Bay City Rollers
Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:For Template:Infobox musical artist
The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band known for their worldwide teen idol popularity in the 1970s. One of many 1970s acts heralded as the "biggest group since the Beatles",<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref> they were called the "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and sold between an estimated 120–300 million records worldwide, making them one of the best selling musical acts of all time globally.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their classic line-up during their peak popularity included guitarists Eric Faulkner and Stuart Wood, singer Les McKeown, bassist Alan Longmuir and his younger brother Derek Longmuir on drums.
Their debut album, Rollin' (1974), debuted atop the UK Albums Charts and spent a combined total of fifty-eight weeks on the UK Albums Chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their follow-up studio album Once Upon a Star (1975) continued this success, again, debuting atop the UK Albums Chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album yielded the successful singles "Bye, Bye, Baby", which topped the charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and "Keep On Dancing". "Bye, Bye, Baby" was the best selling single in the United Kingdom in 1975.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their first album to be released in the United States and Canada, Bay City Rollers (1975) peaked at number twenty on the U.S Billboard 200 and number one in Canada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Commercial success continued internationally with the release of Wouldn't You Like It? (1975), Rock n' Roll Love Letter (1976), Dedication (1976) and It's a Game (1977). Their significance in international charts began to decline in 1978 upon the release of Strangers in the Wind, which failed to chart in the United Kingdom, but reached the top five in Japan. Further releases Elevator (1979) and Voxx (1980) made little impact on international charts. They returned to chart prominence in the 2000s and 2010s with the release of a series of compilation albums – The Very Best of (2004), The Greatest Hits (2010) and Gold (2019), all of which reached the top twenty in the United Kingdom,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the top ten on the national albums charts in their native Scotland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Despite their international prominence during the 1970s and early 1980s, the Bay City Rollers never made the transition from boy band, as their members aged, and their career was marked by financial difficulties and mismanagement. Several members accused manager Tam Paton of sexual assault, but no charges were laid. The current line-up (since 2018) includes rhythm guitarist Stuart "Woody" Wood, the only member to appear on all of the band's studio albums, vocalist and lead guitarist Ian Thomson, bassist Mikey Smith, keyboardist John McLaughlin and drummer Jamie McGrory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Early days and formation: 1964–1971
In 1964, a trio called the Ambassadors was formed in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, by 16-year-old Alan Longmuir on acoustic guitar, his younger brother Derek Longmuir on drums, and their older cousin Neil Porteous on acoustic guitar. The group never performed publicly under this name,<ref name=Spence2016>Template:Cite book</ref> just a family wedding where they covered "Wake Up Little Susie". They changed their name to the Saxons, and Derek invited a friend from school, Gordon "Nobby" Clark, to be the lead singer. Porteous moved from acoustic to electric guitar, and Alan Longmuir followed suit by changing to electric bass.<ref name=Coy2005>Coy, W. (2005), Bay City Babylon: The Unbelievable But True Story of the Bay City Rollers, pp 12–13. Hats Off Books, Template:ISBN</ref> The Saxons played occasional dance hall concerts while the band members completed their schooling or worked during the day (Alan apprenticed as a plumber). Porteous left the band in July 1965, with new guitarist Dave Pettigrew filling the spot after answering an advertisement placed by the band in an Edinburgh newspaper. Pettigrew was more advanced musically than the others, and pushed the band to improve. Their repertoire included American R&B/pop songs such as "Please Mr. Postman" and "Heat Wave". They played at least one gig at the Gonk Club as the Deadbeats, but they discovered a conflict: Another band was playing locally as Rock Bottom and the Deadbeats.<ref name=Spence2016/>
While taking a technical class at Napier College, Alan met fellow plumbing student Gregory Ellison, who joined the Saxons on electric guitar, with Pettigrew shifting to keyboards. Gregory's older brother Mike joined as a second lead singer, allowing more complex harmonies, especially useful for the Motown songs they liked to perform. The band convinced Tam Paton, a former big band leader<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and influential local band and club manager, to audition them at the Longmuirs' house. Paton booked them for a Thursday night at his club, the Palais, then assigned them to open for the Hipple People at Top Storey. More gigs followed.<ref name=Spence2016/>
More successful now, the Saxons moved out of the Longmuirs' back room to practice in Hermiston at a church. They played a couple of contemporary Kinks numbers but favored American songs, including a new one: "C.C. Rider" by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. Desiring a better name for the band, they settled on "Rollers", but needed a more powerful American-sounding term in front of that. Derek Longmuir threw a dart at a map of the United States, landing first on Arkansas. This did not meet anyone's approval, so a second dart was thrown. It landed near Bay City, Michigan. The band agreed on the name, the Bay City Rollers.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">Template:Cite book</ref> Short-term members from this period included bassist David Paton (from 1969 to 1970) and keyboardist Billy Lyall (1969–71), who went on to be founding members of another Edinburgh band Pilot.
