Chris Glen

Chris Glen
Chris Glen in 2007.
Background information
Birth name Christopher John Glen
Born (1950-11-06) November 6, 1950
Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Origin Glasgow, Scotland
Genres Rock music
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Bass guitar
Years active 1969–present
Labels Vertigo, Polygram
Associated acts Chris Glen and the Outfit, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, The Michael Schenker Group, The Party Boys, Tear Gas, The Jade, Cafe Jacques, Chris Slade's Timeline, Votadini, GMT, John Martyn.
Website http://www.chrisglen.co.uk/

Christopher John Glen (born 6 November 1950), 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 1978, and Michael Schenker Group from 1980 to 1984, 2008 to 2010. He currently performs with Michael Schenker Fest; featuring original MSG band members.


Early career and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Glen began his career as bassist for a band known as The Jade in 1969. That band changed their name to Mustard, which eventually was composed of Eddie Campbell (keyboards), Zal Cleminson (guitar), Chris Glen (bass, vocals), Gilson Lavis (drums) and Andi Mulvey (vocals). After changing their name to Tear Gas, Mulvey was replaced by David Batchelor, and Lavis was replaced by Richard Munro. This lineup recorded their first album Piggy Go Getter in 1970. Eventually another personnel change saw Campbell leave and Ted McKenna and his cousin Hugh McKenna take over for Munro and Batchelor (who went on to produce several SAHB albums). They recorded a second album Tear Gas in 1971.[1] Neither album sold well.

In 1972, fellow Scotsman Alex Harvey joined forces with Tear Gas and together they formed The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. They played with the lineup of Harvey, Cleminson, Glen and the McKennas until a personnel change in 1978 which saw Hugh McKenna replaced by Tommy Eyre. Harvey who had left briefly in 1977, left the band for good in 1979. The band disbanded after that, only to be reformed in the early 1990s.

With GMT and Ian Gillan

Glen has performed with Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy), Robin McAuley and Phil Taylor in a band called GMT (GLEN/MCAULEY/TAYLOR), and they recorded an album in 1985 titled Wargames. He also toured with Ian Gillan in 1990 for the Naked Thunder World Tour alongside fellow SAHB band member, Ted McKenna.

With The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

In 1992, Glen teamed up with former SAHB members Zal Cleminson & Ted McKenna to form The Party Boys which featured guest vocalists such as FISH, Dan McCafferty, and Stevie Doherty with Stone The Crows keyboardist Ronnie Leahy. This band lasted about 2 years before they decided to recruit SAHB keyboard player Hugh McKenna, and reform as SAHB, and also release a live album Live in Glasgow 93 featuring Stevie Doherty on vocals. This line-up of SAHB disbanded in 1995, before reforming in 2002 for a tribute night to Frankie Miller at The Barrowlands in Glasgow with ex Nazareth guitarist Billy Rankin on vocals. After a year 'Mad' Max Maxwell replaced Rankin on vocals.

SAHB released a live album titled Zalvation, which was their first official release since Rock Drill with Alex Harvey in 1977, and an Autobiography called SAHBSTORY, written by former tour manager and author Martin Keilty. The band performed numerous tours and festivals across the UK, Europe, and Australia before once again disbanding in 2008 after the departure of Zal Cleminson on guitar. The band carried out a handful of shows that were pre-booked with guitarist Julian Hutson Saxby but after that, they decided to move on to separate projects.

Recent activity

Since 2008, Glen has been involved with his own band Chris Glen and the Outfit. He also re-joined The Michael Schenker Group (MSG) with Ted McKenna from 2008—2010 to promote his album, In the Midst of Beauty. This was his first tour with MSG since he left in 1984. He also performed on two tracks on Michael Schenker's latest album Temple Of Rock in 2012.

Glen and Ted McKenna worked with Australian guitarist Gwyn Ashton, and Newcastle guitarist Paul Rose on an album called Prohibition in 2004.

He is a band member in reformed 70's band Cafe Jacques, 3 piece project Votadini, and in early 2013, he toured with former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade for his 50th Anniversary in music tour called Chris Slade's Timeline.

Chris is back on tour with Michael Schenker promoting their live DVD 'Live In Tokyo 2016' featuring all 3 original MSG Vocalists Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, and Robin MacAulay, and also features Ted McKenna on Drums. This project is titled 'Michael Schenker Fest' and continues to tour into 2017. Having made another successful visit to Japan, towards the end of 2017, followed by some UK dates in October and November, the Michael Schenker Fest lineup, including Chris, has just returned from a very well received tour of the USA. The Japanese fans love this band so much - Chris has been given the pet name "Ichiban", it means "Number One", in Japanese, a very special fan, Hidenori Saito, keeps him supplied inn tee shirts bearing the Japanese character for ichiban!!! More Japanese shows are booked for later this year. Looks like some more UK dates are in the pipeline for later this year and another appearance at Hard Rock Hell, in North Wales. See The Michael Schenker website for show,tour dates and venues.

Christmas concert

Every year, Glen puts his Outfit together and performs a Christmas show using various musicians including:

  • Jon Morrison (Actor/Musician)
  • Julian Hutson Saxby (Guitarist with Nina Hagen Band[2]/SAHB[3]/Katy Lied[4])
  • Chris Thomson (Vocalist/Guitarist with Cafe Jacques)
  • Stuart Clyde (Keyboardist with Glasgow/Cafe Jacques)
  • Davie Halley (Drummer with Cafe Jacques)
  • David Cowan (Keyboardist with The SAHB Experience/Natalie Clark/Zal Cleminson's SIN DOGS)
  • Peter Higgins (Vocalist with Chris Slade's Timeline)
  • Gordon Bell (Solo Artist and Vocalist with Not The Sensational Alex Harvey Band / Giant Stone Eater / The Sinking Ships)
  • Johnny Bohran Watson (Bohran)
  • Wes Bird (Violinist)[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Allmusic Biography - Tear Gas". Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I47fxDAD_Yo
  3. ↑ http://www.sahbofficial.co.uk/fanshots/c&jbykris.jpg
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2014-10-12.
  5. ↑ http://www.sahbofficial.co.uk/fanshots/debbiewes.jpg
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