Danny B. Harvey
Austin, Texas, United States | INDIE | AFM
Music
Press
“Harvey mixes chords, sliding runs and open-string chromatic hammer-ons that’ll have you not only thinking of giving up the guitar, but deny you’ve ever even picked one up!“
John Heidt, Vintage Guitar
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“His signature red-hot Merle Travis picking style is why he is regarded as a rockabilly/roots guitar genius”
Kerry Hock, The Stars of Texas Magazine
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“Harvey’s exquisite guitar alternates from fantastical flurries staking a claim to be the fastest guitarist in the feckless west to deftly delicate and debonair with wild edges tough as buckskin”
Stu Gibson, Sleazegrinder Magazine
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"Danny B. Harvey's dynamic electric guitar, veers from crisp, Merle Travis-style finger-picking to hot rockabilly runs.”
Nick Cristiano, Philadelphia Inquirer
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“Danny thrills the crowd with his Merle Travis meets Cliff Gallup finger picking style”
Mike Molenda, Guitar Player Magazine
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“Harvey, is a Merle Travis protégé who lays down the saddest, spookiest and twangiest licks...”
John Roos, OC Weekly Magazine
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- mixed
Discography
2011: HEADCAT - Walk The Walk . . . Talk The Talk - Lemmy Kilmister, Slim Jim Phantom and Danny B. Harvey's second CD
label: Niji Entertainment Group
2010: CHARLIE TERRELL & the MURDERED JOHNS (A group comprised of Austin’s finest studio musicians, featuring Danny B. on guitar, formed a band with critically acclaimed singer songwriter Charlie Terrell. Their self produced first CD was released this year during SXSW)
2009: KING of GARAGE : SKY SAXON (Danny produced and played guitar legendary the rock visionary’s last studio CD for Cleopatra records)
2008 DARK ANGEL : DANNY B. HARVEY (iTunes instrumental CD of songs from the soundtrack to BETTIE PAGE: DARK ANGEL, that Danny composed the soundtrack for.
2008 100 GIRLS FOR DANNY B : DANNY B. HARVEY (iTunes instrumental CD of songs from the soundtrack to 100 Girls for Bunny Yeager, that Danny composed the soundtrack for.
2007 LIVE IN LAS VEGAS - 13 CATS *Audio CD) - Raucous Records (UK) A live concert by 13 CATS at The Hard Rock in Ls Vegas, recorded at their peak in 1997
2006 FOOL'S PARADISE - THE HEAD CAT - Cleopatra Records (US) Danny B.., Lemmy and Slim JIm . . Same tracks as on the CD a few years ago but mastered properly and released with the band name... a must have CD.
2006 LONESOME SPURS - LONESOME SPURS - Cleopatra Records (US) Danny B. produced and played on it with the fabulous Lynda Kay.. a must have CD.
2006 LIVE IN MONTREAL - DANNY B. HARVEY - Raucous Records (UK) Danny B. produced and played all the guitars on this CD... a must have CD.
2005 ROCKABILLY JAZZ - DANNY B. HARVEY - RAUCOUS RECORDS (UK) Danny's first Solo guitar CD!!! It's about time. Instrumental picking guitar in his unique hybrid style.
2005 TEAR IT UP - Levi Dexter & The Ripchords - RAUCOUS RECORDS (UK) A previously UNRELEASED complete live show of this legendary band, recorded in Winchester, England in the early 1980's at their peak!.
2005 VICTIMS OF KOOL - Levi Dexter & The Ripchords - RAUCOUS RECORDS (UK) The complete studio recordings of The Ripchords, Includes two previously unreleased tracks.
2004 BETTIE PAGE: DARK ANGEL (SOUNDTRACK) - OST (USA) Danny's Recordings from the Bettie Page Bio movie, also has main title track by Chris Stein.".
2004 GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT - ELVIS PRESLEY - CLEOPATRA (USA) Lee Rocker, Slim Jim Phantom & Danny B. put new backing tracks to Elvis Presley "Hayride Recordings".
