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The Saints (band)
Encyclopedia
The Saints are an Australian rock band, which formed in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in 1974 as punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
ers. Founders were Chris Bailey (singer-songwriter, later guitarist), Ivor Hay (drummer), and Ed Kuepper
Ed Kuepper
Ed Kuepper is an Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded the seminal punk band The Saints, the experimental post-punk group Laughing Clowns and later the grunge-like The Aints...
(guitarist-songwriter). Alongside mainstay Bailey, the group has had numerous line-ups. In 1975, contemporaneous with United States' Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, The Saints were employing the fast tempos, raucous vocals and "buzz saw" guitar that characterised early punk rock. With their debut single, "(I'm) Stranded
(I'm) Stranded (song)
" Stranded" is the first song released by pioneering Australian punk rock band The Saints. Issued in September 1976, it has been cited as "one of the iconic singles of the era", and pre-dated vinyl debuts by contemporary punk acts such as the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, The Damned and The Clash...
", in September 1976, they became the first punk band outside the US to release a record, ahead of better-known acts including the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
and The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
. They are one of the first and most influential groups of the genre, according to Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
, "Rock music in the seventies was changed by three bands—the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and The Saints".
In early 1979, the Saints had split, leaving Bailey to continue the band, with a variable line-up, as a pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
group. All Fools Day
All Fools Day (album)
All Fools Day is the seventh album by the Australian music group The Saints in 1985. The album was The Saints' commercial breakthrough into the US, with the video for "Just Like Fire Would" receiving airplay on MTV.-Track listing:...
peaked in the Top 30 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Albums Chart in April 1986. Bailey also has a solo career and had relocated to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
by 1994. The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
in 2001.
1974–1976: Formative years
The Saints' original members were BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
schoolmates Chris Bailey (singer-songwriter, later guitarist), Ed Kuepper
Ed Kuepper
Ed Kuepper is an Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded the seminal punk band The Saints, the experimental post-punk group Laughing Clowns and later the grunge-like The Aints...
(guitarist-songwriter), and Ivor Hay (drummer). They had formed Kid Galahad and the Eternals in 1973 with Irish-raised Bailey on vocals, Hay on piano and German-born Kuepper on guitar. Their musical inspirations came from 1950s rock 'n' roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
musicians such as Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
(their name referenced his 1962 film, Kid Galahad
Kid Galahad
Kid Galahad is a 1962 musical film starring Elvis Presley as a boxer. The film was released by United Artists. The film opened at #9 at the box office when released in the United States in August 1962...
) and 1960s proto-punk bands like The Missing Links, The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
and MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
. They rehearsed in a shed at the back of Hay's place, which was opposite the local police headquarters.
Re-named as The Saints, in 1974, they played covers of Del Shannon
Del Shannon
Del Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
, Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
and Ike and Tina Turner – "exploding them almost beyond recognition with energy". 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. Contemporaneous with Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, 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. The police would often break up their gigs, and arrests were frequent. Unable to obtain bookings, Bailey and Hay converted the Petrie Terrace
Petrie Terrace, Queensland
Petrie Terrace is an inner-city suburb and major thoroughfare in Brisbane, Australia. It is located under 2 km to the west of the Brisbane General Post Office. The suburb is bordered to the west by Hale Street and to the east by Countess Street...
house they shared into the 76 Club so they had a venue to play in. 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".
1976–1977: (I'm) Stranded
In June 1976, The Saints recorded two tracks, "(I'm) Stranded(I'm) Stranded (song)
" Stranded" is the first song released by pioneering Australian punk rock band The Saints. Issued in September 1976, it has been cited as "one of the iconic singles of the era", and pre-dated vinyl debuts by contemporary punk acts such as the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, The Damned and The Clash...
" and "No Time" with Mark Moffatt producing. Unable to find any interested label, they formed Fatal Records and independently released their debut single in September. Their self-owned Eternal Promotions sent discs to radio stations and magazines both in Australia – with little local interest – and United Kingdom. In the UK, a small label, Power Exchange, issued the single. Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
magazine's reviewer, Jonh Ingham
Jonh Ingham
Jonh Ingham is the nom de typewriter for John Ingham, a music journalist best known for writing the first interview with The Sex Pistols for the UK music paper Sounds in April 1976....
