Saga (band)
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Saga is a progressive rock quintet, formed in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Bassist-keyboardist Jim Crichton (b. February 26, 1953) and Welsh-born vocalist Michael Sadler (b. July 5, 1954) have been the principal songwriters for Saga. Ian Crichton (b. August 3, 1956) is the band's guitarist; apart from his work with Saga, he has recorded several solo albums as well as sessions with Asia. The band's keyboardist, Jim "Daryl" Gilmour (b. February 25, 1958), replaced Greg Chadd in 1980 (Chadd replaced original member Peter Rochon -who left the band to become a music equipment company executive fulltime- after the first album).
After the 2003 Marathon tour, Steve Negus (b. February 19, 1952) announced his retirement as Saga's original drummer. Christian Simpson, a Canadian-American, replaced Negus for 2004's "Network" album, until sidelined by a neurological condition that affected his drumming. In late 2005, former Helix member Brian Doerner became Saga's third drummer in as many years.
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[edit] History
Originally known as The Pockets, Saga formed in 1977 from the nucleus of Canadian rock band Fludd. In June 1978, they released their self-titled debut album. A modest success in Canada, it would eventually sell over 30,000 copies in Germany as an import. It also became a major seller in Puerto Rico, after a local stereo equipment store featured the guitar-keyboard duet of the band's single, "Humble Stance" as part of its radio advertisements. Their 1979 follow-up album Images at Twilight gave them their first hit in Canada, with the lead single "It's Time" peaking at #84 in the Canadian Charts. A third album, Silent Knight followed in 1980.
In 1981, the band's 4th album Worlds Apart was released. The lead single "Wind Him Up", a song about a compulsive gambler, finally broke them into the Top 40, peaking at #22 on the Canadian Charts in January of 1982. A second single "On the Loose" also fared well, and in December of 1982, proved to be their breakthrough in America where it peaked at #26 on the Billboard Charts in March of 1983. "Wind Him Up" became the second single in America, peaking at #64 on Billboard the following month.
A 5th album Heads or Tales was released in late 1983 and became another success. The lead single "The Flyer" fared well in Canada and also became their final U.S. hit, peaking at #79 on Billboard in November of 1983. A follow-up single "Scratching the Surface" was popular in Canada, peaking at #45 in April of 1984.
Their 6th album Behaviour was released in 1985, and launched hits in Canada with "Listen to Your Heart" and "What Do I Know".
[edit] Separation and reunion
In 1986, Steve Negus and Jim Gilmour left Saga amicably, recording one album as the Gilmour-Negus Project (GNP). Meanwhile, Saga continued to record and tour, with Michael Sadler and the Crichton brothers augmented by session musicians.
Their 1987 release Wildest Dreams enjoyed better distribution under new label, Atlantic Records, but it failed to match expectations in America. The lead single "Only Time Will Tell" became a popular Chart favourite in Canada, with a memorable video rotated on MTV for a brief period. However, the remainder of the album suffered from over-reliance on technology, with armies of sequencers and drum machines replacing much of the band's earlier trademark sound with Gilmour and Negus.
For 1989's The Beginner's Guide to Throwing Shapes, Saga refocused on their earlier European popularity which marked a return to their earlier progressive style. In 1993, Steve Negus and Jim Gilmour returned to Saga. The band's next album, The Security of Illusion, was well received by Saga fans in Canada and Europe. The 1994 followup, Steel Umbrellas, was considered uneven when compared to their previous release, perhaps due the material originally being produced for the short-lived television series Cobra. However, despite lackluster album sales, Saga's 1993 and 1994 tours helped maintain some of the band's early popularity their reputation as live performers was not lost among the band's long time fans.
[edit] Comeback
In 1995, Jim Crichton composed and produced the majority of Saga's next album, the conceptual Generation 13. Inspired by a popular political treatise by the same name, the story follows main character Jeremy's troubled search for his real father. The concept is somewhat reminiscent of the storyline in The Who's Quadrophenia. The album's heavier compositions have a sound similar to fellow Canadians, progressive rock legends Rush and even early Kansas. Michael Sadler's vocal performances on the more softer tracks were another album highlight.
