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SAXON

http://www.saxon747.com/en/is/

Saxon are a British heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As leading lights in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal they had a brief period of UK Top 40 success in the early 1980s, and also tasted success in Europe and Japan. They still tour heavily and regularly. Their latest (in support of The Inner Sanctum album) tour is their largest in the UK since the early 1980s. Until this, the band's fame had been focussed largely in Germany for many years.

There is another incarnation of Saxon featuring two former band members who hold the legal rights to the name - "Oliver/Dawson Saxon".

History

Saxon began with a lineup of Peter "Biff" Byford on vocals, Paul Quinn and Graham Oliver on guitars, Steve Dawson on bass and drummer Pete Gill. Early in their career the band changed their name from Son of a Bitch to Saxon, and gained support slots on tour with more established bands such as Motörhead.

In 1979 the band signed to the Carrere record label and released their eponymous debut album. In 1980 follow-up album Wheels of Steel spawned two hit singles: the title track, and the crowd favourite "747 (Strangers in the Night)". The Strong Arm of the Law album, considered by fans to be one of their best recordings, was released later that same year, and chart success continued with singles from their next release, Denim and Leather. The title track to that album is seen as an anthem of the early 1980s metal movement. Later legal issues with Carrere negated most if not all of the financial gains seen during their early success.

A relentless series of headlining tours around the UK capitalised on this success, but Saxon were never able to break into the lucrative U.S. market. After 1983's Power and the Glory album, Saxon went in an increasingly commercial direction, in an effort to counterbalance NWOBHM music's decline. This had little success despite signing to major record label EMI. Indeed, the move did little more than alienate their core fanbase. They were seen by detractors as the epitome of the heavy metal cliché. Recently, they have returned to their less overtly commercial roots, and still have a larger following. Saxon recently did a 25th Anniversary of NWOBHM tour of Germany beginning in early March 2005. To celebrate the anniversary of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), the band played songs they recorded during the 1980s.

Saxon's latest studio album, entitled The Inner Sanctum, was released in Europe on March 5, 2007, and North America on April 3, seen by many critics as their best work in years. In 2007, they started a world tour in support of The Inner Sanctum. Surprisingly for their age, they will only have 15 nights off from 60 dates.

Line-ups

Throughout the band's history line-up changes have been common, but with Byford and Quinn remaining as constants. Gill left in 1981 after injuring his hand, to be replaced by Nigel Glockler, formerly of Toyah Willcox's band, who was himself replaced twice – briefly between 1987 and 1988 (by Nigel Durham), and, more permanently, following an injury of his own in 1998. Glockler rejoined the band in 2005 being completely cured from his injury. Gill later went on to play for Motörhead. Dawson departed in 1986 – his replacement, Paul Johnson, lasted two years before leaving. Nibbs Carter has filled the position ever since. When Graham Oliver left in 1995 (replaced by Doug Scarratt), the band split into two different Saxon groups - one dominated by vocalist Byford and his cohort Quinn and the other consisting of original Saxon members Oliver and Dawson. A period of legal actions ensued, resulting in both groups having the right to use Saxon in their name (although former member one must be indicated as "Oliver/Dawson Saxon"). The line-up of Byford's Saxon has been fairly stable apart from the departure of a few drummers. Following Glockler's departure, German Fritz Randow took up the position until 2004. His replacement was former Stratovarius man Jörg Michael.

The line-up that played on the Lionheart album consisted of Byford on vocals, guitarists Quinn and Scarrat, Carter on bass and Michael on drums. The German originally agreed to perform on the album as a session musician, but following his firing from Stratovarius was hired as a full-time member. Following the rapid reunion of Stratovarius, Michael departed after only a year in the job, opening the door for Glockler to return to Saxon. Saxon recorded The Inner Sanctum after the release of the live album The Eagle Has Landed - part 3, which features Glockler and Micheal on drums, as well as former drummer Fritz Randow.

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SAXON: the original

Son of a Bitch (1976-1978)
Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Steve Dawson - bass
David Ward - drums

Saxon (1978-present)

Original lineup (1978-1981)
Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Steve Dawson - bass
Pete Gill - drums

Second lineup (1981-1986)
Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Steve Dawson - bass
Nigel Glockler - drums

Third lineup (1986-1987)
Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Paul Johnson - bass
Nigel Glockler - drums

Fourth lineup (1987-1988)
Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Paul Johnson - bass
Nigel Durham - drums

Fifth lineup (1988-1994)
Biff Byford - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Nibbs Carter - bass
Nigel Glockler - drums

Sixth lineup (1995-1999)
Biff Byford - vocals
Doug Scarratt - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Nibbs Carter - bass
Nigel Glockler - drums

Seventh lineup (1999-2004)
Biff Byford - vocals
Doug Scarratt - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Nibbs Carter - bass
Fritz Randow - drums

Eighth lineup (2004-2005)
Biff Byford - vocals
Doug Scarratt - guitar
Paul Quinn - guitar
Nibbs Carter - bass, keyboards
Jörg Michael - drums

Saxon (1995-1999, 2005-present)
Biff Byford - vocals (Saxon: 1976-present)
Doug Scarratt - guitar (Saxon: 1995-present)
Paul Quinn - guitar (Saxon: 1976-present)
Nibbs Carter - bass, keyboards (Saxon: 1988-present)
Nigel Glockler - drums (Saxon: 1981-1987, 1988-1999, 2005-present)

Present lineups

Saxon (1995-1999, 2005-present)
Biff Byford - vocals (Saxon: 1976-present)
Doug Scarratt - guitar (Saxon: 1995-present)
Paul Quinn - guitar (Saxon: 1976-present)
Nibbs Carter - bass, keyboards (Saxon: 1988-present)

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Oliver/Dawson SAXON : usurpators of the name?

(1994-present)
In 1994, Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson, founding members of Saxon, reunited. They began under the name 'Son of a Bitch' (which had been Saxon's own name originally, before they became well known) but were often billed as Saxon on tours by promoters, though the band often didn't discourage this. In 2000 after a period of inactivity they decided to officially rename themselves Oliver/Dawson Saxon. The band has been known by this name ever since, and despite recording other material from 1996 onwards have always relied primarily on Saxon songs during live sets.

25th February 2003: The Law found in favour of Biff Byford, the lead singer of saxon in a case involving previous band members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson, who registered the name SAXON for themselves in 1997 without the knowledge of Mr Byford.

Son of A Bitch (1994-1999) (often billed as Saxon on tours)
Ted Bullet - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Steve Dawson - bass
Pete Gill - drums

Son of A Bitch (1999) (often billed as Saxon on tours)
Kev Moore - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Steve Dawson - bass
Nigel Durham - drums

Oliver/Dawson Saxon (2000)
John Ward - vocals
Graham Oliver - guitar
Steve Dawson - bass
Nigel Durham - drums

Oliver/Dawson Saxon (2000-present?)
John Ward - vocals (Oliver/Dawson Saxon: 2000-present)
Graham Oliver - guitar (Saxon: 1976-1994, Oliver/Dawson Saxon: 1994-present)
Haydn Conway - guitar (Oliver/Dawson Saxon: 1994-present)
Steve Dawson - bass (Saxon: 1976-1986, Oliver/Dawson Saxon: 1994-present)
Nigel Durham - drums (Saxon: 1987-1988, Oliver/Dawson Saxon: 1999-present)

Liens