Karin Christiansen

Hello, I’m Karin. I come from Aalborg in Denmark.
In April 1976 just after my confirmation I bought my very first own radio with a cassette tape-recorder. That meant that I could listen to my kind of music, and I could record it too.

Every Thursday evening I was listening to "Top 20" in the radio, and every Thursday they were playing "Girls, Girls, Girls" or "Traffic Jam". I liked "Girls, Girls, Girls" best. I just had to have a cassette tape with SAILOR, and I bought the first one "Sailor". Every day I listened to the music, and I loved SAILOR. Sometime in May DR (The national Danish Television) sent a concert with SAILOR. It was a Friday evening, and I was very excited. I just had to record it. But I had no cable to connect my cassette tape-recorder to the TV. So my cassette tape-recorder was standing beside the TV, when I recorded the concert via the loudspeaker of the TV. This meant that the sound on my cassette tape was not in top-quality, but for me it was great. The songs from the concert were: Blame It On The Soft Spot, The Street", Let’s Go To Town, The Old Nickelodeon Sound, Vera From Veracruz (instrumental), Blue Desert, Jacaranda, Girls Girls Girls, Give Me La Samba, and A Glass Of Champagne. For many years I didn't know that SAILOR had played "Vera From Veracruz" in this show, because at that time I didn’t know this song, but I found out in 1996.

Later in 1976 I bought "The Third Step" and later again "Trouble". In August or September (I don’t quite remember when) the Swedish National Television sent a show with SAILOR too. I still had no cable to connect my cassette tape-recorder and the TV, so again I put my cassette tape-recorder next to the TV and recorded it this way. The songs from this show were: Sailor, Panama, The Old Nickelodeon Sound, Josephine Baker, The Street, Trouble In Hongkong, My Kind Of Girl, Blue Desert, A Glass Of Champagne, and Girls, Girls, Girls. This show was not only a concert, but also a talk with Georg, Phil, Henry and Grant sitting in a very big car. I wish I had a video at that time.

The next years I bought "Checkpoint", "Greatest Hits" and "Hideaway" at once, when I found the albums in a record-shop. In 1978 SAILOR were playing in Broenderslev, a small town just 25 kilometres north of Aalborg. I begged my parents to go, but no! I was too young to go to a concert on my own. I was so sad and angry for many many weeks. I have the review of the show from our local newspaper. It’s black and white and 24 years old, but it’s OK for me. I also have a photo of the very first Nickelodeon.

In 1978 my younger sister bought a record player just after her confirmation, and then I also bought all the records that SAILOR had made. This meant that I could hear the songs in a better quality, because all my cassette tapes now were a little used (I had to listen to SAILOR every day, you know).

Then SAILOR stopped! Oh, I was so sad when I found out. How could they? Well, I just had to listen to my old cassette tapes and records. Then in 1980 I found out that Phil and Henry had made "Dressed For Drowning". Of course I bought it, but I was a bit disappointed. This new SAILOR had no "Georg-sound". This was not good.

In 1982 I found out that Georg had made a new band called DATA. I bought the first album "Opera Electronica", and of course this was not SAILOR, but I liked the sound very much. This also meant that I didn’t listen to SAILOR every day, but every second day. The other days I listened to DATA. In 1985 I bought "Elegant Machinery" and I found out that I had missed one, the "2-Time". This was not good! I asked in every record-shop, but no one could help me. My younger sister even asked in a lot of record-shops in Paris that autumn. Finally in 1998 I found out that there was an album called "Accumulator" that was made in Sweden, and guess what: Yes, I bought it. Do you know any of the songs? On the "Accumulator" there’s a song called "Blow". Some of the beats in this song you can also find in "Music" (listen to "Blow" from 3:10 to 3:17, from 3:45 to 3:52, and from 4:41 to 4:48).

In 1991 I bought "Sailor" with the Nickelodeon on the front. Also a record.
On a holiday in Svendborg (Funen, Denmark) I saw SAILOR on CD. I didn’t have a CD-player, but I bought "Trouble", "The Third Step" and "Girls, Girls, Girls - The Very Best Of Sailor". Some day I’ll buy a CD-player, I thought. – I bought a CD-player 2 weeks later, when I came home from the holiday.