Saga's next release, Pleasure and the Pain was released on the eve of their 20th anniversary tour in 1997. The album failed to maintain the interest created by the previous release. On the same anniversary tour the album Phase 1 was released. Phase 1 was an album containing demo songs from the 1979 album Images at Twilight — some of them were songs found not good enough for the album, some of them were different version songs. The album quickly sold out and a second issue was printed. The album was hard to get and it soon became a most wanted item for Saga collectors and fans.
Their 1998 tour was captured on the next album, Detours, a double-live album released worldwide. Saga's next three albums, 1999's Full Circle, 2001's House of Cards and Marathon released in 2003 have been all been popular with the band's longtime and loyal fanbase. House of Cards, in particular enjoyed renewed interest. Its acoustic-flavored single, "Money Talks" received Top 5 video airplay in Canada. All three albums included new "chapters", representing a return to the progressive rock of the band's early days. Saga released a new studio album, Network, in the fall of 2004. Their next album, Trust, was released in 2006, featuring Brian Doerner as their new drummer. Doerner made his debut on a live Canadian television Broadcast in late 2005.
Even though Jim Crichton and Michael Sadler both live in Los Angeles, they have not committed Saga to any full-length American tours since 1986. However, in late 2005, Michael Sadler announced a limited tour on the West Coast to promote his solo album, Clear. The trek featured Ian Crichton as touring guitarist. Saga also played one show in New York City during their summer 2006 tour in support of Trust.
[edit] Legacy and future plans
Despite their fluctuating musical styles and limited commercial success, Saga fans have remained extremely loyal over the decades. Their unique use of keyboards often involves three members playing synthesizers onstage. The band's multi-song cycle "the Chapters" which appeared on their first four albums and were revisited on the band's newer albums starting in 1999, have been performed live throughout the band's extensive career.
The band has been constantly successful in Germany since its inception. It is also very popular in Puerto Rico: Saga has visited the island eleven times. Saga's third concert in Puerto Rico (1981) caused riots from fans trying to crash into a sold-out concert that sold over 10,000 tickets. Most of the inner cover photographs from the original vinyl release of Worlds Apart were taken in Puerto Rico, particularly (and prominently) a live photograph from the 1981 concert. The band received formal recognition as distinguished visitors of the country from the Puerto Rican legislature in February 2005.
Saga released their newest studio album, Trust in 2006. The album is to be supported by a world tour commencing in Germany in April.
[edit] Band members
- Michael Sadler – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
- Jim Crichton – Bass, Keyboards
- Ian Crichton – Guitar
- Jim Gilmour – Keyboards, Clarinet, Harmonika
- Brian Doerner – Drums
[edit] Former members
- Christian Simpson – Drums (2003-2005)
- Steve Negus – Drums (1977-1986, 1992-2003)
- Gregg Chadd – Keyboards (1979)
- Peter Rochon – Keyboards (1977-1978)
[edit] Session & studio musicians
- Glen Sobel – Drums (1997) (Studio)
- Marcus Deml – Guitar (1995) (Session)
- Graham Lear – Drums (1990) (Session)
- Richard Baker – Keyboards (1990) (Session)
- Curt Cress – Drums (1987, 1989) (Studio)
- Trevor Morrell – Drums (1988) (Session)
- Tim Moore – Keyboards (1988) (Session)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
- Saga (1978)
- Images at Twilight (1979)
- Silent Knight (1980)
- Worlds Apart (1981)
- Heads or Tales (1983)
- Behaviour (1985)
- Wildest Dreams (1987)
- The Beginner's Guide to Throwing Shapes (1989)
- The Security of Illusion (1993)
- Steel Umbrellas (1994)
- Generation 13 (1995)
- Pleasure & the Pain (1997)
- Phase One (1997)
- Full Circle (1999)
- House of Cards (2001)
- Marathon (2003)
- Network (2004)
- Trust (2006)
[edit] Live albums
- In Transit - Live (1982)
- How Do I Look (1998)
- Detours - Live (1998)
- The Official Bootleg (2003)
- All Areas - Live in Bonn (2004)
- Chapters Live (2005)
[edit] Compilations
- The Works (1990)
- All the Best (1993)
- The Very Best Of (1994)
- Defining Moments (1994)
- Remember When - The Very Best of Saga (2006)