Breakthrough: 1971–1973
After signing with Bell Records, the band release the single "Keep on Dancing", a cover of a 1965 hit by the Gentrys.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/><ref name="Guinness Rockopedia">Template:Cite book</ref> A commercial success in the United Kingdom where it reached number nine on the national singles charts, they made appearances on BBC One's Top of the Pops as a result to assist in the promotion of the single.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During this period, the band was fronted by Gordon "Nobby" Clark, who quit the band in 1972 in a dispute over its musical direction. Clark recorded an additional two songs with the band which were released, ultimately becoming non-charting singles. Additionally, during this period, long-term member guitarist Eric Faulkner was added to the bands lineup.<ref name="Bay City Rollers' first singer claims it's his voice on the hit version of 'Saturday Night'">Template:Cite web</ref> In mid-1973, they narrowly missed the UK Singles Chart with their fourth single, "Saturday Night".
The band released the single "Remember (Sha-La-La-La)" which was given a "perfunctory release" in the United Kingdom as a consequence of the decision by Dick Leahy, the manager of Bell Records, to drop the band from the label following its release.<ref name="When the Screaming Stops: the Dark History of the Bay City Rollers"/> Bell Records showed no real enthusiasm for the song, leaving the bands manager Tam Paton to visit Leahy and "beg him" to give the band "one last chance", later claiming that he believed Leahy only agreed to do so because he "felt sorry" for him.<ref name="When the Screaming Stops: the Dark History of the Bay City Rollers"/> Furthermore, by the end of 1972, Clark had become disillusioned with the band's musical direction and decided to leave the band. Despite the concerns from Bell Records over the future of the band and the decision by Clark to leave, "Remember (Sha-La-La-La)" reached its peak of number six on the singles charts in the United Kingdom.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Given the success of the release, manager Tam Paton believed that Clark may change his decision about leaving the band, and "begged" him to appear with the band on Top of the Pops to perform the song.<ref name="When the Screaming Stops: the Dark History of the Bay City Rollers">Template:Cite book</ref> Whilst Clark agreed to do the performance on Top of the Pops, Paton believed this was a signal that he had changed his mind about leaving the band, and was hopeful this would be the case for an upcoming show scheduled in Perth, Scotland, however, Clark refused to perform at the concert and thereafter officially left the band.<ref name="When the Screaming Stops: the Dark History of the Bay City Rollers"/> As previously arranged between manager Tam Paton and departing frontman Gordon Clark, Clark had flown to London to appear in the recording for the Top of the Pops broadcast, but was later advised that a "special arrangement" had been made and that the segment had already been recorded without the involvement of Clark.<ref name="When the Screaming Stops: the Dark History of the Bay City Rollers"/>
Clark was eventually replaced as the lead singer of the band by Les McKeown, and a couple of months later, in early 1974, what became known as the classic line-up<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> was completed, with guitarist John Devine being replaced by Stuart "Woody" Wood. Clark had originally recorded lead vocals on "Saturday Night", however, after leaving the band and being replaced by McKeown, his vocals were removed and rerecorded by McKeown instead.<ref name="Bay City Rollers' first singer claims it's his voice on the hit version of 'Saturday Night'"/> The version of "Saturday Night" with Clark on lead vocals struggled to come to any release fruition, however, in contrast, McKeown's version achieved considerable commercial success, reaching number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100. Clark disputed the success of the McKeown version, claiming that it was his recording of "Saturday Night" that performed well commercially and that he was "long overdue royalties" from its success.<ref name="Bay City Rollers' first singer claims it's his voice on the hit version of 'Saturday Night'"/>
In 1987, Les McKeown was a guest on Jonathan Ross's chat show where he told Ross that The Bay City Rollers did not perform on the first four singles.
