Pilot (Scottish band)

Pilot was a pop rock musical group, formed during 1973 in Edinburgh, Scotland by the former Bay City Rollers members, David Paton and Billy Lyall.

Career

Joined by Stuart Tosh and Ian Bairnson, the band recorded several demos during 1973 and 1974.

The 1974 single "Magic" from their first album, produced by Alan Parsons and written by Paton,^[1] was a #11 UK and #5 U.S. success and remains a popular song. The song "January" gave them their greatest success in the UK, securing the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart in January 1975. However, the group surprisingly failed to make the Top 30 again.^[1] The arranger of "January", Andrew Powell went on to record Kate Bush, and both Paton and Bairnson played on her debut album, The Kick Inside, which included "Wuthering Heights".^[2]

The band's other singles chart successes were "Call Me Round" and "Just a Smile" (both 1975).^[3] By the time 1977 came around only Paton and Bairnson were left from the original foursome, and they recorded Pilot's final album (the aptly entitled Two's a Crowd) alone.

By 1978, all of Pilot's members had begun other projects, notably Tosh, Paton and Bairnson becoming members of the Alan Parsons Project, and Tosh also working with 10cc.

Lyall died of AIDS-related causes in 1989.

Paton and Bairnson reconvened in 2002, to re-record the original Pilot album Two's a Crowd. The subsequent issue was entitled, Blue Yonder (see below).

In 2007, their successful single "Magic," was used in a Pillsbury television advertisement. In 2009, Selena Gomez recorded her cover version of the song for the Disney Channel, as part of the soundtrack for the Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie.

Discography

Singles

"Magic" (1974) - UK Number 11
"January" (1975) - UK Number 1
"Call Me Round" (1975) - UK Number 34
"Just a Smile" (1975) - UK Number 31
"Canada" (1976)

^[3]

Albums

Pilot (From the Album of the Same Name) — (1974)
Second Flight — (1975) — UK Number 48
Morin Heights — (1976)
Two's a Crowd — (1977)
Blue Yonder — (2002)

^[3]

Compilations and film soundtracks

Best of Pilot (1980)
Happy Gilmore (included in the soundtrack) (1996)
Herbie: Fully Loaded (included in soundtrack) (2005)
The Magic Roundabout (included in soundtrack) (2005)
Eve and the Firehorse ("Magic" included in the soundtrack) (2005)
Anthology (2007)
Magicians (2007)
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

References

^ ^a ^b Roberts, David (2001). British Hit Singles (14th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 45. ISBN 0-85156-156-X.
^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 166. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
^ ^a ^b ^c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 426. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

External links

[British_Hit_Singles-1] Roberts, David (2001). British Hit Singles (14th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 45. ISBN 0-85156-156-X.

[500_Number_One_Hits-2] Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 166. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.

[British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums-3] Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 426. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

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