Bay City Rollers
Encyclopedia
The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish
pop
band
who were most popular in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan
teen sensations from Edinburgh
", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at teeny-bopper acts of the 1970s". For a relatively brief but fervent period (nicknamed "Rollermania"), they were worldwide teen idol
s. The group's line-up featured numerous changes over the years, but the classic line-up during its heyday included guitarists Eric Faulkner
and Stuart Wood, singer Les McKeown
, bassist Alan Longmuir
, and drummer Derek Longmuir
.
, his younger brother Derek Longmuir
, a drummer, along with schoolfriend, lead singer Gordon "Nobby" Clark founded the group in Edinburgh
, Scotland
in 1966, as The Saxons. Shortly afterwards, they chose a new name found at random by throwing a dart at a map of the United States
. It landed near the community of Bay City
, Michigan
.
The Bay City Rollers were managed from early on by Tam Paton
, himself a former big band
leader. Short-term members from this period included David Paton
(member 1969-1970) and Billy Lyall
(member 1969-1971), who went on to be founding members of another successful Edinburgh band, Pilot
.
After signing with Bell Records, the band's first hit was "Keep on Dancing" (UK #9, 1971), a cover of a 1965 hit by The Gentrys
, recorded at the suggestion of record producer
Jonathan King
. Clark was backed on vocals on "Keep on Dancing" by King doing multi-tracked singing. Upon this release's success, they made appearances on BBC One
's Top of the Pops
. The group then won a Radio Luxembourg
-sponsored song contest with the tune "Mañana", which was later popular in parts of Europe
and in Israel
.
Several non-charting singles were released over the following two years. This period saw the addition of long term members Eric Faulkner
and Stuart "Woody" Wood. In mid-1973 they narrowly missed the UK Singles Chart
with the fourth single, "Saturday Night
", one of many songs written and produced for the band by the songwriting
duo of Scotsman
Bill Martin and Irishman
Phil Coulter
. By the end of 1973, Clark had become disillusioned by the band's lack of success and decided to leave. He was replaced as lead singer by Les McKeown
.
hits
.
Beginning with "Remember" (UK #6), the Rollers' popularity exploded, and they released a string of hits on the UK
chart. Following in succession were "Shang-a-Lang" (UK #2), "Summerlove Sensation" (UK #3), and "All of Me Loves All of You" (UK #4).
By early 1975, they were one of the highest-selling acts in the UK. That year saw a successful UK tour (which prompted newspaper headlines about "Rollermania"), and a 20-week UK television series, Shang-a-Lang
.
A cover of the Four Seasons' "Bye, Bye, Baby" stayed at #1 in the UK for six weeks in the spring of 1975, selling nearly a million copies to become the biggest seller of the year, and the subsequent single "Give a Little Love" topped the charts that summer, their second #1 hit. Two full-length LPs were produced during this period: Once Upon a Star
and Wouldn't You Like It?
. Faulkner and Wood undertook the majority of the songwriting duties.
At the peak of their popularity in the UK, comparisons were made to The Beatles
. Also by this time, Bay City Roller fans
had a completely distinctive style of dress, the main elements of which were ankle-length tartan
trousers
and tartan scarves
. A popular playground chant of the time went (to the tune of "This Old Man
"):
(the record company that evolved from Bell) to launch the Rollers in North America. New Arista head Clive Davis
was instrumental in grooming and overseeing the project. His work paid off, as in late 1975, the Rollers reached #1 on the US
Billboard Hot 100
with "Saturday Night", the song that had missed the UK chart completely two years earlier. The Rollers gave the track their American debut via a satellite-link performance on Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell
. In Canada
, it fared equally well, hitting #1 on the RPM
national singles chart on 10 January 1976. The Bay City Rollers
album (North American release only) hit #1 in the same chart on February 7.
A second North American hit came with "Money Honey", written by Faulkner and Wood, which hit #9 in the US. In Canada, it fared better, following its predecessor to the top and giving them their second #1 in the RPM national singles chart on 13 March 1976. The North America/Japan release album Rock n' Roll Love Letter jumped from #25 to the top position in a single week in Canada, deposing their own Bay City Rollers
album at #1 on the national chart on 27 March 1976, but only managed to achieve the #31 spot on the U.S. Billboard chart.
