32 comments

• 

  JimmyTheMod

  1 year ago

  thats a great recording with original static ... nice one N.G
  reply
• 

  N.G. MODS

  1 year ago

  Its good to see these Scottish artists getting some recognition after all these years. A lot of good tunes from the 6ts were written here.
  reply
• 

  Charlie

  1 year ago

  Killer tracks from Alex Harvey, way back Alex was known as "Scotlands Answer To Tommy Steele" a young "protege" in the late 50's what a talent he turned out to be, well done N.G Just how good was the 60's Beat Scene,? we can only admire now a lot of people can hear for themselves, We Are The Mods!
  reply
• 

  Charlie

  1 year ago

  Forgot to add Glasgow Mods Putting The Scotlight Back On Scotland! There is more, a lot more to come,we have only just begun.More "gems" ahead, we gotta truck load!
  reply
• 

  Felonious

  1 year ago

  Alex Harvey and his brother Leslie were members of local band the Kinning Park Ramblers and were the focus for one of Scotland's earliest rock'n'roll riots. (The earliest known riot involved the Dallas boys at a party in Queen Margaret Drive see The Sunday Mail for details) Anyway the forward thinking Govan Fair committee of 1958 invited the Ramblers to play an open air concert at Elder Park. 300 people turned up and were that excited by the music the jiving turned into a clod throwing orgy according to the Govan Press. Coincidentally showing that week at the Elder Cinema was Jailhouse Rock.
  
  
  From 1959
  .'The truth is that quite a lot of ordinary, sensible, well-behaved youngsters happen to wear the kind of clothes that some of their elders think outrageous." The style of dress adopted by the Teddy boy was defended in Glasgow by Mr Harald Leslie, Sheriff of Roxburgh,and Berwick. " Why should we criticise youths when they dress in Teddy boy uniforms?" He asked... " Let us remember there is a restlessness with these young people......They have a desire for colour and romance, and God knows where you can get that in the East End of this city." '
  reply
• 

  stevie fae cranhill

  1 year ago

  What a great statement from the Sheriff Leslie! Could be applied exactly to the Glasgow Mods of yesteryear - or any year!
  reply
• 

  Chris C

  1 year ago

  Although I do not know anything about late 50s Glasgow rock n roll, and also am a North Glasgow dude, I would like to think there are some good things about the East End and it is not a stereotype of the Glasgow image of the past. Sheriff watsisname was right about the late 50s youths wanting to have a bit of colour and romance in their lives but why pick out a part of the city that is miles away from Govan where the incident took place the previous year.
  reply
• 

  Felonious

  1 year ago

  Because it is a good quote.
  
  The east end of Glasgow was home to 90% of the city's noxious industries. It was not a pleasant place to live.That's why the Sheriff made the remarks. It is a good quote. The east end as of now is in certain terms a better place to live,. Other east end residents may disagree. I suggest you read Dancing in the Streets by Cliff Hanley to find out more about living in the east end both the good and the bad.
  reply
• 

  Chris C

  1 year ago

  Although I have lived all (well most) of my life in the north of the city my parents and grandparents were from the east end. Although there was a lot of heavy industry in the area, as with most of Glasgow in the 50s and 60s, I do not recall anyone complaining about it. I have actually read numerous books about Glasgow, including one's referring to the east end. It was obviously a tough place, and not particularly pleasant to be in, but the same could be said of most working class parts of the city when you consider that 35% of these houses still had communal toilets, even in 1965.
  reply
• 

  stevie fae cranhill

  1 year ago

  "I have actually read numerous books"
  - Chris C
  
  another great quote!
  reply
• 

  Felonious

  1 year ago

  Chris there is a difference between noxious and heavy. here's a description of some of the activities in Glasgow in 1896
  
  "to enquire into the conditions of work as they affect the health of the operatives in the following industries and processes: india rubber works; paper staining, colouring and enamelling; dry cleaning; basic slag works and the manufacture of silicate cotton; electric generating works; sole-stitching by American machinery; glass polishing; file-cutting; bronzing and metallachrome powder in lithographic works; flour mills; use of converters in metal works; use of steam locomotives in factories; licking of labels for reels in thread mills; use of inflammable paints in shipbuilding yards; galvanized iron works process of dyeing with arsenate of soda; manufacture and use of grindstones and emery wheels; use of lead... in print and dye works; testing of bottles by compressed air; bottling of aerated waters; manufacture of salt; ending and mending in velvet works;" T
  
  A significant number of these activities were to be found in the east end in a concentration that did not occur elsewhere in Glasgow Yes you could find some of these industries in Govan, Gorbals, Anderston etc. and actually people did complain, Chris right up to the late sixties when the various clean air acts were brought in and the industries slowly moved away. It is still a fact that if you're a male and you live in the East End your average life expectancy is 53. It's 69 in Glasgow which is still the lowest of any city in the UK. The East End reference did become a stereotype in Glasgow as much as Gorbals was referred to in the UK however Glaswegians could recognise what the sheriff was meaning.
  
  Given that Davie Marshall is standing down as MP there will be a lot of focus on the East End its history and its current state. In next week's newspapers there will be praise for the people and criticism as well. I suggest you sit down with a bottle of Irn Bru, in a Pilkington glass, a slice of Sunblest with a sausage in a Davro casing decorated with a Gold Star pickle to be followed by a pint of Tennents Light all of which were manufactured at one time in the East End.
  reply
• 

  Chris C

  1 year ago

  Thanks for the piece and sausage suggestion Felonious. I occasionally do like one with a cup of tea. I am not so keen on the pickles though, so I'll leave that part aside.
  
