Jill Saward (singer)

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Jill Saward
Picture of Jill Saward.png
Saward performing in Wuppertal, Germany (2014)
Background information
Born (1953-12-09) 9 December 1953 (age 71)
Tooting, London, England
Genres
  • Jazz
  • funk
  • pop
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocal
  • flute
  • percussion
Years active1969–present
Labels Secret
Website Official website

Jill Saward (born 9 December 1953) is a British singer, musician and composer, best known for being the lead voice of the English jazz-funk band, Shakatak. She recorded "Day by Day" with Al Jarreau in 1985. [1]

Contents

Career

Prior to starting her music career, Saward was a shorthand typist. [2]

Fusion Orchestra

Saward performed with the British progressive jazz rock band Fusion Orchestra, from 1969 to 1975. [3] [4] She wrote the music and sang. [5]

Having gained a following of fans, the Fusion Orchestra secured a record deal with EMI, producing their first album Skeleton in Armour. [6] It received critical acclaim upon its debut and is now a collector's item.[ citation needed ] After Fusion Orchestra split in 1975, Saward became involved in a new all-female group, Brandy, produced by Polydor, it was active for around three years, before disbanding in 1976.

Cats Whiskers and Citizen Gang

Saward was spotted by band leader Nicky North who invited her to perform in the big soul funk band, Cats Whiskers. She also worked as a session singer. [7] Saward also had a brief stint with an all-female musical group, Citizen Gang and collaborated with the Nicky North Band.

Shakatak

It was in this period that she met Nigel Wright and Roger Odell, who are still components of the jazz-funk band Shakatak. [3]

It was through Shakatak that Saward was able to record some vocals on an experimental track of a song called "Steppin'", and after nine top ten hits Saward was invited to be a permanent part of the group and started to tour worldwide.

Saward in 2014 in concert with Shakatak 2014-09-19 Shakatak 040.jpg
Saward in 2014 in concert with Shakatak

She has been lead singer for Shakatak for over 35 years. The band is still touring and recording and still popular around the world, especially in Europe and the Far East. They usually publish a new album every two years for JVC Records and Secret Records. [3]

Outside of Shakatak, Saward has developed new projects, and still continues to write and record new material. [8]

In 2008 Saward starred in Living TV's Pop Goes The Band, a reality TV show which saw former musical stars from bands including Bucks Fizz, Bananarama, Visage, Cleopatra, 911 and Chaka Khan, undergo surgery in a bid to relaunch their careers. [9]

Personal life

Saward was married to Shakatak's bass player George Anderson, with whom she had two sons. They divorced in 2001. [9] She moved to Italy in 2008. [10]

Discography

With Shakatak, Saward has recorded over 30 thirty albums and released 26 singles including: Drivin' Hard (1981), Night Birds (1982) and Out of This World (1983). [11]

Other recordings have included:

YearAlbumNotes
1973Skeleton in Armourwith Fusion Orchestra
1977Ooh Ya'with Brandy
1979Citizen Gangwith Citizen Gang
Womanly Way
1999Just for YouSolo album [12]
2016Just for YouSolo album, remastered
M Is for ManhattanSolo album
Endless SummerSolo album

Videos

References

  1. ↑ Mattie Lacey-Davidson (6 May 2016). "A woman's work". Bucks Free Press. Buckinghamshire, England. p. 25.
  2. ↑ "Sexy Jill is stunning as Fusion rock in". Evening Telegraph. Derby, England. 15 February 1975. p. 14.
  3. 1 2 3 "Shakatak's Jill Saward discusses women in the music ahead of appearance at the Henley Festival". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  4. ↑ "Rolleston Goes European". Burton Mail. Burton on Trent, England. 3 April 1973. p. 6.
  5. ↑ "Sexy Jill is stunning as Fusion rock in". Evening Telegraph. Derby, England. 15 February 1975. p. 14.
  6. ↑ Mattie Lacey-Davidson (6 May 2016). "A woman's work". Bucks Free Press. Buckinghamshire, England. p. 25.
  7. ↑ Mattie Lacey-Davidson (6 May 2016). "A woman's work". Bucks Free Press. Buckinghamshire, England. p. 25.
  8. ↑ "BBC Radio Oxford - Tim Smith, Tim meets Jill Saward from Shakatak & Mari Wilson". BBC. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  9. 1 2 Rollo, Sarah (10 September 2008). "'80s singer ill after reality TV facelift". Digital Spy. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  10. ↑ Mattie Lacey-Davidson (6 May 2016). "A woman's work". Bucks Free Press. Buckinghamshire, England. p. 25.
  11. ↑ "Cult band of eighties at Huntingdon". Worcester News. Worcester, England. 17 March 2020. p. 21.
  12. ↑ "Shakatak's bassist and ace writer". Echo. Basildon, England. 28 September 2021. p. 24.
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