Saga is a Canadian rock band from Oakville, Ontario. Bassist and keyboardist Jim Crichton and Welsh-born vocalist and keyboardist Michael Sadler are the principal songwriters.
Saga has had numerous line-up changes over the years. Ian and Jim Crichton were the only two original members who appeared on every album. Sadler appeared on every release, apart from the 2009 album The Human Condition. Keyboardist Jim Gilmour was with the band from 1979, making his debut on the album Silent Knight. Drummer Steve Negus performed with Saga until 1986. The lineup was supplemented by many session musicians and live performers from the late 1980s to the late 2000s.
Saga has been awarded gold and platinum albums worldwide and have sold more than eight million albums.
History
Originally known as Pockets, Saga formed in 1977 from the nucleus of Canadian rock band Fludd. In April 1978, they released their self-titled debut album Saga.[1] A modest success in Canada, it would eventually sell over 30,000 copies in Germany as an import.
Their 1979 follow-up album Images at Twilight[1] gave them their first charting single in Canada, with the song "It's Time" peaking at No. 84 in the Canadian Charts. From the album, the songs "See Them Smile" and "Slow Motion" became strong radio favourites elsewhere. Saga's third album, Silent Knight, was released in 1980,[1] and included the singles "Don't Be Late" and "Careful Where You Step," which continued and furthered the band's international success.
In 1981, the band's fourth album Worlds Apart was released.[1] The lead single, "On the Loose", finally broke them into the Top 40, peaking at No. 22 on the Canadian Charts in January 1982, and in December 1982, proved to be their breakthrough in America where it peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard chart in February 1983. A second single, "Wind Him Up", also fared well, with the help of its music video receiving heavy rotation on MTV, and became their next charting single in America, peaking at No. 64 on Billboard in May 1983. Eventually, Worlds Apart was certified Gold in the US in 1983. The band opened for Jethro Tull on their North American tour in 1982.
A fifth album Heads or Tales was released in late 1983[1] and became another success. The lead single, "The Flyer", fared well in Canada and also became their final U.S. charting single, peaking at No. 79 on Billboard in December 1983. The follow-up single entitled "Scratching the Surface" became popular in Canada, peaking at No. 45 in April 1984.
Their sixth album, Behaviour, was released in 1985[1] and included the singles, "Listen to Your Heart" and "What Do I Know?" (charted No. 57 in Canada).
Separation and reunion
In 1986 Steve Negus and Jim Gilmour left the band over management concerns, soon deciding to form a new band project under the name Gilmour-Negus Project (GNP).[1] In 1988, they released their one and only album, Safety Zone (featuring Robert Bevan on lead vocals). Meanwhile, Saga continued to record and tour, with Michael Sadler and the Crichton brothers augmented by session musicians.
Their 1987 release Wildest Dreams enjoyed better distribution under new label, Atlantic Records,[1] but it failed to match expectations in America. The lead single "Only Time Will Tell" became a popular chart favourite in Canada (No. 93), with a memorable video rotated on MTV for a brief period. However, the remainder of the album suffered from over-reliance on technology, with armies of sequencers and drum machines replacing much of the band's earlier trademark sound with Gilmour and Negus.
For 1989's The Beginner's Guide to Throwing Shapes, Saga refocused on their earlier European popularity which marked a return to their earlier progressive style with a few sci-fi orientated pop elements to it.[1] In 1992, Steve Negus and Jim Gilmour returned to Saga. The band's next album, The Security of Illusion, released in 1993, was well received by Saga fans in Canada and Europe. The 1994 followup, Steel Umbrellas, was considered uneven when compared to their previous release, perhaps due to the material originally being produced for the short-lived television series Cobra. However, despite lackluster album sales, Saga's 1993 and 1994 tours helped maintain some of the band's early popularity; their reputation as live performers was not lost among the band's long time fans.
Comeback
In 1995 Jim Crichton composed and produced the majority of Saga's next album, the conceptual Generation 13. Inspired by a popular political treatise by the same name, the story follows main character Jeremy's troubled search for his real father. The concept is somewhat reminiscent of the storyline in The Who's Quadrophenia. The album's heavier compositions have a sound similar to fellow Canadians, progressive rock band Rush, and even early Kansas.
Saga's next release, Pleasure and the Pain was released on the eve of their 20th anniversary tour in 1997. The album failed to maintain the interest created by the previous release. On the same anniversary tour, the album Phase 1 was released. Phase 1 was an album containing demo songs from the 1979 album Images at Twilight — some of them were songs found not good enough for the album, some of them were different versions of songs released on Images. The album quickly sold out and a second issue was printed. The album was hard to get and it soon became a most wanted item for Saga collectors and fans.
