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The Saints (Australian band)

The Saints were an Australian rock band, originating in Brisbane, Queensland in 1973. The band was founded by Chris Bailey (singer-songwriter, later guitarist), Ivor Hay (drummer), and Ed Kuepper (guitarist-songwriter). They were initially labeled a punk band because, like American punk rock band the Ramones, the Saints were employing the fast tempos, raucous vocals and "buzzsaw" guitar that characterised early punk rock – although this only reflects a portion of their overall sound. With their debut single "(I'm) Stranded" in September 1976, they became the first punk band outside the US to release a record, ahead of better-known acts the Damned, the Sex Pistols and the Clash. They are considered one of the first and most influential groups of the genre, particularly within Australia.

The Saints
Peter Wilkinson, Caspar Wijnberg, Chris Bailey
Amsterdam, July 2006
Background information
Also known asKid Galahad and the Eternals (1973–1974)
OriginBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
Genres
Years active1973 (1973)–2022 (2022)
LabelsFire Records UK, Fatal, Power Exchange, EMI, Harvest, Sire, Lost, Mushroom, New Rose, RCA, Blue Rose
Past members(see below)
WebsiteThe Saints site
The Saints on Facebook

Aside from mainstay Bailey, the group also had numerous line-up changes – in early 1979, Ivor Hay and Ed Kuepper left, while Bailey continued under the moniker with new musicians. Although the band achieved little commercial success in its early years, their seventh album All Fools Day peaked in the Top 30 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart in April 1986. Bailey also forged a solo career, and had relocated to Sweden by 1994. The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2001. Bailey died in April 2022, effectively ending the band.

History

1973–1976: Formative years

The Saints' original members were Brisbane schoolmates Bailey, Kuepper and Hay.[1][2] They had formed Kid Galahad and the Eternals in 1973 with Irish-raised Bailey on vocals, Brisbane-born Hay on piano and German-born Kuepper on guitar.[3] Their musical inspirations came from 1950s rock 'n' roll musicians such as Little Richard and Elvis Presley (their name referenced his 1962 film, Kid Galahad)[4] and 1960s proto-punk bands like the Missing Links, the Stooges and MC5.[5] They rehearsed in a shed at the back of Hay's place, which was opposite the local police headquarters.[6] During an appearance on Top of the pops on UK TV, where bands were required to mime to their tracks, Bailey dropped the microphone and stopped syncing while he bent down slowly to retrieve it. For most of the rest of the track he was either not syncing or out of time with the track.

The band renamed themselves the Saints in 1974, inspired by Leslie Charteris's character The Saint.[7] They played covers of Del Shannon, Connie Francis and Ike and Tina Turner – "exploding them almost beyond recognition with energy".[3] Jeffrey Wegener joined on drums and Hay switched to bass guitar. Wegener had left by 1975, Hay moved to drums and Kym Bradshaw joined on bass guitar.[1] Contemporaneous with Ramones, the group were employing the fast tempos, raucous vocals and "buzz saw" guitar that characterised early punk rock. Kuepper explained that they played faster and faster as they were nervous in front of audiences.[6] The police would often break up their gigs, and arrests were frequent.[6] Unable to obtain bookings, Bailey and Hay converted the Petrie Terrace house they shared into the 76 Club so they had a venue to play in.[3] According to Australian rock historian, Ian McFarlane, they had developed their "own distinctive sound as defined by Kuepper's frenetic, whirlwind guitar style and Bailey's arrogant snarl".[1]

1976–1977: (I'm) Stranded

In June 1976, the Saints recorded two self-produced tracks, "(I'm) Stranded" and "No Time" with Mark Moffatt engineering (label credits for both sides say 'Produced by The Saints'). Unable to find any interested label, they formed Fatal Records and independently released their debut single in September.[3] Their self-owned Eternal Promotions sent discs to radio stations and magazines both in Australia – with little local interest – and United Kingdom.[1] In the UK, a small label, Power Exchange, issued the single.[3] Sounds magazine's reviewer, Jonh Ingham, declared it, "Single of this and every week".[8][9] EMI head office in London contacted the Sydney branch and directed that they be signed to a three-album contract.[9] Over two days in December, the group recorded their first LP, (I'm) Stranded (February 1977), with Rod Coe producing.[1][2] It included a cover version of the Missing Links' track "Wild About You".[5] They supported AC/DC in late December 1976 and, early in 1977, relocated to Sydney.[1] EMI re-issued the single, "(I'm) Stranded" in February and it reached the Kent Music Report Top 100 Singles Chart.[10]

The Saints resisted being re-modelled into the English punk look and were generally ignored by the Australian press.[1] Mainstream public was warned that punk rock is "a sinister new teenage pop cult, based on sex, sadism and violence, [which] is sweeping Britain."[6] In May 1977, the band released their second single, "Erotic Neurotic" and then moved to the UK, where they differed with their label over how they should be marketed.[1][6] EMI planned to promote them as a typical punk band, complete with ripped clothes and spiky hair – the Saints insisted on maintaining a more downbeat image.[1][4] In June, bass guitarist Alasdair "Algy" Ward replaced Bradshaw.[1] Their next single "This Perfect Day" (July) peaked at No. 34 in the UK but further improvement was frustrated by EMI's failure to press enough copies to satisfy demand.[8][11]

"They were kind of god-like to me and my colleagues. They were just always so much better than everybody else. It was extraordinary to go and see a band that was so anarchic and violent."