, declared it, "Single of this and every week". EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
head office in London contacted the Sydney branch and directed that they be signed to a three-album contract. Over two days in December, the group recorded their first LP, (I'm) Stranded
(I'm) Stranded
Stranded is the debut album by Australian punk rock group The Saints which was released by EMI on 21 February 1977. Their debut single, " Stranded", was issued ahead of the album in September 1976, which Sounds magazine's reviewer, Jonh Ingham, declared was the "Single of this and every week"...
(February 1977), with Rod Coe producing. It included a cover version of The Missing Links' track "Wild About You". They supported AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
in late December 1976 and, early in 1977, relocated to Sydney. EMI re-issued the single, "(I'm) Stranded" in February and it reached the Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Top 100 Singles Chart.
The Saints resisted being re-modelled into the English punk look and were generally ignored by the Australian press. Mainstream public was warned that punk rock is "a sinister new teenage pop cult, based on sex, sadism and violence, [which] is sweeping Britain." In May 1977, the band released their second single, "Erotic Neurotic" and then moved to UK, where they differed with their label over how they should be marketed. 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. In June, bass guitarist Alasdair "Algy" Ward
Algy Ward
Alasdair Mackie "Algy" Ward is an English rock and roll bass guitarist and singer.-Biography:He was first active as a member of the Australian punk band The Saints before joining British group The Damned and playing on Machine Gun Etiquette...
replaced Bradshaw. Their next single "This Perfect Day
This Perfect Day (single)
"This Perfect Day" is a single by punk band The Saints .It was produced by Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper and recorded and mixed at Roundhouse and Wessex Studios, London, in late 1977.The single made #34 in the UK charts, the band's only British Top 40 entry....
" (July) peaked at No. 34 in the UK but further improvement was frustrated by EMI's failure to press enough copies to satisfy demand.
1978–1979: Eternally Yours and Prehistoric Sounds
Eternally Yours
Eternally Yours is second album released by the Australian music group The Saints in 1978. For their follow up album the band chose a bigger, more R&B-driven sound, including the addition of a horn section.The original title for the album was to be International Robots and recording initially...
, in May 1978 on EMI/Harvest with Bailey and Kuepper producing. The album showed the band moving towards a more R&B style of rock, including a brass section on songs like "Know Your Product
Know Your Product
"Know Your Product" is a song written by Ed Kuepper and Chris Bailey of Australian rock band The Saints. Released in February 1978, it was the second single from the group's second album, Eternally Yours...
" 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.
The jazz-blues influenced third album, Prehistoric Sounds
Prehistoric Sounds
Prehistoric Sounds is the third album released by the Australian music group The Saints in 1978. This was the final album to feature Ed Kuepper, who left the band shortly after its release...
, followed in October 1978 (January 1979 in Australia). 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. 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. He is one of Australia's most influential and highly regarded musicians with over twenty solo albums to his credit. Hay briefly returned to Australia to join Sydney-based The Hitmen
The Hitmen
Hitmen are an Australian Hard rock band. The group went through a large number of lineup changes in its short late 1970s and early 1980s run, then regrouped under a new name, Hitmen DTK, between 1989 and 1992. They reformed in 2007 and continue to play....
and then rejoined Bailey in London for a later version of The Saints. Ward became a member of English gothic
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
punk band, The Damned. Bailey continued the group with Mark Birmingham on drums, Bruce Callaway on guitar, Barry Francis on guitar and Janine Hall on bass guitar.
1980s: Paralytic Tonight, Dublin Tomorrow to Prodigal Son
The Saints' first release after Kuepper's departure was the live EP, Paralytic Tonight, Dublin TomorrowParalytic Tonight, Dublin Tomorrow
Paralytic Tonight, Dublin Tomorrow is an 7" EP by Australian Punk band The Saints.-Australian Release:PRS-2773Side A#"Simple Love"# " Roses""Side B#"On the Waterfront"#"Call it Mine"-French Release:NEW-1Side A...