2004 STRAY CATS BALL - Various - CLEOPATRA (USA) Six Stray Cat acoustictracks, Lemmy, Johnny Ramone (check out Danny & Johnny's instrumental version of Viva Las Vegas), Polecats, 13 Cats, Swing Cats and a very rare Longer verison of "MAKE THAT MOVE" by the Rockats
2004 13 TRACKS + 2 - 13 CATS - CLEOPATRA (USA) An American US 13 Cats CD! This one is all the studio recordings they made over the past four years and two bonus tracks from teh Japanese CD "In The Beginning"
2004 IN THE BEGINNING Part 2 - 13 CATS - REVEL YELL MUSIC (JAPAN) The follow-up to the sucessful In The Beginning CD!! Contains the 5 demo recordings of songs that made it unto 13 Tracks CD. More live tracks from their first show and an unreleased studio track.
2003 DEMOS FEDRICO - HOLLY & THE ITALIANS - WOUNDED BIRD RECORDS (USA) A compilation of demos recorded by Holly Beth Vincent in the 80's. Believe it or not Danny played with Holly & The Italians for about a year and this CD contains 3 tracks he recorded with her..
2003 HONEYDIPPER STOMP - HONEYDIPPERS - RAUCOUS RECORDS (UK) A new version of the legendary CD "Big E BOOGIE", with many alternate takes, 2 unreleased tracks and 3 bonus instrumentals.
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2002 HISTORY OF DANNY B. HARVEY - Various Artists - REVEL YELL MUSIC (JAPAN) A compilation of my career spanning 20 years. Starts with my first recording as a teenager of Please Give Me Something and ends with 13 Cats version of Please Give Me Something. In between you'll hear unreleased songs by The Rockats, The Ripchords, The Swing Cats, Mad Violets, Twenty Flight Rockers, Big Rig Jacknife and a few solo tracks.
2002 ROCKABILLY CHRISTMAS - SWING CATS - Cleopatra Records (USA) A Christmas CD with 9 tracks from the now out of print Xmas of The Honeydippers plus 4 new Xmas songs by the Swing Cats and a new song from the Honeydippers.
2002 13 TRACKS - 13 CATS - JVC/ VICTOR (JAPAN) Another 13 Cats CD! This one is all the studio recordings we made over the past four years, except the three on "IN The BEGINNING". Expensive as an import. Next year will be on Cleopatra
2002 IN THE BEGINNING - 13 CATS - REVEL YELL MUSIC (JAPAN) Finally a 13 Cats CD!! Contains the first 3 songs we recorded in the studio. A live radio show and two tracks from our very first show together.
2002 THE LOST SESSIONS - LEVI DEXTER & THE RIPCHORDS - REVEL YELL MUSIC (JAPAN) Finally a complete Ripchords CD. All songs except 4 previously unreleased. Required listening for all Rockabilly / Psychobilly fans!!!
2001 STAND YOUR GROUND - BRIGITTE HANDLEY with DANNY B. HARVEY - REVEL YEL
Photos
Bio
Although best known as the Guitarist for the super group THE HEAD CAT (a band he formed with Lemmy from Motorhead) and Slim Jim Phantom from Stray Cats) and his dynamic "Whitestripes of Country” duo THE LONESOME SPURS. Danny has also produced, recorded and performed with Wanda Jackson, Sky Saxon, Nancy Sinatra, Johnny Ramone, The Rockats, Levi Dexter and The Swing Cats. You can check out al his credits here:
http://tinyurl.com/dannybharveycredits
FILM COMPOSER / SONGWRITER:
a film composer, Danny B has produced , composed and recorded 6 film scores including the number one box office film THE RAGE: CARRIE ll for MGM in 1999. A list of his film credits can be found here:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004311/
Asa songwriter Danny has written or co-written songs in every band he’s played with as well as writing songs for the GO-GO’S (I’m The Only One), LEVI DEXTER (Get So Excited), HONEYDIPPERS (Rock Santa Rock) and THE SWING CATS (Swing Cat Stomp). . . He has placed songs in films such as THE RAGE CARRIE ll, LADDER 49 and LAST EXIT TO EARTH and TV shows such as MALCOM IN THE MIDDLE, SAVING GRACE, ROSWELL and CBS MOVIE of THE WEEK.
