Leo Sayer -

Leo Sayer is an English pop singer who released ten studio albums between 1973 and 1983 on Chrysalis and Warner Bros. He scored ten Top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart, including “The Show Must Go On,” “Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance),” “Moonlighting,” and “More Than I Can Say.” His 1976 fourth album Endless Flight features “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” and “When I Need You,” which both reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Early Life

Leo was born Gerard Hugh Sayer on May 21, 1948, in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex; the middle son of Englishman Thomas E. G. Sayer and his Irish wife Theresa (née Nolan). He studied commercial art and graphic design at West Sussex College of Art and Design in Worthing. While attending school, he worked as a typographic designer and fronted the Terraplane Blues Band and Phydeaux. He was nicknamed “Leo” in reference to the lion’s mane due to his curly hair.

In January 1967, Leo (then eighteen) worked as a hotel porter at King’s Hotel in Hove, where he rescued an elderly woman from a first-floor fire.

In 1971, Sayer formed the pop band Patches, which released the single “Living In America” (b/w “The Hour Is Love”) on Warner Bros. in 1972. They were managed by David Courtney, the one-time drummer of ’50s pop idol Adam Faith. Courtney wrote the a-side and co-wrote the flipside with Sayer. The two cut a demo tape of originals and handed it to Faith, who remortgaged his home to launch Sayer onto the public.

In April 1973, Sayer got his first break when Who frontman Roger Daltery scored a UK No. 5 hit with the Courtney–Sayer ballad “Giving It All Away.” It appeared on the singer’s debut solo album, Daltery, along with eight other compositions by the pair. That same year, Sayer signed to Chrysalis (Warner in the US) and recorded his first album.

Silverbird

Leo Sayer released his debut album, Silverbird, in November 1973 on Chrysalis (UK) and Warner Bros (US).

The album contains eleven originals with lyrics by Sayer and music by David Courtney. They form a harmonica/piano duo, joined by Argent guitarist Russ Ballard and If bassist Dave Wintour. “Drop Back” features Patches guitarist Max Chetwyn. Argent drummer Robert Henrit rotates with Michael Giles and serial sessionist Henry Spinetti.

“Goodnight Old Friend” climbs from thin tenor into a gravelled growl, then contracts around a farewell text. “The Show Must Go On” pivots on a circus cue and hard accents under string depth, while Sayer’s vocal passes from sharp edge to falsetto. “The Dancer” drifts through atmospheric piano and pale falsetto, with the high-wire text holding the track in suspended motion.

A1. “Innocent Bystander” (3:02)
A2. “Goodnight Old Friend” (2:49)
A3. “Drop Back” (3:20)
A4. “Silverbird” (1:19)
A5. “The Show Must Go On” (3:30)
A6. “The Dancer” (4:28)

B1. “Tomorrow” (4:12)
B2. “Don’t Say It’s Over” (3:14)
B3. “Slow Motion” (1:45)
B4. “Oh Wot a Life” (2:52)
B5. “Why Is Everybody Going Home” (4:13)

Adam Faith and Courtney co-produced Silverbird, which Oldfield soundman Tom Newman co-engineered with Keith Harwood and Richard Dodd. Del Newman arranged the album’s orchestration.

Graham Hughes conceived and photographed the sleeve, whose imagery ties the album to the Pierrot presentation used for “The Show Must Go On.”

“Why Is Everybody Going Home” first appeared in August 1973 as an advance single with “Quicksand,” a Sayer–Courtney exclusive.

Sayer scored his breakthrough hit with “The Show Must Go On,” released in November as the second single (b/w “Tomorrow”. The single reached No. 3 in Ireland, No. 7 in Germany, No. 9 in New Zealand, and No. 10 in Australia. On the week of January 13–19, 1974, “The Show Must Go On” peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, held off from the top by “You Won’t Find Another Fool Like Me” by The New Seekers.

In the US, Three Dog Night took their cover of “The Show Must Go On” to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Silverbird reached No. 2 on the Official Albums Chart.

Just a Boy

Leo Sayer released his second album, Just a Boy, in October 1974 on Chrysalis and Warner Bros.

The album contains ten Sayer-penned Courtney compositions, including two songs, “One Man Band” and “Giving It All Away,” first recorded by Roger Daltrey. They retain the harmonica/piano balance, joined by guitarist Paul Keogh, bassist Dave Markee, and drummer Paul Keogh.

Banjoist Keith Nelson fingerpicks across “Long Tall Glasses,” a transatlantic hit. Three tracks feature Mogul Thrash axeman James Litherland and elder soundtrack pianist David Rose. Pink Floyd auxiliary Liza Strike backs Sayer on “In My Life,” which also features If organist John Mealing.