-Nick Cave [12]

1978–1979: Eternally Yours and Prehistoric Sounds

The Saints released their second album, Eternally Yours, in May 1978 on EMI/Harvest with Bailey and Kuepper producing.[1][2] The album showed the band moving towards a more R&B style of rock, including a brass section on songs like "Know Your Product" which had been released as a single in February. Another track, "Private Affair", focussed on what the band members saw as the pigeon-holing, hype and commercialisation of punk. The album reached the Top 100 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart.[10]

The jazz-blues influenced third album, Prehistoric Sounds, followed in October 1978 (January 1979 in Australia).[13] Its commercial failure led EMI to drop the band. During 1978, relations between Kuepper and Bailey had deteriorated, with Bailey preferring rock and pop songs and Kuepper pursuing less commercial and more intellectual material.[1] Finally Hay, Kuepper and Ward left the group in early 1979. Kuepper returned to Australia and followed a more avant-garde direction with Laughing Clowns, which would frequently feature brass, and later, the punkish the Aints. He is one of Australia's most influential and highly regarded musicians with over twenty solo albums to his credit.[3] Hay briefly returned to Australia to join Sydney-based the Hitmen and then rejoined Bailey in London for a later version of the Saints.[3] Ward became a member of English gothic punk band, the Damned.[1] Bailey continued the group with Mark Birmingham on drums, Bruce Callaway on guitar, Barry Francis on guitar and Janine Hall on bass guitar.[1][2]

1980s: Paralytic Tonight, Dublin Tomorrow to Prodigal Son

The Saints' first release after Kuepper's departure was the live EP, Paralytic Tonight, Dublin Tomorrow, in March 1980 on Lost Records with Bailey producing.[1][2] It was followed by a studio album, The Monkey Puzzle, co-produced by Bailey and Gerry Nixon for Mushroom Records in February 1981.[2] It reached the Top 100 on the Australian Albums Chart.[10] They had shifted to a more melodic pop-rock sound and included Hay on keyboards in the line-up.[2][14] Hay left again before the next album was released in Australia in 1982 as I Thought This Was Love, But This Ain't Casablanca on Mushroom Records and elsewhere as Out in the Jungle... Where Things Ain't So Pleasant on New Rose Records.[2][15] Production was credited to Ricardo Mentalban, and with Bailey, in the Saints, were Hall on bass guitar and Iain Shedden (ex-Jolt) on drums.[2][15] Additional musicians included Roger Crankwell on saxophone and clarinet, Denis Haines on piano, Paul Neiman on trombone, Steve Sidwell on trumpet and Jess Sutcliffe on piano. The Damned's Brian James guested on lead guitar.[15][16]

In late 1982, the group toured Australia with Bailey, Hall and Shedden joined by Chris Burnham on guitar (ex-Supernaut) and Laurie Cuffe on guitar.[16] In 1983, Bailey released his first solo album, Casablanca, on New Rose. In 1984, Bailey was based in Sydney, and the Saints' album, A Little Madness to Be Free, was released in July on RCA with production credited to Lurax Debris (Bailey's pseudonym).[2][16] It contains the popular track "Ghost Ships", which was issued as a single in May.[16] A Little Madness to Be Free was "more rock-oriented, with extensive use of acoustic guitar, brass and strings set among tightly focused arrangements".[16] In mid-1984, the band toured as Bailey, Burnham, Shedden and Tracy Pew on bass guitar, (ex-Birthday Party), who was briefly replaced by Kuepper in July.[16] By 1985, the Saints were Bailey, Richard Burgman on guitar (ex-Sunnyboys) and Arturo 'Archie' Larizza on bass guitar (the Innocents), while Louise Elliot on saxophone and Jeffrey Wegener on drums (both ex-Laughing Clowns) completed the line-up.[2][16] A live album, Live in a Mud Hut ... Somewhere in Europe, recorded in 1984 with production credited to Mugumbo, was released by New Rose in 1985.[2][16]

Hay returned and, with Bailey, Burgman and Larizza, the group recorded All Fools Day in Wales with Hugh Jones producing.[2][16] It was issued by Mushroom Records in Australia and Polydor in United States, in April 1986. The album reached the Top 30 in Australia and included a Top 30 single, "Just Like Fire Would" (March).[10] The group joined the Australian Made Tour in December 1986 – January 1987 with other local acts Mental as Anything, I'm Talking, the Triffids, Divinyls, Models, Jimmy Barnes and INXS.[9][17]

Prodigal Son followed in April 1988, which reached the Top 50.[10] The line-up was Bailey, Francis, Larizza, Shedden and Joe Chiofalo on organ.[2][16] It was produced by Bailey, Brian McGee and Vanda & Young.[2] The single, "Grain of Sand", from Prodigal Son peaked at No. 11 on the United States Billboard Alternative Songs chart.[18] In March 1989, the Saints had an Australian Top 40 hit with a cover of the Easybeats' song "Music Goes 'Round My Head", which also featured in the 1988 film Young Einstein's soundtrack.[16][19] Their version of "The Music Goes Round My Head" reached No. 19 on the US Alternative Songs chart.[18]

1990–2022: later years

The Saints issued a compilation album, Songs of Salvation and Sin 1976–1988 in 1990 on Raven Records with liner notes penned by Glenn A. Baker.[2][20] Over the years, Kuepper had grown unhappy with Bailey's ongoing use of the Saints name and, in particular, with Baker crediting Bailey for the band's original creative direction.[20] In April 1991, Kuepper formed the Aints, which performed versions of vintage the Saints' material.[21] The Saints issued Permanent Revolution in 1991 on Mushroom Records, and while Bailey released solo albums, the group went into hiatus.

