Graham Oliver | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 6 July 1952 Mexborough, South Yorkshire, England |
| Genres | Heavy metal, hard rock |
| Occupations | Guitarist |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | Angel Air |
Graham Oliver (born 6 July 1952) is an English guitarist who was born in Mexborough, South Yorkshire. [1] He was a founding member in the heavy metal band Saxon from 1976 to 1995. [2]
Oliver was a budding guitarist while working in a factory in the mid-1970s, but gave up after losing the tip of his index finger in an accident with a door, and sold his prized 1962/63 Fender Stratocaster (he would attempt to track down the guitar 40 years later). [3] He was, however, encouraged by future bandmate Paul Quinn to learn to play again. [3]
Oliver was originally a member of the band SOB, which formed in 1970. SOB played its first shows in 1970 under the name Blue Condition and toured extensively from 1970 to 1975, also in Germany and the Netherlands. [4] The other members were future Saxon bassist Steve Dawson, Steve Firth on vocals and drummers David Bradley, John Hart, Cowley and John Walker. [5] [6]
The band merged in November 1975 with another local band (Coast) to become first Son of a Bitch and from 1978 Saxon, with whom Oliver played from the start and until 1995, as guitarist during a period in which the band had five top 20 albums in the UK. [7] [8] [9] [10]
After being fired from Saxon in 1995, he initially reformed his old band Son of a Bitch with former Saxon bassist Steve Dawson and drummer Pete Gill. [10] [11] [12] Son of a Bitch released the album Victim You with Thunderhead singer Ted Bullet. [12] [10] [13] Bullet and Gill left the band after the release of the album. They were replaced by the vocalist John Ward, and another former member of Saxon, Nigel Durham on drums.
In 1999, Oliver and Dawson trademarked the name 'Saxon', claiming they had exclusive rights to it, and attempted to stop Saxon singer Biff Byford from using the name. [14] The trademark claim was overturned after it was ruled to be in bad faith, setting a legal precedent for ownership of a band name. [14] Oliver and Dawson changed the name of the band to Oliver/Dawson Saxon, and undertook a British tour with Ronnie James Dio. Graham also duetted with Doug Aldrich on "Rainbow in the Dark" on the last gig at Plymouth.
Oliver has also released the solo album End of an Era in 2001. [15] Five of the tracks were written and performed by the rock indie band Bullrush, with whom Graham Oliver's son Paul played drums, along Steve Tudberry and Scott Howitt. Also appearing on the album were Pete Gill, Steve Dawson, Kev Moore, Paul Johnson, Phil Hendriks, Richard Spencer and Chris Archer. [15]
Since 2002, Oliver has played with former Marc Bolan session musician Paul Fenton, touring under the banner "Mickey Finn's T-Rex" and formerly "T. Rex (A Celebration of Marc and Mickey)". [7] [6] This opportunity materialised after Oliver played "Get It On" with Rolan Bolan at a show in Bradford. [16]
Oliver suffered a stroke in January 2010, leaving him without feeling in one arm for several weeks. [17]
In 2011, Oliver joined pupils at Mexborough School in their production of the Ben Elton musical We Will Rock You . [18]
In 2012 guitar manufacturer "Vintage" collaborated with Graham to produce two signature guitars based on his famous Gibson SG and Flying-V guitars. The 'SG' model Vintage VS6GO and the 'V' model Vintage V60GO. [19]
Oliver and Steve Dawson wrote the book Saxon Drugs and Rock and Roll - The Real Spinal Tap, published by Tomahawk Press in 2012, with a foreword by Harry Shearer (who drew inspiration for Spinal Tap from his time on tour with the band in 1982). [3] [8] [20] [21]
As of 2017, Oliver was still playing in Oliver/Dawson Saxon. [22] [23] Following Steve Dawson's decision to retire from performing in October 2021, Graham Oliver, Gav Coulson and Bri Shaughnessy recruited new bandmembers and chose to continue working together under the new name of 'Graham Oliver's Army'.
