Sailor (band)

In the 1970s

The group's leader, Georg Kajanus, had previously written "Flying Machine" for Cliff Richard in 1971, although it was Richard's first British single that failed to reach the Top 30. Sailor was formed out of the earlier incarnation of singer-songwriter duo, 'Kajanus Pickett', after Phil Pickett and Kajanus met in 1970 at E H Morris, a music publisher where Pickett briefly worked. They later recorded the album Hi Ho Silver for Signpost Records. Sailor first came together in 1973 with the addition of musicians Henry Marsh (ex-Gringo) and Grant Serpell (ex-Affinity).

The groups' work included Kajanus' invention, the Nickelodeon, made of pianos, synthesisers, and glockenspiels that allowed the four piece band to reproduce on stage the acoustic arrangements that they had done in the recording studio.

The group's first UK single was "Traffic Jam" from their first album, Sailor. "A Glass of Champagne", issued late the following year from the Trouble album, reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up, "Girls, Girls, Girls", also made the Top 10, but of their subsequent singles, only "One Drink Too Many" registered in the UK Top 40.

Sailor's original line-up split up in 1978, although Pickett and Marsh released more material as Sailor with Gavin and Virginia David in 1980, with an album of Pickett compositions called Dressed for Drowning, produced by James William Guercio at his Caribou studio in Colorado (Epic / Caribou).

Revival

In 1989, Sailor reformed to release a new album after a ten-year silence with two new singles, "The Secretary" and "La Cumbia". The band started touring again in 1993, and performed on many television programmes in Europe. In 1995, Kajanus departed the band again to pursue other projects.

The arrival of Peter Lincoln saw Sailor issue their first live album, Live in Berlin. Original member Marsh left in 1999, and was replaced by Anthony England. In May 2001, England left the band to be replaced by Rob Alderton, and the new line-up recorded their first DVD in November 2002. In 2004, Sailor were voted the 45th most successful pop band of the last 40 years in Germany. A biography of Sailor by James McCarraher entitled A Glass of Champagne - The Official Sailor Story was published in June 2004. In July 2005, Alderton left, and Marsh returned to the line-up.

In February 2006 Buried Treasure was released, a double album of previously recorded material. By September, Lincoln left Sailor to join Sweet. Afterwards, Marsh's classically trained son, Oliver, joined the band as their new guitarist and lead singer. He was replaced in 2009 by Nick Parvin but re-joined in May 2011 along with his brother Thomas who joined as drummer, replacing Grant.

Band members

Georg Kajanus (born Prince Georg Johan Tchegodaieff, 9 June 1946, Trondheim, Norway)

1973–1979, 1990–1995: lead vocals, 12-string guitars, acoustic guitars, charango, Veracruzana harp, harmonium, synthesisers, "Klockwork machinery"

Henry Marsh (born Ian Henry Murray Marsh, 8 December 1948, Bath, Somerset)

1973–1999, 2005–present: Nickelodeon, accordion, piano, marimbas, synthesised brass and reed, synthesisers, acoustic/electric guitars, computer programming, vocals

Phil Pickett (born Philip Stuart Pickett, 19 November 1946, Münster, Germany)

1973–present (except Checkpoint): bass Nickelodeon, piano, guitarron, synthesised strings, calliope, xylophone, bass, cruz bass, Hammond organ, mandolin, autoharp, vocals (lead vocals on Dressed for Drowning)

Grant Serpell (born Stephen Grant Serpell, 9 February 1944, Maidenhead, Berkshire)

1973–1979, 1990–2011: drums, percussion, vocals

Gavin David

1980: vocals

Virginia David

1980: lead and backing vocals

Peter Lincoln

1996–2006: 12-string and 6-string acoustic guitars, electric guitar, charango, lead vocals

Anthony England

1999–2001: Nickelodeon, vocals

Rob Alderton

2001–2005: Nickelodeon, accordion, vocals

Oliver Marsh

2006–2009: guitar, lead vocals

Nick Parvin

2009–2011:guitar, lead vocals

Oliver Marsh

2011– present: guitar, lead vocals

Thomas Marsh

2011–present: drums, percussion, vocals

Studio albums

1974 Sailor

1975 Trouble (UK #45)

1976 The Third Step

1977 Checkpoint

1978 Hideaway

1980 Dressed for Drowning

1991 Sailor II

1992 Street Lamp

1998 The Very Best of Sailor (new recordings)

Compilations

1978 Greatest Hits Vol.1

1990 Girls, Girls, Girls: The Very Best of Sailor

1994 Hits and Highlights

1995 Greatest Hits - Best of the Best

1996 Legacy: Greatest and Latest

1999 Girls, Girls, Girls

2002 Sailor

2005 Best: Down by the Docks

2006 Buried Treasure (double CD)

2007 Buried Treasure (single CD)

2007 The Best of Sailor

2007 A Glass of Champagne: All the Hits

2008 Traffic Jam: Sound and Vision (CD/DVD)

Live albums and DVDs

1998 Live in Berlin

2003 Pirate Copy: Sailor Live in Concert (DVD)

2005 Sailor Live

2005 Sailor Live: One Drink Too Many

Singles

1974 "Traffic Jam" / "Harbour" (AUS #47)

1975 "Blue Desert" / "Blame It on the Soft Spot"

1975 "Sailor" / "Open up the Door"

1975 "A Glass of Champagne" (UK #2, IRE #1, AUS #4) / "Panama"

1975 "Girls, Girls, Girls" (UK #7, AUS #21) / "Jacaranda"

1976 "Stiletto Heels" / "Out of Money"

1977 "One Drink Too Many" (UK #35) / "Melancholy"

1977 "Down by the Docks" / "Put Your Mouth Where the Money Is"

1977 "Romance" / "Istanbul 6.25"

1978 "All I Need is a Girl" / "Copacabana"

1978 "The Runaway" / "Put Your Mouth Where the Money Is"

1978 "Give Me Shakespeare" / "I Wish I Had a Way With Women"

1978 "Stay the Night" / "Pyjama Party"

1979 "Stranger in Paris" / "Jamaica Girl" [European release only]

1980 "Don't Send Flowers" / "Don't Look a Gift Horse"

1981 "Danger on the Titanic" / "Starlight"

1991 "Music" / "Music" (Instrumental) [European release only]

1991 "La Cumbia" (Radio Mix) / "La Cumbia" (Tropical Mix)

1991 "Knock Knock" / "Soapland" [European release only]

1992 "The Secretary" / "Cumbia"

1992 "Latino Lover" / "Vera from Veracruz" [European release only]

1992 "It Takes 2 to Tango"

Sailor, the Musical Journey

July 2006 saw the premiere of Sailor, the Musical Journey at the Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline, Scotland. Written by Bill Blenman, the new musical was made up entirely of Kajanus compositions.