By 1994, Bailey had moved to Sweden where he recorded a solo album, 54 days at sea, and in 1996 issued the Saints' album, Howling, which was produced by the band for Blue Rose Records.[2][16] Bailey provided vocals, guitars and organ, and was joined by Andreas Jornvill on drums, Joakim Täck on bass guitar, Ian Walsh on guitar and Mons Wieslander on guitar.[2][16] The group toured Australia in February 1997 – their first tour there in eight years.[16] Everybody Knows the Monkey followed in May 1998 on Last Call Records with Bailey were Michael Bayliss on bass guitar, Martin Bjerregaard on drums and Andy Faulkner on guitar – it was produced by Bailey and Martin Hennel.[2]

Mushroom Records celebrated their 25th anniversary with the Mushroom 25 Live concert in November 1998; Bailey performed "Ghost Ships" and "Just Like Fire Would", and a duet with Paul Kelly on "Wide Open Road", as a tribute to David McComb of the Triffids.[22]

Spit the Blues Out was issued in 2000 in France by Last Call Records with production credited to Debris.[2] It displayed "'60s-era blues-rock" and "Brit-pop" influences, with Patrick Mathé of French label New Rose providing harmonica and guitar.[23]

On 11 September 2001, the original line-up of the Saints came together for a one-off reunion when the writer Clinton Walker, a long-time friend and champion of the band, inducted them into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame.[24][25]

By 2005, the group had re-located to Amsterdam, Netherlands - with Bailey were the line-up of Marty Willson-Piper on guitar, Caspar Wijnberg on bass guitar and Pete Wilkinson on drums. They issued Nothing Is Straight in My House in 2005, and after Willson-Piper left they released Imperious Delirium in 2006. They undertook a European tour to promote it and continued to tour America through late 2007.

On 14 July 2007, Bailey, Kuepper and Hay re-united for another one-off gig at the Queensland Music Festival, with current member Wijnberg on bass guitar.[26] In January 2009, as part of the All Tomorrows Parties touring festival, in this instance curated by Mick Harvey formerly of The Birthday Party, the Saints with Bailey, Hay, Kuepper and Larizza played shows in Brisbane, Sydney and in Mount Buller, Victoria. This was followed by a Melbourne show on 14 January as part of the Don't Look Back sideshow concerts, where they performed the I'm Stranded album in its entirety.[27] In 2010 the band returned to a three piece with Wilkinson returning as drummer and to the line-up, and the addition of new bassist Jane Mack. In May 2010, Kuepper and Bailey reunited for a month-long tri-residency series of shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. With Kuepper on electric guitar/vocals and Bailey on acoustic guitar/bass guitar/vocals, they played a selection of songs from early Saints, both solo careers, and post-Kuepper Saints, as well as a few covers.

2012 saw the recording of "King of the Sun". The album was recorded at the Trackdown studios in Sydney, where Bailey had previously recorded "Savage Entertainment". Released in Australia in late 2012, "King of the Sun" was delayed in European countries until April 2013.

On 7 November 2013, the Saints appeared as a 4-piece at the Borderline club in London, England. Alongside Bailey were stalwart Saints Barrington Francis and Peter Wilkinson. The band was augmented with Chris Dunne on keyboards.

In 2021, the State Library of Queensland named its copy of (I'm) Stranded as one of the treasures from its John Oxley Library collection, citing the 7” vinyl single represented a piece of Australian and Queensland music history, influencing generations of bands around the world.[28]

Chris Bailey died on April 9, 2022, aged 65.[29]

Influence

The Saints were one of the first and most influential punk rock groups.[8] According to Bob Geldof, "Rock music in the seventies was changed by three bands—the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and the Saints".[4][30]

In May 2001, Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary and named "(I'm) Stranded" in its Top 30 Australian songs of all time.[31] The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in September.[24][32] In 2007, "I'm Stranded" was one of the first 20 songs stored on the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry.[33] Their début album, (I'm) Stranded was listed at No. 20 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums, in October 2010.[34] Their third album, Prehistoric Sounds, also appeared in the list, at No. 41.[34]

In a tribute published on his Red Hand Files Q&A platform, Nick Cave remembered Bailey as “perhaps the greatest and most anarchic rock ‘n’ roll singer Australia would ever produce”.[35]

Band members

Final line-up

  • Chris Bailey – lead vocals (1973–2022; died 2022), guitar (1980–1983, 1984–1986, 1989–1990, 1991–1996, 1996–2012, 2016–2022), bass (1973–1974, 1989–1996, 2012–2016)
  • Peter Wilkinson – drums (1999–2002, 2003, 2005–2009, 2010–2016, 2017–2022)
  • Davey Lane – guitar (2016–2022)
  • Pat Bourke – bass (2016–2022)[citation needed]

