Saxon are an English heavy metal band formed in 1977, in Barnsley. As one of the leaders of the new wave of British heavy metal, they had eight UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including four UK Top 10 albums and two Top 5 albums. The band also had numerous singles in the UK Singles Chart and chart success all over Europe and Japan, as well as success in the US. During the 1980s Saxon established themselves as one of Europe's biggest metal acts. The band tours regularly and have sold more than 23 million albums worldwide. They are considered one of the classic metal acts and have influenced many bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, Mötley Crüe, Pantera, Dream Theater and Sodom.
Links with FRS[]
Saxon recorded two sessions for the Friday Rock Show, the first session released commercially first on the album, BBC Sessions/ Live At Reading Festival '86 in 1998 and later on the self titled album in 2009. The band paid tribute to the Friday Rock Show in their song "Denim and Leather" from the 1981 album Denim And Leather, which featured the lyrics, 'Did you listen to the radio every Friday night'.
TV said of them: "In their heyday, they were always a band that really pleased the audience: got up there and did some good old rock anthems." [1]
Sessions[]
- The first session released on BBC Sessions/Live At Reading '86 (EMI, 1998) and Saxon (EMI, 2009)
1. Recorded: 1980-01-23. Broadcast: 15 February 1980. Repeated: 04 April 1980
- Backs To The Wall / Stallions Of The Highway / Motorcycle Man / Still Fit To Boogie / Strangers In The Night
2. Recorded: unknown. Broadcast: 05 December 1980. Repeated: 09 January 1981
- Heavy Metal Thunder / 20,000 Ft / Sixth Form Girls
3. Recorded for David Jensen's show Studio B15: 1982-04-25. Broadcast: 07 April 1990 (Alan Freeman), 06 October 1990 (Alan Freeman)
- 20,000 Ft / Dallas 1 pm / The Eagle Has Landed / 747 Strangers In The Night
Live[]
The Hammersmith Odeon live performance from 1985-09-18 are available on The EMI Years (1985-1988) (EMI, 2012)
Some of the tracks from 1986-08-23 are available (1, 2, 4, 7, 8 and 9) on BBC Sessions/Live At Reading '86 (EMI, 1998)
Saxon - Hammersmith Odeon 1985 (Full Live Bootleg)
- Back On The Streets
- Dallas 1pm
- The Devil Rides Out
- The Power And The Glory
- And The Bands Played On
- Crusader
- Princess Of The Night
- Wheels Of Steel
- Rockin' Again
- Strong Arm Of The Law
- 747 (Strangers In The Night)
- Recorded at Reading Festival: 1986-08-23. Broadcast: 23 August 1986 [1], 24 October 1986, 03 July 1987, 16 October 1993 (Alan Freeman)
- Power And The Glory
- Never Surrender
- The Eagle Has Landed
- Rock The Nations
- 747 (Strangers in the Night)
- 20,000 Feet
- Wheels Of Steel
- Waiting For The Night
- Strong Arm Of The Law
- Recorded at Cumbria Rock '90: 1990-07-14. Broadcast: 13 April 1991 (Alan Freeman)
- Heavy Metal Thunder
- Rock And Roll Gypsy
- The Bands Played On
- 20,000 Feet
- Princess Of The Night
- Wheels Of Steel
- 747 (Strangers In The Night)
- Strong Arm Of The Law
Other Shows Played[]
- 24 August 1979: 'Stallions Of The Highway' (LP-Saxon)
- 23 November 1979: 'Backs To The Wall' (7" Single)
- 1980
- 07 March 1980: 'Wheels Of Steel' (LP-Wheels Of Steel)
- 30 May 1980: '747 (Strangers In The Night)' (LP-Wheels Of Steel) Carrere
- 11 April 1980: 'Wheels Of Steel' (7" Single)
- 15 August 1980: 'See The Light Shining' (LP-Wheels Of Steel)
- 29 August 1980: 'Suzy Hold On' (7" Single)
- 03 October 1980: 'Strong Arm Of The Law' (7" Single)
- 24 October 1980: 'Stallions Of The Highway' (LP-Saxon) (Carrere)
- 07 November 1980: 'Taking Your Chances' (LP-Strong Arm of the Law)
- 1981
- 13 March 1981: 'And The Bands Played On (7")' (Carrere)
- 13 March 1981: '747 (Strangers In The Night) (LP-Wheels Of Steel)' (Carrere)
- 27 March 1981: 'Dallas 1 PM (LP-Strong Arm Of The Law)' (Carrere) Friday Night Connection
- 03 April 1981: 'And The Bands Played On (7")' (Carrere)
- 03 July 1981: 'Never Surrender' (7" Single) (Carrere)
- 31 July 1981: '747 (Strangers In The Night) (LP-Wheels Of Steel)' (Carrere)
- 18 September 1981: 'Denim And Leather (LP-Denim And Leather)' (Carrere)
- 02 October 1981: Fire In The Sky (LP - Denim And Leather) Carrere
- 16 October 1981: Midnight Rider (LP - Denim And Leather) Carrere
- 23 October 1981: Play It Loud (LP - Denim And Leather) Carrere
- 1982
