CD/DVD* "Traffic Jam - Sound And Vision" Angel Air - SJPCD267

The set includes a CD with 19 songs from SAILOR's "Buried Treasure"/"Treasure Trove" anthology (a mix of both orginal CDs) - as well as SAILOR's DVD "Pirate Copy - SAILOR Live In Concert" from High Wycombe (UK) 2002 - but this time in the NTSC all regions format.

The DVD in this set includes the following songs and bonus material:

A Glass Of Champagne
One Drink Too Many
Blame It On The Soft Spot
Sailor
Mack The Knife
Josephine Baker
Vera From Veracruz
Jacaranda
Traffic Jam
Karma Chameleon
Panama
The Secretary
Girls Girls Girls
La Cumbia
The Frozen Man
Give Me Shakespeare
The Old Nickelodeon Sound
A Glass Of Champagne (Reprise)
1812 / Grant's Moment
The Full Monty (In The Navy / Hot Stuff)
Girls Girls Girls (Reprise)
Latin Medley (La Bamba / Volare / Bamboleyo)

BONUS FEATURES:

• Band documentary with in depth interviews with all band members

• History of SAILOR

• Three bonus tracks recorded "unplugged":
  A Glass Of Champagne
  Girls Girls Girls
  Karma Chameleon

Liner-notes - written by James McCarraher:

SAILOR have come a long way since their 1974 debut at the Nightingale Public House in Wood Green, London. During a time of economic crisis, power cuts and undeveloped bomb sites, four brave young men nervously stepped out on to the tiny stage of the Irish pub, dressed in traditional naval uniforms and sporting the shortest haircuts seen that side of the punk revolution. The lead singer had a twelve string guitar slung around his neck and the two (yes two!) keyboard players took up their places either side of 'the Nickelodeon' (two Kemble pianos thrust back to back and adapted to take synthesisers, glockenspiels and a drum). The drummer, a jazz veteran, perched behind a traditional drum kit. There was no room for a bass guitar in THIS band!
The sound they produced was out of this world and brought the house down! Georg Kajanus (lead vocals), Henry Marsh (treble Nickelodeon), Phil Pickett (bass Nickelodeon) and Grant Serpell (drum, percussion) had followed Kajanus's dream and created a spectacle which was utterly unique, fresh and adorable in a musical climate that was rapidly turning very stale. Their European sound turned heads and caused a major stir among those who were fortunate enough to be present.
So what have our friends at Angel Air served up for you in this generous double package?

Disc 1:
The earliest tracks featured here go way back to the pre-SAILOR days, long before that historic night at the Nightingale. Georg and Phil formed a delightful duo called Kajanus/Pickett. They recorded the one LP, 'Hi Ho Silver', which served as a perfect vehicle to showcase their song writing talents. 'Changes', 'The Natureman', 'Tomorrow' and 'My Parachute' are lifted from this charming album and included here.
Fast forward a year or so and we have the original SAILOR demos from 1973. Georg and Phil had been joined by Henry and Grant, though the group had yet to settle upon a direction. 'Brag Brag Brag' and 'Lost My Mode' feature from this era.
SAILOR's debut album from 1974 was a smash hit in Holland, unleashing four top ten singles and rewarding them with a gold disc for album sales. The Dutch understood exactly what ! the whole concept was about and embraced the band, who became overnight superstars - a bizarre scenario for four men who could pass unrecognised back in the U.K. This creative era is represented here by 'Open up the Door', 'Traffic Jam' (a song more relevant today than it was back then!), 'The Street' and 'Blame It On the Soft Spot'.
SAILOR's major breakthrough at home came with the album 'Trouble'. The cover of this CD set is an outtake lifted from the 'Trouble' cover shoot and taken at Camden Lock. The group's image was defined by manager Robert Wace, who looked after the Kinks in the Sixties. We have no less than five songs representing this prolific period including the colossal hits, 'A Glass of Champagne' and 'Girls Girls Girls'. 'Panama' is also featured as well as live favourites, 'The Old Nickelodeon Sound' and 'Jacaranda'.
The final song from the [Seventies back catalogue is Henry and Grant's enormous 'Danish hit, 'Stay the Night'. Trips to Denmarkare always incomplete unless this song is featured in the live set!
SAILOR split in the late Seventies but Phil brought the group back together a [decade later, minus Grant initially who had left the music business. It proved no be a false start, but produced three phenomenal tracks, all of which are featured here. There was real excitement in the air and a feeling that they could have been hits in their own right, but Georg felt uncomfortable with the results and they were not taken any further. Have a listen and make up your own mind about 'Heart of the Matter', 'Stereotype' and 'Perfect Time'. Female vocals are added by famous New Yorker Susan Blonde, an old friend of the band.
SAILOR went on to have a successful career in the Nineties and into the 21st Century, which is where we pick up the band with Disc 2.