In 1996 in Hamburg on holiday I found "Best of the Best - Greatest Hits" and "Street Lamp", and later in 1996 I found "Hits and Highlights" in a small record-shop in Aalborg. When I listened to the songs of the "Street Lamp" album, I could hear that I knew "Vera From Veracruz". I was thinking about this some weeks, and one day I was listening to my old cassette tape from the TV. Yes, it was that song!

Then finally I could see SAILOR live. In Aalborg we have a show every year, where the best athletes, footballplayers, swimmers etc. from Northern Jutland are given a prize. At this show in December 1996 SAILOR was playing. But I had a very big problem. The audience should be a member of any sportsclub, and I was not!!! Luckily my husband knew someone that played football, and he could get 2 tickets for us. It was so great finally seeing SAILOR live. SAILOR played: The Secretary, La Cumbia, Traffic Jam, Stay The Night, Latin Eyes, Karma Chameleon, and Girls Girls Girls. I did take some photos, but they were no good. It was to dark, and my hands had shaken too much.

In January we moved from Aalborg to Soenderholm (9 kilometres from Aalborg). 4 kilometres from Soenderholm there’s a town called Nibe. Every year in June Nibe has a very big festival called the Nibe Festival. SAILOR were playing in Nibe in 1997 June 26. This just had to be great. My husband and I went to Nibe rather early, perhaps we could see SAILOR before the concert and perhaps talk to them. SAILOR had to play at 7 p.m. and at 6 p.m. they were setting up the Nickelodeon, but Henry had some difficulties with his keyboards. Phil had a lot of time and I talked to him for the first time. Oh, I was so nervous, but before I left home, I’ve said to myself: "This evening I’m not shy!". It was a great concert! So many happy people!

Later in 1997, August 9 SAILOR played in Frederikshavn. Frederikshavn’s Icehockey club had decided to get some really good music for their summer fest. SAILOR and Smokie.

In December 1997 our national Danish television, DR sent a series called Apollo. Apollo was a show with a lot of old music, mostly from the 70’es. SAILOR was playing too, and now I had a video!! SAILOR was playing: Girls Girls Girls, A Glass of Champagne, One Drink Too Many, and Latin Eyes. In the week just before Christmas there was a final Apollo show, where all the artist from the first 5 shows were playing again, this time only Christmas songs. SAILOR played: It’s Christmas Again. Finally a new song from SAILOR.

Then one year later in December 1998 I went to a record shop in Aalborg to buy a present for my younger sister. When I left the shop I heard "It’s Christmas Again". Wow! I didn’t know that this song had been recorded, and of course I bought this CD. It’s called "Absolute Christmas 3" and includes a lot of great Christmas songs, both old and younger.

Well, what can I tell you more? In July 1999 I bought "Live in Berlin", also a great album, and SAILOR sounds just like they did in Nibe and Frederikshavn. In July 2000 I bought "Noir", the album with Georg Kajanus and Tim Dry. This is very good. I know it’s not SAILOR, but it’s a true Georg-sound.

And then in 2002 you all know the great concert in High Wycombe. We (my husband and I) left Aalborg Friday at 6.45 a.m., went to Billund and Gatwick and High Wycombe, where we arrived at 1 p.m. We stayed at the Abbey Lodge, and we had a very good time in High Wycombe both Friday and Saturday. The concert was such a great concert. I’ve never experienced anything like this. And it was great fun talking to other people, who love SAILOR as much as I do. Now I can’t wait for the DVD. I’m sure I’ll see it again, and again, and again…………..

Best wishes to all the fans I talked to in High Wycombe.

© Karin Christiansen, December 2002.