Former members

Timeline

Discography

See also

References

General
  • McFarlane, Ian (1999). . Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 5 April 2004. Retrieved 9 April 2011. Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
  • Walker, Clinton (1981) Inner City Sound: Punk and Post-Punk in Australia, 1976–1985 Sydney: Wild & Woolley
  • Walker, Clinton (1996) Stranded: The Secret History of Australian Independent Music 1977–1991, Sydney: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 0-7329-0883-3
  • Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara; Paul McHenry (2002) [1987]. The Who's Who of Australian Rock. Noble Park, Vic: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1.[36]
Specific
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p McFarlane, entry. Archived from the original on 9 October 2004. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Holmgren, Magnus. . Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 20 December 2003. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Nimmervoll, Ed. "The Saints". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music. White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd (Ed Nimmervoll). Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  4. ^ a b c . J Files Page. Triple J (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). 30 November 2000. Archived from the original on 18 November 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  5. ^ a b McFarlane, entry. Archived from the original on 23 August 2004. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e Cockington, James (August 2001). "Sunshine Sounds". Long Way to the Top. Sydney, NSW: ABC Books (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). pp. 210–217. ISBN 0-7333-0750-7.
  7. ^ "Interview with Ed Kuepper from the Aints!". Tomatrax. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  8. ^ a b c Stafford, Andrew (2006). Pig City: from The Saints to Savage Garden (2d rev. ed.). Brisbane: University of Queensland Press. pp. 57–76. ISBN 0-7022-3561-X.
  9. ^ a b c Jenkins, Jeff; Meldrum, Ian (2007). Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia. Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing. pp. 252–253. ISBN 978-1-921332-11-1.
  10. ^ a b c d e Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
  11. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 480. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  12. ^ Jeff Jenkins (2007). 50 Years of Rock in Australia. Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing. p. 291. ISBN 9781921332111.
  13. ^ Tahiraj, Donat (November 2005). "Laughing Clowns – Cruel but Fair". Time Off Magazine. timeoff.com.au.
  14. ^ Dougan, John. "The Saints – Biography". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  15. ^ a b c I Thought This Was Love, But This Ain't Casablanca (CD). The Saints. Australia: Mushroom Records. 1982. MUSH32400.2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n McFarlane, entry. Archived from the original on 30 September 2004. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  17. ^ Baker, Glenn A.; King, Bob (1987). Glenn A. Baker (ed.). Australian Made, Gonna Have a Good Time Tonight : the Authorised Documentary of the Event. Sydney, NSW: Fontana Collins. ISBN 0-00-636921-9.
  18. ^ a b "The Saints Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media (Nielsen Company). Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  19. ^ "Discography The Saints". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  20. ^ a b Baker, Glenn A. (1995). Songs of Salvation and Sin 1976–1988 (booklet). The Saints. Australia: Raven Records. RVCD-09.
  21. ^ McFarlane, entry. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  22. ^ Lee, Graham; Kakulas, Phil; Snarski, Rob. "David McComb 17/2/62–2/2/99". home.scarlet.be. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  23. ^ "Spit the Blues Out The Saints". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  24. ^ a b . ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  25. ^ "Old Friends, Old Feuds – and, Finally, a Point". The Sunday Age. Fairfax Media. 16 September 2001. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  26. ^ Connors, Matt (16 July 2007). "Historic Rock'n'Roll Revival". The Courier-Mail. Queensland Newspapers (News Limited). Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  27. ^ "The Saints". All Tomorrow's Parties. ATPFestivals. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  28. ^   This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "(I'm) Stranded / No Time, The Saints 1976: treasure collection of the John Oxley Library". John Oxley Library Blog. State Library of Queensland. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  29. ^ "Chris Bailey, lead singer of The Saints and 'co-creator of punk', dies". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  30. ^ Baker, Glenn A. (1995). (I'm) Stranded (booklet). The Saints. Australia: EMI Music (Australia). CDMID 166130.
  31. ^ Kruger, Debbie (2 May 2001). "The Songs That Resonate Through the Years". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  32. ^ Donovan, Patrick (19 December 2008). "The Saints come marching home". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  33. ^ . Sounds of Australia. National Film and Sound Archive. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  34. ^ a b O'Donnell, John; Creswell, Toby; Mathieson, Craig (October 2010). 100 Best Australian Albums. Prahran, Vic: Hardie Grant Books. pp. 78–79, 124–125. ISBN 978-1-74066-955-9.
  35. ^ "Nick Cave - The Red Hand Files - Issue #191 - I just heard about Chris Bailey's death. What an amazing voice, what an amazing scream. Can you tell us something about what he meant to you as a young musician in Australia?". The Red Hand Files. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  36. ^ Who's who of Australian rock / compiled by Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry. catalogue. National Library of Australia. 2002. ISBN 9781865038919. Retrieved 9 April 2011. Note: [on-line] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd 15 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition. As from September 2010, [on-line] version appears to have an Internal Service Error.

External links

  • The Saints site
  • The Saints on Facebook
  • (I’m) Stranded / No Time, The Saints 1976: treasure collection of the John Oxley Library
  • The Saints discography at Discogs
  • The Saints at IMDb

