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RIP Ted McKenna


Graham56
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OK, so he wasn't a bass player. But he was a damn fine drummer. Died last week at 68 from comp[lications during an operation.

See here

Was the drummer for the Sensational Alex Harvey Band then also for Rory Gallagher, Michael Schenker and others.

The SAHB were a huge part of my teenage years in Scotland - an amazing theatrical rock outfit, but rock-solid under it all.

Graham

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I always loved the fact that when Alex left they became The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (Without Alex).

I spent a lot of time in and around Glasgow in the Seventies and was introduced to the SAHB then. I guess I'm at an age where many of my childhood heroes are dying off.

Time to dig out some old vinyl and reminisce with old friends and a wee dram tonight, I think

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SAHB. one of the best bands of all time. Zal Cleminson, especially, is criminally under-rated.

Bizarrely, I attended an end of tour party for Rory Gallagher in 1978 or thereabouts and was doing the hokey cokey with Rory, Gerry MacAvoy and Ted McKenna at some point in the evening. The specifics are rather lost on me (as you might imagine) but it was a great evening. The tour had ended with a gig at the Marquee in Wardour Street.

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One of my favourite albums was the live Rory Gallagher album Stagestruck. Teds drumming along with Gerry MacAvoy's amazing bass playing were perfect behind Rory. I saw Rory play years later and it was sad. He was a pale shadow of what he was. He was quite clearly drunk and kept disappearing, leaving the band to carry on. Very sad to see.

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1 hour ago, Steve Browning said:

SAHB. one of the best bands of all time. Zal Cleminson, especially, is criminally under-rated.

Bizarrely, I attended an end of tour party for Rory Gallagher in 1978 or thereabouts and was doing the hokey cokey with Rory, Gerry MacAvoy and Ted McKenna at some point in the evening. The specifics are rather lost on me (as you might imagine) but it was a great evening. The tour had ended with a gig at the Marquee in Wardour Street.

That is some memory to have.  Some while back - think it was 1973 - I saw a fledgling SAHB and Uriah Heep on the same bill at an all day bash at the Ally Pally.  Went on to see SAHB another half dozen times over the years, plus SAHB without Alex.  Couldn't agree more about Zal Cleminson, an absolutely one-off creative genius.  I wonder what he is doing now?

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3 hours ago, Paul S said:

That is some memory to have.  Some while back - think it was 1973 - I saw a fledgling SAHB and Uriah Heep on the same bill at an all day bash at the Ally Pally.  Went on to see SAHB another half dozen times over the years, plus SAHB without Alex.  Couldn't agree more about Zal Cleminson, an absolutely one-off creative genius.  I wonder what he is doing now?

He's got a new band - Zal Cleminson's Sin Dogs

 

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Some friends of mine played a festival up in the Orkneys (a gig I have done before) with Ted and became good friends, did a couple of jam sessions and pick-up gigs with him. I was a bit envious to be honest and told them they had to introduce me next time he played around here. Strange to think of how many of my heroes he played with at one time or enough, part of the musical backdrop to my youth and beyond!  

The terrible thing was that he died during a routine hernia operation. Still touring to the end, so not a bad old life. By all accounts a lovely guy and a terrific drummer…

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10 hours ago, el borracho said:

He's got a new band - Zal Cleminson's Sin Dogs

 

OOh yes! Gonna have to check that out.  Delighted to see he is still the showman, still pulling the faces, still got the touch.  Thank you.

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