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Revision as of 20:10, 19 July 2009

Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer (born Gerard Hugh Sayer, 21 May 1948, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex[1]) is an English-born singer-songwriter and musician whose singing career has spanned four decades. A distinctive singer-songwriter, Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s.[2] His first seven hit singles in the UK all reached the Top 10 - a feat first registered by his one-time manager, Adam Faith.[2] From his first hit with "The Show Must Go On" in 1973 to the present day, Sayer has never been missing from the charts for longer than five successive years.[2]

Life and career

Sayer has had success worldwide with his single and album releases, particularly in the UK and the U.S. He was initially discovered by David Courtney, who then co-managed him with the singer turned manager, Adam Faith.[1] Sayer began his music career co-writing songs with David Courtney, including "Giving It All Away", which gave Roger Daltrey of The Who his first hit as a soloist in 1973.[1]

That same year, Sayer began his career as a recording artist. At the time of his initial chart breakthrough in the UK, with his debut hit "The Show Must Go On", he wore a pierrot style outfit and make-up and the song shot up to number two.[1] It might have been difficult to throw off the clown's image, which like Gilbert O'Sullivan's short trousers and pudding basin haircut was fine for attracting public attention but not much good for sustaining a musical career.[1] However, Sayer followed up hit after hit.[1]

He had subsequent single hits with "One Man Band" (1974), "Long Tall Glasses" (1975) and "Moonlighting" (1975).

In 1976, Sayer recorded three Beatles songs, "I Am the Walrus", "Let It Be" and "The Long and Winding Road" for the film, All This and World War II.

In 1977, he had a U.S. number one with "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" (a Grammy Award winner for the year's best Rhythm and Blues Song), as well as the romantic ballad, "When I Need You" (1977), which reached number one in both the UK and U.S. Written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager, it was Sayer's first UK chart-topper (after three number two hits) and his second successive U.S. number one.[3] It was also the first of two UK chart-toppers in a row for record producer, Richard Perry.[3]

Sayer also had remakes of Bobby Vee's Sonny Curtis/Jerry Allison composition, "More Than I Can Say" (his fourth UK number 2 hit and U.S. number 2), and Buddy Holly's "Raining In My Heart" (1979) and "Orchard Road" in 1983. In the U.S., three of his singles - "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" (1977), "When I Need You" (1977) and "More Than I Can Say" (1980) - were certified gold.

Sayer made an appearance on The Muppet Show during the third season (second show) on which he sang "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," "The Show Must Go On," and "When I Need You".

He also provided songs for the soundtrack for the English language version of the French-Belgian animated film, Le Chainon manquant (1980).

In 1990, he contributed to the last recording studio collaboration between Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, Woolfson's solo album Freudiana, performing "I Am A Mirror".[4]

In 2000, "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" was featured in the hit film, Charlie's Angels, and was on the accompanying soundtrack album.

Sayer's debut UK hit, "The Show Must Go On," was covered by Three Dog Night for the U.S. market and reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974. Phil Collins covered Sayer's Billy Nichols' song "I Can't Stop Loving You" (originally a UK No.6 hit for Sayer) for his 2002 album, Testify. It reached number one on the U.S. adult contemporary chart.

In 2005, Sayer moved to Sydney, Australia, where he remains based to this day. On 12 February 2006, he made a surprise return to number one in the UK Singles Chart, with Meck's remix of "Thunder In My Heart". It was his first appearance in the UK Top 10 for almost 24 years, and his second UK chart-topper, almost three decades after his first. He has also appeared in the Australian television comedy, Stupid, Stupid Man.

Leo Sayer: At His Very Best, a career spanning compilation album, was released in the UK on 6 March 2006. It exclusively features the Meck single, alongside Sayer classics such as, "When I Need You" and "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing".

Celebrity Big Brother 5

In 2007, Sayer was the fifth person to join the Celebrity Big Brother UK house at the start of the series. He walked out of the Big Brother house on 12 January ostensibly because he was refused a supply of fresh underwear.