saints, australian, band, band, recorded, meek, saints, british, band, saints, were, australian, rock, band, originating, brisbane, queensland, 1973, band, founded, chris, bailey, singer, songwriter, later, guitarist, ivor, drummer, kuepper, guitarist, songwri. For the band recorded by Joe Meek see The Saints British band The Saints were an Australian rock band originating in Brisbane Queensland in 1973 The band was founded by Chris Bailey singer songwriter later guitarist Ivor Hay drummer and Ed Kuepper guitarist songwriter They were initially labeled a punk band because like American punk rock band the Ramones the Saints were employing the fast tempos raucous vocals and buzzsaw guitar that characterised early punk rock although this only reflects a portion of their overall sound With their debut single I m Stranded in September 1976 they became the first punk band outside the US to release a record ahead of better known acts the Damned the Sex Pistols and the Clash They are considered one of the first and most influential groups of the genre particularly within Australia The SaintsPeter Wilkinson Caspar Wijnberg Chris BaileyAmsterdam July 2006Background informationAlso known asKid Galahad and the Eternals 1973 1974 OriginBrisbane Queensland AustraliaGenresBrisbane punkalternative rockpop rockYears active1973 1973 2022 2022 LabelsFire Records UK Fatal Power Exchange EMI Harvest Sire Lost Mushroom New Rose RCA Blue RosePast members see below WebsiteThe Saints siteThe Saints on FacebookAside from mainstay Bailey the group also had numerous line up changes in early 1979 Ivor Hay and Ed Kuepper left while Bailey continued under the moniker with new musicians Although the band achieved little commercial success in its early years their seventh album All Fools Day peaked in the Top 30 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart in April 1986 Bailey also forged a solo career and had relocated to Sweden by 1994 The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001 Bailey died in April 2022 effectively ending the band Contents 1 History 1 1 1973 1976 Formative years 1 2 1976 1977 I m Stranded 1 3 1978 1979 Eternally Yours and Prehistoric Sounds 1 4 1980s Paralytic Tonight Dublin Tomorrow to Prodigal Son 1 5 1990 2022 later years 2 Influence 3 Band members 3 1 Final line up 3 2 Former members 3 3 Timeline 4 Discography 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory Edit1973 1976 Formative years Edit The Saints original members were Brisbane schoolmates Bailey Kuepper and Hay 1 2 They had formed Kid Galahad and the Eternals in 1973 with Irish raised Bailey on vocals Brisbane born Hay on piano and German born Kuepper on guitar 3 Their musical inspirations came from 1950s rock n roll musicians such as Little Richard and Elvis Presley their name referenced his 1962 film Kid Galahad 4 and 1960s proto punk bands like the Missing Links the Stooges and MC5 5 They rehearsed in a shed at the back of Hay s place which was opposite the local police headquarters 6 During an appearance on Top of the pops on UK TV where bands were required to mime to their tracks Bailey dropped the microphone and stopped syncing while he bent down slowly to retrieve it For most of the rest of the track he was either not syncing or out of time with the track The band renamed themselves the Saints in 1974 inspired by Leslie Charteris s character The Saint 7 They played covers of Del Shannon Connie Francis and Ike and Tina Turner exploding them almost beyond recognition with energy 3 Jeffrey Wegener joined on drums and Hay switched to bass guitar Wegener had left by 1975 Hay moved to drums and Kym Bradshaw joined on bass guitar 1 Contemporaneous with Ramones the group were employing the fast tempos raucous vocals and buzz saw guitar that characterised early punk rock Kuepper explained that they played faster and faster as they were nervous in front of audiences 6 The police would often break up their gigs and arrests were frequent 6 Unable to obtain bookings Bailey and Hay converted the Petrie Terrace house they shared into the 76 Club so they had a venue to play in 3 According to Australian rock historian Ian McFarlane they had developed their own distinctive sound as defined by Kuepper s frenetic whirlwind guitar style and Bailey s arrogant snarl 1 1976 1977 I m Stranded Edit In June 1976 the Saints recorded two self produced tracks I m Stranded and No Time with Mark Moffatt engineering label credits for both sides say Produced by The Saints Unable to find any interested label they formed Fatal Records and independently released their debut single in September 3 Their self owned Eternal Promotions sent discs to radio stations and magazines both in Australia with little local interest and United Kingdom 1 In the UK a small label Power Exchange issued the single 3 Sounds magazine s reviewer Jonh Ingham declared it Single of this and every week 8 9 EMI head office in London contacted the Sydney branch and directed that they be signed to a three album contract 9 Over two days in December the group recorded their first LP I m Stranded February 1977 with Rod Coe producing 1 2 It included a cover version of the Missing Links track Wild About You 5 They supported AC DC in late December 1976 and early in 1977 relocated to Sydney 1 EMI re issued the single I m Stranded in February and it reached the Kent Music Report Top 100 Singles Chart 10 The Saints resisted being re modelled into the English punk look and were generally ignored by the Australian press 1 Mainstream public was warned that punk rock is a sinister new teenage pop cult based on sex sadism and violence which is sweeping Britain 6 In May 1977 the band released their second single Erotic Neurotic and then moved to the UK where they differed with their label over how they should be marketed 1 6 EMI planned to promote them as a typical punk band complete with ripped clothes and spiky hair the Saints insisted on maintaining a more downbeat image 1 4 In June bass guitarist Alasdair Algy Ward replaced Bradshaw 1 Their next single This Perfect Day July peaked at No 34 in the UK but further improvement was frustrated by EMI s failure to press enough copies to satisfy demand 8 11 They were kind of god like to me and my colleagues They were just always