By early 1976, the strain of success (and the discomfort of being a man in his late 20s in a teen band) had taken its toll on bassist Alan Longmuir, who decided to leave the group. He was replaced for seven months by 17-year-old Ian Mitchell - the first band member born outside Edinburgh, Scotland. (He was from Northern Ireland
.) With Mitchell, the group released an album titled Dedication
, and hit the charts with a cover version
of the Dusty Springfield
song "I Only Want to Be with You
", which reached US #12, as well as "Yesterday's Hero" (featuring live material from a 1976 personal appearance in Toronto
's Nathan Phillips Square
), and "Dedication".
that "I'm getting out before I stick my head in a gas oven." He was replaced by Pat McGlynn
, who joined the band with the forlorn wish that "I just hope I can cope." McGlynn lasted only a few months before quitting in turn, complaining that the other Rollers had treated him like a servant. Further struggles around the band involved the direction of their sound, as the members wished to pursue more sophisticated styles. They settled on David Bowie
's producer
, Harry Maslin, and in August 1977 released It's a Game as a four-piece group, comprising McKeown, Wood, Faulkner and Derek Longmuir. The It's a Game tour produced the live album
Rollerworld: Live at the Budokan 1977, recorded in 1977 at Japan's Budokan Hall
, but unreleased until 2001.
On the disc, they covered an unsuccessful 1973 single by String Driven Thing
, "It's a Game" to give them their final UK Top 20 hit (#16 in May 1977), but "You Made Me Believe in Magic
" could only make #34 in July. Oddly enough, this single provided them their highest-charting German hit, reaching #4 in the same year. "You Made Me Believe in Magic" reached #10 in the US, but this would be their final major success there too.
In 1978, Alan Longmuir reunited with the band for the recording of Strangers in the Wind
. The release of this LP was timed to coincide with the debut of the Rollers' US Saturday morning television show The Krofft Superstar Hour
, later renamed The Bay City Rollers Show, on the NBC
network. The show was a poor match for the band. Their time in the teen idol
spotlight was slipping away and their music had matured and become more sophisticated compared to the bubblegum
hits they had released in 1975-1976. The show and album were both failures.
At the end of 1978, the band had split with McKeown, fired Tam Paton shortly after and decided to continue in a more new-wave, rock-oriented sound. Their name was now The Rollers. South Africa
n-born Duncan Faure
joined the band as new lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. With Faure, the line-up produced three albums: Elevator (1979), Voxx (1980), and Ricochet (1981). None of the releases sold well and they officially split up in late 1981.
In the late 1980s a version of the band called the 'New Rollers' was formed featuring Faulkner on lead vocals, Kass (Karen Prosser) on vocals, Jason Medvec on guitar, Andy Boakes on bass, Mark Roberts on drums. The band toured extensively throughout the US and Canada as well as tours of the UK and Australia. This group also released an independent 5-song EP
titled "Party Hardy".
In 1990 Stuart Wood and Alan Longmuir joined with Faulkner to tour under the Bay City Rollers name, and issued several CDs of re-recordings of the old Roller tunes.
The classic line-up were filmed for an episode of the VH1 - Behind The Music series in 1998. Around the same time the same line-up (minus Derek) played in Japan for a TV show.
The classic line-up (minus Derek Longmuir) performed a one-off New Year's Eve millennium concert (1999–2000) in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. Interest was rekindled in the UK by various television documentaries about the group, and a new television advertised compilation
of greatest hits
, Very Best of the Bay City Rollers, which entered the UK Albums Chart
on release in 2004 at #11.
Currently, Mitchell, Faulkner and McKeown each regularly tour playing Rollers hits. Due to legal issues over which performers may use the band name, McKeown's group used the name: Les McKeown's Legendary Bay City Rollers. At present there is no official Bay City Rollers.
On April 26, 2008, fans in the greater Los Angeles area celebrated the first "Bay City Rollers Day". A day celebrating all things "BCR" via music, games, and attempting to live the Bay City Roller lifestyle. The tradition has continued and grown in popularity with each passing year.
in revenue, with the band members themselves earning very little.
According to the BBC
they sold 70 million records. However, even this figure has been disputed by several sources, not least their former record company.
In March 2007, six former members of the group (Faure plus the "classic line-up") announced a lawsuit against Arista Records
in hopes of claiming what they describe as "tens of millions of dollars" of unpaid royalties. Nobby Clark has threatened to sue the other band members if their lawsuit is successful, stating that he was the creative force behind the band's success, despite the fact that he left the group in 1973 before the bulk of their fame and fortune began.
