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Saxon (band)

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Saxon

Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As leading lights in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal they had particular big success in the early 1980s with several successful UK Top 40 albums. In the early 1980s, they also tasted success in Europe, Japan and a brief succes in the USA. They still tour heavily and regularly. Their latest tour is their largest in the UK since the early 1980s. Until this, the band's fame had been focused largely in Germany for many years.

There is another incarnation of Saxon featuring two former band members who hold the legal rights to the name - "Oliver/Dawson Saxon".

History

Saxon began with a lineup of Peter "Biff" Byford on vocals, Paul Quinn and Graham Oliver on guitars, Steve "Ponce" Dawson on bass and drummer Pete "Frank" Gill. Early in their career the band changed their name from Son of a Bitch to Saxon, and gained support slots on tour with more established bands such as Motörhead.

In 1979 the band signed to the Carrere record label and released their eponymous debut album. In 1980 follow-up album Wheels of Steel spawned two hit singles: the title track, and the crowd favourite "747 (Strangers in the Night)". The Strong Arm of the Law album, considered by fans to be one of their best recordings, was released later that same year, and chart success continued with singles from their next release, Denim and Leather. The title track to that album is seen as an anthem of the early 1980s metal movement. Later legal issues with Carrere negated most if not all of the financial gains seen during their early success.

A relentless series of headlining tours around the UK capitalised on this success, but Saxon were never able to break into the lucrative U.S. market. After 1983's Power and the Glory album, Saxon went in an increasingly commercial direction, in an effort to counterbalance NWOBHM music's decline. This had little success despite signing to major record label EMI. Indeed, the move did little more than alienate their core fanbase. They were seen by detractors as the epitome of the heavy metal cliché. Recently, they have returned to their less overtly commercial roots, and still have a larger following. Saxon recently did a 25th Anniversary of NWOBHM tour of Germany beginning in early March 2005. To celebrate the anniversary of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), the band played songs they recorded during the 1980s.

Saxon's latest studio album, entitled The Inner Sanctum, was released in Europe on March 5, 2007, and North America on April 3, seen by many critics as their best work in years. In 2007, they started a world tour in support of The Inner Sanctum. Surprisingly for their age, they will only have 15 nights off from 60 dates.

Collaboration with Harvey Goldsmith

Saxon in Italy, at the Evolution Festival 2006.

In 2007, Saxon was the subject of an episode of Harvey Goldsmith's Get Your Act Together.

Saxon's popularity had been in decline since about 1983. As part of his program, Goldsmith wanted to try and restore their popularity and cement their reputation as a great band once again. He claimed their music was just like Iron Maiden's and they should have similar levels of success (Iron Maiden are one of the top selling heavy metal acts of all time). He went on a 6 month make over of Saxon, including their look, sound and stage set. He drafted in two new producers to overlook the production of the new single If I Was You (a song about gun culture), which went straight to number one of the Rock Charts in over 10 countries (becoming their most successful single for over 12 years).

At the end of the programme, Saxon sold out the Sheffield City Hall (over 2,000 capacity) becoming their biggest UK date in over 15 years. Saxon performed at the 2008 Download Festival on the third stage. Despite playing on the smallest of the three stages and only having a 40 minute set Saxon managed to pull in the biggest crowd for the gibson stage and had to take breaks inbetween songs as the crowds chanting their name were drowning out Biffs vocals

Line-ups

Throughout the band's history line-up changes have been common, but with Byford and Quinn remaining as constants. Gill left in 1981 after injuring his hand, to be replaced by his old friend Nigel Glockler, formerly of Toyah Willcox's band, who was himself replaced twice – briefly between 1987 and 1988 (by Nigel Durham), and, more permanently, following an injury of his own in 1998. Glockler rejoined the band in 2005 being completely cured from his injury.

Gill later went on to play for Motörhead. Dawson departed in 1986 – his replacement, Paul Johnson, lasted two years before leaving. Nibbs Carter has filled the position ever since.

When Graham Oliver left in 1995 (replaced by Doug Scarratt), the band split into two different Saxon groups - one dominated by vocalist Byford and his cohort Quinn and the other consisting of original Saxon members Oliver and Dawson. A period of legal actions ensued, resulting in both groups having the right to use Saxon in their name (although former member one must be indicated as "Oliver/Dawson Saxon"). The line-up of Byford's Saxon has been fairly stable apart from the departure of a few drummers. Following Glockler's departure, German Fritz Randow took up the position until 2004. His replacement was former Stratovarius man Jörg Michael.

The line-up that played on the Lionheart album consisted of Byford on vocals, guitarists Quinn and Scarrat, Carter on bass and Michael on drums. The German originally agreed to perform on the album as a session musician, but following his firing from Stratovarius was hired as a full-time member. Following the rapid reunion of Stratovarius, Michael departed after only a year in the job, opening the door for Glockler to return to Saxon. Saxon recorded The Inner Sanctum after the release of the live album The Eagle Has Landed - part 3, which features Glockler and Micheal on drums, as well as former drummer Fritz Randow.

Line-up history

Founding members of Saxon listed in bold

Son of a Bitch (1976-1978)

Saxon (1978-present)

Original lineup (1978-1981)

Second lineup (1981-1986)

Third lineup (1986-1987)

Fourth lineup (1987-1988)

Fifth lineup (1988-1994)

Sixth lineup (1995-1999)

Seventh lineup (1999-2004)

Eighth lineup (2004-2005)

Present lineup (2005-present)

Discography

Further information: Saxon discography

Trivia

  • It has been confirmed by the comedy actors Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer that Saxon was a major inspiration for the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap, portrayed by the duo in the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. Spinal Tap copy many of Saxon's mannerisms on stage. This came about after Harry Shearer toured with the band in 1981, and was told dozens of anecdotes about life on the road by lead guitarist Graham Oliver and bassist Steve "Dobby" Dawson. Many of these anecdotes found their way into the film. Shearer copied Dawson's famous mannerisms in his characterization of Spinal Tap's bass player Derek Smalls, such as playing his bass with one hand plucking the strings while the other one points to the crowd. Smalls also sports a mustache very similar to Dawson's.
  1. ^ http://www.411mania.com/music/news/86055/Saxon-Announces-Details-On-New-Album.htm
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