so much better than everybody else It was extraordinary to go and see a band that was so anarchic and violent Nick Cave 12 1978 1979 Eternally Yours and Prehistoric Sounds Edit The Saints released their second album Eternally Yours in May 1978 on EMI Harvest with Bailey and Kuepper producing 1 2 The album showed the band moving towards a more R amp B style of rock including a brass section on songs like Know Your Product which had been released as a single in February Another track Private Affair focussed on what the band members saw as the pigeon holing hype and commercialisation of punk The album reached the Top 100 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart 10 The jazz blues influenced third album Prehistoric Sounds followed in October 1978 January 1979 in Australia 13 Its commercial failure led EMI to drop the band During 1978 relations between Kuepper and Bailey had deteriorated with Bailey preferring rock and pop songs and Kuepper pursuing less commercial and more intellectual material 1 Finally Hay Kuepper and Ward left the group in early 1979 Kuepper returned to Australia and followed a more avant garde direction with Laughing Clowns which would frequently feature brass and later the punkish the Aints He is one of Australia s most influential and highly regarded musicians with over twenty solo albums to his credit 3 Hay briefly returned to Australia to join Sydney based the Hitmen and then rejoined Bailey in London for a later version of the Saints 3 Ward became a member of English gothic punk band the Damned 1 Bailey continued the group with Mark Birmingham on drums Bruce Callaway on guitar Barry Francis on guitar and Janine Hall on bass guitar 1 2 1980s Paralytic Tonight Dublin Tomorrow to Prodigal Son Edit The Saints first release after Kuepper s departure was the live EP Paralytic Tonight Dublin Tomorrow in March 1980 on Lost Records with Bailey producing 1 2 It was followed by a studio album The Monkey Puzzle co produced by Bailey and Gerry Nixon for Mushroom Records in February 1981 2 It reached the Top 100 on the Australian Albums Chart 10 They had shifted to a more melodic pop rock sound and included Hay on keyboards in the line up 2 14 Hay left again before the next album was released in Australia in 1982 as I Thought This Was Love But This Ain t Casablanca on Mushroom Records and elsewhere as Out in the Jungle Where Things Ain t So Pleasant on New Rose Records 2 15 Production was credited to Ricardo Mentalban and with Bailey in the Saints were Hall on bass guitar and Iain Shedden ex Jolt on drums 2 15 Additional musicians included Roger Crankwell on saxophone and clarinet Denis Haines on piano Paul Neiman on trombone Steve Sidwell on trumpet and Jess Sutcliffe on piano The Damned s Brian James guested on lead guitar 15 16 In late 1982 the group toured Australia with Bailey Hall and Shedden joined by Chris Burnham on guitar ex Supernaut and Laurie Cuffe on guitar 16 In 1983 Bailey released his first solo album Casablanca on New Rose In 1984 Bailey was based in Sydney and the Saints album A Little Madness to Be Free was released in July on RCA with production credited to Lurax Debris Bailey s pseudonym 2 16 It contains the popular track Ghost Ships which was issued as a single in May 16 A Little Madness to Be Free was more rock oriented with extensive use of acoustic guitar brass and strings set among tightly focused arrangements 16 In mid 1984 the band toured as Bailey Burnham Shedden and Tracy Pew on bass guitar ex Birthday Party who was briefly replaced by Kuepper in July 16 By 1985 the Saints were Bailey Richard Burgman on guitar ex Sunnyboys and Arturo Archie Larizza on bass guitar the Innocents while Louise Elliot on saxophone and Jeffrey Wegener on drums both ex Laughing Clowns completed the line up 2 16 A live album Live in a Mud Hut Somewhere in Europe recorded in 1984 with production credited to Mugumbo was released by New Rose in 1985 2 16 Hay returned and with Bailey Burgman and Larizza the group recorded All Fools Day in Wales with Hugh Jones producing 2 16 It was issued by Mushroom Records in Australia and Polydor in United States in April 1986 The album reached the Top 30 in Australia and included a Top 30 single Just Like Fire Would March 10 The group joined the Australian Made Tour in December 1986 January 1987 with other local acts Mental as Anything I m Talking the Triffids Divinyls Models Jimmy Barnes and INXS 9 17 Prodigal Son followed in April 1988 which reached the Top 50 10 The line up was Bailey Francis Larizza Shedden and Joe Chiofalo on organ 2 16 It was produced by Bailey Brian McGee and Vanda amp Young 2 The single Grain of Sand from Prodigal Son peaked at No 11 on the United States Billboard Alternative Songs chart 18 In March 1989 the Saints had an Australian Top 40 hit with a cover of the Easybeats song Music Goes Round My Head which also featured in the 1988 film Young Einstein s soundtrack 16 19 Their version of The Music Goes Round My Head reached No 19 on the US Alternative Songs chart 18 1990 2022 later years Edit The Saints issued a compilation album Songs of Salvation and Sin 1976 1988 in 1990 on Raven Records with liner notes penned by Glenn A Baker 2 20 Over the years Kuepper had grown unhappy with Bailey s ongoing use of the Saints name and in particular with Baker crediting Bailey for the band s original creative direction 20 In April 1991 Kuepper formed the Aints which performed versions of vintage the Saints material 21 The Saints issued Permanent Revolution in 1991 on Mushroom Records and while Bailey released solo albums the group went into hiatus By 1994 Bailey had moved to Sweden where he recorded a solo album 54 days at sea and in 1996 issued the Saints album Howling which was produced by the band for Blue Rose Records 2 16 Bailey provided vocals guitars and organ and was joined by Andreas Jornvill on drums Joakim Tack on bass guitar Ian Walsh on guitar and Mons Wieslander on guitar 2 16 The group toured Australia in February 1997 their first tour there in eight years 16 Everybody Knows the Monkey followed in May 1998 on Last Call Records with Bailey were Michael Bayliss on bass guitar Martin Bjerregaard on drums and Andy Faulkner on guitar it was produced by Bailey and Martin Hennel 2 Mushroom Records