Saga

20 December 2008

Saga is a progressive rock quintet, formed in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Bassist-keyboardist Jim Crichton (born February 26, 1953) and Welsh-born vocalist Michael Sadler (b. July 5, 1954) have been the principal songwriters for Saga. Ian Crichton (b. August 3, 1956) is the band's guitarist; apart from his work with Saga, he has recorded several solo albums as well as sessions with Asia. The band's keyboardist, Jim "Daryl" Gilmour (b. February 25, 1958), replaced Greg Chadd in 1980 (Chadd replaced original member Peter Rochon--who left the band to become a full-time music equipment company executive--after the first album).
After the 2003 Marathon tour, Steve Negus (b. February 19, 1952) announced his retirement as Saga's original drummer. Christian Simpson, a Canadian-American, replaced Negus for 2004's Network album, until sidelined by a neurological condition that affected his drumming. In late 2005, former Helix member Brian Doerner became Saga's third drummer in as many years. Doerner is still going strong after a mild heart attack in 2007. Lead singer Michael Sadler left Saga for family reasons at the end of the 2007 tour. Rob Moratti replaced Sadler in April 2008, after an Internet talent search, spanning Europe and both Americas, failed to yield a potential lead vocalist.


Originally known as The Pockets, Saga formed in 1977 from the nucleus of Canadian rock band Fludd. In June 1978, they released their self-titled debut album. A modest success in Canada, it would eventually sell over 30,000 copies in Germany as an import. It also became a major seller in Puerto Rico, after a local stereo equipment store featured the guitar-keyboard duet of the band's single, "Humble Stance" as part of its radio advertisements. Two other songs, "How Long?" and "The Perfectionist" (a song about a psychopath, Ellery Sneed, who secretly poisons the attendants to a feast he has organized), also became local favorites.
Their 1979 follow-up album Images at Twilight gave them their first charting single in Canada with the song "It's Time" peaking at #84 in the Canadian Charts. From the album, the songs "See Them Smile" and "Slow Motion" became strong radio favorites elsewhere. Saga's next album, Silent Knight was released in 1980 and included the singles "Don't Be Late" and "Careful Where You Step".
In 1981, the band's 4th album Worlds Apart was released. The lead single "Wind Him Up", finally broke them into the Top 40, peaking at #22 on the Canadian Charts in January of 1982. A second single "On the Loose" also fared well, and in December of 1982, proved to be their breakthrough in America where it peaked at #26 on the Billboard Charts in March of 1983. "Wind Him Up" became the second single in America, peaking at #64 on Billboard the following month. Eventually, Worlds Apart was certified Gold in the USA in 1983 (www.riaa.org).
A 5th album Heads or Tales was released in late 1983 and became another success. The lead single "The Flyer" fared well in Canada and also became their final U.S. hit, peaking at #79 on Billboard in November of 1983. A follow-up single "Scratching the Surface" was popular in Canada, peaking at #45 in April of 1984.
Their 6th album Behaviour was released in 1985, and included the singles: "Listen to Your Heart" and "What Do I Know" (#57 Canada).