In September 2010, Gordon "Nobby" Clark, Ian Mitchell and Pat McGlynn filed a complaint in the courts in United States against the six members (Faure plus the "classic line-up") over their being excluded from the case against Arista records. Clark, Mitchell and McGlynn are seeking to have their rights determined and are also seeking financial damages against the other Bay City Rollers for alleged breach of contract.
In March 2011 a New York judge determined that the Bay City Rollers can move forward with their four-year old lawsuit against Arista Records. Arista had denied responsibility for the majority of the royalties, claiming that the New York statute of limitations, which limits plaintiffs from recovering damages past six years in contract disputes, bars the Rollers' claims for royalties incurred prior to 2001. However, since the Rollers were able to show that Arista had continued to promise them their royalties in writing, the judge ruled that the statute was not applicable.
*based on German radio airplay reports
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
who were most popular in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
teen sensations from Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at teeny-bopper acts of the 1970s". For a relatively brief but fervent period (nicknamed "Rollermania"), they were worldwide teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
s. The group's line-up featured numerous changes over the years, but the classic line-up during its heyday included guitarists Eric Faulkner
Eric Faulkner
Eric Faulkner is a guitarist, songwriter, and singer, best known as a member of the Scottish pop band, the Bay City Rollers....
and Stuart Wood, singer Les McKeown
Les McKeown
Leslie Richard McKeown is a pop singer. He was the lead singer for the 1970s pop sensation the Bay City Rollers during their most successful period.-Biography:...
, bassist Alan Longmuir
Alan Longmuir
Alan Longmuir was the Scottish bass guitarist for the 1970s pop group, the Bay City Rollers.-Biography:...
, and drummer Derek Longmuir
Derek Longmuir
Derek Longmuir was the Scottish drummer and a founding member of the 1970s pop group, Bay City Rollers. His elder brother, Alan Longmuir, played bass guitar in the group.-Biography:...
.
Early days: formation-1973
Bassist Alan LongmuirAlan Longmuir
Alan Longmuir was the Scottish bass guitarist for the 1970s pop group, the Bay City Rollers.-Biography:...
, his younger brother Derek Longmuir
Derek Longmuir
Derek Longmuir was the Scottish drummer and a founding member of the 1970s pop group, Bay City Rollers. His elder brother, Alan Longmuir, played bass guitar in the group.-Biography:...
, a drummer, along with schoolfriend, lead singer Gordon "Nobby" Clark founded the group in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1966, as The Saxons. Shortly afterwards, they chose a new name found at random by throwing a dart at a map of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It landed near the community of Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
The Bay City Rollers were managed from early on by Tam Paton
Tam Paton
Thomas Dougal "Tam" Paton , was the manager and primary spokesman during the 1970s of the Scottish band, the Bay City Rollers....
, himself a former big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
leader. Short-term members from this period included David Paton
David Paton
David Paton is a Scottish bass and guitar player, most notably with three different bands: Pilot, The Alan Parsons Project, and Camel. He has also worked as a solo artist, session musician, and sometime vocalist...
(member 1969-1970) and Billy Lyall
Billy Lyall
Billy Lyall was a Scottish musician.Born William Lyall in Edinburgh, Scotland, Lyall was a keyboard player and vocalist with Pilot, and an early member of the Bay City Rollers. He also contributed to The Alan Parsons Project with fellow Pilot members, and released a solo album, Solo Casting in 1976...
(member 1969-1971), who went on to be founding members of another successful Edinburgh band, Pilot
Pilot (band)
Pilot was a pop rock musical group, formed during 1973 in Edinburgh, Scotland by the former Bay City Rollers members, David Paton and Billy Lyall.-Career:...
.
After signing with Bell Records, the band's first hit was "Keep on Dancing" (UK #9, 1971), a cover of a 1965 hit by The Gentrys
The Gentrys
The Gentrys were an American band of the 1960s and early 1970s best known for their 1965 hit "Keep on Dancing"...
, recorded at the suggestion of record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Jonathan King
Jonathan King
Jonathan King is an English singer, songwriter, impresario and record producer. He is also the author of three novels, Bible Two and The Booker Prize Winner , and Beware the Monkey Man , and an autobiography, 65 My Life So Far .King first came to prominence as an...