“Telepath” shouts repeated calls through a dream-flight image, keeping Sayer’s voice at the front of the spare production. “One Man Band” jaunts through a street-waif scene and a plain title line. “Long Tall Glasses” skips on perky pacing, bottleneck guitar, and banjo twang. “Solo” turns its title syllables into a singalong figure. “The Bells of St. Mary’s” spins through a frantic vocal pass, with brass and woodwind arranged around the lead. “Giving It All Away” broadens a reflective lead with orchestration. “When I Came Home This Morning” narrows a breakup scene around the vocal lead.

A1. “Telepath” (3:12)
A2. “Train” (4:25)
A3. “The Bells of St. Marys” (3:36)
A4. “One Man Band” (3:35)
A5. “In My Life” (3:23)

B1. “When I Came Home This Morning” (5:17)
B2. “Long Tall Glasses” (3:19)
B3. “Another Time” (3:26)
B4. “Solo” (3:59)
B5. “Giving It All Away” (3:52)

Faith and Courtney co-produced Just a Boy during 1974 at Kingsway Recorders in London, where Louis Austin co-engineered the album with Martin Birch. Cockney Rebel arranger Andrew Powell scored the strings, woodwinds, and brass.

Just a Boy features cover art by Humphrey Butler-Bowdon, whose image shows a barefoot curly-haired boy on a small grassy mound beneath star figures. Terry O’Neill photographed and conceived the back cover, which shows multiple Sayer figures beside the Pierrot image.

Chrysalis lifted “One Man Band” as a May 1974 single (b/w “Drop Back”), which reached No. 6 on the Official Singles Chart. “Long Tall Glasses” became the second UK single in September 1974 (b/w “In My Life”) and reached No. 4 on the Official Singles Chart. The title also reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Just a Boy reached No. 4 on the Official Albums Chart and No. 16 on the Billboard 200.

Another Year

Leo Sayer released his third album, Another Year, on September 5, 1975, on Chrysalis and Warner Bros.

The album contains ten originals co-written by Sayer with ex-Supertramp bassist Frank Farrell, who plays piano and accordion across the album, which finds the singer in a darker mood.

Sayer welcomes back Russ Ballard (piano, organ, marimba) and Just a Boy sidemen Paul Keogh and Dave Markee, anchored by Michael Giles. Leon Russell guests on slide guitar and backing vocals. Auxiliaries include flutist Nick Newell, trumpeter Terry Starr, and violinist Johnny Van Derek.

“Another Year” laments a passing year with self-reflection amid sparse candlelight etude; his key observation (“nothing’s changed”) carries him from one New Year’s post-celebratory blues (“’75 is here”) to the next (“’76 is here”). “Moonlighting” makes tentative steps through a clandestine romantic narrative with tight piano/marimba accents and flamenco licks. “Only Dreaming” looms with fingerpicked flute tapestry, supporting a tender forest-walk eulogy that flares into a growling, thunderous chorus that string-swells to an epic finale. “Bedsitter Land” observes meager means in cramped, impersonal settings; sung with earnest resign amid bleak, ivory/string ambience.

A1. “Bedsitter Land” (4:07)
A2. “Unlucky in Love” (3:27)
A3. “Last Gig of Johnny B Goode” (3:49)
A4. “On the Old Dirt Road” (4:01)
A5. “I Will Not Stop Fighting” (5:00)

B1. “Moonlighting” (4:13)
B2. “Streets of Your Town” (3:02)
B3. “Kid’s Grown Up” (2:52)
B4. “Only Dreaming” (5:15)
B5. “Another Year” (3:13) – Labi Siffre explored similar melancholic concerns with a second-person address in a title-sake ballad on his 1975 album Remember My Song.

Faith and Ballard co-produced Another Year during 1975 at Kingsway Recorders in London, where Louis Austin co-engineered the album with Paul “Chas” Watkins. Pip Williams scored the orchestration, performed by the David Katz Orchestra. Terry O’Neill photographed the sleeve.

Chrysalis lifted “Moonlighting” as an August 1975 single (b/w “Streets of Your Town”), which reached No. 1 in Ireland and No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, where it was blocked from the top by “Sailing,” a Sutherland Brothers cover by Rod Stewart. A snippet of “Moonlighting” plays during a party scene in the 1978 sex-romp The Stud, a pre-Dynasty Joan Collins vehicle.

Another Year reached No. 8 on the Official Albums Chart and No. 125 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Endless Flight

Leo Sayer released his fourth album, Endless Flight, on October 29, 1976, on Chrysalis and Warner Bros.

The album contains five Sayer co-writes and five outside titles. The outside material includes songs first cut by The Supremes (“Reflections”), Albert Hammond (“When I Need You”), Danny O’Keefe (“Magdalena”), and Andrew Gold (“Endless Flight”).