Disc 2:
Fast forward 28 years (and 13 European top 40 hits) on from the Nightingale debut and we find ourselves at the Wycombe Swan Theatre in High Wycombe. For SAILOR, this is actually an intimate location for a gig, having grown accustomed to appearing in arenas and stadiums on the German music circuit.
The line-up still boasted two original members: Phil had, in recent years, steered the SAILOR ship through difficult waters, navigating changes in taste and fashion but keeping the sound alive for all to hear. He had also served as a key player in the success of Culture Club, co-writing a host of huge hits (including Karma Chameleon) and scooping a coveted Ivor Novello award in the process - no mean feat!
Grant had played on all bar one of SAILOR's albums and was at Phil's side for the Wycombe show. Despite being a jazz enthusiast at heart, he shared a love and passion for the SAILOR sound and, as the other band members will testify, carried the heart and soul of the group with him. Amazingly, when SAILOR split in the late Seventies, he successfully carved out a second career as a school teacher, eventually heading up a department! Few of his pupils could ever imagine that 'Sir' was the same person who had been chased outside concert venues by hordes of screaming fans just a few years before!
Georg Kajanus had departed in the mid-nineties to pursue other adventures (see Angel Air's Noir album). His successor, the delightful and striking Peter Lincoln had a pedigree in the music business, having worked with the likes of Cliff Richard and Shakin' Stevens. His knowledge of modern music was encyclopaedic and his talent, enormous.
Henry Marsh had departed in the late Nineties to write musical scores, collecting a prestigious Jefferson Award in the process as welt as a handful of nominations. He and Phil had also been jointly responsible for the music to the West End hit, 'Casper'. Henry had been replaced by Rob Alderton, a talented young man who designed the set for the Wycombe show, entering into the spirit of the band.
The night of 16th November 2002 attracted the SAILOR faithful from across Europe, including German fan club hostess Katrin Wagner and her brother Karsten (no modern SAILOR gig is complete without these two enthusiastic individuals!)
The cameras rolled and the band emerged. The Nickelodeon was still present in a modern guise and the spirit of the band lived on. They played a storming set in front of an ecstatic and joyful audience, churning out hit after hit, including 'Girls Girls Girls' and 'A Glass of Champagne' as well as Phil's 'Karma Chameleon' from his Culture Club days.
The evening concluded with SAILOR's very own dance routine, dubbed 'the Full Monty' which never failed to bring the house down. The concept was originated by Henry Marsh and his lady friend, Dee Dee Wilde and happily lived on beyond his tenure.
Six years on and SAILOR still live on -amazingly with THREE original members. Rob Alderton was the first to depart, waved dff fondly by fans to follow a similar path to his predecessor, writing musicals. He married his long-term girlfriend (an opera singer) and is now a proud father. He was replaced by...Henry Marsh! Henry made his comeback in Graz, Austria and was welcomed back into the fold with open arms.
Next to go was Peter Lincoln. Peter took the difficult decision to join Sweet, where he remains as their front man. He left a lasting legacy for SAILOR fans who are grateful to him for his part in keeping the SAILOR sound alive.
This left Phil, Grant and Henry with a dilemma. Their original front man, Georg, was now ensconced in his career as a composer and was unavailable, but the answer to their i problems lay closer to home than they could ever have imagined - Henry's youngest son Oliver Marsh!
'Ollie', a trained Opera singer, stepped into the breach and has served as their front man k since 2006. His popularity is enormous and his glorious voice has only sought to enhance SAILOR's popularity, bringing their magical sound to another generation.
And strangely, SAILOR are currently enjoying some chart success again - at least by default! Tech no band 'Scooter' have re-worked 'A Glass Of Champagne' into the song 'Jumping All Over the World' (to which Kajanus gave his blessing), spawning the No.1 album of the same title and in all likelihood, a No.1 single as well, thus taking the band full circle.
So there you have it. The CD is an historical collection recorded by the original band This (DVD) concert is an interesting and historical record of an ever changing and evolving band, caught at the start of the 21st Century, carrying forward an enormous legacy and keeping alive their beautifully crafted songs. Have fun, enjoy the songs and the interviews.
James McCarraher
June 2008
Author of: Angel Air Is Ten, The SAILOR Story, Kajanus.

Some pictures from the DVD:

Last updated: 25 July 2008