SAHB Story
completes the band's history with the comeback of 2002-2004. This is
the first authorised biography of the band written by journalist
Martin Kielty with the approval and cooperation of Zal Cleminson,
Chris Glen, and Hugh and Ted McKenna.
Martin Kielty has worked with SAHB since the early 90s and is
now the band's manager. He's played in and managed bands since he left
school. He's a multimedia journalist with 10 years' national newspaper
experience, writing for a wide range of publications about Scottish
music, Scottish history and culture.
