A re-up of this single in a reworked form (see details in the initial post below). I just improved a little bit the did-it-myself cover sleeve. Catch it here.
This single is the 6th of SAHB, released in Nov.1974 and the last not to chart. Not a surprise, the surprise being that they thought it would be a hit, cause it's not a singalong song appropriate for Tops of the Pops. Moreover, the song was proposed in an edit (short) version on A-side and a long one on B-side, the long being the one from The Impossible Dream, an album released 2 months earlier. Not a good thing actually. It would have been a better idea to put a live version on the B-side. That's what I do here (with a self-made cover sleeve, not really representative of a single from the 70s but who cares?). In Austria and Germany the Edit version was coupled with "River of Love", also from The Impossible Dream. It's true that it would have been difficult to put the 16 min live version recorded in Cleveland on the 9th december 1974 (and that you can find on the US Tour 74 album released in 2006) on a 7". But now we can do it (making of this real single a fake one). The version is not exceptional and it's clear that Alex Harvey fails to make the main tune the anthem he would have liked to make the audience sings. You can see a much more fantastic version on the youtube video I post below, recorded in NY, on the same tour. Shorter and more focused, one can see what an incredibly fascinating singer was Alex Harvey. Vicky Silva is the girl on vocals and she's doing a great job. "Anthem" was actually a very important song for Alex Harvey. A real tribute to his Scottish roots, and to have these pipers playing on it in this rock dreamland, must have been a moving experience for him. He had actually travelled to the USA with these players, not used to the Sex and Drug and Rock 'n' Roll on the road life. No need to say more. Nothing really rare here but another tribute to the great Alex.
Anthem. If you don't put me on trial Then why don't you turn me loose You can throw the key away Let me chase the wild goose Your progress is my desire You shouldn't do me wrong Although it's true I'm worried now I won't be worried long Telling stories to the peacocks Selling systematically Just a counterfeit engraving Of the way you used to be Just another one-way number Just another two-way song Although it's true I'm worried now I won't be worried long Don't encourage me to murder 'Cause it pays to advertise Don't treat me with suspicion Don't tell me no more lies You know I love your company You shouldn't do me wrong Although it's true I'm worried now I won't be worried long Although it's true I'm worried now I won't be worried long
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