celebrated their 25th anniversary with the Mushroom 25 Live concert in November 1998 Bailey performed Ghost Ships and Just Like Fire Would and a duet with Paul Kelly on Wide Open Road as a tribute to David McComb of the Triffids 22 Spit the Blues Out was issued in 2000 in France by Last Call Records with production credited to Debris 2 It displayed 60s era blues rock and Brit pop influences with Patrick Mathe of French label New Rose providing harmonica and guitar 23 On 11 September 2001 the original line up of the Saints came together for a one off reunion when the writer Clinton Walker a long time friend and champion of the band inducted them into the Australian Recording Industry Association ARIA Hall of Fame 24 25 By 2005 the group had re located to Amsterdam Netherlands with Bailey were the line up of Marty Willson Piper on guitar Caspar Wijnberg on bass guitar and Pete Wilkinson on drums They issued Nothing Is Straight in My House in 2005 and after Willson Piper left they released Imperious Delirium in 2006 They undertook a European tour to promote it and continued to tour America through late 2007 On 14 July 2007 Bailey Kuepper and Hay re united for another one off gig at the Queensland Music Festival with current member Wijnberg on bass guitar 26 In January 2009 as part of the All Tomorrows Parties touring festival in this instance curated by Mick Harvey formerly of The Birthday Party the Saints with Bailey Hay Kuepper and Larizza played shows in Brisbane Sydney and in Mount Buller Victoria This was followed by a Melbourne show on 14 January as part of the Don t Look Back sideshow concerts where they performed the I m Stranded album in its entirety 27 In 2010 the band returned to a three piece with Wilkinson returning as drummer and to the line up and the addition of new bassist Jane Mack In May 2010 Kuepper and Bailey reunited for a month long tri residency series of shows in Brisbane Sydney and Melbourne With Kuepper on electric guitar vocals and Bailey on acoustic guitar bass guitar vocals they played a selection of songs from early Saints both solo careers and post Kuepper Saints as well as a few covers 2012 saw the recording of King of the Sun The album was recorded at the Trackdown studios in Sydney where Bailey had previously recorded Savage Entertainment Released in Australia in late 2012 King of the Sun was delayed in European countries until April 2013 On 7 November 2013 the Saints appeared as a 4 piece at the Borderline club in London England Alongside Bailey were stalwart Saints Barrington Francis and Peter Wilkinson The band was augmented with Chris Dunne on keyboards In 2021 the State Library of Queensland named its copy of I m Stranded as one of the treasures from its John Oxley Library collection citing the 7 vinyl single represented a piece of Australian and Queensland music history influencing generations of bands around the world 28 Chris Bailey died on April 9 2022 aged 65 29 Influence EditThe Saints were one of the first and most influential punk rock groups 8 According to Bob Geldof Rock music in the seventies was changed by three bands the Sex Pistols the Ramones and the Saints 4 30 In May 2001 Australasian Performing Right Association APRA celebrated its 75th anniversary and named I m Stranded in its Top 30 Australian songs of all time 31 The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association ARIA Hall of Fame in September 24 32 In 2007 I m Stranded was one of the first 20 songs stored on the National Film and Sound Archive s Sounds of Australia registry 33 Their debut album I m Stranded was listed at No 20 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums in October 2010 34 Their third album Prehistoric Sounds also appeared in the list at No 41 34 In a tribute published on his Red Hand Files Q amp A platform Nick Cave remembered Bailey as perhaps the greatest and most anarchic rock n roll singer Australia would ever produce 35 Band members EditFinal line up Edit Chris Bailey lead vocals 1973 2022 died 2022 guitar 1980 1983 1984 1986 1989 1990 1991 1996 1996 2012 2016 2022 bass 1973 1974 1989 1996 2012 2016 Peter Wilkinson drums 1999 2002 2003 2005 2009 2010 2016 2017 2022 Davey Lane guitar 2016 2022 Pat Bourke bass 2016 2022 citation needed Former members Edit Ivor Hay drums 1973 1974 1975 1980 1981 1982 1985 1988 2009 1 2 keyboards organ 1973 1982 1984 1987 2009 bass 1973 1975 Ed Kuepper guitar 1973 1979 2004 2009 John Sawyer drums March to Sept 1974 Jeffrey Wegener drums 1974 1975 1985 Roland Desainis drums 1975 Doug Balmanno bass 1975 Kym Bradshaw bass 1975 1977 Algy Ward bass 1976 1980 Bruce Callaway guitar 1979 1980 Janine Hall bass 1979 1982 1984 1985 died 2008 Barry Francis guitar 1979 1989 2013 2016 Mark Birmingham drums 1980 1981 Iain Shedden drums 1982 1983 1984 1985 1988 1990 2002 2004 2016 2017 died 2017 Chris Burnham guitar 1982 1989 1990 Laurie Cuffe drums 1983 1984 guitar 1984 1986 Tracy Pew bass 1984 died 1986 Richard Burgman guitar 1985 Louise Elliott saxophone 1985 Arturo Larizza bass 1986 1989 2002 2004 2009 Joe Chiofalo keyboards 1987 1988 1991 Dror Erez keyboards 1991 Tony Faehse guitar 1991 1992 Peter Jones drums 1991 Dave Sparks guitar 1991 1992 Michael Bayliss bass 1996 2004 Marty Bjerregaard drums 1996 1999 Andy Faulkner guitar 1996 2004 Andreas Jornvill drums 1996 Joakim Tack bass 1996 Ian Walsh guitar 1996 Mans Wieslander guitar 1996 Peter Wilkinson drums 1999 2016 Eddie Nystrom guitar 2002 Marty Willson Piper guitar 2004 2005 Caspar Wijnberg bass 2004 2010 Jane Mack bass 2006 2010 Sean Carey guitar 2012 2013 Timeline EditDiscography EditMain article The Saints discography I m Stranded 1977 Eternally Yours 1978 Prehistoric Sounds 1978 The Monkey Puzzle 1981 Casablanca 1982 aka Out in the Jungle Where Things Ain t So Pleasant A Little Madness to Be Free 1984 All Fools Day 1986 Prodigal Son 1988 Howling 1997 Everybody Knows the Monkey 1998 Spit the Blues Out 2002 Nothing Is Straight in My House 2005 Imperious Delirium 2006 King of the Sun 2012 See also EditBrisbane punk rockReferences EditGeneralMcFarlane Ian 1999 Whammo Homepage Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop St Leonards NSW Allen amp Unwin ISBN 1 86508 072 1 Archived from the original on 5 April 2004 Retrieved 9 April 2011 Note