Chris Bailey, the lead singer of legendary Australian band the Saints, has died.
The band announced his death on Facebook on Monday.
“It is with great pain in our hearts that we have to inform you about the passing of Chris Bailey, singer
and songwriter of The Saints, on April the 9th 2022,” the statement said.
“Chris lived a life of poetry and music and stranded on a Saturday night.”
Bailey was born in Nanyuki, Kenya, to Irish parents in 1957 and lived the first seven years of his life in Belfast before his family emigrated to Australia. They lived in Inala in Brisbane and he met bandmates Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay at Corinda state high school. They originally named their band Kid Galahad and the Eternals, changing the name to the Saints in 1974.
On Monday Kuepper, who left the band in 1978 after musical disagreements with Bailey, expressed his
sadness at Bailey’s death, saying the pair had “an extremely strong artistic partnership” and he “couldn’t have hoped for a better singer”. The Saints were the core of the Australian punk scene in the 1970s – though police attended the band’s Brisbane shows and arrested audience members and musicians, leading to their bookings evaporating.
Roaring out of Brisbane, Australia in 1977 with the punk-era classic "(I'm) Stranded," the Saints,
despite going through numerous incarnations, were a part of rock & roll for more than 20 years, thanks mainly to their indefatigable leader (and founder), Chris Bailey. Although they didn't play anything that passes for punk rock after about 1978, and despite extended dormant periods, the Saints never officially broke up, and Bailey always seemed to have another version of the band and another record ready to release.
Saints' fans generally fall into two distinct camps: the punk-era fans (up to about 1980) and the mature pop fans, which for American audiences begins with the release of All Fools Day in 1987. After co-
founder Ed Kuepper left in 1979 and the band became Bailey's show, the twists and turns he took them through (horns, folk/blues arrangements, as well his numerous solo excursions) produced some good music, but it was mostly scattershot and lacked focus, though Bailey did record two fine records with the late-'80s incarnation of the band.
Punk-era Saints were exactly what you'd expect: buzzsaw guitars, Bailey's pissed-off, nasal vocals, and locomotive rhythms supplied by bassist Kym Bradshaw and drummer Ivor Hay. After the LP (I'm) Stranded became a modest hit in England, the follow-up record, Eternally Yours, showed some changes
(more varied tempos, acoustic guitars) that would set the stage for their third record, Prehistoric Sounds, which combined horn arrangements into a punk-ish sort of R&B. It was at this point that the Saints were beginning to change enough to not resemble the band they were just a scant two years earlier. Kuepper left to form the arty Laughing Clowns and eventually made a number of records as a solo act. Bailey, however, got to keep the name the Saints and soldiered on, taking time here and there to record his own solo records.
The group had their first hit with (I’m) Stranded in 1976 and released their first LP with the same name in 1977. They went on to release 13 more records. After forming their own label, Fatal Records in 1976, they were then signed by record label EMI for a three-album contract.
Bailey was the only member to be with the band its entire run.
Chris Bailey (1957 – 9 April 2022) was the co-founder and singer of rock band The Saints. He was born in Nanyuki, Colony of Kenya to Irish parents. Bailey grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland until the
age of seven, when his family emigrated to Australia. His family settled in Inala, in Brisbane, Queensland and he and his sister Margaret attended Inala State High School, Oxley State High School and Corinda State High School where Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay were also students. They formed the band, The Saints in 1973. Their first hit was in the UK with the classic punk anthem "(I'm) Stranded". The band slowly evolved toward a more sophisticated sound on their next few albums.
After several years of solo adventure, Bailey revived The Saints to record Howling in 1996. This album was followed by Everybody Knows the Monkey (1998), Spit the Blues Out (2002), Nothing is Straight in My House (2005), Imperious Delirium (2006) and "King of the Sun" (2012-Australia, 2013-Europe) which were all recorded under the name of The Saints.