  I suppose I could throw back some of the infant and maternal mortality rates from different parts of the city from different decades of the late 19th and early 20th century, but I now feel we are getting bogged down in all this and it is becoming a bit personal.
  
  If you are up for it, and are out to night I would like to buy you a pint (even tennents) to show that there are no hard feelings.
  
  Cheers mate.
  
  Chris
  reply
• 

  Felonious

  1 year ago

  I'll see you in The Cottage bar or the Lion hotel your choice.
  reply
• 

  Chris C

  1 year ago

  I knew of a few guys that drank in the Cottage, and their description of it does not make me feel like it would be my sort of place. If I am being honest I don't know where the Lion hotel is.
  
  I will be in McChuills about 9'ish. I suppose that may still be classed as the east end, so you could always join me in there. The bad news is (as far as I remember) they don't sell Tennents, so I would have to buy you a pint of something else.
  reply
• 

  N.G. MODS

  1 year ago

  Anybody else here heard much of Alex Harveys early 6ts stuff ? I know i've got his first LP somewhere and a few other 45s. If the interests there I may add a few more tracks !
  reply
• 

  Charlie

  1 year ago

  There is always an interest in this undeniable genius, listen to "The Worksong"
  maybe, just maybe if you listen to The Monkees "
  reply
• 

  Charlie

  1 year ago

  Sorry about comment 16, hit the wrong button,DOH!, if you listen to "Going Down" by The Monkees, sounds similar to Alex Harvey's song, kind a speeded up "The Worksong" same style vocally and "scat" additions, and Jazz feel to it.
  reply
• 

  Chris C

  1 year ago

  Although I have to admit to not having heard much of this stuff NG I do like it, and it would be good to hear more of the same. How many LP and singles do you possess, or have you never counted them ?
  reply
• 

  N.G. MODS

  1 year ago

  Chris its more a case of quality over quantity, I did give Charlie a blast to a few Alex Harvey 45s that i have. I quite enjoy him, its a bit like Rod Stewart in a way, I like the early 6ts stuff, but when we get into the 7ts, not really my cup of tea. I do have a few more Alex Harvey tracks recorded into my PC, but don't know how easy it will be for Jimmy to add them !!!
  reply
• 

  Charlie

  9 months ago

  Alex Harvey is still one of the best "sons of Glasgow" yessiree!!
  reply
• 

  Chris C

  9 months ago

  My god Charlie. Where did that come from after an absence of two months ! Has anyone seen the James Stewart film called 'Harvey.' It has got nothing to do with Alex but it is excellent.
  reply
• 

  N.G. MODS

  9 months ago

  Glad to see your still kicking about Charlie, it will be another day or two before I start your pictures, still getting over from Jackies last batch.
  reply
• 

  Chris C

  9 months ago

  Never mind Charlies pictures, no one is even remotely interested in some East End Mods. What about the James Stewart classic film !
  reply
• 

  Charlie

  9 months ago

  That's just a glimpse of how diverse the Glasgow Mods are Chris,
  I am only beginning to see myself, just how much content is on the
  site, and how good it is to hear Alex Harvey getting the respect he
  deserves, to a whole new audience who only associated him with
  The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
  
  Even his impact on the early Mersey Beat was well overlooked,
  now has been the time too put a little bit of Alex Harvey back
  into the front via N.G's "find". Brilliant N.G!!!
  reply
• 

  Chris C

  9 months ago

  I totally agree with that Charlie. But has no one heard of the classic James Stewart film. I thought you would have known about it NG, since drink is one of its principle themes.
  reply
• 

  N.G. MODS

  9 months ago

  I do have plenty more early Alex Harvey, just don't have the time to do anything about it just now ! Its funny how I can listen to this stuff but when it comes to the SAHB it just ain't my cup of tea.
  reply
• 

  N.G. MODS

  9 months ago

  Harvey its a film from 1950 and James Stewart is in it and its regarded as a comedy.
  
  Hows that ?
  reply
• 

  jackie

  9 months ago

  NG you better do Charlies photo's soon as there's one more batch from me to come.
  reply
• 

  Chris C

  9 months ago

  Well done NG. The film famously features Harvey a 6 foot invisible rabbit who does not actuallt appear until near the end. Everyone thinks James Stewart is imagining it due his drinking, but it is real.
  reply
• 

  N.G. MODS

  9 months ago

  I think ive saw a few wabbits in the last few days haha won wabbit won won won here comes Charlie with his gun gun gun hohoho
  reply
• 

  Chris C

  9 months ago

  I'll bet you saw a few last night after celebrating a Scotland win. Did you manage to get someone in Edinburgh to buy a drink ? And did you hear the one about the offer in the Edinburgh boozer of 1p a pint. It was strangely quiet and the barman asked one of the few people venturing forward why he thought it was so. The guy turned to the barman and replied 'I think they are all waiting for the happy hour ken.'
  reply
• 

  N.G. MODS

  9 months ago

  How does one celebrate two Scotland goals Chris ? I actually got a text from Iceland game last night asking where I was, they were confused when I said Auld Reekie
  reply