Rise to prominence: 1974–1975
In late 1973, McKeown recorded lead vocals on "Remember (Sha-La-La-La)", marking the beginning of a period of commercial success for the band. It reached number six on the national singles charts in the United Kingdom, and peaked at number thirty-seven in Germany.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 1974, 16-year-old Stuart Wood completed the "classic five" line-up, a week after the band had debuted the "Remember" single on Top of the Pops. The "classic five" line-up consisted of: Alan Longmuir, Derek Longmuir, Stuart "Woody" Wood, Eric Faulkner and Les McKeown. Following the release of "Remember (Sha-La-La-La)" the bands popularity increased rapidly, releasing a series of commercially successful singles in the United Kingdom, including "Shang-a-Lang", "Summerlove Sensation", and "All of Me Loves All of You".<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
In October 1974, they released their debut album Rollin' to commercial success. It reached number one on the albums charts in the United Kingdom,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and became the 16th best selling album of the year in the United Kingdom.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Additionally, it performed well in international territories including Australia where it reached number eight,<ref name="AUS Albums">Template:Cite book</ref> Finland where it reached number eighteen,<ref name="FINchart">Template:Cite book</ref> and Japan where it reached number thirty-seven.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By early 1975, they were one of the biggest-selling acts in the United Kingdom. The successful 1975 UK tour prompted newspaper headlines about the rise of "Rollermania"<ref name="Guinness Rockopedia"/> (alluding to Beatlemania a decade before). The band were the subject of a 20-week UK television series, Shang-a-Lang, which aired between April and December 1975.
A cover of the Four Seasons' "Bye, Bye, Baby" stayed at No. 1 in the UK for six weeks in March and April 1975, selling nearly a million copies and becoming the biggest seller of the year. The subsequent single, "Give a Little Love" topped the chart in July 1975, achieving their second No. 1 hit.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/><ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Two albums were produced during this period: Once Upon a Star and Wouldn't You Like It? (both 1975). Faulkner and Wood undertook the majority of the songwriting duties. By this time, Bay City Rollers fans had a completely distinctive style of dress, featuring calf-length tartan trousers and tartan scarves.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>
English singer-songwriter Nick Lowe wrote a "jaundiced" (in Lowe's words)<ref name=canada_interview>Template:Cite web</ref> paean to the band titled "Bay City Rollers We Love You". The track was "carefully sculpted" to be poor enough to get Lowe out of a recording contract with United Artists. The strategy backfired. UA issued the record as by the Tartan Horde,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which was the name given to Rollers fans in England, and it became a substantial hit in Japan.<ref name=canada_interview /> Lowe was obliged to record a follow-up song called "Rollers Show", which did not meet with the same commercial success. This follow-up song was included on the U.S. release of Lowe's first album Pure Pop for Now People.