Karin together with Peter and Grant in High Wycombe (UK) - 16 November 2002

Karin together with Phil and Peter in Oxford (UK) - 10 April 2005

Aarslev, Denmark - 29 April 2006 - A concert review by Karin Christiansen:

What a wonderful day. I’ve been to a fantastic and marvelous concert with SAILOR. (Again!!!).
SAILOR played at the "70s Glam Rock Show"" in a small town called Aarslev south of Odense in Funen. We were 2 couples from Soenderholm near Nibe in Northern Jutland not far from Aalborg. Karin and Franck, and Lone and Bent. It’s my 8th concert with SAILOR (and my husband’s too), but the other couple had never seen SAILOR live.
We started rather early in the morning, had a small break at around 9 o’clock, and at a quarter to 12 we were at the big tent, where the event were to take place. It was cold, and we couldn’t wait to get inside. The doors opened at 12 o’clock, and before we could get in, we spoke to a journalist from the local paper called Fyns Stiftstidende. He just wanted to know where we came from and which group(s) we were coming to hear. He was a bit surprised that we would drive 268 km just to see SAILOR. I told him that SAILOR fans are prepared to travel far to listen to SAILOR.
We got in the tent, and now it was really cold. About 5 degrees. We were told that there had been some heavy hail showers the day before, and all the hail were still on the top of the tent. The show started at 12.15 and from 12.30 we could have our lunch (included in the price). We had a cold but nice afternoon. I spoke to the journalist again, and told him some more about SAILOR and my experiences through the years. I told him that I was hoping to say hello to the guys some times in the afternoon or evening. He had to go back to the office soon to start writing his article, but he would be back later to hear more from me.
At about 16.30 I went up to the stage, because I could see the Nickelodeon being put together. I could see the guys next to the stage, and I asked a security-man if it was possible for me to talk to SAILOR. I was allowed and went in to say hello. All 4 of them were pleased to see me again, but after the show we could talk some more. Phil told me a little about the new portable Nickelodeon. Great idea.
When SAILOR’s show started I was in the front row. They started with "A Glass Of Champagne" and everyone in the audience was excited. What an atmosphere! No one I talked to had seen SAILOR live before, but most of them knew the songs very well. Everyone was singing and dancing all through the show. During "The Old Nickelodeon Sound" we all moved our arms in the air, and I could feel that SAILOR enjoyed it just as much as the audience. The journalist came up to me in the middle of the show, and asked me if I could spare a few moments again. I agreed in a small talk, and I could tell him that it was a fantastic show. He just wanted some more details from me, and then I could go back to the show. I got my place in the front again!
SAILOR played so well this afternoon. We got a bit different version of "Karma Chameleon" because Phil didn’t have his mandolin. A smaller Henry (compared to Bedford in December) was all over the stage dancing and jumping. Peter just in front of me was as always very smiling, and Grant enjoyed his drums. My favourite songs were "Open Up The Door", "The Old Nickelodeon Sound", "Vera From Veracruz", "The Secretary" and "La Cumbia". When Grant started playing his drum solo I knew what was next. When SAILOR started The Full Monty the tent nearly lifted. Everyone were excited. What a show! There was a small break in the music too early, but no one could hear that (except the guys and me).
And then the show was finished. I’m always both excited and sad just after a SAILOR show. Now I just had to wait to talk to the guys again and have their autographs on "Buried Treasure". I think I waited about half an hour. Then I saw Grant and Henry standing next to the stage listening to The Sweet. I got their autographs and then Grant was so kind to follow me to the house where Phil and Peter were eating. I got their autographs too and a very special photograph too. Very special for me, because I have not talked to Henry since 1997 (in Nibe, Denmark), and because I’ve never had a photograph taken with all 4 of them together. I also had a very nice talk to everyone of them. Thank you very much SAILOR.
This was a fantastic afternoon/evening for me. Just 5 minutes ago I bought 2 tickets for their next show in Denmark in August.
P.S. This morning I could read my interview in the Funen newspaper (the internet version). Ha ha, this was great too. I’ve never been interviewed to a newspaper before.
Karin Christiansen, April the 30th 2006

Karin together with Henry, Grant, Phil and Peter

Karin together with the new SAILOR line-up: Henry, Grant, Phil and Oliver in Vejle (Denmark) - 26 October 2006

Last updated: 30 October 2008

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