- 22 January 1982: '747 (Strangers In The Night)' (LP-Wheels Of Steel) (Carrere)
- 30 April 1982: 'Machine Gun (LP-Wheels Of Steel)' (Starline) Friday Night Connection
- 07 May 1982: '747 (Strangers In The Night)' (LP-The Eagle Has Landed) (Carrere)
- 07 May 1982: Princess Of The Night
- 04 June 1982: 'Dallas 1PM' (LP - Strong Arm Of The Law) Friday Night Connection
- 11 June 1982: 'Strong Arm Of The Law' (LP - The Eagle Has Landed)
- 1983
- 21 January 1983: 'Denim And Leather' (LP-Denim And Leather) Carrere
- 25 February 1983: 'Dallas 1PM (LP-Strong Arm Of The Law)' (Carrere) Friday Night Connection
- 18 March 1983: 'Power & The Glory' (LP-Power & The Glory) Carrere
- 22 April 1983: Denim And Leather (Live Version) (12" - Power & The Glory) Carrere
- 20 May 1983: 'Princess Of The Night' (LP - Denim & Leather) Capitol
- 1984
- 13 January 1984: Sailing To America
- 27 January 1984: Bad Boys
- 03 February 1984: Just Let Me Rock
- 01 June 1984: 747 (Strangers In The Night) (LP – Wheels Of Steel)
- 09 November 1984: 'Wheels Of Steel' (LP - Strong Arm Metal)
- 1985
- 16 August 1985: 'Back On The Streets (7")' (Parlophone)
- 27 September 1985: Broken Heroes
- 1986
- 14 February 1986: Denim And Leather
- 21 March 1986: Rock 'n' Roll Gypsy
- 18 July 1986: Princess Of The Night / Battle Cry / Bring On The Night / Rock The Nations
- 08 August 1986: Crusader
- 15 August 1986: Waiting For The Night (7") EMI
- 19 September 1986: Rock The Nation / Battle Cry
- 03 October 1986: You Ain't No Angel
- 05 December 1986: Waiting For The Night (LP - Rock The Nations) EMI Lie Back And Enjoy It
- 1987
- 16 January 1987: 'Northern Lady (7")' (EMI)
- 20 March 1987: Northern Lady (LP - Rock The Nations)
- 12 June 1987: 747 (Strangers In The Night) (LP - Wheels Of Steel) EMI
- 18 December 1987: 'Stallions Of The Highway (LP-Saxon)' (Carrere)
- 1988
- 26 February 1988: 'Ride Like The Wind (7")' (EMI) (TV: 'Surely the most commercial thing they've done in ages.')
- 18 March 1988: 'Calm Before The Storm (LP-Destiny)' (EMI)
- 25 March 1988: 'Ride Like The Wind (7")' (EMI) #06 UK Rock 10
- 03 April 1988 (Alan Freeman): Red Alert (LP - Destiny) EMI
- 15 April 1988: 'I Can't Wait Anymore (7")' (EMI)
- 17 June 1988: 'Crusader (LP-Crusader)' (Carrere)
- 21 October 1988: 'Ride Like The Wind (Compilation LP-Soft Metal)' (Stylus Music)
- 1989
- 13 January 1989: '747 (Strangers In The Night) (LP-Wheels Of Steel)' (Carrere)
- 10 March 1989: Stallions of the Highway
- 26 March 1989 (Alan Freeman): Motorcycle Man
- 15 April 1989 (Alan Freeman): Strong Arm Of The Law (LP - Strong Arm Of The Law) EMI
- 20 May 1989 (Alan Freeman): Dallas 1PM
- 14 July 1989: Back on the Streets
- 22 July 1989 (Alan Freeman): And The Bands Played On
- 09 September 1989 (Alan Freeman): Motorcycle Man (LP - Wheels Of Steel) Starline
- 28 October 1989 (Alan Freeman): Waiting For The Night
- 02 December 1989 (Alan Freeman): Rock The Nations
- 16 December 1989 (Alan Freeman): And The Bands Played On (LP - Rock 'N Roll Gypsies) Roadrunner
- 1990
- 19 January 1990: unknown
- 02 February 1990: This Town Rocks (live)
- 04 August 1990 (Alan Freeman): Taking Your Chances
- 31 August 1990: 747 (Strangers in the Night) (live)
- 15 September 1990 (Alan Freeman): 747 (Strangers In The Night) (Live)
- 1991
- 12 January 1991 (Alan Freeman): And The Bands Played On / Never Surrender
- 16 February 1991 (Alan Freeman): Requiem
- 16 March 1991 (Alan Freeman): We Will Remember
- 01 June 1991 (Alan Freeman): Altar Of The Gods / The Eagle Has Landed
- 28 September 1991 (Alan Freeman): Altar Of The Gods
- 1992
- 11 April 1992 (Alan Freeman): Requiem (We Will Remember)
- 16 May 1992 (Alan Freeman): Rock 'N' Roll Gypsy (Live) / Baptism Of Fire
- 18 September 1992: 'Forever Free (CD-Forever Free)' (Virgin/CBH)
- 26 September 1992 (Alan Freeman): Hole In The Sky
- 28 November 1992 (Alan Freeman): I'm On Fire
- 1993
- 01 May 1993 (Alan Freeman): Forever Free
- 29 May 1993 (Alan Freeman): Motorcycle Man / Hole In The Sky
- 18 September 1993 (Alan Freeman): Iron Wheels / Requiem (We Will Remember)
- 1996
- Summer 1996 (Alan Freeman): Demolition Alley
- 1997
- 11 July 1997 (Alan Freeman): Dallas 1pm
- 12 September 1997 (Alan Freeman): unknown
External Links[]
- Footnotes
- ↑ The Reading Festival recording is misdated on the BBC Sessions/Live At Reading Festival 86 album, which has 26th June 1986 instead of 23rd August 1986.