World impact: 1976
With increasing popularity in the United Kingdom and in a number of international markets, a concerted effort was made by Arista Records (the record company that evolved from Bell) to launch the band in North America. The new head of Arista Records, Clive Davis, was instrumental in grooming and overseeing the project. After efforts from both the record label and Davis, the band achieved commercial breakthrough in the United States, as in late 1975 the Bay City Rollers reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with "Saturday Night". The song had missed the UK chart completely two years earlier.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> The band gave "Saturday Night" their American debut, via a satellite-link performance on Saturday Night Live, with Howard Cosell. In Canada, it fared equally well, hitting No. 1 on the RPM national singles chart on 10 January 1976.<ref name="Canada">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1975, they released their first album in North America, Bay City Rollers which peaked at number one in Canada on 7 February,<ref name="Canada"/> and number twenty on the US Billboard 200 albums charts.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
The album finished the year as the fourth best selling album of the year in Canada, the twentieth in New Zealand and the sixty-fifth best selling in the United States by the end of 1975.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A second North American hit came with "Money Honey", written by Faulkner and Wood, which hit No. 9 in the US. In Canada, it fared better, following its predecessor to the top, giving them their second No. 1 in the RPM national singles chart on 13 March 1976.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1976, they released Rock n' Roll Love Letter as a North American and Japan release only, which jumped from No. 25 to the top position in a single week on the Canadian albums charts. This deposed their own Bay City Rollers (1975) at No. 1 on the national chart, on 27 March 1976,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, it only managed to achieve the No. 31 spot on the U.S. Billboard chart.
During this period, the band had established a large following in Australia, and on 23 October 1976, they appeared on the long-running Australian music TV show Countdown, a date which happened to coincide with a total eclipse of the sun. The show's director Ted Emery recalled:<ref>Wilmoth, Peter – Glad All Over – The Countdown Years 1974–1987 McPhee Gribble/Penguin Books, 1993. p. 149</ref>
Alan Longmuir had left the group by early 1976, due to both the pressures of the band's success and feeling discomfort at being a member of a teen band whilst in his late twenties.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> He was replaced for seven months by 17-year-old Ian Mitchell from Northern Ireland; he was the first band member born outside Edinburgh.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> With Mitchell, the group released their sixth studio album overall, Dedication (1976), and achieved commercial success with their cover version of the Dusty Springfield song "I Only Want to Be with You". The song reached US No. 12, as well as "Yesterday's Hero" (featuring live material from a 1976 personal appearance in Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and "Dedication".
Decline and line–up changes: 1977–1979
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As the popularity of the Bay City Rollers waned, the shuffling of personnel continued which saw Mitchell leaving the band, being replaced by guitarist Pat McGlynn. Further struggles 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. "You Made Me Believe in Magic" was released as the lead single from the album in the United States only, whilst elsewhere, "It's a Game" was released as the lead single, becoming their final UK Top 20 single when it reached number sixteen on the national singles charts in the United Kingdom in May 1977. Despite the decline in commercial success in markets they previously dominated, "It's a Game" provided them with their highest-charting German entry on the singles charts, reaching No. 4 in the same year.<ref>Starke Zeiten, Hit-Bilanz, 1988 BMG-Ariola 258850</ref>
Released in the United States in May 1977, it reached number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 in Billboard magazine that August, becoming the Bay City Rollers' third US Top 10 single. The follow up single, "The Way I Feel Tonight", reached number twenty-four in the United States and would mark the last appearance from the band on the US Billboard Hot 100.<ref>Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - Template:ISBN</ref> The It's a Game tour was recorded in 1977 at Japan's Budokan Hall, and was later released in 2001 as Rollerworld: Live at the Budokan 1977. The Bay City Rollers were on The Krofft Superstar Hour, later named the Bay City Rollers Show, an hour-long TV show that aired from 9 September 1978 to 27 January 1979.