. Clark was backed on vocals on "Keep on Dancing" by King doing multi-tracked singing. Upon this release's success, they made appearances on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. The group then won a Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
-sponsored song contest with the tune "Mañana", which was later popular in parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Several non-charting singles were released over the following two years. This period saw the addition of long term members Eric Faulkner
Eric Faulkner
Eric Faulkner is a guitarist, songwriter, and singer, best known as a member of the Scottish pop band, the Bay City Rollers....
and Stuart "Woody" Wood. In mid-1973 they narrowly missed the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
with the fourth single, "Saturday Night
Saturday Night (Bay City Rollers song)
"Saturday Night" is the title of a song recorded by the Scottish band Bay City Rollers. It was written and produced by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. The tune is an upbeat pop-rock number with a memorable hook: the word "Saturday" spelled out in a rhythmic chant.An early version of the song was...
", one of many songs written and produced for the band by the songwriting
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
duo of Scotsman
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
Bill Martin and Irishman
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
. By the end of 1973, Clark had become disillusioned by the band's lack of success and decided to leave. He was replaced as lead singer by Les McKeown
Les McKeown
Leslie Richard McKeown is a pop singer. He was the lead singer for the 1970s pop sensation the Bay City Rollers during their most successful period.-Biography:...
.
British breakthrough:1974–75
The five members at the end of 1973 - the Longmuir brothers, Faulkner, Wood and McKeown - are generally referred to as the "classic line-up". In early 1974 McKeown hastily re-recorded lead vocals of the group's forthcoming single, "Remember (Sha La La La)", which became a sizable hit and a lead-in to a series of UK chartRecord chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
.
Beginning with "Remember" (UK #6), the Rollers' popularity exploded, and they released a string of hits on the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chart. Following in succession were "Shang-a-Lang" (UK #2), "Summerlove Sensation" (UK #3), and "All of Me Loves All of You" (UK #4).
By early 1975, they were one of the highest-selling acts in the UK. That year saw a successful UK tour (which prompted newspaper headlines about "Rollermania"), and a 20-week UK television series, Shang-a-Lang
Shang-a-Lang (TV series)
Shang-a-Lang was a children's pop music TV series starring the Scottish band, the Bay City Rollers. It was produced in Manchester by Granada Television for the ITV network and ran for one 20-week series in 1975....
.
A cover of the Four Seasons' "Bye, Bye, Baby" stayed at #1 in the UK for six weeks in the spring of 1975, selling nearly a million copies to become the biggest seller of the year, and the subsequent single "Give a Little Love" topped the charts that summer, their second #1 hit. Two full-length LPs were produced during this period: Once Upon a Star
Once Upon a Star
Once Upon a Star is an album released in 1975 by the Scottish group Bay City Rollers. The album featured a British #1 hit single, "Bye Bye Baby", and marked the first time the group performed its own music, rather than relying on session musicians ....
and Wouldn't You Like It?
Wouldn't You Like It?
Wouldn't You Like It? was the third studio album to be released by Scotland's Bay City Rollers. The LP, issued in the UK in late 1975, saw a marked change in the group's musical direction: all the songs save one were the band's own compositions. The one outside-written tune, "Give a Little...
. Faulkner and Wood undertook the majority of the songwriting duties.
At the peak of their popularity in the UK, comparisons were made to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Also by this time, Bay City Roller fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
had a completely distinctive style of dress, the main elements of which were ankle-length tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
trousers
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
and tartan scarves
Scarf
A scarf is a piece of fabric worn around the neck, or near the head or around the waist for warmth, cleanliness, fashion or for religious reasons. They can come in a variety of different colours.-History:...
. A popular playground chant of the time went (to the tune of "This Old Man
This Old Man
"This Old Man" is an English language children's song, counting and nursery rhyme with a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3550.-Origins and history:The origins of this song are obscure...
"):
- B-A-Y, B-A-Y,
- B-A-Y, C-I-T-Y,
- With an R-O-double-L, E-R-S,
- Bay City Rollers are the best!
- Eric, Derek, Woody too,
- Alan, Leslie, we love you,
- With an R-O-double-L, E-R-S,
- Bay City Rollers are the best!
World impact: 1976
As the group's popularity swelled to superstardom in the UK, a concerted effort was made by Arista RecordsArista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
(the record company that evolved from Bell) to launch the Rollers in North America. New Arista head Clive Davis
Clive Davis
Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
was instrumental in grooming and overseeing the project. His work paid off, as in late 1975, the Rollers reached #1 on the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
with "Saturday Night", the song that had missed the UK chart completely two years earlier. The Rollers gave the track their American debut via a satellite-link performance on Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell
Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell
Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell was a program that ran on ABC from September 1975 to January 1976, hosted by Howard Cosell and executively produced by Roone Arledge. The series ran for 18 episodes before being cancelled...
. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, it fared equally well, hitting #1 on the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
national singles chart on 10 January 1976. The Bay City Rollers
Bay City Rollers (album)
Bay City Rollers, released in late 1975, was the first full-length album by Scotland's Bay City Rollers to be issued in the USA and Canada...
album (North American release only) hit #1 in the same chart on February 7.
A second North American hit came with "Money Honey", written by Faulkner and Wood, which hit #9 in the US. In Canada, it fared better, following its predecessor to the top and giving them their second #1 in the RPM national singles chart on 13 March 1976. The North America/Japan release album Rock n' Roll Love Letter jumped from #25 to the top position in a single week in Canada, deposing their own Bay City Rollers
Bay City Rollers (album)
Bay City Rollers, released in late 1975, was the first full-length album by Scotland's Bay City Rollers to be issued in the USA and Canada...
album at #1 on the national chart on 27 March 1976, but only managed to achieve the #31 spot on the U.S. Billboard chart.
By early 1976, the strain of success (and the discomfort of being a man in his late 20s in a teen band) had taken its toll on bassist Alan Longmuir, who decided to leave the group. He was replaced for seven months by 17-year-old Ian Mitchell - the first band member born outside Edinburgh, Scotland. (He was from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.) With Mitchell, the group released an album titled Dedication
Dedication (Bay City Rollers album)
Dedication is a rock album by the Bay City Rollers, issued in fall 1976. It was the band's fourth original studio album, and the first new album to be released in the wake of their enormous worldwide success of early 1976....
, and hit the charts with a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
song "I Only Want to Be with You
I Only Want to Be with You
"I Only Want to Be with You" is a rock-and-roll song by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. It was the first solo single released by British singer Dusty Springfield under her long-time producer Johnny Franz...
", which reached US #12, as well as "Yesterday's Hero" (featuring live material from a 1976 personal appearance in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza that forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and named for Nathan Phillips, mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962. The square opened in 1965, and, as with the City Hall, the square was...
), and "Dedication".
1977-79
As the Rollers' popularity waned, the shuffling of personnel continued: Mitchell quit the band, telling Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
that "I'm getting out before I stick my head in a gas oven." He was replaced by Pat McGlynn
Pat McGlynn
Patrick James "Pat" McGlynn was a rhythm guitarist for the Bay City Rollers.In late 1976, McGlynn briefly joined the Rollers as a replacement for band member Ian Mitchell. McGlynn was gone from the band early the following year...
, who joined the band with the forlorn wish that "I just hope I can cope." McGlynn lasted only a few months before quitting in turn, complaining that the other Rollers had treated him like a servant. Further struggles around the band involved the direction of their sound, as the members wished to pursue more sophisticated styles. They settled on David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Harry Maslin, and in August 1977 released It's a Game as a four-piece group, comprising McKeown, Wood, Faulkner and Derek Longmuir. The It's a Game tour produced the live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
Rollerworld: Live at the Budokan 1977, recorded in 1977 at Japan's Budokan Hall
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
, but unreleased until 2001.
On the disc, they covered an unsuccessful 1973 single by String Driven Thing
String Driven Thing
String Driven Thing were a 1970s folk-rock band from Scotland led by husband and wife Chris Adams and Pauline Adams and featuring the electric violin of Graham Smith.-Formation:...
, "It's a Game" to give them their final UK Top 20 hit (#16 in May 1977), but "You Made Me Believe in Magic
You Made Me Believe in Magic
"You Made Me Believe in Magic" is the title of a 1977 single by Bay City Rollers taken from their album It's a Game. The recording, a mid-tempo disco-styled pop tune featuring strings and horns, had its greatest impact in the US where it was issued as the album's lead single in May 1977 to reach...
" could only make #34 in July. Oddly enough, this single provided them their highest-charting German hit, reaching #4 in the same year. "You Made Me Believe in Magic" reached #10 in the US, but this would be their final major success there too.
In 1978, Alan Longmuir reunited with the band for the recording of Strangers in the Wind
Strangers in the Wind
Strangers in the Wind is a 1978 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. It was the group's sixth original studio album, and second consecutive disc to feature the production work of Harry Maslin, who produced hits for Air Supply....