Their 1998 tour was captured on the next album, Detours, a double-live album released worldwide. Saga's next three albums, 1999's Full Circle, 2001's House of Cards, and 2003's Marathon have all been popular with the band's longtime and loyal fanbase. House of Cards, in particular enjoyed renewed interest. Its acoustic-flavoured single, "Money Talks", received Top 5 video airplay in Canada. All three albums included new "chapters", representing a return to the progressive rock of the band's early days. Saga released a new studio album, Network, in the fall of 2004. Their next album, Trust, was released in 2006, featuring Brian Doerner as their new drummer. Doerner made his debut on a live Canadian television broadcast in late 2005.
Even though Jim Crichton and Michael Sadler both live in Los Angeles, they have not committed Saga to any full-length American tours since 1986. However, in late 2005, Michael Sadler announced a limited tour on the West Coast to promote his solo album, Clear. The trek featured Ian Crichton as touring guitarist. Saga also played one show in New York City during their summer 2006 tour in support of Trust.
The Chapters
The Chapters is the name given to a series of songs that the band revealed over a 28-year period in a mixed-up order, creating a conceptual puzzle. Each song in the sequence was subtitled "Chapter One", "Chapter Two", etc. In its final form, The Chapters tells a cohesive science fiction story concerning the preservation of Albert Einstein's brain, aliens who are concerned with humanity's self-destruction, and the resurrection of the dead through technology.
The first eight Chapters were issued, out of order, across the band's first four albums, issued between 1978 and 1981. After a long layoff, Chapters 9 through 16 were issued, again out of order, across three album releases between 1999 and 2003. Songs from the cycle have been performed in concert throughout their career. The Chapters were finally released all together in a 2 CD live recording called The Chapters Live in 2005.
Legacy and recent activity
Despite the band's fluctuating musical styles and limited commercial success in the United States, their fans have remained extremely loyal over the decades. Their musical style was defined by Ian Crichton's staccato guitar riffs, often in harmony with a synthesizer, and complex keyboard arrangements, frequently featuring three players.
The band has been constantly successful in Germany since its inception. It is also very popular in Puerto Rico; Saga has visited the island twelve times. Saga's second concert in Puerto Rico (1981) caused riots from fans trying to crash into a sold-out concert that sold over 10,000 tickets. Most of the inner cover photographs from the original vinyl release of In Transit (1982) were taken in Puerto Rico, including a live photograph from the 1981 concert. For a few years, a keyboard riff from their song "No Regrets" became the background music for station breaks at WCAD-FM in San Juan. The band received formal recognition as distinguished visitors from the Puerto Rican legislature in February 2005. Their concert on December 9, 2007 (at the Pier 10 Arena club in Old San Juan) was the last concert that Michael Sadler did with Saga until his announcement of returning to the band in January 2011.
On January 16, 2007 it was announced by InsideOut, the band's current record label, that lead singer Michael Sadler would be leaving Saga for personal reasons at the end of 2007. Later that year on Michael's personal site, michaelsadler.com, a note was posted by the singer revealing that his departure was due to a desire to focus on his family life and retire from the stress of being in an active travelling band. A farewell tour of sorts was in the works which also commemorated Saga's 36th anniversary as a band. Saga announced on July 15, 2007 that they were recording a new album in Los Angeles. Titled 10,000 Days the album was released on November 6, 2007 in conjunction with their planned European tour. ("10,000 days" equates to 27 years, 4.54 months, approximately the amount of time Sadler spent with the band). Sadler also recorded a forthcoming DVD commemorating his last European tour with Saga. Just prior to the release of 10,000 Days, in October 2007 drummer Brian Doerner suffered a heart attack. He has since made a full recovery, but a stand-in drummer (Chris Sutherland) of the Kim Mitchell Band was required to fulfill touring commitments.
Saga announced they were auditioning lead vocalists to continue the band's career. The musicians recorded instrumental versions of "On the Loose" and "Wind Him Up" for prospective singers to perform on YouTube, with the winning candidate to be announced at a later date. During the search, Ian Crichton remarked that hopeful candidates "should have a set of pipes" as well as personality. The guitarist also remarked that a Canadian would be preferable, presumably because of travel considerations and the band's nationality. Over 20 candidates (including one woman) submitted demos from across the Atlantic and Caribbean.