, in March 1980 on Lost Records with Bailey producing. It was followed by a studio album, The Monkey Puzzle, co-produced by Bailey and Gerry Nixon for Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
in February 1981. It reached the Top 100 on the Australian Albums Chart. They had shifted to a more melodic pop-rock sound and included Hay on keyboards in the line-up. Hay left again before the next album was released in Australia in 1982 as I Thought This Was Love, But This Ain't Casablanca
I Thought This Was Love, But This Ain't Casablanca
I Thought This Was Love, But This Ain't Casablanca is the fifth album by Australian punk band The Saints. It was released internationally as Out in the Jungle .....
on Mushroom Records and elsewhere as Out in the Jungle... Where Things Ain't So Pleasant on New Rose Records. Production was credited to Ricardo Mentalban, and with Bailey, in The Saints, were Hall on bass guitar and Iain Shedden on drums. 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.
In late 1982, the group toured Australia with Bailey, Hall and Shedden joined by Chris Burnham on guitar (ex-Supernaut
Supernaut (band)
Supernaut were an Australian glam/punk rock band from Perth, Australia formed in 1974 and disbanded in 1980.-History:Formed in 1974 in Perth, Western Australia, Supernaut had a short but successful career which yielded two straight top twenty singles and gold album status for their self titled...
) and Laurie Cuffe on guitar. 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
A Little Madness to Be Free
A Little Madness to Be Free was the sixth album to be released by Australian band The Saints. This time around, frontman Chris Bailey persuaded original members, Kim Bradshaw and Ivor Hay , to rejoin the band...
, was released in July on RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
with production credited to Lurax Debris (Bailey's pseudonym). It contains the popular track, "Ghost Ships", which was issued as a single in May. A Little Madness to Be Free was "more rock-oriented, with extensive use of acoustic guitar, brass and strings set among tightly focused arrangements". In mid-1984, the band toured as Bailey, Burnham, Shedden and Tracy Pew
Tracy Pew
Tracy Pew was an Australian musician, best known as the bass player for The Birthday Party.Born in Australia, Pew moved with his family to New Zealand in 1959, returning in May 1964...
on bass guitar, (ex-The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
), who was briefly replaced by Kuepper in July. By 1985, The Saints were Bailey, Richard Burgman on guitar (ex-The Sunnyboys
The Sunnyboys
Sunnyboys was an Australian post-punk, power pop band formed in Sydney in 1980. Fronted by singer-songwriter, guitarist Jeremy Oxley, the band "breathed some freshness and vitality into the divergent Sydney scene"...
) 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. 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.
Hay returned and, with Bailey, Burgman and Larizza, the group recorded All Fools Day
All Fools Day (album)
All Fools Day is the seventh album by the Australian music group The Saints in 1985. The album was The Saints' commercial breakthrough into the US, with the video for "Just Like Fire Would" receiving airplay on MTV.-Track listing:...
in Wales with Hugh Jones producing. 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). The group joined the Australian Made Tour
Australian Made
Australian Made was a festival concert series held during 1986–1987 in the six state capitals of Australia and featured local rock acts Mental as Anything, I'm Talking, The Triffids, The Saints, Divinyls, Models, Jimmy Barnes and INXS. The series started in Hobart on 26 December 1986 and...
in December 1986 – January 1987 with other local acts Mental as Anything
Mental As Anything
Mental As Anything are an Australian New Wave–rock music band formed at an art school in Sydney in 1976. Their most popular line-up was Martin Plaza on vocals and guitar; Reg Mombassa on lead guitar and vocals; his brother Peter "Yoga Dog" O'Doherty on bass guitar and vocals; Wayne "Bird"...
, I'm Talking
I'm Talking
I'm Talking was a 1980s Australian funk-pop rock band, which featured vocalists Kate Ceberano and Zan Abeyratne. They formed in 1983 in Melbourne and provided top ten hit singles "Trust Me", "Do You Wanna Be?" and "Holy Word" and a top fifteen album, Bear Witness, before disbanding in...