. The release of this LP was timed to coincide with the debut of the Rollers' US Saturday morning television show The Krofft Superstar Hour
The Krofft Superstar Hour
The Krofft Superstar Hour is a Saturday morning children's variety show, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft. After eight episodes, the show was renamed The Bay City Rollers Show. It aired for one season from September 9, 1978 to November 28, 1979 on NBC.-Background:The show is essentially a...
, later renamed The Bay City Rollers Show, on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
network. The show was a poor match for the band. Their time in the teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
spotlight was slipping away and their music had matured and become more sophisticated compared to the bubblegum
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
hits they had released in 1975-1976. The show and album were both failures.
New singer, new name
McKeown made the decision to leave for a solo career, after a concert tour in Japan.At the end of 1978, the band had split with McKeown, fired Tam Paton shortly after and decided to continue in a more new-wave, rock-oriented sound. Their name was now The Rollers. South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n-born Duncan Faure
Duncan Faure
Duncan Caldwell Faure is a singer from Pretoria, South Africa.-Early life:Faure was born in 1956 to William and Antonio Faure in Pretoria, South Africa. Faure was a championship swimmer around the age of ten. In 1975, at age 18-19, Faure joined the popular South African band Rabbitt...
joined the band as new lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. With Faure, the line-up produced three albums: Elevator (1979), Voxx (1980), and Ricochet (1981). None of the releases sold well and they officially split up in late 1981.
1980s and beyond
During the 1980s and 1990s, there were a few short tours. Seven past members played Japan in 1982, and again in 1983. A reunion album, Breakout, was released in Japan in 1985, performed primarily by McKeown and McGlynn with minor contributions from Faulkner, Wood, and Mitchell.In the late 1980s a version of the band called the 'New Rollers' was formed featuring Faulkner on lead vocals, Kass (Karen Prosser) on vocals, Jason Medvec on guitar, Andy Boakes on bass, Mark Roberts on drums. The band toured extensively throughout the US and Canada as well as tours of the UK and Australia. This group also released an independent 5-song EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled "Party Hardy".
In 1990 Stuart Wood and Alan Longmuir joined with Faulkner to tour under the Bay City Rollers name, and issued several CDs of re-recordings of the old Roller tunes.
The classic line-up were filmed for an episode of the VH1 - Behind The Music series in 1998. Around the same time the same line-up (minus Derek) played in Japan for a TV show.
The classic line-up (minus Derek Longmuir) performed a one-off New Year's Eve millennium concert (1999–2000) in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. Interest was rekindled in the UK by various television documentaries about the group, and a new television advertised compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
, Very Best of the Bay City Rollers, which entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
on release in 2004 at #11.
Currently, Mitchell, Faulkner and McKeown each regularly tour playing Rollers hits. Due to legal issues over which performers may use the band name, McKeown's group used the name: Les McKeown's Legendary Bay City Rollers. At present there is no official Bay City Rollers.
On April 26, 2008, fans in the greater Los Angeles area celebrated the first "Bay City Rollers Day". A day celebrating all things "BCR" via music, games, and attempting to live the Bay City Roller lifestyle. The tradition has continued and grown in popularity with each passing year.
Financial disputes
A recent documentary, Who Got The Rollers' Millions?, explored the speculation about what happened to the supposed financial fortune the group generated in their career, with accusations that it was defrauded from the group by their management and record company. There are claims that the group sold 100-300 million records and generated the equivalent of five billion poundsPound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
in revenue, with the band members themselves earning very little.
According to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
they sold 70 million records. However, even this figure has been disputed by several sources, not least their former record company.
In March 2007, six former members of the group (Faure plus the "classic line-up") announced a lawsuit against Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
in hopes of claiming what they describe as "tens of millions of dollars" of unpaid royalties. Nobby Clark has threatened to sue the other band members if their lawsuit is successful, stating that he was the creative force behind the band's success, despite the fact that he left the group in 1973 before the bulk of their fame and fortune began.
In September 2010, Gordon "Nobby" Clark, Ian Mitchell and Pat McGlynn filed a complaint in the courts in United States against the six members (Faure plus the "classic line-up") over their being excluded from the case against Arista records. Clark, Mitchell and McGlynn are seeking to have their rights determined and are also seeking financial damages against the other Bay City Rollers for alleged breach of contract.
In March 2011 a New York judge determined that the Bay City Rollers can move forward with their four-year old lawsuit against Arista Records. Arista had denied responsibility for the majority of the royalties, claiming that the New York statute of limitations, which limits plaintiffs from recovering damages past six years in contract disputes, bars the Rollers' claims for royalties incurred prior to 2001. However, since the Rollers were able to show that Arista had continued to promise them their royalties in writing, the judge ruled that the statute was not applicable.