Michael Sadler in August 2011Ian Crichton in August 2011
On April 15, 2008 Saga announced that Rob Moratti of Toronto, former singer of Final Frontier, had joined the band as the new lead vocalist. Moratti's background included more than a decade of experience in the Canadian rock music industry, recently working with the respected guitarist-producer Mladen Zaron. Throughout his tenure with the band, Moratti concentrated on lead vocals, leaving the band's instrumental dynamics somewhat changed from the Sadler era, where the lead vocalist often doubled on bass guitar and keyboards. Saga's first gig with Moratti took place in the summer of 2008. Also, 2008 saw the release of a book about the band's history, 'Saga: The Biography', by renowned rock journalist (and long-time friend of Saga), Edwin Ammerlaan.
In 2009 Saga released their first CD with Rob Moratti. This CD was titled The Human Condition and was released in the spring 2009. The band toured in Europe and Canada.
On January 28, 2011 an official statement was made announcing Michael Sadler's return as the lead singer of Saga.[2]
On February 1, 2012 Saga announced that after 6 years of touring and recording together, Brian Doerner and Saga have parted ways. Following YouTube auditions, Mike Thorne (a native of Toronto [3]) was announced as the new drummer of Saga. On July 6, 2012, Saga's twentieth studio album, 20/20, was released. It marked the return of original vocalist Michael Sadler.
On June 27, 2014 Saga released their 21st album entitled Sagacity, which received mostly positive feedback from fans. The album quickly topped the iTunes rock lists around Europe (most notably in Germany).
A reissue campaign covering the later years (from 1989 to 2007) was announced in 2015, spanning twelve albums in twelve months. However, after five remastered albums the campaign was seemingly aborted without any official statement from the record company, the live recordings intended for the series instead appearing as a live album Live in Hamburg 2015, which is strictly limited to 5000 copies worldwide.
In January 2017 Michael Sadler announced Saga's retirement following the completion of their farewell tour dubbed The Final Chapter Tour, which also marked their 40th anniversary. He also said that a "very special one-off performance" would take place on the 2018 edition of Cruise to the Edge in February 2018.[4][5]
On August 5, 2018 bassist and co-founder Jim Crichton departed the band before the final two shows, and was replaced by new member Dusty Chesterfield.[6] The tour spawned the live release So Good So Far – Live at Rock of Ages, which was released on September 28, 2018.[7]
After reconsideration from the request by the fans, Saga opted to continue with their live performances.[8]
In early 2020, the band performed in Germany and Scandinavia as part of their Out of the Shadows World Tour.[9]
Following the completion of the tour, the band members entered their respective home studios during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns to record an acoustic album titled Symmetry, which was released on March 12, 2021.[10] The first single "Tired World" was made available for streaming,[11] followed by "Wind Him Up" and "Always There". For the latter, the fans were asked to send in video material, which was then assembled into a video clip.[12][13] Although Jim Crichton had quit touring with the band, he was strongly involved with Symmetry, playing bass and supervising the new arrangements.
Band members
Saga at Lieder am See in 2022
Ian Crichton
Michael Sadler
Jim Gilmour
Mike Thorne
Dusty Chesterfield
Current line-up
Ian Crichton – guitar, SynthAxe, banjo (1977–present)
Jim Crichton – bass, keyboards, Moog synthesizer, guitar, SynthAxe (1977–present; studio only since 2019)
Michael Sadler – vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer, drums (1977–2007, 2011–present)
Heads or Tales is the fifth studio album by the Canadian progressive rock band Saga, released in 1983. The album was the second of the band's to be produced by Rupert Hine. Although it did not attain the same commercial success and status of the previous collaboration between the band and Hine, Worlds Apart (1981), both "The Flyer" and "Cat Walk" became respectable radio hits for the band with the album eventually securing gold status in Canada (50,000) and Germany (250,000). A third single from the album, "Scratching the Surface", became a live staple and fan favourite in the band's concert line-up during the late-1990s and 2000s as a piano solo played by Jim Gilmour during a break by the other band members. The song reached #45 in the Canadian Singles charts, April 1984.
Behaviour is the sixth studio album by the Canadian progressive rock band Saga, and was originally released in 1985, two years after the moderately successful Heads or Tales. Behaviour was itself successful, and managed to outsell its 1983 predecessor thanks to the strong performance of the single "What Do I Know?" (#57).
Worlds Apart is the fourth studio album by Canadian neo-prog band Saga and was originally released in 1981. The album was produced by Rupert Hine and has been released with several different covers. Frontman Michael Sadler stated in the band's video DVD Silhouette (2002) that Hine told him to stop "singing like a choir boy". Sadler's vocal style was noticeably different on Worlds Apart than on the first three Saga albums as he kept that style in successive performances with the band. Hine reportedly had Sadler climb to the roof of the English barn where the band was recording in order to get the proper emotion from Sadler for "On the Loose".
