SAXON

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Peter "Biff" Byford - вокал
Doug Scarratt - гитара
Paul Quinn - гитара
Nibbs Carter - бас
Jorg Michael - ударные

Дискография

Saxon - 1979
Wheels Of Steel - 1980
Strong Arm Of The Law - 1980
Denim And Leather - 1981
The Eagle Has Landed - 1982
Power And The Glory - 1983
Crusader - 1984
Innocence Is No Excuse - 1985
Rock The Nations - 1986
Destiny - 1988
Rock'n'Roll Gypsies - 1989
Greatest Hits Live! - 1990
Solid Ball Of Rock - 1990
Forever Free - 1992
Dogs Of War - 1995
Live At Donington - 1996
The Eagle Has Landed II - 1996
Unleash The Beast - 1997
BBC Sessions / Live At Reading - 1998
Metalhead - 1999
Live At Monsters Of Rock - 2000
Live In The Raw - 2000
Killing Ground - 2001
Lionheart - 2004
The Eagle Has Landed Pt. III - 2006

Группа образовалась в конце 70-х на севере Англии и изначально называлась "Son Of A Bitch". В начале своей карьеры музыканты выступали в различных английских клубах и барах, зарабатывая себе концертную популярность. В состав команды входили вокалист Питер "Бифф" Байфорд, гитаристы Грэм Оливер и Пол Куинн, басист Стив Доусон и барабанщик Пит Джилл. Сменив название на "Saxon", они подписали контракт с французским лейблом "Carrere", более известным своей работой с диско-коллективами, чем с хэви-метал группами. В конце 70-х в Англии появилось много молодых команд игравших в стиле, получившем название "новой волны британского тяжелого металла". "Saxon" находились во главе этого движения наряду с "Iron Maiden" и "Diamond Head".

Первый альбом, вышедший в 1979 году, представлял собой добротную хард-роковую работу, но широкое внимание было привлечено к коллективу лишь после выхода "Wheels Of Steel".

Популярность "Saxon" резко подскочила, и две их композиции - "Wheels Of Steel" и "747 (Strangers In The Night)" оказались в британском Топ 20. Группа закрепила свой успех с выпуском в том же самом году альбома "Strong Arm Of The Law", имевшего чистейший хэви-метал саунд. Следующий диск "Denim And Leather" также оказался неплохим, и две композиции с него - "And The Bands Played On" и "Never Surrender" - попали в лучшую английскую двадцатку. "Saxon" провели успешное американское турне, а затем появились на фестивале "Монстры рока" в Донингтоне. Пик популярности группы пришелся на 1982 год, когда вышел альбом "The Eagle Has Landed", занявший пятую позицию в британских чартах. В этом же году Пита Джилла за ударной установкой сменил Найджел Глоклер из "Toyah" (в 1984-м Джилл присоединился к "Motorhead").

NIGEL GLOCKLER

С данного момента "Saxon" занимали второе место среди металлических групп после "Iron Maiden". Выпуск "Power And The Glory" подтвердил высокое положение коллектива.

Однако следующий альбом "Innocence Is No Excuse" был заметно слабее предшественника, хотя и попал в Топ 40. В команде начался период застоя, и ее популярность пошла на спад. Уход Стива Доусона еще более ухудшил позиции "Saxon". Альбом "Rock The Nations" был сделан в ранней манере группы, но вернуть былую славу было уже тяжело. В 1990 году "саксонцы" предприняли национальное турне, построенное на их раннем популярном материале. За последующее время им удалось записать один более-менее приличный диск "Solid Ball Of Rock". В начале 1995 года Оливер, Доусон и Джил дали серию концертов под вывеской "Saxon". Это не понравилось Байфорду, и он начал оспаривать свои права на это название.

