Alistair Macdonald "Zal" Cleminson (born 4 May 1949) is a Scottish guitarist, best known for his role in the Sensational Alex Harvey Band between 1972 and 1978. He was subsequently a member of Nazareth for three years. In 2017, Cleminson put together a new rock band - /sin'dogs/, which recorded and released a four-song EP and an album, featuring nine original songs. /sin'dogs/ toured Scotland, England and Sweden in the years following.
A self-taught guitarist, influenced by guitarists such as Wes Montgomery and Chuck Berry. During the mid-1960s he joined his first band the Bo-Weavels which performed mainly Tamla Motown & Stax music. In the early 1970s he left the Bo Weavels and joined Glasgow-based band Tear Gas. The line up of Tear Gas were: Andi Mulvey on lead vocals, Zal Cleminson on lead guitar, Eddie Campbell on keyboards, Chris Glen on bass guitar, and Gilson Lavis on drums.
Mulvey had previously sung with local beat group the Poets. After changing from their original name, Mustard, they chose Tear Gas as a variation on the same theme. However, Mulvey was soon replaced by keyboard player and vocalist David Batchelor, and Lavis (who later played with Squeeze) by Richard Monro from Ritchie Blackmore's Mandrake Root. It was this line-up who made their recorded debut with 1970's Piggy Go Getter, an album typical of the time with its extended guitar and keyboard passages. However, they were more playful than some - ‘We were a really loud band. In fact we used to open with Jethro Tull's 'Love Story', which started very softly and the crowd would drift towards the front. Then we'd turn the volume up and blow everyone out of the hall.’ Later in 1970 Hugh McKenna replaced Batchelor while his cousin Ted McKenna (ex-Dream Police) took over from Monro on drums. Itinerant musician Ronnie Leahy also contributed keyboards in Batchelor's absence, though the group were by now living in penury six to a room in Shepherd's Bush, London. A second album was recorded for release on Regal Zonophone Records but again met with a lacklustre response from the critics despite regular touring in an effort to establish themselves. Tear Gas met with an experienced vocalist called Alex Harvey, this was arranged by the Management Company. Harvey joined Tear Gas and the band's name was changed to The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
Kicking off their careers as SAHB in August 1972 they were primarily performing material Harvey already had. By 1973 they adopted distinctive stage costumes: Harvey wore vaudeville-like clothes and his trademark striped shirt, while Cleminson assumed the identity of a "mime" in full make-up and green-yellow jumpsuit and Glen wore a dark blue jumpsuit reminiscent of a superhero costume incorporating a lighter blue codpiece. SAHB produced a succession of highly regarded albums and tours throughout the 1970s. The band did not enjoy large-scale success in the United States as it had in the UK, though they did acquire a cult following in certain US cities, notably Cleveland, where the group first played at the Agora Ballroom in December 1974. Thanks to airplay from WMMS, songs like "Next" and "The Faith Healer" became popular.
In January 1974, the band went into Advision Studios in London with the American producer Shel Talmy to record a third album. By April, the sessions were finished and the album was mixed. However, the band and management had some reservations about the overall sound and decided to scrap the entire album. Talmy returned to Los Angeles with his tapes. Most of the song titles appeared on the official album The Impossible Dream later that year with a different producer, though the songs were dramatically changed.[clarification needed] The original recordings formed an album called Hot City, released in 2009 by Major League Productions.
The SAHB, as they were better known, recorded eight albums in five years and were regarded as one of the biggest-grossing live bands in Europe. They participated in major tours supporting Jethro Tull, Slade, The Who and Frank Zappa. By 1975 they were selling out venues such as The Apollos and their shows there became famous thanks to their Christmas Shows, although these were never filmed. Also in 1975 they released a live album containing the song "Delilah".
The band had top 40 hits in Britain including "Delilah", a cover version of the Tom Jones hit, which reached number seven in 1975. "Delilah" was added to their live set in order for Cleminson, Glen and Harvey to do a dance in the middle of the song. But the record company thought it was a fantastic version, they mixed and released the song without the band's knowledge or permission while they were on tour in America, which required the band to fly back to the UK to perform on Top Of The Pops and shows such as The Old Grey Whistle Test as the song had entered the UK Singles Chart.
