The Saints (band)
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The Saints are an influential Australian punk band, formed in Brisbane in 1972 (see 1972 in music). The original members were schoolmates Chris Bailey (a singer-songwriter, later a guitarist); Ed Kuepper (guitarist-songwriter) and; Ivor Hay (drummer). The Saints, who have never officially broken up, continue to inspire numerous other rock acts. Bailey is the only member who has lasted the distance, although the original line-up is regarded by many fans and critics as the most talented and influential.
Their musical inspiration came from sources as diverse as 1950s rock 'n' roll and 1960s Detroit punk band The Stooges. The Saints pre-empted the fast tempos and buzzing guitars of more widely-known punk acts like The Ramones and the Sex Pistols.
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Rise to prominence
In 1976, with bass player Kym Bradshaw, The Saints independently recorded and distributed copies of their debut single "(I'm) Stranded". Following Sounds magazine in the UK declaring it "Single of this and every week", the band was signed to a three-album contract with EMI. Later the same year they recorded their first LP, released in February 1977, also called (I'm) Stranded.
In mid-1977 the band moved to the UK, where it became apparent that they and their label had different ideas as to how they should be marketed. EMI planned to sell The Saints as a typical punk band complete with ripped clothes and spiky hair. The Saints insisted on wearing collared shirts and sweaters, and left their hair long. Nevetheless one single, "This Perfect Day", showed potential of a breakthrough when it made #34 in the UK charts; this was frustrated when EMI allegedly failed to press enough copies of the record to satisfy demand.
Later in 1977, with bass player Alisdair ('Algy') Ward, The Saints recorded a second album, Eternally Yours. This showed the band moving towards a more R&B style of rock, including a brass section on songs like "Know Your Product". Another track on the album, "Private Affair", focussed on what the band members saw as the pigeon-holing, hype and commercialisation of punk:
- We got new thoughts, new ideas it's all so groovy
- It's just a shame that we've all seen the same old movies
- And now you think that you got a first in fashion
- New uniforms we all look the same
- A new vogue for the now generation
- A new profit in the same old game
The Saints continued their musical development with the jazz-blues influenced LP Prehistoric Sounds in 1978; many critics see the 'jazz-punk' sound of Kuepper's next band, The Laughing Clowns, germinating on this record. Its commercial failure led to EMI dropping the band.
Kuepper's departure
Amidst this stew of frustrated talent and pressure cooker attention, relations between Kuepper and Bailey deteriorated beyond repair. Kuepper, Hay and Ward left the band soon afterwards and Kuepper was soon pursuing a more avant-garde direction with The Laughing Clowns. He also later released several solo albums.
Bailey continued to use the name of The Saints with a variety other musicians including, briefly, Ivor Hay; in 1984 Kuepper was about to rejoin for a tour but in the end pulled out. Bailey eventually achieved a commercial breakthrough with All Fools Day in 1987 (see 1987 in music), which sold moderately well across most of the world, as did the follow-up, Prodigal Son. Since then, he has continued touring and recording with various incarnations of The Saints. Kuepper's riposte to Bailey's ongoing use of the name was to call one of his own bands The Aints.
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
| US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | UK | |||
| 1989 | "Grain of Sand" | - | #11 | - | - | Prodigal Son |
| 1989 | "Music Goes Round My Head" | - | #19 | - | - | Prodigal Son |
External links
- The Kuepper Files Current info on Ed Kuepperfr:The Saints