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DANNY B. HARVEY was born in Killeen, Texas and at the age of 6 moved to Catlettsburg, KY. where he first picked up and started playing the guitar. At the age of 15 after moving to Canyon Country, CA. he was fortunate enough to receive his first formal lessons with the great JOE PASS. Up until then he had learned to play by only watching older country guitarists back in Ashland, KY and Huntington WV, falling in love with the guitar style of fellow Kentuckian MERLE TRAVIS. At seventeen he was accepted to USC on a full scholarship to study classical guitar with PEPE ROMERO. Feeling out of place (after all he had only moved away for rural KY. two years earlier) and anxious to make a name for himself he moved to England with LEVI DEXTER after only years of study. Danny soon developed a finger picking guitar style that is very unique and based on his idol MERLE TRAVIS, CHET ATKINS, JOE PASS and his classical-technic he learned at USC.
Levi and Danny started LEVI DEXTER and the RIPCHORDS, ironically the original line-up of THE RIPCHORDS included Brian Setzer, later of the STRAY CATS and his brother GARY SETZER, they both dropped out when their current band THE BLOODLESS PHARAOHS got a record deal with CBS. Levi and Danny decide to go on as a four piece and arrived in London at the beginning of the new rockabilly revival. Levi had previously been singing with LEVI and the ROCKATS who had a good reputation as being the first of the new rockabilly bands (3 years before the The Stray Cats and a year or two before The Polecats). Their first six months in London they played almost all their shows with The Polecats as the opening act and after the Polecats had a national hit in England THE METEORS took over the opening slot. Danny left Levi after only a year and a half to join up in New York with his Levi's former Band mates THE ROCKATS.
THE ROCKATS released one LP on RCA (Make That Move) and appeared in a movie (Where The Boys are..Now) as well as made appearances on AMERICAN BANDSTAND, USA Networks "HOT SPOTS" and countless local TV shows. They toured with David Bowie, Hall and Oates, The Clash, The Go-Go's, Flock of Seagulls and The Pretenders among many. In 1984 after changing their name to THE SECRET HEARTS (Their manager Tommy Mottola's idea) they released one LP on MCA and shortly thereafter disbanded. In 1986 Danny moved back to England to join THE TWENTY FLIGHT ROCKERS a new band featuring GARY TWINN and MARK LAFF (drummer from Generation X). They were managed by BERNIE RHODES (The Clash's ex manager) and soon got signed to Epic records. They recorded two LPs for Epic but unfortunately because of legal woes neither LP was ever released.
In mid 1996 Danny got together with GARY TWINN again and they formed The Honeydippers whose first CD is currently available all over the world. In late 1996 he also started playing with his long time mates TIM POLECAT (The Polecats) , SMUTTY SMITH (The Rockats) and SLIM JIM PHANTOM (The Stray Cats) under the band name 13 CATS. Later on Jonny Bowler formerly of The Guana Batz replaced Smutty on bass.
In 1996 Danny composed his first film score for a SHOWTIME Movie, produced by ROGER CORMAN and Directed by KATT SHEA (Poison Ivy), called "LAST EXIT TO EARTH". The film features an all original soundtrack by Danny as well as songs by THE HONEYDIPPERS and his previous band BIG RIG JACKNIFE. 1998 was a big year for Danny as he composed his first Studio Film "THE RAGE CARRIE 2" for MGM. The movie opened at the box office at number one and has propelled DANNY into all kind of film and music projects. The soundtrack features a lot of solo guitar pieces as well as complete orchestra cues and even a few techno backing tracks.
Band Members
Links