The Boston Tea Party was released in June 1976 and the song "Anthem" was a top 30 hit in Australia in 1975.
Harvey left the group late in 1975; the other members continued with the name "SAHB (without Alex)". They recorded a new album, Fourplay, in February 1977. The album steered towards solid pop-rock with progressive influences. Harvey re-joined the group in mid-1977. Constant touring and album releases exhausted the band and keyboardist Hugh McKenna exited after the release of SAHB Stories due to stress. He was replaced with Tommy Eyre, who had worked with Gerry Rafferty prior to this, but at that point the band's chemistry had gone and Harvey's drinking was getting heavier so the band disbanded shortly after the release of their final studio album Rock Drill. Harvey died of heart failure on 4 February 1982 in Belgium.
During the success of SAHB, Cleminson had a distinctive stage presence with SAHB owing to his white-face mime makeup. He started wearing the mime makeup when the band started playing larger venues, so they could see what he was doing on stage easier. Cleminson has said "The mime face came about when I went to Paris to see Marcel Marceau performing and it gave me an idea to have an alter ego and mess around with pulling faces when I played so it gave the audience something to watch and with bigger gigs – more people could see what I was up to".[1]
The Zal Band
When SAHB split up in 1977, the band were still under contract with Mountain Management, preventing them from performing or joining any other band, so the management company decided to change the band name from SAHB to the Zal Band as they felt Cleminson second in popularity and his image was recognisable. The band recruited The Tubes' vocalist Leroi Jones and 19 year old Billy Rankin on guitar, who later played with Nazareth. But the band dissolved when their contract ended. The Zal Band did not record anything although it is said there are live bootlegs of some shows around the circuit.
Once the Zal Band folded, Cleminson worked as a cab driver in and around London to support his wife and young family he had at the time.
Nazareth
In 1979, Cleminson joined Nazareth[2] and recorded two albums with them, 1979's No Mean City and 1980's Malice in Wonderland. Cleminson was part of the band for three years.
Tandoori Cassette
Tandoori Cassette was an early 1980s short-lived rock band formed by Cleminson and Barriemore Barlow after leaving Jethro Tull in 1980, with Charlie Tumahai from Bebop Deluxe on bass, and Ronnie Leahy from Stone the Crows on keyboards. They recorded an EP called Angel Talk but disbanded shortly after.
Elkie Brooks
Zal Cleminson in Elkie Brooks band 1983
Cleminson was a regular guitarist with singer Elkie Brooks on many of her tours throughout the 1980s. He wrote and played on Brooks' album Minutes as well as one track on No More the Fool.
Midge Ure
Cleminson toured with Midge Ure on his Gift World Tour 1985.
When the session work decreased, Cleminson returned to day-to-day jobs including as a computer consultant and reading electric meters.
The Party Boys
During the 1990s Cleminson played with The Party Boys, a casual band formed by SAHB drummer Ted McKenna. The concept was the band would be a 'super group' who would be able to change members and vocalists at various times, featured former Marillion vocalist Fish and Nazareth's Dan McCafferty and Billy Rankin as vocalists. This project slowly weaved into a reformed version of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band with another permanent vocalist.
1990s
SAHB official reformed in 1993, with Zero Zero vocalist Stevie Doherty where they enjoyed relative success touring in the UK and Europe, performing at various festivals such as the Tarlair Music Festival as well as recording a live album titled Live in Glasgow 93 which was recorded in Minstrels. This line up of SAHB disbanded shortly after this and Cleminson decided to take time out.
SAHB reborn
In 2002, SAHB reformed briefly with ex-Nazareth guitarist Billy Rankin on vocals for a tribute concert held to Frankie Miller at the Barrowlands, Glasgow which demonstrated that there was still an audience and a diehard following for SAHB and their music. They also performed at the King Tuts venue in Glasgow where a popular bootleg of the gig was recorded but again disbanded shortly after before reuniting two years later.