Albums
| Year | Album | UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
CAN RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Rollin' | 1 | 8 | — | — |
| 1975 | Once Upon a Star Once Upon a Star Once Upon a Star is an album released in 1975 by the Scottish group Bay City Rollers. The album featured a British #1 hit single, "Bye Bye Baby", and marked the first time the group performed its own music, rather than relying on session musicians .... |
1 | 4 | — | — |
| 1975 | Bay City Rollers Bay City Rollers (album) Bay City Rollers, released in late 1975, was the first full-length album by Scotland's Bay City Rollers to be issued in the USA and Canada... (US and Canada only release) |
— | — | 20 | 1 |
| 1975 | Wouldn't You Like It? Wouldn't You Like It? Wouldn't You Like It? was the third studio album to be released by Scotland's Bay City Rollers. The LP, issued in the UK in late 1975, saw a marked change in the group's musical direction: all the songs save one were the band's own compositions. The one outside-written tune, "Give a Little... |
3 | 3 | — | — |
| 1975 | Souvenirs of Youth (Japan Only) |
— | — | — | — |
| 1976 | Dedication Dedication (Bay City Rollers album) Dedication is a rock album by the Bay City Rollers, issued in fall 1976. It was the band's fourth original studio album, and the first new album to be released in the wake of their enormous worldwide success of early 1976.... |
4 | 3 | 26 | — |
| 1976 | Rock n' Roll Love Letter (US, Canada & Japan Only) |
— | — | 31 | 1 |
| 1977 | It's a Game | 18 | 10 | 23 | — |
| 1978 | Strangers in the Wind Strangers in the Wind Strangers in the Wind is a 1978 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. It was the group's sixth original studio album, and second consecutive disc to feature the production work of Harry Maslin, who produced hits for Air Supply.... |
— | 61 | 129 | — |
| 1979 | Elevator Elevator (Bay City Rollers album) Elevator is a 1979 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. Having replaced longtime lead singer Les McKeown with Duncan Faure, the group shortened their name to simply The Rollers, and pursued a more rocking, power-pop sound than their previous work.... |
— | — | — | — |
| 1980 | Voxx Voxx (album) Voxx is a 1980 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. It was the second of three LPs the group issued as The Rollers.The disc featured an unlikely hodgepodge of songs culled from various sources... |
— | — | — | — |
| 1981 | Ricochet Ricochet (Bay City Rollers album) Ricochet is a 1981 album by the Bay City Rollers, credited as The Rollers. The album was the third and final release under this band name. Ricochet can be considered the final studio album of the Bay City Rollers, discounting later "reunion" - style releases... |
— | — | — | — |
| 1982 | ...And Forever (Japan Only) |
— | — | — | — |
| 1983 | Live in Japan (Japan Only) |
— | — | — | — |
| 1985 | Breakout (Japan Only) |
— | — | — | — |
| 2001 | Rollerworld: Live at the Budokan 1977 |
— | — | — | — |
Singles
| Year | Song | UK |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
CAN RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | "Keep on Dancing" | 9 | — | — | — | — | Singles only |
| 1972 | "We Can Make Music" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Manana" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974 | "Remember (Sha-La-La)" | 6 | 67 | — | — | 37 | Rollin' |
| "Shang-A-Lang" | 2 | 86 | — | — | 41 | ||
| "Summerlove Sensation" | 3 | 53 | — | — | — | ||
| "All of Me Loves All of You" | 4 | — | — | — | — | Single only | |
| 1975 | "Bye, Bye, Baby" | 1 | 1 | — | — | 10 | Once Upon a Star Once Upon a Star Once Upon a Star is an album released in 1975 by the Scottish group Bay City Rollers. The album featured a British #1 hit single, "Bye Bye Baby", and marked the first time the group performed its own music, rather than relying on session musicians .... |
| "Give a Little Love" | 1 | 2 | — | — | 11 | Wouldn't You Like It? Wouldn't You Like It? Wouldn't You Like It? was the third studio album to be released by Scotland's Bay City Rollers. The LP, issued in the UK in late 1975, saw a marked change in the group's musical direction: all the songs save one were the band's own compositions. The one outside-written tune, "Give a Little... |
|
| "Don't Stop the Music" (Released in Germany and North America only) |
— | — | — | — | 32 | ||
| "Love Me Like I Love You" | 4 | 7 | — | — | — | Single only | |
| 1976 | "Saturday Night Saturday Night (Bay City Rollers song) "Saturday Night" is the title of a song recorded by the Scottish band Bay City Rollers. It was written and produced by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. The tune is an upbeat pop-rock number with a memorable hook: the word "Saturday" spelled out in a rhythmic chant.An early version of the song was... " |
