Eric Faulkner | |
|---|---|
 Faulkner in 1976 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eric Falconer |
| Also known as | Eric Faulkner |
| Born | 21 October 1953 Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, guitarist |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Formerly of | Bay City Rollers |
| Website | www |
Eric Faulkner (born 21 October 1953 as Eric Falconer [1] ) is a guitarist, songwriter and singer, best known as a member of the Scottish pop band the Bay City Rollers.
Faulkner was born at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland. As a child, he learned to play the viola [1] and joined the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra where he played in a performance for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, in Leith Town Hall. His father, George, was a shop steward and Scottish Trades Union Congress delegate, and member of the CPGB (Communist Party of Great Britain). [2]
He attended Moredun Primary School in Edinburgh, and later Liberton High School, where he gained 8 'O' Grades and excelled at rugby and music.
At thirteen years old Faulkner formed his first high school band, The Witness (which later became Sugar and then KIP). His early years are covered in the first part of his autobiography, An Edinburgh Lad. [3]
In 1972 Faulkner joined The Bay City Rollers. [4] The original Rollers, Nobby Clark, Alan and Derek Longmuir had secured a record deal with the UK record label, Bell Records. Until the end of 1973 the band's line up was Nobby Clark, Alan and Derek Longmuir, Devine and Faulkner. During that time the band worked with the production team of Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, producers of hits for Peter Frampton's earlier band "The Herd" and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch. Their first production for the band was the song "Mañana". Winning The Radio Luxembourg Grand Prix song contest, this song gave the band their first European hit. [4]
Their first song was a cover of "Keep On Dancing", which went to number 9 in the UK. [5] [6]
Along with Stuart Wood, Faulkner took over songwriting for the Bay City Rollers. Their first self-penned hit was Money Honey.
Although Mañana made no impact on the UK charts, the next single, "Saturday Night" (produced by Phil Coulter and Bill Martin), peaked at No 51 in the UK charts. The band continued to tour in the UK, attracting an increasingly enthusiastic fan following. Clark left the band in late 1973 after disputes with the group's manager, Tam Paton. The band's recently recorded track "Saturday Night" was re-voiced by the group's new lead singer, 17 year-old Les McKeown. (In 1975 "Saturday Night" would go on to be an no. 1 in the USA).
The band broke through the UK charts in early 1974 with the song "Remember" (also produced by Coulter and Martin). In the UK during the 1970s, the Bay City Rollers went number one twice, and had 6 records Certified silver and 2 Certified gold. [7]
Radio Luxembourg gave the song their seal of approval, nominating it for their Power Play which had the song being played on the hour, every hour. This, along with the band's vociferous teenage girl fans at live gigs, catapulted "Remember", without any mainland UK airplay, straight into the charts on its first week of release.
Faulkner returned for BCR reunions in 1990, 1996, and 1999–2000.
As well as guitar, Faulkner also plays viola, violin, mandolin, bass and keyboards. [1] Having inherited his family's left-wing views, he has played many Trade Union benefit shows. Faulkner released a book "An Edinburgh Lad". The book is a mixture of autobiographical moments of Faulkner's life and poetry. [3]
Throughout the 2000s, Wood and several other members of the band were in court trying to receive unpaid royalties. [8] [9]
In 2006 Faulkner sat in for Jake Burns in Pauline Black's Three Men and Black for an Arts Centre tour. On Burns' return, Faulkner continued the working relationship as support on their tours.
In 2007, Faulkner continued as a solo artist and appeared at the Glastonbury Festival as a protest singer in support of British politician Tony Benn. [10] It was arranged for him to end his performance by introducing Tony Benn on the Left Field stage under the banner "Another World is Possible".
In July 2018, Faulkner returned to the stage, with performances at the Heart of Hawick Music Festival in August. [11] Faulkner has released a few solo albums, including "In The Shade". [12]
In February 2015, Faulkner contracted viral encephalitis which almost killed him. [1] [13] Although his initial recovery seemed rapid, he was left with post encephalitic syndrome. Faulkner has since shown support for encephalitis-related charities. [14] During his recovery, in 2017, he wrote and recorded new music. [15]
The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band known for their worldwide teen idol popularity in the 1970s. They have been called the "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh" and are one of many acts heralded as the "biggest group since the Beatles". The group's line-up had many changes over the years, but the classic roster during its peak in popularity included guitarists Eric Faulkner and Stuart Wood, singer Les McKeown, bassist Alan Longmuir and drummer Derek Longmuir. The current line-up includes original guitarist Stuart "Woody" Wood, singer Ian Thomson, bassist Mikey Smith, keyboardist/singer John McLaughlin and drummer Jamie McGrory.