SAHB in the 21st century
In 2004, SAHB reunited for the last time. They returned to their 1970s style, but with a heavier and grungier approach which included Cleminson bringing back the iconic make-up. This time it was a different look, more Brandon Lee's Crow with black sunglasses. The band needed someone who was not just a rock vocalist, but someone who could perform in the same way Harvey did so they auditioned Max Maxwell who was mostly known as a dancer on Top Of The Pops, but also had a reputation in and around Glasgow with bands such as Edith & The Ladies and The.[clarification needed] They toured and released a live album Zalvation: Live In The 21st Century in 2005. The tour was initially a farewell but due to its popularity, they continued, with tours and festivals between 2004 and 2008 including Sweden Rock Festival, Wickerman Festival, USC Festival, and a mini-tour of Australia in 2007.
In 2006, he appeared in his début acting role as Wilson in the western film A Shot in the West, for which he wrote the theme music.
Ze Suicide and Oskura
As well as performing with SAHB, Cleminson was a member of the now-disbanded outfits Ze Suicide and Oskura. But these projects did not succeed. Cleminson appeared on the promotional photo shoots for both bands.
Retirement
In early 2008, Cleminson announced his retirement from the music industry and stated he would never perform live again. His last spell with SAHB he felt he was becoming a tribute to himself as he wanted the band to progress and write new material but according to him the band were less than enthusiastic about the whole prospect.
Return
Cleminson decided to move to Cyprus with partner Rachel, and during his time there he suffered from depression and anxiety, so he bought a cheap acoustic guitar to use as a form of therapy and soon developed ideas for what would initially be his first solo album. Around 2016, Cleminson was collaborating with Alan Mair on a project called Electric Brae and some of his initial ideas were used for that, but he disliked how some of the songs sounded and decided to go in another direction.
The Evolution of /sin'dogs/
Cleminson knew of a keyboardist from Glasgow, David Cowan, who he knew was in an Alex Harvey tribute band called The SAHB Experience and he had attended some of their shows and was impressed by their musicianship and attention to detail. He contacted Cowan and asked if he was interested in collaborating with him on the material and ideas he had. Cowan was also a friend with SAHB drummer Ted McKenna, as he was his student while attending North Glasgow College, and as an added bonus had also been a band member of SAHB bassist Chris Glen's band The Outfit.
Cleminson believed Cowan could help him recover and unleash his not yet seen side of hard-edged, industrial rock. Cleminson always advised in interviews that with sin'dogs he had come full circle and playing music he instinctively played and that he was back to his roots in Tear Gas.
As the material neared completion, Cleminson and Cowan thought these songs would sound great live and they toyed with the idea of forming a band to perform them. They organised a few rehearsals with the band and sin'dogs were born.
Not all members of The SAHB Experience were able to do it as vocalist Andy Massie had a full-time job, as did drummer Chris Killen, so they brought in experienced drummer Scott Cowie (who was also taught by Ted McKenna) and Cleminson decided to be both guitarist and lead singer. The band performed their first mini-UK tour at the end of 2017 and recorded their first self-titled EP. This was followed by an extensive UK tour in 2018 and time in the studio to record their debut album titled VOL.1. The band also made appearances at some major festivals which included Cropredy, Sweden Rock Festival, A New Day Festival, and Cambridge Rock Festival. They also performed a sell-out show at the Barrowlands Ballroom supporting Mott The Hoople. In 2018, Cowie decided to leave the band to concentrate on his day job and career as a college lecturer and was replaced by Louie Malvessi. In November 2018, Malvessi decided to leave to focus on his session work. He was then replaced by Carlos Marin.
End of the road for /sin'dogs/
Around October 2019, Cleminson announced via social media that he was leaving sin'dogs. The remaining members of /sin'dogs/ moved on to other projects. Keyboardist David Cowan formed his own band, The Meissner Effect, and continues to tour with The SAHB Experience alongside bassist Nelson McFarlane and has recently released his second solo album Identity: Out Of The Dark Part 2. Drummer Carlos Marin briefly joined rock outfit Gin Annie, before leaving and forming his own band Humanity Deluxe, who have also recorded their first studio album and were gigging throughout the UK.