In 1978, the classic line-up of the Bay City Rollers released Strangers in the Wind which would become their final album together. Earlier that year, bassist Alan Longmuir, a founding member, re-joined the band after a two-year hiatus, now performing rhythm guitar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The group timed the release of their new album to coincide with their own network television series, The Krofft Superstar Hour Starring the Bay City Rollers on NBC. The most successful single from the album, "Where Will I Be Now," was a minor hit in Germany.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> McKeown left the band in 1978 following the release of the album.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Rollers: 1979–1990
At the end of 1978, the band had split with McKeown, and then fired their manager Tam Paton shortly afterward. Following this, they decided to continue in a more new wave, rock-oriented sound and changed their name to The Rollers. South African-born Duncan Faure joined the band as new lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. With Faure, the line-up released three albums – Elevator (1979), Voxx (1980) and Ricochet (1981).<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Following the expiry of the band's Arista contract, none of the releases sold as well as expected, and they stopped touring by late 1981. The A.V. Club compared Ricochet to the pop/new wave style of The Cars and recommended the album be "rescued from obscurity".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During the 1980s and 1990s, The Rollers completed a number of short tours. Seven past members played Japan in 1982, and again in 1983.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A reunion album, Breakout, was released in Japan and Australia in 1985, and added drummer George Spencer.<ref name="Bigger Than a Bread Bin, Better than the Beatles. The Story of the Bay City Rollers">Template:Cite web</ref> Breakout was written primarily by McKeown and McGlynn with minor contributions from Faulkner, Wood, and Mitchell.<ref name="Bigger Than a Bread Bin, Better than the Beatles. The Story of the Bay City Rollers"/> In the late 1980s, a version of the band called the New Rollers was formed featuring Faulkner on lead vocals, Karen Prosser on vocals, Jason Medvec on guitar, Andy Boakes on bass, and 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 four-song EP titled Party Harty.<ref name="Bigger Than a Bread Bin, Better than the Beatles. The Story of the Bay City Rollers"/>
In 1990, 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.
Reunion and spin–off: 1996–2000
In 1996, the classic line-up reunited and performed "Saturday Night" on a Japanese television show to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Rollermania.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The classic line-up (minus Derek Longmuir)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> performed a one-off New Year's Eve millennium concert, the last official Bay City Rollers 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 the television-advertised compilation Very Best of the Bay City Rollers entered the UK Albums Chart on release in 2004 at No. 11.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
During the late 2000s, Ian Mitchell led his own Bay City Rollers band, which included lead vocalist Kyle Vincent. Mitchell was the only ex-Roller involved.
Financial dispute: 2000–2015
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Sexual assault allegations against manager
Members of the Bay City Rollers have accused former manager Tam Paton of sexual abuse. In 2003, McGlynn accused Paton of trying to rape him in a hotel room in 1977.<ref name="scotsman1">Template:Citation</ref> However, the police decided there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Paton. Paton had previous arrests for sexual misconduct with underage boys.<ref name="scotsman.com">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, McKeown accused Paton of raping him.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2023 documentary Secrets of the Bay City Rollers, potential band member Gert Magnus claimed that Paton offered him a place in the band in exchange for sex.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Lawsuit to reclaim royalties from Arista
