In April 2022, Australian musician Chris Bailey passed of natural causes. Bailey was the singer and along with guitarist Ed Keupper the founding members and songwriters of the band The Saints. With Ivor Hay on drums and Kym Bradshaw on bass, the band released their first single “(I’m) Stranded” independently in September of 1976 on their own label Fatal Records. The song exploded with its buzz saw guitars and the soulful sneering vocals of Chris Bailey that clashed against the conservative norms in Australia at the time. Like all great bands that are different from the norm, there was little interest in them from record labels, but shortly after its release, the single became the Single of the Week in the UK based Sounds Magazine. In fact reviewer John Ingham declared the song “Single of this week and every week.” This led to greater attention towards The Saints and a three album record deal with EMI. Predating singles by The Damned, The Clash and even the Sex Pistols, this pioneering single is important in Australian music history and in general as it influenced so many. Nick Cave recently posted about the influence of Bailey’s voice and the early Saints albums on his Red Hand Files website, which also includes a photo of Bailey with The Saints in 1977 and a stunned Nick Cave in the Crowd. The album (I’m) Stranded followed in 1977.
Following their EMI deal the band would move to the UK where their label tried to get them to adopt to the punk image, which they wanted nothing to do with. Refusing to adopt the “Saints suit” which was apparently designed for them, they kept their own low-key style that many bands nowadays still dress like. Their 1977 “This Perfect Day” single reflected their difficulties with the label at the time and would climb to #34 on the UK singles album charts, but stalled due to it being out of stock nationally for two weeks. Their album Eternally Yours was released in 1978. Often viewed as their best within the early days of the band, it incorporated horn sections and R&B elements to their already established sound. Shortly after the release of their third album Prehistoric Sounds, Bailey and Keupper went their separate ways. Bailey continued with The Saints in name and would change their sound and musical direction. He also recorded as a solo artist. Keupper would form the jazz influenced post-punk band Laughing Clowns, The Aints and record as a solo artist.
The Saints would wind up releasing 14 studio albums. Bailey would bring the band and his solo work in a musical direction that has been described as having a more roots rock and folk sound. It would draw comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison, however, Bailey had his own way of presenting the music. Chris Bailey would release five studio albums as a solo artist between 1983 and 2005. The Saints song “Just Like Fire Would” originally released on the 1986 album All Fools Day would find a new audience when it was covered by Bruce Springsteen in 2014 for his album High Hopes. When All Fools Day was originally released, it was The Saints commercial breakthrough to the US. Videos for “Just Like Fire Would” and “Temple of the Lord” received airplay on MTV at the time. All Fools Day, which was also The Saints seventh studio album charted at #29 on the Kent Music Report (the Australian music charts at the time). In 2001, the “(I’m) Stranded” single was named one of the 30 Best Australian Songs of all time by ARPA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association).
News broke of his passing on the band’s social media page. Ending with this statement: “Chris lived a life of poetry and music and stranded on a Saturday night.”
Show 932 Playlist (Originally Aired On April 30th, 2022)(Chris Bailey of The Saints tribute, McClusky, Beastie Boys, Wilco):