Thomas Dougal "Tam" Paton was a pop group manager, most notably of the Scottish boy band the Bay City Rollers, and convicted child sex offender.
William Wylie MacPherson, known professionally as Bill Martin, was a Scottish songwriter, music publisher and impresario. His most successful songs, all written with Phil Coulter, included "Puppet on a String", "Congratulations", "Back Home", and "Saturday Night". He was presented with three Ivor Novello Awards, including one as Songwriter of the Year.
Once Upon a Star is the second studio album by the Bay City Rollers. Released in May 1975, the album features the UK number-one hit single, "Bye Bye Baby".
David Paton is a Scottish bassist, guitarist and singer. He first achieved success in the mid-1970s as lead vocalist and bassist of Pilot, who scored hits with "Magic", "January", "Just a Smile" and "Call Me Round" before splitting in 1977. Paton is also known for his work in the original lineup of The Alan Parsons Project (1975-1985), and for working with acts such as Kate Bush, Camel and Elton John.
Alan Longmuir was a Scottish musician and a founding member of the pop group the Bay City Rollers. He played the bass guitar, whilst his younger brother Derek Longmuir was drummer.
Derek Longmuir is a Scottish former drummer and a founding member of the pop group Bay City Rollers. His elder brother Alan Longmuir played bass guitar in the group.
Rollin', released in 1974, was the first full-length album by Scotland's Bay City Rollers. The album included three British chart hits and the debut of "Saturday Night", never a British hit yet a No. 1 smash in America, later.
Bay City Rollers, released in late 1975, was the first full-length album by Scotland's Bay City Rollers to be issued in the US and Canada. The compilation, which hit No. 1 in the RPM Canadian album chart on 7 February 1976 and reached as high as No. 20 on the US album chart, included the US and Canadian #1 hit single "Saturday Night".
Wouldn't You Like It? is the third studio album by the Scottish pop rock group Bay City Rollers. The LP, issued in the UK in late 1975, saw a marked change in the group's musical direction: all the songs save one were the band's own compositions. The one outside-written tune, "Give a Little Love", was a smash UK hit, and the only single released from the album. The album also included, in the form of a giant letter, a free color picture book of the individual members, with a band picture on the front.
Rock N'Roll Love Letter is an album by the Bay City Rollers. It was a North America-only release, issued in early 1976 by Arista Records, catalogue #4071.
Dedication is an album by the Bay City Rollers, issued in September 1976. It was the band's fourth original studio album, and the first new album to be released in the wake of their enormous worldwide success of early 1976.
It's a Game is an album by the Scottish group Bay City Rollers, issued in the summer of 1977.
"Saturday Night" is a song recorded by the Scottish pop rock band Bay City Rollers. It was written and produced by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. The tune is an upbeat rock number with a memorable hook, in which the word "Saturday" is spelled out in a rhythmic, enthusiastic chant.
Strangers in the Wind is a 1978 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. It was the group's sixth original studio album, and second consecutive disc to feature the production work of Harry Maslin, who produced hits for Air Supply.
Elevator is a 1979 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. Having replaced longtime lead singer Les McKeown with Duncan Faure, the group shortened their name to simply The Rollers, and pursued a more rocking, power-pop sound than their previous work.
Ricochet is a 1981 album by the Bay City Rollers, credited as The Rollers. The album was the third and final release under this band name. In Canada, it saw release on Epic Records as "The Brown Bag Album" and later appeared with a promotional sticker which said, "The Famous Brownbag Album Now Exposed!"
Voxx is a 1980 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. It was the second of three LPs the group issued as The Rollers.
Stuart John "Woody" Wood, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and producer. Wood is best known as the guitarist for the 1970s band the Bay City Rollers since joining in 1974.
Greatest hits is a 1977 Arista Records compilation album by the Bay City Rollers. It includes songs from five of their first seven studio albums.
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