THE SAINTS - (I'M) STRANDED 1977
The Saints – (I'm) Stranded
Label: EMI – 50999 5 00371 2 4, EMI – 5003712
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered 2007
Country: Australia
Released: 1977
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk
TRAXS
01. (I'm) Stranded (Written-By – Bailey, Kuepper) 3:25
02. One Way Street (Written-By – Bailey, Kuepper) 2:54
03. Wild About You (Written-By – Anderson) 2:38
04. Messin' With The Kid (Written-By – Bailey, Kuepper) 6:05
05. Erotic Neurotic (Written-By – Bailey, Kuepper) 4:11
06. No Time (Written-By – Bailey, Kuepper) 2:45
07. Kissin' Cousins (Backing Vocals – The Flat Top Four) (Written-By – Wise, Randy Starr) 2:04
08. Story Of Love (Written-By – Kuepper) 3:14
09. Demolition Girl (Written-By – Kuepper) 1:45
10. Nights In Venice (Written-By – Bailey, Kuepper) 5:49
BONUS TRAXS
11. Untitled (Written-By – Kuepper) 2:56
12. This Perfect Day (Single Version) (Written-By – Bailey, Kuepper) 2:12
13. L-I-E-S (Written-By – Bailey, Kuepper) 2:05
14. Do The Robot (Written-By – Kuepper) 2:44
15. Lipstick On Your Collar (Written-By – Edna Lewis, George Goehring) 2:35
16. One Way Street (Written-By – Bailey, Kuepper) 2:52
17. Demolition Girl (Written-By – Kuepper) 1:59
18. River Deep Mountain High (Written-By – Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector) 3:53
MEMBERS
Bass – Kym Bradshaw
Drums – Ivor Hay
Engineer – Bill Price (tracks: 12, 15 to 18), Mark Moffatt (tracks: 1, 6)
Guitar, Remastered By – Ed Kuepper
Liner Notes [Reissue] – Toby Creswell
Producer – Chris Bailey (tracks: 1, 6, 12 to 18), Ed Kuepper (tracks: 1, 6, 12 to 18), Rod Coe (tracks: 2 to 5, 7 to 11)
Remastered By – Don Bartley
Vocals – Chris Bailey
Originally released in 1977.
Track 11 outtake from " (I'm) Stranded ".
Tracks 12 to 14 originally released as ltd. single 12" " This Perfect Day c/w L-I-E-S " in 1977.
Tracks 15 to 18 originally released as EP 7" " One Two Three Four " in 1977.
Tracks 1 & 6 recorded at Window Studios, Brisbane, Australia, June 1976
Tracks 2 to 5 and 7 to 11 recorded at Window Studios, Brisbane, Australia, December 1976
Track 12 recorded at Wessex Studios, London, June 1977
Tracks 13 & 14 recorded at EMI Studios, Sydney, Australia, February 1977
Tracks 15 to 18 recorded at Air Studios, London, July 1977
Remastered at Studios 301, Sydney, Australia, during 2003 and 2004
MP3 @ 320 Size: 129 MB
Flac Size: 417 MB
PREHISTORIC SOUNDS (REMASTERED 2007)
With Prehistoric Sounds (the last record of the band's original lineup), the Saints provide the textbook
by which to make a great rock record where horns play as much of a role as guitar. Further extracting themselves from the limitations of punk, the band retains the attitude and turns it into a smart, bluesy, gutsy combination of controlled power. There's more dip in the hip and additional swagger. The days of "(I'm) Stranded" might have been long gone, but the varied tempos and sophisticated songwriting don't sacrifice the band's intensity at all. The horns are the real treat, a central element to the record's solidity.
They don't make the Saints sound like Chicago, and they don't make them sound like a faux '70s soul band -- they don't make them sound like the Doors of "Touch Me" or the Bowie of Young Americans, either. Whether used for the basis or just punctuation of each song, the tasteful use of saxophones is a
genuine masterstroke. The dynamic "Brisbane (Security City)" -- which is like an update of the Stooges' "1969" and "1970" in terms of subject matter -- is the high point. After two minutes of Chris Bailey's Iggy-like lament on his hometown, the medium tempo shifts into high gear, thanks to rhythmic overdrive, charged guitars, and (of course) the ubiquitous horns. Other bright spots include "Every Day's a Holiday, Every Night's a Party" and an energetic cover of Otis Redding's "Security," where Bailey sounds so much like a young Van Morrison that it's scary.