Archived on line copy has limited functionality Walker Clinton 1981 Inner City Sound Punk and Post Punk in Australia 1976 1985 Sydney Wild amp Woolley Walker Clinton 1996 Stranded The Secret History of Australian Independent Music 1977 1991 Sydney Pan Macmillan ISBN 0 7329 0883 3 Spencer Chris Zbig Nowara Paul McHenry 2002 1987 The Who s Who of Australian Rock Noble Park Vic Five Mile Press ISBN 1 86503 891 1 36 Specific a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p McFarlane The Saints entry Archived from the original on 9 October 2004 Retrieved 9 April 2011 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Holmgren Magnus The Saints Australian Rock Database Passagen se Magnus Holmgren Archived from the original on 20 December 2003 Retrieved 12 February 2014 a b c d e f g Nimmervoll Ed The Saints Howlspace The Living History of Our Music White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd Ed Nimmervoll Archived from the original on 26 July 2012 Retrieved 22 January 2014 a b c The Saints J Files Page Triple J Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC 30 November 2000 Archived from the original on 18 November 2008 Retrieved 9 April 2011 a b McFarlane The Missing Links entry Archived from the original on 23 August 2004 Retrieved 10 April 2011 a b c d e Cockington James August 2001 Sunshine Sounds Long Way to the Top Sydney NSW ABC Books Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC pp 210 217 ISBN 0 7333 0750 7 Interview with Ed Kuepper from the Aints Tomatrax 10 May 2019 Retrieved 18 May 2019 a b c Stafford Andrew 2006 Pig City from The Saints to Savage Garden 2d rev ed Brisbane University of Queensland Press pp 57 76 ISBN 0 7022 3561 X a b c Jenkins Jeff Meldrum Ian 2007 Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia Melbourne Wilkinson Publishing pp 252 253 ISBN 978 1 921332 11 1 a b c d e Kent David 1993 Australian Chart Book 1970 1992 St Ives NSW Australian Chart Book Ltd ISBN 0 646 11917 6 Note Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association ARIA created their own charts in mid 1988 In 1992 Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970 1974 Roberts David 2006 British Hit Singles amp Albums 19th ed London Guinness World Records Limited p 480 ISBN 1 904994 10 5 Jeff Jenkins 2007 50 Years of Rock in Australia Melbourne Wilkinson Publishing p 291 ISBN 9781921332111 Tahiraj Donat November 2005 Laughing Clowns Cruel but Fair Time Off Magazine timeoff com au Dougan John The Saints Biography AllMusic Rovi Corporation Retrieved 12 April 2011 a b c I Thought This Was Love But This Ain t Casablanca CD The Saints Australia Mushroom Records 1982 MUSH32400 2 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link a b c d e f g h i j k l m n McFarlane Chris Bailey entry Archived from the original on 30 September 2004 Retrieved 12 April 2011 Baker Glenn A King Bob 1987 Glenn A Baker ed Australian Made Gonna Have a Good Time Tonight the Authorised Documentary of the Event Sydney NSW Fontana Collins ISBN 0 00 636921 9 a b The Saints Album amp Song Chart History Billboard Prometheus Global Media Nielsen Company Retrieved 22 April 2011 Discography The Saints Australian Charts Portal Hung Medien Retrieved 21 April 2011 a b Baker Glenn A 1995 Songs of Salvation and Sin 1976 1988 booklet The Saints Australia Raven Records RVCD 09 McFarlane The Aints entry Archived from the original on 3 August 2004 Retrieved 14 April 2011 Lee Graham Kakulas Phil Snarski Rob David McComb 17 2 62 2 2 99 home scarlet be Retrieved 12 April 2011 Spit the Blues Out The Saints Allmusic Rovi Corporation Retrieved 14 April 2011 a b History Winners by Year 2001 15th Annual ARIA Awards ARIA Awards Australian Recording Industry Association ARIA Archived from the original on 26 September 2007 Retrieved 14 April 2011 Old Friends Old Feuds and Finally a Point The Sunday Age Fairfax Media 16 September 2001 Retrieved 19 April 2011 Connors Matt 16 July 2007 Historic Rock n Roll Revival The Courier Mail Queensland Newspapers News Limited Retrieved 19 April 2011 The Saints All Tomorrow s Parties ATPFestivals Retrieved 21 April 2011 This Wikipedia article incorporates CC BY 4 0 licensed text from I m Stranded No Time The Saints 1976 treasure collection of the John Oxley Library John Oxley Library Blog State Library of Queensland 24 February 2021 Retrieved 21 May 2021 Chris Bailey lead singer of The Saints and co creator of punk dies ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation 10 April 2022 Retrieved 10 April 2022 Baker Glenn A 1995 I m Stranded booklet The Saints Australia EMI Music Australia CDMID 166130 Kruger Debbie 2 May 2001 The Songs That Resonate Through the Years Australasian Performing Right Association APRA Retrieved 19 April 2011 Donovan Patrick 19 December 2008 The Saints come marching home The Age Fairfax Media Retrieved 14 April 2011 About the Registry Sounds of Australia National Film and Sound Archive Archived from the original on 17 February 2011 Retrieved 16 January 2011 a b O Donnell John Creswell Toby Mathieson Craig October 2010 100 Best Australian Albums Prahran Vic Hardie Grant Books pp 78 79 124 125 ISBN 978 1 74066 955 9 Nick Cave The Red Hand Files Issue 191 I just heard about Chris Bailey s death What an amazing voice what an amazing scream Can you tell us something about what he meant to you as a young musician in Australia The Red Hand Files 11 April 2022 Retrieved 13 April 2022 Who s who of Australian rock compiled by Chris Spencer Zbig Nowara amp Paul McHenry catalogue National Library of Australia 2002 ISBN 9781865038919 Retrieved 9 April 2011 Note on line version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd Archived 15 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition As from September 2010 on line version appears to have an Internal Service Error External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Saints Australian band The Saints site The Saints on Facebook I m Stranded No Time The Saints 1976 treasure collection of the John Oxley Library The Saints discography at Discogs The Saints at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Saints Australian band amp oldid 1120442462, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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