ALEX HARVEY, THE LAST OF THE TEENAGE IDOLS, MARCH 18
ALEX HARVEY CAREER-SPANNING COLLECTION THE LAST OF THE TEENAGE IDOLS TO BE RELEASED MARCH 18
14-DISC, 217-TRACK BOX SET FEATURES ALL OF HARVEY’S SOLO ALBUMS, EIGHT ALBUMS RECORDED WITH THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND, SELECTED TRACKS FROM HIS THREE POST-SAHB ALBUMS, PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED SONGS, LIVE SESSIONS, HOME RECORDINGS, RARE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE HARVEY FAMILY ARCHIVE, AND 64-PAGE HARDCOVER BOOK
07 JANUARY 2016 (Toronto, ON) - The Last of the Teenage Idols is the most comprehensive, career spanning collection of the incredible Alex Harvey. To be released on 18th March 2016 via Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company, these 217 tracks over 14 discs represent the ultimate celebration of this enigmatic performer. The Last of the Teenage Idols marks the biggest cross-label collection ever assembled of Alex Harvey’s work and has been fully remastered, with much of the early material from the original master tapes. One of Scotland’s most versatile and loved entertainers, this lavish 10x10 box set is presented in a heavy duty slipcase, with over a third of the tracks being officially released for the first time. As well as the extensive music, it comes complete with a 64-page hardcover book featuring a new essay by Tim Barr, an incredible plethora of previously unseen personal family pictures, as well as personal documentation such as his appeal to be exempt from National Service on the grounds that he was a conscientious objector, and press cuttings - all supplied by his family.
A full ‘The Last of the Teenage Idols’ disc breakdown...
DISC ONE: Alex Harvey and His Soul Band (1963 to 1964)
21 tracks, including for the first time on CD for 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.
DISC TWO: Alex Harvey and His Soul Band – 2nd Album (1964)
19 tracks including the first official release for the long lost second Alex Harvey and His Soul Band album which was also recorded in 1964, plus three tracks recorded at the time that also didn’t find a home on the second album.
DISC THREE: Alex Harvey – The Blues (1964 to 1965)
17 tracks including Alex’s first solo album, The Blues from 1964 and his first 7” single for Fontana, the Northern Soul stomper, Agent Double 00 Soul and the B-side, Go Away Baby.
DISC FOUR: Alex Harvey – Solo / Roman Wall Blues (1966 to 1969)
18 songs including the A-sides and B-sides of the second Fontana 7” single, Work Song and the two Decca 7” singles The Sunday Song and Maybe Some Day, plus Alex’s second solo album, Roman Wall Blues from 1969 and the rare solo demo version of Sensational Alex Harvey Band favourite Harp.
DISC FIVE: Hair Rave Up / Rock Workshop / Solo (1969 to 1972)
17 tracks including four songs from the swinging Hair Rave Up album from 1969. Four songs from the Rock Workshop album featuring Alex on vocals from 1970 and the complete metronome solo LP, The Joker Is Wild from 1972.
DISC SIX: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - FRAMED (1972) – Expanded
15 songs including the debut album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Framed from 1972, the non-album B-side, Harp and five songs recorded live for BBC Radio 1 – In Concert, recorded on 2nd November 1972.
DISC SEVEN: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - NEXT… ( 1973 ) – Expanded
14 songs including the second Sensational Alex Harvey Band album, Next… from 1973 plus five songs from BBC Radio 1 - In Concert - recorded on 2nd November 1972, and two songs recorded for the BBC television program , The Old Grey Whistle Test from December 1973.
DISC EIGHT: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM (1974) – Expanded
13 tracks including the third Sensational Alex Harvey Band album, The Impossible Dream from 1974, expanded to include two songs recorded live at the Ragnarock Festival, Oslo, in 1974 and for the first time on CD, 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, which is a rare historical document and clocks in at a cool 24 minutes.
DISC NINE: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - TOMORROW BELONGS TO ME (1975) - Expanded
14 songs including the fourth Sensational Alex Harvey Band album, Tomorrow Belongs To Me, from 1975 now expanded to include three previously unreleased songs recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon in May 1975 and a version of Give My Compliments To The Chef recorded live on the BBC television program, The Old Grey Whistle Test in May 1975.
DISC TEN: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - LIVE (1975) - Expanded
12 songs including the band’s seminal live album, Live! from 1975, which features their biggest hit single, Delilah, and is expanded with four previously unreleased songs recorded at the same concert at the Hammersmith Odeon and the sensational live recording of ‘Delilah’ recorded for the BBC television program, The Old Grey Whistle Test in May 1975.
DISC ELEVEN: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – The Penthouse Tapes (1976) – Expanded
15 songs including the band’s album of cover-versions, The Penthouse Tapes, from 1976 now expanded with five songs recorded live at the De Montford Hall, Leicester in May 1976 and appearing officially on CD for the first time.
DISC TWELVE: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - SAHB STORIES (1976) - Expanded
11 songs including Sensational Alex Harvey Band penultimate album, SAHB Stories from 1976 and now expanded to include the non-album B-side Satchel and The Scalp Hunter and a performance of The Boston Tea Party from the BBC television program, Top Of The Pops and the extended US version of Amos Moses from the US version of SAHB Stories.
DISC THIRTEEN: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - ROCK DRILL (1977) – Expanded & QUAD
14 songs including the final Sensational Alex Harvey Band album, Rock Drill which has been expanded to include the non-album B-side, Engine Room Boogie and the Sensational Alex Harvey Band rarity, No Complaints Department, which was pulled from the album by Alex at the eleventh hour. Also included are the only three existing songs from Alex’s first post-SAHB band, Quad, recorded for the BBC Radio 1 Alan Freeman show in March 1978.
DISC FOURTEEN: Alex Harvey solo & The New Band (1978 to 1983)
17 tracks including selected highlights from three of Alex’s post-Sensational Alex Harvey Band 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-sides and B-sides from The New Band album, The Mafia Stole My Guitar and finally selected tracks from Alex’s final solo album, The Soldier On The Wall from 1983 including the previously unreleased home demo version of Billy Bolero. As Alex finishes this heart achingly beautiful song, he whistles and fades into the distance giving the impression that he hasn’t really left us but has only gone for a wee wander.