Gone, But Not Forgotten

Alex Harvey : 5th Feb 1935 - 4th Feb 1982 : RIP

Jock Rock #12 : Delight From Dundee

Danny Wilson with Mary's Prayer from the album Meet Danny Wilson.

Possibly the nicest sound to ever come out of Dundee this track is pure aural gold.

Following the break up of the band vocalist Gary Clark went on to have a successful songwriting and production career working with artists such as Natalie Imbruglia and Liz Phair amongst others.



Danny Wilson on Wikipedia

Jock Rock #11 : Jaunty Sideburns From Jordanhill

Del Amitri with Nothing Ever Happens from their album Waking Hours.

Always tuneful the band were most successful at the end of the 80's, early 90's. They also produced a, rather dirge like, anthem for Scotland's World Cup challenge in 1998.

Lead singer Justin Currie has never even been remotely connected with the wonderful Uncle Devil Show album A Terrible Beauty, no sir, no siree bob...



Del Amitri on Wikipedia

Jock Rock #10 : Bluster From Bathgate

Goodbye Mr MacKenzie with The Rattler from their album Good Deeds & Dirty Rags.

Probably most famous for having Shirley Manson on keyboards and vocals, the band also featured Big John ex Exploited. I remember the big fella working at Listen record shop in Renfield Street at one point, and a jolly nice chap he was too.

Whilst Shirley went on to front Garbage, the rest of the band probably spent time collecting it...



Goodbye Mr MacKenzie on Wikipedia

Jock Rock #9 : Punk Power From Dunfermline

The Skids with their classic single 'Into The Valley'.

I saw The Skids supporting The Stranglers at the Glasgow Apollo back in '78 and there was something quite intriguing about them. Richard Jobson wasn't the greatest singer and danced like a spazz but Stuart Adamson was a great guitar player and their songs and sound were different from a lot of other stuff around at that time.



The Skids on Wikipedia

Jock Rock #8 : Electro Pop From Aberdeen

The Shamen with 'Jesus Loves Amerika'.

Formed as an indie rock band in Aberdeen The Shamen took on board influences from the acid house scene to move through Jesus Jones and Pop Will Eat Itself territory to a fully fledged rave sound and the execrable 'Ebeneezer Goode'.



The Shamen on Wikipedia

Jock Rock #7 : Glasgow's Tommy Steele

Alex Harvey was possibly the greatest, most charismatic, front man for a rock band ever, and what a band he fronted!

During the mid 70's The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were one of the best live acts on the circuit, their Christmas gigs at the Glasgow Apollo in 1975 are now legendary (and one of the best concerts I have attended).

I remember seeing this Old Grey Whistle Test performance when it was originally broadcast and I still love it to this day.

Sadly Alex died of a heart attack in 1982, the day before his 47th birthday. He seemed like an old man in a young persons world back then, it is sobering to think that I am that age now...

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band continue to gig to this day and still provide a damn good night out.




The Alex Harvey wikipedia entry

The SAHB Official website

Wade's SAHB site

Jock Rock #6 : The Sunshine Sound Of Castlemilk

The Cosmic Rough Riders with Revolution (In The Summertime?) from the album Enjoy The Melodic Sunshine.

Despite one journalist, at the time of the albums release, claiming them to be "the best band on Earth right now" and a few top 40 singles this band have struggled to achieve more than best newcomer status.



The Cosmic Rough Riders Wikipedia entry

Jock Rock #5 : The Darker Side Of East Kilbride

The Jesus And Mary Chain with April Skies from their second album Darklands.

Formed around the songwriting partnership of the brothers William and Jim Reid the band took The Beach Boys, The Velvet Underground, The Sex Pistols, Duane Eddy and a heaped teaspoon of feedback and put them in a blender.

The result was a dark brooding noise with a pop core, violence, riots at gigs, controversy, a brotherly fall out and finally reconciliation.



The Jesus And Mary Chain Wikipedia entry

Jock Rock #4 : The Lighter Side Of East Kilbride

Aztec Camera with the wonderful Oblivious from the album High Land, Hard Rain (introduced by the incomparable Ivor Cutler)





Aztec Camera on Wikipedia

Jock Rock #3 : The Hair Bear Bunch From Dunfermline

Nazareth with This Flight Tonight from the album Loud'N'Proud.

There was a time during my schooldays where it almost became compulsory to carry a copy of a Nazareth album, usually Razamanaz or Loud'N'Proud, under your arm. The band themselves never quite made it as big as they probably deserved to though they were pretty successful.

A later lineup of the band included ex SAHB guitar maestro Zal Cleminson.

The band are currently involved in some second hand chart action after a riff from their track Hair Of The Dog was sampled by Girls Aloud on the single Sexy! No No No. Bizarre...



Nazareth on Wikipedia

Jock Rock #2 : Otherworldly Sounds From Grangemouth

The Cocteau Twins with Heaven or Las Vegas from the album of the same name.

This is especially for Big Rab who thinks that the Cocteaus are art school pish... nothing could be further from the truth...I don't think they went to art school...

The truth is that The Cocteau Twins have turned out to be extremely influencial. You can hear echoes of their atmospheric soundscapes allied with strange vocalisations in the work of many other bands to this day.



The Cocteaus on Wikipedia.

Jock Rock #1 : If The Byrds Came From Bellshill

A new feature for Friday's, selected clips of some Scotland's contributions to the world of rawk.

Teenage Fanclub with Sparky's Dream from the album Grand Prix...

What's not to love?



For further info see The Fannies entry on wikipedia.