1967 hotel fire

In January 1967, while Sayer was working as a hall porter at the King's Hotel in Hove, he assisted in the rescue of guests from a fire that damaged the first floor of the hotel. He was rescued by builders working on a block of flats beside the hotel.[5]

Wiggles guest appearance

Sayer made a guest appearance on The Wiggles 2008 DVD, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing. The DVD features the Sayer's hit of the same name.

2008

In 2008 Sayer released a new album in Australia, Don't Wait Until Tomorrow. This album, produced by Garth Porter (from the Australian pop band Sherbet), and released by Universal Music Australia, features selections from his catalogue in an entirely new setting, re-arranged with strings and acoustic and jazz instrumentation.[citation needed]

2009

Sayer became an Australian citizen on 26 January 2009 at a naturalisation ceremony attended by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.[6]

Miscellaneous

A "Leo Sayer" is cockney rhyming slang for an all day drinking session ("all-dayer"). [7]

Discography

Albums

Year Album title UK Albums Chart[2]
1973 Silverbird
#2
1974 Just a Boy
#4
1975 Another Year
#8
1976 Endless Flight
#4
1977 Thunder in My Heart
#8
1978 Leo Sayer
#15
1979 The Very Best of Leo Sayer
#1
1979 Here
#44
1980 Living in a Fantasy
#15
1982 World Radio
#30
1983 Have You Ever Been in Love
#15
1990 Cool Touch
—
1993 All the Best
#26
1999 The Definitive Hits Collection
#35
1999 Live in London
—
2004 Endless Journey - The Essential Leo Sayer
#52 (in 2006)
2005 Voice In My Head
—
2006 Leo Sayer: At His Very Best
#30
2008 Don't Wait Until Tomorrow †
—

† - Australia release only

Singles

[2]
Year Single title UK
Chart 		US
Chart
1973 "The Show Must Go On"
#2
—
1974 "One Man Band"
#6 /
#96
1974 "Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)"
#4 /
#9
1975 "Moonlighting"
#2
—
1976 "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"
#2
#1
1977 "When I Need You"
#1
#1
1977 "How Much Love"
#10
#17
1977 "Thunder in My Heart"
#22
#38
1977 "Easy to Love"
—
#36
1978 "I Can't Stop Lovin' You (Though I Try)"
#6
—
1978 "Raining In My Heart"
#21
#47
1979 "When the Money Runs Out"
—
—
1980 "More Than I Can Say"
#2
#2
1980 "Once in a While"
—
—
1981 "Living in a Fantasy"
—
#23
1982 "Have You Ever Been in Love"
#10
—
1982 "Heart (Stop Beating in Time)"
#22
—
1983 "Orchard Road"
#16
—
1983 "Till You Come Back to Me"
#51
—
1984 "Sea Of Heartbreak"
#84
—
1986 "Unchained Melody"
#54
—
1986 "In Real Life"
—
—
1990 "Cool Touch" (Germany)
—
—
1992 "I Will Fight for You" (Germany)
—
—
1993 "When I Need You" (re-issue)
#65
—
1998 "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" (Groove Generation featuring Leo Sayer)
#32
—
2006 "Thunder in My Heart Again" (Meck featuring Leo Sayer) (Hit position #16 in Australia)
#1
—

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. p. 181. ISBN 0-85112-250-7. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 483. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. Cite error: The named reference "British Hit Singles & Albums" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Roberts, David (2001). British Hit Singles (14th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. p. 46. ISBN 0-85156-156-X. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  4. ^ "Eric Woolfson's FREUDIANA - The Musical". Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  5. ^ My Brighton and Hove | Places | Hotels | Bedford Hotel, King's Road | Fire at the hotel
  6. ^ "Leo Sayer becomes Australian citizen". ABC Online\date=2009-01-26.
  7. ^ (http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/slang/leo_sayer)
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