Orphans Of The Ash
Since the demise of the band in October 2019, Cleminson and Willie worked together on a new project 'Orphans Of The Ash' and have released a studio album in November 2022 titled Ellipsis. Plans are currently in place for Orphans Of The Ash to begin working on their second album which is yet to be titled. The album Ellipsis was released on 29 November 2022.[3]
Cleminson is referenced in the novel The Sacred Art of Stealing, by the Scottish author Christopher Brookmyre, as the basis of the disguises worn by bank robbers during a heist, and inspired the name of the character Zal Innez.
Guthrie Govan has cited Cleminson as one of his most important influences and considers him to have been "his Jimmy Page" in his early guitar development.[4]
Related Research Articles
Alexander James Harvey was a Scottish rock and blues musician. Although his career spanned almost three decades, he is best remembered as the frontman of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, with whom he built a reputation as an exciting live performer during the era of glam rock in the 1970s.
Nazareth are a Scottish hard rock band formed in Dunfermline in 1968 that had many hit singles and albums in Canada, the United Kingdom, and a number of other European countries beginning in the early 1970s. The breadth of their popularity expanded internationally, including in the United States, with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog, which featured their hits "Hair of the Dog" and a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts". They have continued to record and tour internationally for more than 50 years.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1972. Fronted by Alex Harvey accompanied by Zal Cleminson on guitar, bassist Chris Glen, keyboard player Hugh McKenna and drummer Ted McKenna, their music was a blend of blues rock and hard rock, with cabaret elements. Their stage performances incorporated theatrical elements. The band were popular in continental Europe, and influential in Australia, most notably on AC/DC and on the young Nick Cave and his first band The Boys Next Door.
Songs from the Mirror is the third solo album by Scottish singer-songwriter Fish, released in 1993 as his final album for Polydor. It does not contain any original material; instead it is a cover album featuring Fish's versions of songs by artists who inspired him before his career started. It reached 46 on the UK Albums Chart.
No Mean City is the tenth studio album by the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth, released in 1979. The album title comes from the 1935 novel No Mean City and features artwork illustrated by Rodney Matthews. With this record the band's sound was heavier, considering the addition of guitarist Zal Cleminson of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. It sold very well at the time, with the main single "Star", preceded by "Whatever You Want Babe". The popularity of the album allowed the band to play with several big names such as Thin Lizzy, on their 1978/79 tour. It was their first album since their second release, Exercises in 1972, not to contain at least one cover version.
Malice in Wonderland is the eleventh studio album by Scottish hard rock band Nazareth, released in January 1980. After the heavy lurch of the previous album, the band chose to follow a more commercial path and the album produced the hit singles "Holiday" and "Heart's Grown Cold". This is the second and last studio album to feature guitarist Zal Cleminson of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band as a member of the band.
Ronald Leahy is a Scottish keyboard player best known for his work with Jack Bruce, Jon Anderson, Steve Howe on his second solo album and Nazareth. He first gained recognition as keyboardist in the second line-up of Scottish band Stone the Crows. He also played in White Trash with whom he published four singles in 1969. This band was formed by Fraser Watson on guitar, Ian McMillan on bass and vocals, Ronnie Leahy on keyboards and drummer Timi Donald.
Alan Mair is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer.
Framed is the 1972 debut album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. The title track is a cover of a Leiber and Stoller song originally recorded by The Robins. Other tracks include a cover of the Willie Dixon song "I Just Want to Make Love to You", originally performed by Muddy Waters. Both of these songs had appeared on Alex Harvey recordings as far back as the 1963 live recording from Hamburg, released in 1964 as "Alex Harvey and His Soul Band". "Hammer Song" and "Midnight Moses" are two Harvey originals that first appeared on his solo LP Roman Wall Blues in 1969. "Hole In Her Stocking" had been recorded by Alex Harvey in 1970 on the Rock Workshop eponymous release of the same year.
The Impossible Dream was the third album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, released October 4, 1974. The album was released separately on CD but can be hard to find; however, the CD is widely available on a 2-in-1 album, the other album being Tomorrow Belongs to Me. It was the band's first release to chart, peaking at No. 16 on the UK Album Chart. "Anthem" was the last single released by SAHB in the U.S.