1. McClusky - Alan is a Cowboy Kilelr
2. Beastie Boys - Time For Livin'
3. Beastie Boys - Funky Boss
4. Foxhart Fishman - Ramblin Dan’s Righteous Manifesto
5. The Ding-Dongs - Blood! Blood! Blood!
6. Paula - Susan & Linda
7. The Saints - (I’m) Stranded
8. The Saints - Know Your Product
9. The Saints - (I’m) Misundertood
10. The Saints - Take This Heart of Mine
11. The Saints - Just Like Fire Would
12. Neko Case - Oh, Shadowless
13. Tea Leaves - Stray Dog
14. The Retail Simps - End - Times Hip - Shaker Pts 1&2
15. Snake Noise - The Way You're Wired
16. Wilco - Jesus, Etc.
17. Wilco - I’m the Man Who Loves You
18. Linda & Richard Thompson - Wall of Death
19. Big Thief - Spud Infinity
20. Father John Misty - Funny Girl
21. Kurt Vile - Palace of OKV in Reverse
22. Tops - Empty Seats
23. Pottery - Spell
24. D-Vices - Adequte
25. Susans - Nine
26. Wet Leg - Oh No
27. Fontaines D.C. - Roman Holiday
28. Viagra Boys - Ain't No Thief
Show 931 Playlist (Originally Aired On April 23rd, 2022)(Orville Peck, Pavement Slanted and Enchanted, Chris Bailey mini set, Paul Jacobs):
1. Orville Peck - C’mon Baby, Cry
2. Andy Shauf - Satan
3. Men I Trust - Poodle of Mud
4. Mac DeMarco - Dreaming
5. Makeout Videotape - Exercising With My Demons
6. Pavement - Summer Baby
7. Pavement - Two States (Live)
8. Pavement - In The Mouth of a Desert (Live)
9. Pavement - Here (Peel Session)
10. Pavement - Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite at :17
11. Pavement - Conduit For Sale
12. Pavement - Zurich is Stained
13. Pavement - Fame Throwa
14. Pavement - Our Singer
15. Silver Jews - Trains Across the Sea
16. The Saints - Let’s Pretend
17. The Saints - Simple Love
18. Chris Bailey & The General Dog - Ghost Ships (Acoustic)
19. Brat Kings - Control
20. Jon Spencer & The HITmakers - Push Comes To Shove
21. Dion Lunadon - Living and Dying With You
22. The King Khan & BBQ Show - Love You So
23. Lychi - Freelance Therapist
24. Roye Trout - Dreamers
25. Jesse Fellows - He Is Here
26. Returners - A Toast For The Bugs
27. Pale Lips - Get Up and Go
28. Priors - NEWNEWNEW
29. Paul Jacobs - After Dark
30. Paul Jacobs - Born In A Zoo
Show 929 Playlist (Originally Aired On April 9th, 2022)(PJ Harvey, The Beatles with Stuart Sutcliffe, Tobin Sprout, Foo Fighters):
1. PJ Harvey - O Stella
2. PJ Harvey - Dress
3. Kamikaze Nurse - Boom Josie
4. Destroyer - It Takes A Thief
5. Yves Jarvis - Bootstrap Jubilee
6. The Beatles - You'll Be Mine (Home Demo 1960)
7. The Beatles - Cayenne (Home Demo 1960)
8. The Beatles - Like Dreamers Do (1962 Decca Audition)
9. The Beatles - From Me To You (Live)
10. The Seeds - Lose Your Mind
11. The Stonemen - Faded Colors
12. Foo Fighters - Stacked Actors (Live)
13. Tobin Sprout - The Natural Alarm
14. Tobin Sprout - The Man I Used To Know
15. Ducks Ltd. (Featuring Illuminati Hotties) - Head On
16. The Leather Uppers - Mr. Googally Eyes
17. The King Khan & BBQ Show - Love You So
18. Laurie Anderson - From the Air
19. 3 Teens Kill 4 - Tell Me Something Good
20. 3 Teens Kill 4 - Hold Up
21. 3 Teens Kill 4 - Hunger
22. Soul Glo - Thumbsucker
23. Tunic - Reward of Nothing
24. Metz - Demolition Row
25. Q and Not U - Black Plastic Bag
26. Teenanger - Hot Rods at the Loser Convention
27. Louder Than Death - Scum of the Moon
28. The Ketamines - Ketamine Babies
29. Fifth Column - Imbecile
30. The Rapture - Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks
Show 928 Playlist (Originally Aired On April 2nd, 2022)(John Dwyer, Bob Dylan, Daniel Romano, Gang of Four, Sloan):
1. Black Midi - Moonlight On Vermont
2. Necking - Stop Singing
3. Century Egg - Moving On
4. Adrian Teacher & The Subs- Pop Medicine
5. Cool TV - Weird Buzz
6. Dumb - Tumbling
7. The Chats - Struck By Lightning
8. Reigning Sound - I Don't Need That Kind of Lovin'
9. Osees - The Ceiling
10. Lammping- Home of Shadows
11. Mangon - The Williow
12. Fontanarosa - Way In Out
13. John Dwyer - Oneironaut
14. Bob Dylan - Song To Woody
15. Nick Drake - Parasite
16. Neil Young - Are You Ready For The Country?
17. Ray Charles - Half As Much
18. Steven Lambke - Sea Level
19. Daniel Romano's Outfit - They Haven't Got A Word For That Yet
20. Daniel Romano - Nobody Sees A Lowered Face
21. Shotgun Jimmie - Too Many Flowers
22. Gang of Four - We Live As We Dream, Alone
23. XTC - Fly On The Wall
24. The Fall - Jawbone and the Air Rifle
25. The Misfits - 20 Eyes
26. Bad Brains - Banned in D.C.
27. Guided By Voices - Some Drilling Implied
28. Flipper - Ever
29. Sloan - Gimme Sopar
30. Sloan - Hot Cars
31. Baby Giant - Westbound and Down
32. Mudhoney - Flowers of Industry
33. The Dirtbombs - Sherlock Holmes
For those keep track, episode 930 was a repeat of an episode (#878) that originally aired in April 2021. You can find the playlist to that episode here and download/listen to the episode here.
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