Steve Negus

Last updated
Steve Negus
Saga on stage at Reading Rock Festival 1981 (15779944141) (cropped).jpg
Negus performing with Saga in 1981
Background information
Born (1952-02-19) February 19, 1952 (age 72)
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Origin Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Genres Progressive rock
Occupation(s)Drummer
Years active1972 present
Website stevenegus.com

Stephen William Negus (born February 19, 1952) 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 (Gilmour Negus Project).

Contents

Biography

While playing at Larry's Hideaway, a club in Toronto, Steve Negus' drumming came to the attention of the Canadian rock band, Fludd. The band was searching for a new drummer, and offered Steve the job that night. Several weeks later Steve joined Fludd as their new drummer.

While in Fludd, Steve Negus met bassist Jim Crichton and keyboardist Peter Rochon, who would later join him as founding members of Pockets, the original working name of Saga. Brian and Ed Pilling were the creative force behind Fludd, and about a year after Steve joined, Brian was stricken with leukemia and the band couldn't continue to perform.

A new band, Pockets, was formed out of Fludd's rhythm section. Negus, Crichton, and Rochon went into eight months of rehearsal to form the new band with Jim Crichton's younger brother Ian Crichton on guitar and Michael Sadler as the singer. They changed their name to Saga a year later.

With Saga, Negus earned many gold and platinum selling CDs in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. In 1981, the band went to England to work with Rupert Hine as producer, and Worlds Apart was recorded at Farmyard Studios. Producer Hine also had Steve play drums on Chris de Burgh's album, The Getaway . “Don't Pay the Ferryman” was the single from that album, which went to #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States [1] and #32 in Canada. [2] The Getaway went to number one on the German charts, followed by Saga's own Worlds Apart at number two.

In the late 80's, Negus and keyboardist Jim Gilmour left Saga and formed GNP (Gilmour Negus Project) with singer Robert Bevan for Virgin Records. The CD Safety Zone which was produced by Negus came out in 1989. Before a follow-up CD could be written and recorded, Negus and Gilmour reunited with Saga which ended GNP. In 2003, Negus left Saga once again.

In 2007, Negus released his first true solo project Dare to Dream through Cyclone Records. Steve Negus also co-produced and engineered songs for Jaclyn Kenyon on her original songs "Whatcha Gonna Do" and "See it Through me" in 2009. [3]

Discography

with Saga

with Chris de Burgh

with GNP

with Negus

Guest appearances

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saga (band)</span> Canadian rock band

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.

The Raes were the British-Canadian husband-and-wife singing duo of Robbie Rae and Cherrill Rae, who had a handful of disco-inflected pop hits in the late 1970s.

<i>The Getaway</i> (Chris de Burgh album) 1982 studio album by Chris de Burgh

The Getaway is singer Chris de Burgh's sixth original album, released on A&M Records in 1982. It was the first studio album of de Burgh's to chart in the UK, following the compilation Best Moves a year earlier. The album peaked at number 30 in the UK and spent 16 weeks on the chart. In the week beginning 7 February 1983, the album went to the top of the album charts in the then West Germany. In Canada the album spent 36 weeks in the Top 100.

<i>Heads or Tales</i> 1983 studio album by Saga

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.

<i>Behaviour</i> (Saga album) 1985 studio album by Saga

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).

<i>Worlds Apart</i> (Saga album) 1981 studio album by Saga

Worlds Apart is the fourth studio album by the 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; 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".

<i>Wildest Dreams</i> (Saga album) 1987 studio album by Saga

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.

<i>Saga</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Saga

Saga, the first studio album by the Canadian progressive rock band Saga, was originally released 8 April 1978. It is the band's only album to feature original keyboardist Peter Rochon.

<i>Images at Twilight</i> 1979 studio album by Saga

Images at Twilight is the second studio album by the Canadian progressive rock band Saga and was originally released in May 1979. It introduces the vocoder keyboard as an important instrument in Saga's development. It is also the only album to feature keyboardist Gregg Chadd who had replaced original keyboardist Peter Rochon.

<i>Silent Knight</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Saga

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.

<i>Network</i> (album) 2004 studio album by Saga

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.

<i>Marathon</i> (Saga album) 2003 studio album by Saga

Marathon is a studio album by Saga, their fifteenth album of new material. It is the final album to feature original drummer Steve Negus.

<i>House of Cards</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Saga

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.

<i>Steel Umbrellas</i> 1994 studio album by Saga

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.

<i>The Security of Illusion</i> 1993 studio album by Saga

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.

<i>The Beginners Guide to Throwing Shapes</i> 1989 studio album by Saga

The Beginner's Guide to Throwing Shapes is the eighth studio album by Saga, originally released in 1989. It is also the second album recorded by the band without longtime drummer Steve Negus and keyboardist Jim Gilmour, who temporarily left the band over management concerns.

<i>Detours</i> (Saga album) 1999 live album by Saga

Detours is a live album by Canadian progressive rock band Saga. It was recorded during their European Tour in 1997.

<i>The Chapters Live</i> 2005 live album by Saga

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.

Fludd was a Canadian rock band in the 1970s. They placed six singles in the Canadian top 40 between 1971 and 1975, including "Turned 21" (1971), "Get Up, Get Out & Move On" (1971), "Cousin Mary" (1973) and "What An Animal" (1975). Members of Fludd went on to form the successful Canadian chart groups Goddo and Saga.

<i>The Works</i> (Saga album) 1991 greatest hits album by Saga

The Works is a greatest hit compilation by the Canadian progressive rock band Saga. It was originally released in 1991 only to the German market, as a double CD and vinyl for Bon Aire Records.

References

Citations
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  2. "RPM Top 100 Singles - January 15, 1983" (PDF).
  3. www.SteveNegus.com biography