In Transit is a live album by Canadian progressive rock band Saga. The album was recorded at the Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle in Munich on February 5, 1982, and at the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen on February 22, 23, and 24, 1982. The album went platinum in Canada, selling 100,000 copies and gold in Germany, selling 250,000 copies. The album reached #10 in Canada October 23rd and was #58 in the Canadian year end chart.
Stephen William Negus is a Canadian drummer, songwriter, who was a member of the progressive rock band Saga for twenty-six years. In the late 80s, he and keyboardist Jim Gilmour left Saga and formed GNP.
Wildest Dreams is the seventh studio album by the Canadian progressive rock band Saga, originally released in 1987. It was their first album without original drummer Steve Negus and longtime keyboardist and vocalist Jim Gilmour.
Silent Knight is the third studio album by the Canadian progressive rock band Saga and was originally released in August 1980. Silent Knight is certified Gold in Canada, having reached No. 42 in the charts. The Einstein Tower in Potsdam, Germany was used as a template for the album cover. Silent Knight marks the debut appearance of longtime keyboardist Jim Gilmour.
Network is the sixteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Saga, released in the fall of 2004. A two-disc version was released on November 8, 2005, comprising the original CD and a DVD containing a 5.1 mix of the original album. It is the only Saga album to feature drummer Christian Simpson, who had replaced original drummer Steve Negus.
The Human Condition is the nineteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Saga. It is notable for being their only studio album on which the group’s original lead vocalist, Michael Sadler, does not appear. He was briefly replaced by Rob Moratti.
10,000 Days is the eighteenth studio album by Canadian band Saga. It was recorded after Michael Sadler had explained that he would leave the band for family reasons. The title therefore alludes to the thirty years Sadler had been part of Saga. Sadler left after the tour but would return to the fold four years later.
Marathon is a studio album by Saga, their fifteenth album of new material. It is the final album to feature original drummer Steve Negus.
House of Cards is the fourteenth studio album by the Canadian progressive rock band Saga, released on 12 February 2001 by Steamhammer. Recorded at Sound Image Studios in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, it was produced by bassist/keyboardist Jim Crichton.
Full Circle is a studio album by Saga, their thirteenth album of new material. This recording marks the beginning of the second round of Chapters.
Steel Umbrellas is the tenth studio album by Canadian rock band Saga. The songs were written for the US TV series Cobra. The album is the second produced after the reformation of the classic line-up, and the first one to feature two songs sung by keyboardist Jim Gilmour.
The Security of Illusion is the ninth studio album by Saga, originally released in 1993. The album marks the return of keyboardist Jim Gilmour and drummer Steve Negus, both of whom left the band in 1986 due to management concerns.
The Chapters Live is a live album by Canadian progressive rock band Saga that was recorded in 2003, released in 2005. It is the last live recording to feature drummer Steve Negus.
20/20 is the twentieth studio album by Canadian rock band Saga. The album marked the return of original singer Michael Sadler. The album charted at No. 13 in Germany, the highest since their 1985 release Behaviour.
Sagacity is the twenty-first studio album by Canadian rock band Saga. New drummer Mike Thorne made his studio debut on this album, after already playing live with the band following the release of 20/20, as recorded on the live album and video Spin It Again! Live in Munich.
Spin It Again! Live in Munich is a live album and video by the Canadian band Saga. It was recorded in 2012 at the end of their 20/20 tour and celebrates the reunion with original singer Michael Sadler. It was also the first Saga release featuring their new drummer Mike Thorne. Besides three songs from 20/20, it includes mainly songs from the first five Saga albums. The concert was released on different formats by edel records/earMUSIC, including a double CD, DVD and Blu-Ray. The video formats also include a twenty-minute tour documentary. The CD has edited applause between the main set and the encores, but otherwise the performance is identical. As is typical for Saga shows in Germany, Michael Sadler does some German announcements. The concert also includes a little "unplugged" set. After returning to the stage, Sadler says "What shall I play?". He starts on "Images ", then stops, goes into "No Regrets ", stops again and finally declares "I got it!" before launching into "Tired World ".
Symmetry is the twenty-second studio album by Canadian rock band Saga. It was released on March 12, 2021. It contains acoustic versions of previously released songs, some in the form of medleys or augmented with new interludes. The idea originated on the 40th anniversary tour in 2017, where the band would perform acoustically as their own support band "Pockets".
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