It was a dreich afternoon in Edinburgh when I met John Neil Munro to interview him about his Alex biography. We sat in an old-fashioned wee pub and talked our talk, and as people nearby became aware of our subject matter, John Neil’s standing in the pub rose and rose. He ended up with an impressive amount of respect (and drinks) from perfect strangers. I wanted to be like that.
Well, no I didn’t, actually, and still don’t. You couldn’t describe me as an Alex fan. I didn’t meet him, and I’m not convinced I would have liked him. Being magnetically attracted to someone isn’t the same as loving them, and so I can’t promise to have loved Mr Harvey.
I am, however, a SAHB fan. And I’d like to stress the massive difference. There was a magical period of five years, 1972 until 77, when the best frontman in the world performed with the best band in the world. That they – and significantly, he – could not achieve the same successes alone serves to underline how magical those five years were.
Those five years started the day I was born, 29 June 1972. For another coincidence, it’s taken just about five years for this here book to make it into the world. The tale has grown in the telling, and it’’s not the only thing around here.
My respect and understanding for the utterly singular thing that is SAHB has grown. Time and tide just do not get in the way of how these four guys communicate, even if they haven’t seen each other for years. Their bond, and their bond with Alex, is the one and only instance in which the word “awesome” is not hyperbole.
The position of Alex and SAHB in cultural history has grown - there’s been something of a rennaisance. Some of that was me, of course (heh) but the re-release of almost everything the guys ever did has been a major event in everyone’s lives this side of the word processor. Pity about Fourplay, but we live in hope.
The list of major acts they influence; the people willing to talk about the band and its music; the number of younger folk, hearing their dads’ CD remasters, who’ve become fans; all these statistics are on the up too.
So, to repeat what I’ve constantly been saying over the years on the website, this book’s not about Alex. It’s about SAHB, and there’s maybe more of a distinction than a lot of people understand. I hope they’ll find some of what they’re looking for here; but I reckon some people’s Alex isn’t to be found outside their own hearts.
Meanwhile, as a record of what happens when you offer five Glesga boys unlimited power, and they trade it in to be rock’n’roll stars, I’ve tried to make sure it’s a bit more fun than some of the band biogs you get.
Vambo, as I have observed for some time now, still rool.
Martin Kielty, July 2004