— | 45 | 1 | 1 | 10 | Rollin' |
| "Money Honey" | 3 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 16 | Rock n' Roll Love Letter | |
| "Rock n' Roll Love Letter" (Not released in the UK) |
— | 9 | 28 | 6 | 13 | ||
| "I Only Want to Be with You I Only Want to Be with You "I Only Want to Be with You" is a rock-and-roll song by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. It was the first solo single released by British singer Dusty Springfield under her long-time producer Johnny Franz... " |
4 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 9 | Dedication Dedication (Bay City Rollers album) Dedication is a rock album by the Bay City Rollers, issued in fall 1976. It was the band's fourth original studio album, and the first new album to be released in the wake of their enormous worldwide success of early 1976.... |
|
| "Yesterday's Hero" (Released in North America only) |
— | — | 54 | 22 | 13 | ||
| "Dedication" (Not released in the UK) |
— | — | 60 | — | 16* | ||
| "Don't Worry Baby Don't Worry Baby "Don’t Worry Baby" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, produced by Wilson and first recorded by the Beach Boys. The band's version, a tender ballad with falsetto lead vocal by Brian, was first released on their 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2. It was also released as the B-side of... " (Released in Australia only) |
— | 34 | — | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "It's a Game" | 16 | 9 | — | — | 4 | It's a Game |
| "You Made Me Believe in Magic You Made Me Believe in Magic "You Made Me Believe in Magic" is the title of a 1977 single by Bay City Rollers taken from their album It's a Game. The recording, a mid-tempo disco-styled pop tune featuring strings and horns, had its greatest impact in the US where it was issued as the album's lead single in May 1977 to reach... " |
34 | 36 | 10 | 2 | 25 | ||
| "The Way I Feel Tonight" | — | 56 | 24 | 23 | — | ||
| "Don‘t Let The Music Die" (Released in Japan only) |
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978 | "Where Will I Be Now Where Will I Be Now "Where Will I Be Now" is a pop single by the Bay City Rollers from their 1978 album Strangers in the Wind. The tune, written by British songwriter Chris East and featuring a lead vocal by Les McKeown, is an uptempo song with a heavily-orchestrated disco-style arrangement. It was released as a 7"... " |
— | — | — | — | 48 | Strangers in the Wind Strangers in the Wind Strangers in the Wind is a 1978 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. It was the group's sixth original studio album, and second consecutive disc to feature the production work of Harry Maslin, who produced hits for Air Supply.... |
| "All of the World is Falling in Love" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Another Rainy Day in New York City" (USA promo only) |
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979 | "Turn On The Radio" | — | — | — | — | — | Elevator Elevator (Bay City Rollers album) Elevator is a 1979 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. Having replaced longtime lead singer Les McKeown with Duncan Faure, the group shortened their name to simply The Rollers, and pursued a more rocking, power-pop sound than their previous work.... |
| "Hello And Welcome Home" (Released in South Africa only) |
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980 | "God Save Rock & Roll" (Released in Japan only) |
— | — | — | — | — | Voxx Voxx (album) Voxx is a 1980 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. It was the second of three LPs the group issued as The Rollers.The disc featured an unlikely hodgepodge of songs culled from various sources... |
| 1981 | "Life On The Radio" | — | — | — | — | — | Ricochet Ricochet (Bay City Rollers album) Ricochet is a 1981 album by the Bay City Rollers, credited as The Rollers. The album was the third and final release under this band name. Ricochet can be considered the final studio album of the Bay City Rollers, discounting later "reunion" - style releases... |
| "No Doubt About It" (Released in the UK only) |
— | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "Piece of the Action Piece of the Action Piece of the Action is the second single by pop group Bucks Fizz, the follow-up to the Eurovision-winning song "Making Your Mind Up". It was released in May 1981 and became a top 20 hit.- Overview :... " (Released in Japan only) |
— | — | — | — | — | Live in Japan |
| 1985 | "When You Find Out" | — | — | — | — | — | Breakout |
*based on German radio airplay reports