, The Triffids
The Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
, Divinyls
Divinyls
Divinyls were an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980 and featuring vocalist Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. As the focal point, Amphlett performed on stage wearing a school uniform and fishnet stockings, often using an illuminated neon tube as a prop and displaying...
, Models
Models (band)
Models were an alternative rock group formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1978 and went into hiatus in 1988. They are often incorrectly referred to as The Models. They re-formed in 2000, 2006 and 2008 to perform reunion concerts. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", their only No. 1 hit,...
, Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
and INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
.
Prodigal Son followed in April 1988, which reached the Top 50. The line-up was Bailey, Francis, Larizza, Shedden and Joe Chiofalo on organ. It was produced by Bailey, Brian McGee and Vanda & Young
Vanda & Young
Vanda & Young are Harry Vanda , and George Young...
. The single, "Grain of Sand", from Prodigal Son peaked at No. 11 on the United States Billboard Alternative Songs chart. In March 1989, The Saints had an Australian Top 40 hit with a cover of The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
' song "The Music Goes Round My Head", which also featured in the 1988 film Young Einstein
Young Einstein
Young Einstein is an Australian comedy film directed by and starring Yahoo Serious, released in 1988.-Plot:Albert Einstein, the son of an apple farmer in Tasmania in the early 1900s, splits a beer atom with a chisel in order to add bubbles to beer, discovers the theory of relativity and travels to...
s soundtrack. Their version of "The Music Goes Round My Head" reached No. 19 on the US Alternative Songs chart.
1990–present: later years
The Saints issued a compilation album, Songs of Salvation and Sin 1976–1988 in 1990 on Raven RecordsRaven Records
Raven Records is an Australian record label that specializes in retrospectives and reissues or recordings by American, British and Australian artists.Raven Records was established in 1979 by Glenn A. Baker, Kevin Mueller and Peter Shillito....
with liner notes penned by Glenn A. Baker
Glenn A. Baker
Glenn A. Baker is an Australian journalist, commentator, and broadcaster well known in Australia for his vast knowledge of Rock music. He has written books and magazine articles on rock music and travel, interviewed celebrities, managed bands such as Ol' 55 and promoted tours of international stars...
. 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. In April 1991, Kuepper formed The Aints
The Aints
For the nickname of the professional football team, see the New Orleans Saints.The Aints is a band name used by Ed Kuepper during his prolific early 1990s period for loud, feedback-drenched three-piece performance and recordings....
, which performed versions of vintage The Saints' material. 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
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and in 1996 issued The Saints' album, Howling, which was produced by the band for Blue Rose Records. 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. The group toured Australia in February 1997 – their first tour there in eight years. Everybody Knows the Monkey
Everybody Knows the Monkey
Everybody Knows the Monkey is the tenth studio album released by The Saints.- Track listing :#What do you want#Easy money#Working overtime#Fall of an empire#Mustard#Vaguely jesus#What are you waiting for#Everything turns sour...
followed in May 1998 on Last Call Records with Bailey were Michael Bayliss on bass guitar, Martin Bjerregaard on drums and Andy Faulkner on drums – it was produced by Bailey and Martin Hennel.
Mushroom Records celebrated their 25th anniversary with the Mushroom 25 Live
Mushroom 25 Live
Mushroom 25 Live is a live album, video and DVD by various Australian musicians and was recorded at the Mushroom 25 Concert held on Saturday 14 November 1998, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground...
concert in November 1998, Bailey performed "Ghost Ships" and "Just Like Fire Would", and a duet with Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
on "Wide Open Road
Wide Open Road (song)
"Wide Open Road" is a single released in 1986 by Australian rock band The Triffids from their album Born Sandy Devotional. It was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb on vocals, keyboards and guitar...
", as a tribute to David McComb
David McComb
David Richard McComb was an Australian rock musician. He was the singer-songwriter of the Australian band, The Triffids.-Early years in Perth:...
of The Triffids.
Spit the Blues Out
Spit the Blues Out
Spit the Blues Out is the eleventh studio album released by The Saints.- Track listing :#A Gentleman Came Walking 4:09#Who's Been Talking 2:59#Waiting for God 3:44...
was issued in 2000 in France by Last Call Records with production credited to Debris. It displayed "'60s-era blues-rock" and "Brit-pop" with Patrick Mathé of French label New Rose providing harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
and guitar.
