The Isley Brothers, Lulu, and a forgotten glam-rock icon: How Alex Harvey introduced British airwaves to ‘Shout’

Alex Harvey’s early 1960s live performances helped bring The Isley Brothers’ ‘Shout’ to British audiences, at a time when American R&B was rarely heard on mainstream UK radio. His energetic version impressed a young Lulu and helped inspire her 1964 cover, which became a top-ten hit and introduced the song to a much wider British audience.

The Isley Brothers first recorded ‘Shout’ in 1959, releasing it across both sides of a single. Harvey performed it with Alex Harvey and His Big Soul Band, although it was not included on the group’s 1964 album. His own recording was not released until 1999, 17 years after his death; later, he became better known for the glam-rock group the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.