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 described as "tens of millions of dollars" of unpaid royalties. Gordon "Nobby" Clark threatened to sue the other band members if their lawsuit was successful, stating that he was the creative force behind the band's success, even though he left the group in 1973, before the bulk of their fame and fortune began.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2010, Clark, Ian Mitchell and Pat McGlynn filed a complaint in the courts in the United States against the six members (Faure plus the "classic line-up") over being excluded from the case against Arista records. Clark, Mitchell and McGlynn were seeking to have their rights determined and were seeking financial damages against the other Bay City Rollers for alleged breach of contract. In 2013, a judge in the United States Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the three due to the statute of frauds, which establishes that certain agreements must be in writing under certain conditions, and the appellate judge's ruling stated: "A claim for unjust enrichment must be based on the value of plaintiffs' contribution to the joint effort of the band at the time it made the relevant records, not on the income stream resulting from a revival over thirty years later."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In March 2011, a New York judge determined that the Bay City Rollers could move forward with their four-year-old lawsuit against Arista Records. Arista denied responsibility for the majority of the royalties, citing a New York statute of limitations. The statute limits plaintiffs from recovering damages post six years in contract disputes, which therefore would negate the Rollers' claims for royalties incurred before 2001. However, because Arista had continued to promise the Bay City Rollers their royalties in writing, the judge ruled that the statute was not applicable.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After almost a decade, the legal battle came to an end with an out-of-court settlement in 2016. Arista Records' parent company Sony Music is believed to have paid $3.5 million, with each band member receiving £70,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear
Second reunion: 2015–2018
On 22 September 2015, the Bay City Rollers, including McKeown, Wood, and Alan Longmuir, announced they were reforming and would play a show at the Glasgow Barrowlands on 20 December.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Eric Faulkner was unable to contribute because of health concerns, almost dying in February 2015 after contracting viral encephalitis.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The band released one new single, "Boomerang", and discussed plans for a new album. The reunion continued into 2016 before Wood ended the reunited line-up on 9 July 2016 because no shows were being booked for the so-called reunion. After the 2015 Christmas shows Les was booking shows only for himself and his band during 2016 (except T In The Park) which caused the reunion to end.<ref name="billboard.com">Template:Cite web</ref> Plans for a new album and various tours that were hoped to take place in 2017 never materialised.<ref name="billboard.com"/><ref name="dailyrecord.co.uk">Template:Cite news</ref> Prior to the reunion and after the end of the tour, McKeown continued to tour as "Les McKeown's Bay City Rollers".
Recent history: 2018–present
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On 27 February 2018, Stuart 'Woody' Wood announced that a "new generation" Bay City Rollers would be performing in Tokyo, Japan in June of the same year. The band comprises the original classic five members Stuart 'Woody' Wood on guitar, Ian Thomson on lead vocals and guitar, Marcus Cordock on bass (later replaced by Mikey Smith) and Jamie McGrory on drums.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bassist Alan Longmuir died on 2 July 2018 after falling ill while on holiday with his wife in Mexico.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His autobiography I Ran with the Gang: My Life in and Out of The Bay City Rollers was published posthumously in November 2018; the book was written with Martin Knight. In his book, Alan Longmuir mentioned his hope for McKeown and Wood to put aside their differences and reunite one more time.<ref name="glasgowtimes.co.uk">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2019, after rumors related to Alan Longmuir's wishes, both McKeown and Wood denied any chance of another reunion and did not want to work with each other,<ref name="glasgowtimes.co.uk"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> though McKeown did mention his desire to work with Faulkner.<ref name="dailyrecord.co.uk"/>
After both McKeown's and Wood's bands were sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic, McKeown mentioned in August 2020 that he would be willing to reunite with Wood again with more planning.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 1 September 2020, Ian Mitchell died at the age of 62 after suffering from throat cancer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 20 April 2021, Les McKeown died aged 65.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the period between 9 March and 10 December 2023, however, a total of 11 concerts and appearances at festivals were planned again with the line-up of Ian Thomson, Stuart 'Woody' Wood, Mikey Smith and Jamie McGrory, nine of them in the UK and one each in Denmark and Germany. The band are currently chalking up festivals and more shows throughout 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 13 September 2024, the band's tour van, including their instruments and all equipment, was stolen while on tour in Walsall.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Wood's tartan-painted guitar was the only piece of equipment not stolen, as he had travelled separately from the band (via train), and had his guitar with him.<ref name=":0" /> A local music shop rented out their equipment for the band for subsequent events.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Artistry