Oliver is also an authority on Yorkshire ceramics. [24] [25]
Studio albums
Live albums
Oliver has made a handful of guest appearances with Barnsley comedy band The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican
David James Mattacks is an English rock and folk drummer, best known for his work with British folk rock band Fairport Convention.
Saxon are an English heavy metal band formed in Barnsley in 1975. As leaders of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), they had eight UK Top 40 albums during the 1980s including four UK Top 10 albums and two Top 5 albums. They had numerous hit singles on the UK Singles Chart and experienced success all over Europe and Japan, as well as in the United States.
Mike Harding is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, author, poet, broadcaster and multi-instrumentalist. Harding has also been a photographer, traveller, filmmaker and playwright.
Michael Valentine Doonican was an Irish singer of traditional pop, easy listening, and novelty songs, who was noted for his warm and relaxed vocal style.
Peter Rodney "Biff" Byford is an English singer best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Saxon.
Peter Gill is an English former heavy metal drummer, formerly a member of The Glitter Band, Saxon and Motörhead.
Wheels of Steel is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon. Released in 1980, it was their first album to enter the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 5, and is their highest-charting album in the UK Albums Chart to date. The album eventually went on to achieve gold status in the UK.
Strong Arm of The Law is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon. It was released in 1980, seven months after Wheels of Steel, and debuted on the UK chart at #11.
Saxon is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in 1979.
Innocence Is No Excuse is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in September 1985. It was the band's first album for EMI after a falling-out with their previous label, Carrere Records, and their last with original bassist Steve Dawson.
Rock the Nations is the eighth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in August 1986.
The Eagle Has Landed is the first live album by heavy metal band Saxon and the first album featuring their long time drummer Nigel Glockler. It was recorded during the European leg of the world tour supporting the album Denim and Leather and released in 1982. The album reached #5 in the UK charts.
Hugh Whitaker is an English musician and the former drummer for the British indie rock band The Housemartins. He replaced original drummer Chris Lang and drummed for the band's first album, London 0 Hull 4, and its attendant single releases. He left the band before the recording of their second album, The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death. Whitaker left the band on amicable terms and even participated in the promotional video for the band's first single without him, "Five Get Over Excited", wherein he was kidnapped by his replacement, Dave Hemingway, and locked in a hessian sack.
Maartin Allcock was an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer.
Diamonds and Nuggets is a compilation album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 2000.
Steven "Dobby" Dawson is an English bass guitarist and a founder of the heavy metal band Saxon.
Oliver/Dawson Saxon was an English heavy metal band formed in 1995 by former members of Saxon, guitarist Graham Oliver and bassist Steve Dawson.
Victim You is the first studio album recorded by three of the original founding members of the British heavy metal band Saxon, Graham Oliver, Steve Dawson and Pete Gill, after their departure from Saxon. The album was recorded under Saxon's original UK club band name Son of a Bitch.
The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are a British comedy folk and parody band from Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Formed in 2006, they claim to be the hardest working comedy band in the UK, having played over 1200 shows throughout the UK. They are best known on the UK's festival scene, having played at major festivals including Glastonbury Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, Beautiful Days, Bearded Theory, Rebellion Festival, Wychwood Festival, Kate Rusby's Underneath The Stars Festival, Towersey Festival, Wickham Festival, Shrewsbury Folk Festival and to an audience of 20,000 at Fairport's Cropredy Convention in August 2018, for their 900th show and again in 2022. Playing mainly acoustic folk instruments, they take popular songs and replace the lyrics with their own comedy reworkings, often on themes completely unrelated to the original song. They have independently released eleven studio albums, and a large number of live albums. Presenting themselves as the long-lost children of Irish entertainer Val Doonican, and claiming to be "on a mission to keep their late, great spiritual father's legacy alive", the various members of the band have adopted the singer's surname for their shows, and wear brightly coloured hand-knitted tank-tops in tribute to Doonican's traditional knitwear.
This is a list of releases by The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican, including studio and live albums, singles and other media.
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