In September 2001, the original line-up of The Saints came together for a one-off reunion when they were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) Hall of Fame.
By 2005, the group had re-located to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, with Bailey were the line-up of Marty Willson-Piper
Marty Willson-Piper
Marty Willson-Piper is a guitarist and member of Australian independent rock band The Church.After busking his way around the world, he arrived in Australia...
on guitar, Caspar Wijnberg on bass guitar and Pete Wilkinson
Peter Wilkinson (drummer)
Peter Wilkinson is most famous as drummer of rock band The Saints.Wilkinson joined the group in 1999 and features first on the 2001 album Spit the Blues Out, and later Nothing is Straight in My House and Imperious Delirium ....
on drums. They issued Nothing Is Straight in My House
Nothing is Straight in My House
Nothing is Straight in My House is the twelfth studio album released by The Saints.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Chris Bailey; except where indicated#Porno Movies#A Madman Wrecked My Happy Home#Nothing Is Straight In My House...
in 2005 and after Willson-Piper left they released Imperious Delirium
Imperious Delirium
Imperious Delirium is the thirteenth studio album released by Australian rock music group The Saints. With Marty Willson-Piper out of the band, The Saints were, for the first time, a trio...
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
Queensland Music Festival
The Queensland Music Festival is a series of musical events staged in a number of locations in Queensland, Australia usually around late July, every second year. It is financially supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and a wide range of other partners...
, with current member, Wijnberg proving bass guitar. In January 2009, as part of the All Tomorrows Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
touring festival – curated by Mick Harvey
Mick Harvey
Michael John Harvey , is an Australian rock musician, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known for his long-time collaboration with the singer and songwriter Nick Cave...
, The Saints with Bailey, Hay, Keupper and LaRizza played shows in Brisbane, Sydney and in Mount Buller
Mount Buller (Victoria)
Mount Buller is a mountain in the Australian Alps.The summit of Buller can be reached by vehicle via the village coupled with a 500m short walk. It is also possible to climb the peak from Delatite river level you can follow the Klingsporn walking track. The Klingsporn track was the bridle trail in...
, 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.. In 2010 the band returned to a three piece with Wilkinson returning as drummer and to the line up with addition of a new bassist Jane Mack. According to bands official myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page, Wijnberg is now credited as "studio and bass". In February 2011, Bailey indicated he was not planning a new The Saints album until late in the year.
Influence
The Saints are one of the first and most influential punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
groups. According to Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
, "Rock music in the seventies was changed by three bands—the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and The Saints".
In May 2001, Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
(APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary and named "(I'm) Stranded" in its Top 30 Australian songs
APRA Top 30 Australian songs
APRA's Top 30 Australian songs between 1926 and 2001 was a list created by the Australasian Performing Right Association to celebrate its 75th anniversary...
of all time. The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
in September. In 2007, "I'm Stranded" was one of the first 20 songs stored on the National Film and Sound Archive
National Film and Sound Archive
The National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...
's Sounds of Australia registry. Their début album, (I'm) Stranded was listed at No. 20 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums
100 Best Australian Albums
100 Best Australian Albums is a compendium of rock and pop albums of the past 50 years as compiled by music journalists Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell. The book was published on 25 October 2010 by Hardie Grant Books...
, in October 2010. Their third album, Prehistoric Sounds, also appeared in the list, at No. 41.