Проблема вскоре была решена, и следующий альбом "Dogs Of War" записывался с участием Байфорда, но без Оливера. Этот релиз напоминал творчество группы середины 80-х. Оливер, Доусон и Джилл впоследствии играли в проекте "Son Of A Bitch" /http://rockarchive.ru/

english

Saxon are a British heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As leading lights in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal they had a brief period of UK Top 40 success in the early 1980s, and also tasted success in Europe and Japan. They still tour heavily and regularly. Their latest (in support of The Inner Sanctum album) tour is their largest in the UK since the early 1980s. Until this, the band's fame had been focussed largely in Germany for many years.

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

History

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

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

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

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

Collaboration with Harvey Goldsmith

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

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

At the end of the programme, Saxon sold out the Sheffield City Hall (over 2,000 capacity) becoming their biggest UK date in over 15 years. Since then they have gone on one of their biggest tours ever, with healthy ticket sales that were not present for years.

Line-ups

Throughout the band's history line-up changes have been common, but with Byford and Quinn remaining as constants. Gill left in 1981 after injuring his hand, to be replaced by Nigel Glockler, formerly of Toyah Willcox's band, who was himself replaced twice – briefly between 1987 and 1988 (by Nigel Durham), and, more permanently, following an injury of his own in 1998. Glockler rejoined the band in 2005 being completely cured from his injury. Gill later went on to play for Motörhead. Dawson departed in 1986 – his replacement, Paul Johnson, lasted two years before leaving. Nibbs Carter has filled the position ever since. When Graham Oliver left in 1995 (replaced by Doug Scarratt), the band split into two different Saxon groups - one dominated by vocalist Byford and his cohort Quinn and the other consisting of original Saxon members Oliver and Dawson. A period of legal actions ensued, resulting in both groups having the right to use Saxon in their name (although former member one must be indicated as "Oliver/Dawson Saxon"). The line-up of Byford's Saxon has been fairly stable apart from the departure of a few drummers. Following Glockler's departure, German Fritz Randow took up the position until 2004. His replacement was former Stratovarius man Jörg Michael.

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

Line-up history

Son of a Bitch (1976-1978)

Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Steve Dawson - bass
David Ward - drums

Saxon (1978-present)

Original lineup (1978-1981)

Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Steve Dawson - bass
Pete Gill - drums

Second lineup (1981-1986)

Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Steve Dawson - bass
Nigel Glockler - drums

Third lineup (1986-1987)

Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Paul Johnson - bass
Nigel Glockler - drums

Fourth lineup (1987-1988)

Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Paul Johnson - bass
Nigel Durham - drums

Fifth lineup (1988-1994)

Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Nibbs Carter - bass
Nigel Glockler - drums

Sixth lineup (1995-1999)

Biff Byford - vocals
Doug Scarratt - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Nibbs Carter - bass
Nigel Glockler - drums

Seventh lineup (1999-2004)

Biff Byford - vocals
Doug Scarratt - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Nibbs Carter - bass
Fritz Randow - drums

Eighth lineup (2004-2005)

Biff Byford - vocals
Doug Scarratt - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Nibbs Carter - bass, keyboards
Jörg Michael - drums

Present lineup (2005-present)

Biff Byford - vocals
Doug Scarratt - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Nibbs Carter - bass, keyboards
Nigel Glockler - drums

Oliver/Dawson Saxon (1994-present)

In 1994, Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson, founding members of Saxon, reunited. They began under the name 'Son of a Bitch' (which had been Saxon's own name originally, before they became well known) but were often billed as Saxon on tours by promoters, though the band often didn't discourage this. In 2000 after a period of inactivity they decided to officially rename themselves Oliver/Dawson Saxon. The band has been known by this name ever since, and despite recording other material from 1996 onwards have always relied primarily on Saxon songs during live sets. Despite Byford attempting a legal injunction against the use of the name "Saxon" in the band's title to falsely promote themselves, as founding members of the original band courts deemed use of the name legally acceptable[citation needed].

Son of A Bitch (1994-1999) (often billed as Saxon on tours)