Musical themes and sound
During their early career and into their peak period, the Bay City Rollers were described as Top of the Pops as "youthful" and having a "clean-cut image", with their sound focusing primarily on "cheery, sing-along pop hits", something Top of the Pops later argued credited the band for becoming "among the most popular musical acts of their time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bill Martin, who was sought by Bell Records to assist in the bands development, had been looking for a Scottish pop group which were "different from anyone else", later praising the bands "strong belief" in themselves. Despite the feeling amongst the band, Martin described the situation at the time as being "the reality was they could hardly tune their own guitars".<ref name="Bay City Rollers: The boy band that turned the world tartan"/>
As a result, session musicians were used to lay down the musical arrangements for the band during recording sessions, as Martin feared that it would "take too long" to get the correct sound from the band due to their lack of experience and skill in playing instruments.<ref name="Bay City Rollers: The boy band that turned the world tartan"/> Following the release of their debut album, the band sought ways to become more involved in the production and songwriting for their next album, however this was denied by their producer Phil Coulter.<ref name="Bay City Rollers: The boy band that turned the world tartan"/> The refusal to allow the band to be more involved in the process lead to the band seeking a new producer to replace Coulter.<ref name="Bay City Rollers: The boy band that turned the world tartan"/>
During their transition period from the Bay City Rollers to simply The Rollers during the late 1970s, Wayne Coy argues that the sound they established for their Elevator (1979) album segmented the band as "brilliantly demonstrating that they were not bubble headed pop pretenders" and described the album as "a marvellous power pop triumph".<ref name="Bay City Babylon: the unbelievable, but true story of the Bay City Rollers"/> Lyrically and musically, the band were considered by Coy to "resemble fun and good times".<ref name="Bay City Babylon: the unbelievable, but true story of the Bay City Rollers"/> Considered to be one of the most prominent acts within Scottish music, their 1974 single "Shang-a-Lang" has been described as a "true Scottish anthem", and a song that has since "segmented the Scottish music sound", being described as a composition that has a "brilliant Scottishness to it".<ref name="Shang-A-Lang re-released with music video featuring Scotland-supporting stars">Template:Cite web</ref>
Image
During their rise to prominence, the BBC described the Bay City Rollers as "rolling on towards turning the whole world tartan".<ref name="Bay City Rollers: The boy band that turned the world tartan">Template:Cite web</ref> Music publicist, Carol Strauss Klenfner, described the band as being "so young and so fresh-faced", in addition to describing them as "these wonderful Scottish fair complexions with rosy cheeks".<ref name="Bay City Rollers: The boy band that turned the world tartan"/> Following the release of their single "Remember (Sha La La La)" in 1974, the band became embroiled in a fan craze which became dubbed "Rollermania".<ref name="Bay City Rollers: The boy band that turned the world tartan"/> Their producer, Bill Martin who had been drafted in by Bell Records to help with the bands development, described the craze as "taking off like a rocket", whilst Stuart Wood said "from not having anyone screaming to having thousands of people screaming at you was pretty quick".<ref name="Bay City Rollers: The boy band that turned the world tartan"/> During the height of their career, they became dubbed "the tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and were often credited as being the "biggest band since The Beatles".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
By their most commercially successful period throughout the 1970s, the Bay City Rollers became widely known internationally for wearing tartan on stage, music videos and during promotional appearances, and were said to "create scenes of hysteria wherever they went".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tartan attire would later become assigned as the bands "signature look".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The arrival of Les McKeown to the band coincided with an overhaul of the group's image introducing half-mast trousers, platform shoes and tartan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Legacy
