Sailor

Career

Much of the best material revolved around sailors' adventures on shore leave, especially in the "red-light quarter". Dressing in sailor gear that went with the image, they might easily be dismissed as something of a novelty, but created some enduring and finely crafted pop music. The group's leader, Georg Kajanus, had previously had minor success as a songwriter, notably by penning 'Flying Machine' for Cliff Richard in 1971 - though ironically it was Richard's first UK single that failed to reach the Top 30 in the UK Singles Chart. Sailor was formed out of the earlier incarnation of singer-songwriter duo, 'Kajanus Pickett', after Phil Pickett and Georg Kajanus met in 1970 at E H Morris, a music publisher where Phil briefly worked. They later recorded the album 'Hi Ho Silver' for Arty Mogul's Signpost Records. Sailor first came together in 1973 with the addition of musicians Henry Marsh (ex-Gringo) and Grant Serpell (ex-Affinity).

Another of the group's trademarks was Kajanus' invention, The Nickelodeon, a scratch-built contraption of pianos, synthesisers, glockenspiels, etc. that allowed the four piece band to reproduce on stage the complex acoustic arrangements that they had done in the recording studio.

The group's first UK single, 'Traffic Jam', attracted considerable airplay on radio on release in 1974, and their first album, 'Sailor', was successful in Holland, but it was 'Glass of Champagne', issued late the following year from the 'Trouble' album, which gave them their breakthrough, reaching #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 Top 40.

Sailor's original line-up split up at the end of the 1970s, although Phil Pickett and Henry Marsh released more material as Sailor with Gavin David 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). Afterwards, Marsh mainly composed music for television, Kajanus released three albums with DATA, Grant Serpell took up teaching chemistry, whilst Pickett enjoyed success writing Sheena Easton's 'Don't Send Flowers', some songs that featured in several Hollywood films, and touring with Culture Club, co-writing their biggest hit 'Karma Chameleon' for which he earned two Ivor Novello Awards in 1983, for "Best Pop Song" and "Highest Selling A-Side". Pickett also co-produced Malcolm McClaren's 'Waltz' album in 1988 and later that year arranged 'PS Love Me Do' for Paul McCartney, as well as playing keyboards on his 'Flowers In The Dirt' album.

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 TV shows in Europe.

In 1995, Kajanus departed the band to pursue a solo career. The arrival of Peter Lincoln, previously of Cliff Richard's band and Shakin' Stevens, gave new life to Sailor and their first live album, 'Live In Berlin', was recorded with the new line-up.

Original member Henry Marsh left in 1999 and was replaced by Anthony England. In May 2001 England left the band to be replaced with 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, surrounded by Genesis on 46 and Culture Club on 44. 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 Henry Marsh returned to the line-up.

July 2006 saw the world premiere of 'Sailor, The Musical Journey' at the Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline, Scotland. Written by Bill Blenman, the new musical was comprised entirely of Kajanus compositions and tapped into his early 1970s creations. The musical also featured two new compositions by Kajanus.

February 2006 saw the release of 'Buried Treasure' a double CD of Greatest Hits and secret gems from the band's own archives. The following September 2006, Lincoln decided to leave Sailor to join Sweet. Afterwards, Marsh's son, Oliver, joined the band as their new lead singer. At the same time, 'A Glass of Champagne' was used on a TV advertisement for Marks and Spencer, and in 2007 was sampled by the German techno group Scooter on their song 'Jumping All Over The World', taken from the album of the same name, 'Jumping All Over the World'.

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-present
  • 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-present
  • guitar, lead vocals