Current line up
- Chris Bailey – vocals, guitar, organ (1974–present)
- Caspar Wijnberg – bass guitar, studio (2004–present)
- Jane Mack – bass guitar (2010–present)
- Peter Wilkinson – drums (1999–present)
Past members
- Ivor Hay – drums, keyboards, bass guitar, organ (1974–1979, 1981, 1985–1987, 2009)
- Ed Kuepper – guitar (1974–1979, 2004, 2009)
- Jeffrey Wegener – drums (1974–1975)
- Doug Balmanno – bass guitar (1975)
- Kym Bradshaw – bass guitar (1975–1977)
- Alasdair Ward – bass guitar (1977–1978)
- Bruce Callaway – guitar 1979–1980
- Barry Francis – guitar (1979)
- Janine Hall – bass guitar (1979–1982, 1984–1985)
- Mark Birmingham – drums (1980–1981)
- Chris Burnham – guitar (1982, 1989)
- Laurie Cuffe – guitar (1982–1983)
- Iain Shedden – drums (1982, 1984–1985, 1988–1990, 2002, 2004)
- Tracy Pew – bass guitar (1984)
- Richard Burgman – guitar (1985)
- Louise Elliott – saxophone (1985)
- Arturo LaRizza – bass guitar (1986–1989, 2002, 2004, 2009)
- Joe Chiofalo – keyboards (1987–1988, 1991)
- Dror Erez – keyboards (1991)
- Tony Faehse – guitar (1991)
- Peter Jones – drums (1991)
- Michael Bayliss – bass guitar (1996–2004)
- Marty Bjerregaard – drums (1996–1999)
- Andy Faulkner – guitar (1996–2004)
- Andreas Jörnvill – drums (1996)
- Joakim Täck – bass guitar (1996)
- Ian Walsh – guitar (1996)
- Måns Wieslander – guitar (1996)
- Eddie Nyström – guitar (2002–2004)
- Marty Willson-Piper – guitar (2004–2005)
Discography
- (I'm) Stranded(I'm) StrandedStranded is the debut album by Australian punk rock group The Saints which was released by EMI on 21 February 1977. Their debut single, " Stranded", was issued ahead of the album in September 1976, which Sounds magazine's reviewer, Jonh Ingham, declared was the "Single of this and every week"...
(1977) - Eternally YoursEternally YoursEternally Yours is second album released by the Australian music group The Saints in 1978. For their follow up album the band chose a bigger, more R&B-driven sound, including the addition of a horn section.The original title for the album was to be International Robots and recording initially...
(1978) - Prehistoric SoundsPrehistoric SoundsPrehistoric Sounds is the third album released by the Australian music group The Saints in 1978. This was the final album to feature Ed Kuepper, who left the band shortly after its release...
(1978) - The Monkey Puzzle (1981)
- I Thought This Was Love, But This Ain't CasablancaI Thought This Was Love, But This Ain't CasablancaI Thought This Was Love, But This Ain't Casablanca is the fifth album by Australian punk band The Saints. It was released internationally as Out in the Jungle .....
(1982)- aka Out in the Jungle... Where Things Ain't So Pleasant
- A Little Madness to Be FreeA Little Madness to Be FreeA Little Madness to Be Free was the sixth album to be released by Australian band The Saints. This time around, frontman Chris Bailey persuaded original members, Kim Bradshaw and Ivor Hay , to rejoin the band...
(1984) - All Fools DayAll Fools Day (album)All Fools Day is the seventh album by the Australian music group The Saints in 1985. The album was The Saints' commercial breakthrough into the US, with the video for "Just Like Fire Would" receiving airplay on MTV.-Track listing:...
(1986) - Prodigal Son (1988)
- Howling (1997)
- Everybody Knows the MonkeyEverybody Knows the MonkeyEverybody Knows the Monkey is the tenth studio album released by The Saints.- Track listing :#What do you want#Easy money#Working overtime#Fall of an empire#Mustard#Vaguely jesus#What are you waiting for#Everything turns sour...
(1998) - Spit the Blues OutSpit the Blues OutSpit the Blues Out is the eleventh studio album released by The Saints.- Track listing :#A Gentleman Came Walking 4:09#Who's Been Talking 2:59#Waiting for God 3:44...
(2002) - Nothing Is Straight in My HouseNothing is Straight in My HouseNothing is Straight in My House is the twelfth studio album released by The Saints.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Chris Bailey; except where indicated#Porno Movies#A Madman Wrecked My Happy Home#Nothing Is Straight In My House...
(2005) - Imperious DeliriumImperious DeliriumImperious Delirium is the thirteenth studio album released by Australian rock music group The Saints. With Marty Willson-Piper out of the band, The Saints were, for the first time, a trio...
(2006)