The Bay City Rollers are often credited as having been "one of the biggest bands in the world",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> having sold between an estimated 120–300 million records worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2003, The Scotsman ranked their album Once Upon a Star as the 91st best Scottish album of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, their 1979 album Elevator was described by Rock and Roll Globe as "one of the greatest Power Pop albums of all time".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2021, Gold Radio placed "Bye Bye Baby" as the best Bay City Rollers song of all time, saying that whilst "originally by the Four Seasons in 1965, 10 years later the Rollers made it their own".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band were described by Wayne Coy as being "criminally one of the most underrated pop acts of the 1970s" despite their commercial success during that period, saying that the band "delivered some of the most deliciously commercially successful pop of the 1970s".<ref name="Bay City Babylon: the unbelievable, but true story of the Bay City Rollers">Template:Cite book</ref>
An active fan base community called Still Rollin organised yearly events to celebrate the music of the Bay City Rollers, and commemorate the life and contributions of band members who have died.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the death of Les McKeown, the fan association launched a fundraising campaign to have a memorial bench erected in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh following the announcement from his widow, Peko, that it was his desire to have a bench located in the garden in the aftermath of his death.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, a new stage musical, Rollers Forever was announced and portrays the story of "two lifelong Bay City Rollers fans who meet up for a Saturday night and relive their exciting teenage years in the seventies".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Members
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Current members
- Stuart "Woody" Wood – rhythm and lead guitars, keyboards, bass, mandolin, backing and occasional lead vocals (1974–1987, 1990, 1996, 1999–2000, 2015–2016, 2018–present)
- Ian Thomson – lead vocals, lead guitar (2018–present)
- Jamie McGrory – drums, percussion (2018–present)
- Mikey Smith – bass, backing vocals (2023–present)
- John McLaughlin – keyboards, backing vocals (2023–present)
Template:Col-2 Former members
- Alan Longmuir – bass, rhythm guitar, piano, accordion, backing and occasional lead vocals (1964–1976, 1978–1983, 1990, 1996, 1999–2000, 2015–2016; died 2018)
- Derek Longmuir – drums, percussion (1964–1983, 1996)
- Neil Porteous – guitar (1964–1965)
- Gordon "Nobby" Clark – lead vocals (1965–1973)
- Dave Pettigrew – guitar, keyboards (1965–1968)
- Gregory Ellison – guitar (1966–1968)
- Mike Ellison – lead vocals (1966)
- Keith Norman – keyboards (1967–1969)
- David Paton – bass (1968–1970)
- Alan Dunn – keyboards (1969)
- Billy Lyall – keyboards (1969–1971; died 1989)
- Eric Manclark – guitar (1970–1971)
- Neil Henderson – guitar (1970–1972)
- Archie Marr – keyboards (1971–1972)
- John Devine – guitar (1972–1974)
- Eric Faulkner – lead and rhythm guitars, violin, mandolin, bass, backing and occasional lead vocals (1972–1987, 1990, 1996, 1999–2000)
- Les McKeown – lead and backing vocals (1973–1978, 1982–1987, 1996, 1999–2000, 2015–2016; died 2021)
- Ian Mitchell – rhythm guitar, bass, backing and occasional lead vocals (1976, 1982–1987; died 2020)
- Pat McGlynn – rhythm guitar, bass (1976–1977, 1982–1987)
- Duncan Faure – vocals, guitar, keyboards (1978–1982)
- George Spencer – drums (1985–1987)
- Marcus Cordock – bass, vocals (2018–2023)
Timeline
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</timeline>
Discography
- Rollin' (1974)
- Once Upon a Star (1975)
- Bay City Rollers (1975)
- Wouldn't You Like It? (1975)
- Rock n' Roll Love Letter (1976)
- Dedication (1976)
- It's a Game (1977)
- Strangers in the Wind (1978)
- Elevator (1979)
- Voxx (1980)
- Ricochet (1981)
- Breakout '85 (1985)
- A Christmas Shang-A-Lang (2015)
- Keep on Rollin' (2024)
References
Further reading
- Brigitte Tast, Hans-Jürgen Tast: Wie weit ist vorbei? Ein Konzert, eine Party und Meldungen aus der ganzen Welt. Kulleraugen – Visuelle Kommunikation Nr. 48, Schellerten 2016, Template:ISBN.
External links
- Template:Discogs artist
- Template:IMDb name
- Template:IMDb name as Les McKeown's 70's Bay City Rollers
Template:Bay City Rollers Template:PilotTemplate:UK best-selling singles (by year)
- Pages with broken file links
- Bay City Rollers
- 1964 establishments in Scotland
- 2020 disestablishments in Scotland
- Musical groups established in 1966
- Musical groups disestablished in 1987
- Scottish pop music groups
- Scottish pop rock music groups
- Scottish glam rock groups
- Rock music groups from Edinburgh
- Musical groups reestablished in 2015
- Musical groups disestablished in 2020
- Bell Records artists
- Arista Records artists
- Epic Records artists