Live was the first live record by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, released in 1975. It features a cover version of the Tom Jones song "Delilah". Donald A. Guarisco of AllMusic writes "Live is a double-triumph for the Sensational Alex Harvey Band because it functions both as a strong live souvenir for the group's fans and also as a solid introduction to the group's highlights for the novice".
Tomorrow Belongs to Me is the fourth studio album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. It was released in 1975 on Vertigo Records. While no A-side singles were released from this album, three compositions were used as B-sides to other SAHB singles: "Soul in Chains", as a live version taken from the subsequent tour, "Shake That Thing" and "Snake Bite". The album's title track was a cover of a key song in the 1966 musical Cabaret and its 1972 film adaptation.
The Penthouse Tapes is the fifth studio album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Unlike previous releases comprising predominantly original compositions.The Penthouse Tapes consists largely of covers, ranging from The Osmonds' "Crazy Horses" and Alice Cooper's "School's Out" to Lead Belly's "Goodnight Irene". Of the three originals, "I Wanna Have You Back" and "Jungle Jenny" open side one; a third, "Say You're Mine", was written by Alex Harvey and appears on side two. The album was released in 1976 on Vertigo Records.
SAHB Stories is the sixth studio album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, released in 1976. It features their hit single "Boston Tea Party", as well as a cover of the Jerry Reed song, "Amos Moses". Harvey left the band shortly after this album was released, but returned in 1977. The album was re-released in 1984 on the Sahara Records label.
Fourplay is the seventh studio album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and the first of the group's albums to be made without Alex Harvey: the band was identified as "SAHB " on the album cover. Harvey had quit the group and was recording another album called Alex Harvey Presents: The Loch Ness Monster at the time. Most of the group had recorded two albums under the name Tear Gas in the early 1970s, and John Neil Munro states in his 2002 book The Sensational Alex Harvey that they had been planning to record without Harvey for at least a year prior to the split. Harvey helped to select songs for the album and contributed some production assistance. Some songs, such as "Smouldering" and "Outer Boogie" had been road-tested by the group during portions of shows for their 1976 tour of Europe during which Harvey was required to rest. In 2004, Ted McKenna told John Clarkson:
Rock Drill is the eighth studio album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, which was released in Europe in 1977 and in the UK in 1978. The album includes Tommy Eyre on keyboards; the band's original keyboardist Hugh McKenna was absent due to an internal dispute - however, three songs from the album are co-credited to him. McKenna has since recorded his regrets at the dispute, given what lay ahead in the next five years.
Zalvation: Live In The 21st Century is a live album, released in 2006, which served as a The Sensational Alex Harvey Band reunion notwithstanding that Harvey himself had died in 1982. This was the third SAHB album to be made without Alex Harvey, the others being the band's seventh studio album, Fourplay and another reunion album Live in Glasgow 1993. This album features Max Maxwell on vocals, and sees the return of Hugh McKenna to the band, his last appearance being on the Fourplay album, for which he had been vocalist. The album commemorated a reunion tour, but was also intended as a farewell tour; however the tour had been so successful that the band decided to continue. The album release contains 2 CDs and comprises new versions of songs written or covered by the original SAHB. Although four fifths of the group on Zalvation were responsible for 1977's SAHB album Fourplay, no songs from this album are included.
Christopher John Glen, known simply as Chris Glen, is a Scottish rock musician. He is best known for playing with The Sensational Alex Harvey Band from 1972 to 1977, and The Michael Schenker Group from 1980 to 1984, 2008 to 2010, and 2016 to 2020. He also performed with Michael Schenker Fest, featuring original MSG band members.
Edward McKenna was a Scottish drummer who played with The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Rory Gallagher, The Greg Lake Band, and The Michael Schenker Group. He also toured with Ian Gillan for a short period of time in 1990, alongside fellow former SAHB member, bassist Chris Glen. He lectured in Applied Arts at North Glasgow College from 1996 to 2011.
William Rankin is a Scottish guitarist active in the 1980s and 1990s. Best known for his work with Nazareth, he also had a successful solo career, including a US hit single "Baby Come Back". Rankin was part of multimedia group "Team Rock" prior to it going into administration in 2016.
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