by Andy Kellman
The Saints – Prehistoric Sounds
Label: EMI – 50999 500373 2 2, EMI – 5003732
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country: Australia
Released: 2007
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock
TRAXS
01. Swing For The Crime 3:42
02. All Times Through Paradise 4:09
03. Every Day's A Holiday, Every Night's A Party 2:49
04. Brisbane (Security City) 4:23
05. Church Of Indifference 5:05
06. Crazy Googenheimer Blues 2:32
07. Everything's Fine 2:37
08. The Prisoner 5:01
09. Security (Written-By – Redding) 2:22
10. This Time 3:16
11. Take This Heart Of Mine 2:28
12. Chameleon 5:17
13. Save Me (Written-By – Aretha Franklin, Carolyn Franklin, Curtis Ousley) 3:34
BONUS TRAXS
14. Looking For The Sun (Studio Outtake From Prehistoric Sounds) (Live At Paddington Town Hall, Sydney 21,04,1977) 3:28
15. Intermission 0:12
16. This Perfect Day 2:12
17. Run Down 2:47
18. Erotic Neurotic 3:18
19. Demolition Girl 1:40
20. Nights In Venice 7:15
MEMBERS
Bass – Alasdair Ward (tracks: 1 to 14), Kym Bradshaw (tracks: 15 to 20)
Drums – Ivor Hay
Engineer – Bill Price (tracks: 1 to 14), Jeremy Spencer Green* (tracks: 1 to 13)
Guitar – Ed Kuepper
Producer – Chris Bailey, Don Bartley (tracks: 15 to 20), Ed Kuepper (tracks: 1 to 14)
Remastered By – Don Bartley, Ed Kuepper
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Piano, Arranged By [Brass Arrangements] – Roger Cawkwell (tracks: 1 to 13)
Trombone – Paul Nieman (tracks: 1 to 13)
Trumpet – Martin Bruce (tracks: 1 to 13), Martin Dover (tracks: 1 to 13)
Vocals – Chris Bailey
Written-By – Chris Bailey (tracks: 1 to 3, 6, 10 to 12), Ed Kuepper (tracks: 1 to 8, 10, 12)
MP3 @ 320 Size: 156 MB
Flac Size: 496 MB
CHRIS BAILEY AND THE SAINTS - RARITIES
The Saints & Chris Bailey – Rarities
Label: Firewood Records – 1298
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: ?
Year: ?
Genre: Rock
TRAXS
01. Chris Bailey & Friends – Me And My Uncle
02. Chris Bailey – Midnight Run
03. The Saints – Marie Antoinette
04. Chris Bailey – It Doesn't Matter Anymore
05. Chris Bailey – Not Even Close
06. Chris Bailey – Curtains (Live)
07. Chris Bailey – Marie Antoinette (Dub)
08. Chris Bailey – Rescue
09. Chris Bailey – Wait Till Tomorrow
10. Chris Bailey – Curtains
11. Chris Bailey – Follow The Leader
12. The Saints – Some Things Never Change
13. The Saints – Calling On You
14. The Saints – Mad Race
15. The Saints – Minus A Ride
16. The Saints – Storm
17. The Saints – East Is East
18. The Saints – Idiot Blues
Written-By – Bailey (tracks: 2, 3, 6 to 18), Phillips (tracks: 1), Anka(tracks: 4), Finn (tracks: 5)
No release year is given and this CD looks suspiciously like a bootleg. It was sold at various online stores which don't otherwise deal with bootlegs so it may have been an authorised release after all.
Track 1 from the "Play New Rose For Me" compilation.
Tracks 2 and 7 are Chris Bailey single B sides.
Track 3 from Bucketfull Of Brains single.
Track 4 from "Every Day Is A Holly Day" tribute album.
Track 5 from "Earth Music" compilation.
Track 6 from "Live At The Kremlin" compilation.
Tracks 8 to 11 from the "Chris Bailey" [sic] album but excluded from the CD version.
Tracks 12 and 13 from the original Australian "Prodigal Son" album, replaced on later pressings.
Tracks 14 to 18 are The Saints singles B sides.