Producer Richard Perry recasts Sayer with Los Angeles studio players drawn from soul, singer-songwriter, and soundtrack sessions. Guitarists Larry Carlton (Crusaders) and Ray Parker Jr. (Raydio) electrify “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” and “How Much Love,” both anchored by serial bassist Chuck Rainey and Stuff drummer Steve Gadd. Keyboardist Michael Omartian ivory glides “When I Need You,” graced by sax soloist Bobby Keys with expressionist outro rolls by drummer Jeff Porcaro.

“Hold on to My Love” hustles through rollicking piano and saxophone blurts, with Sayer leaning into a chestier lead. “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” skates on shuffling studio tricks and falsetto vaults, then drops briefly to a lower title answer. “When I Need You” slows into big-note longing, with slow-turning guitar and a late band dropout at the final return. “How Much Love” saturates a buoyant key-thumping dance track with strings. “Endless Flight” thumps under a heavier beat and swells with strings around the title phrase.

A1. “Hold On to My Love” (3:06) – Mann, Weil, Sayer
A2. “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” (3:42) – Sayer, Poncia
A3. “Reflections” (3:10) – Holland, Dozier, Holland
A4. “When I Need You” (4:11) – Hammond, Carole Bayer Sager
A5. “No Business Like Love Business” (3:53) – Shapiro, Reid, Alaimo, Clarke

B1. “I Hear the Laughter” (3:14) – Vastano, Sayer
B2. “Magdalena” (4:21) – O’Keefe; originated on Danny’s 1973 second album Breezy Stories.
B3. “How Much Love” (3:38) – Mann, Sayer
B4. “I Think We Fell in Love Too Fast” (3:07) – Vastano, Poncia, Sayer
B5. “Endless Flight” (4:42) – Gold; originated on Andrew’s 1975 debut album.

Perry produced Endless Flight during 1976 at Studio 55 in Los Angeles, where Bill Schnee and Howard Steele engineered the album. Gene Page arranged and conducted strings, while Paul Buckmaster added synthesizer, cello, and string direction. David Larkham handled art direction and design, with photography by Elliot Gilbert.

Chrysalis and Warner Bros. lifted “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” as an October 1976 single (b/w “Magdalena”). The single became his third No. 2 hit in the UK, where it was blocked from the top in mid-November by “If You Leave Me Now,” the transatlantic chart-topper by Chicago.

In the US, the song dropped just as Leo sat for a Rolling Stone interview with Ben Fong-Torres, who called Leo’s single “the catchiest thing around.” On the week of January 15, 1977, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it ousted “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)” by 5th Dimension couple Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. Leo held the summit for one week before Stevie Wonder took the honor with “I Wish.”

“When I Need You” followed as a January 1977 single (b/w “I Think We Fell in Love Too Fast”). After three UK No. 2 hits, Leo scored his first home-country chart-topper when the Hammond–Sager ballad reached No. 1 on the week of February 19, ousting “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” the Webber–Rice Evita musical ballad sung by Rock Follies actress Julie Covington. “When I Need You” remained No. 1 for three weeks, then yielded to “Chanson D’Amour” by the Manhattan Transfer. “When I Need You” also reached No. 1 in Ireland and Canada and No. 2 in Benelux and South Africa.

On the week of May 14, 1977, “When I Need You” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it ousted “Hotel California” by The Eagles and, like its predecessor, held the summit for one week before Stevie Wonder again took over, this time with his second Songs In the Key of Life chart-topper, “Sir Duke.” Leo’s two stateside Endless Flight hits gave him a total of two weeks at No. 1 on Billboard in the span of four months.

“How Much Love” became the third single (b/w “I Hear the Laughter”) and reached No. 10 on the Official Singles Chart and No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Maxine Nightingale covered “How Much Love” on her 1977 second album, Night Life.

Endless Flight reached No. 4 on the Official Albums Chart and No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Thunder in My Heart

Leo Sayer released his fifth album, Thunder in My Heart, on September 30, 1977, on Chrysalis and Warner Bros.

Sayer adds guitar and harmonica. Richard Perry centers the title track on Tom Snow piano, Abraham Laboriel bass, Jeff Porcaro drums, and guitars by Fred Tackett and Lee Ritenour. “Easy to Love” shifts the piano part to Michael Omartian and pairs Ritenour with Ray Parker Jr. David Paich and James Newton Howard expand the keyboard pool elsewhere, while Tom Scott adds saxophone and Gene Page arranges the title-track strings.

“Thunder in My Heart” struts with string-laden urgency as minor keys underscore Leo’s longing, bellowed in the stormy title call; emotions irrepressible through the organ/violin middle trade-offs. “Easy to Love” clicks forth with pocketed slide rhythms across a two-chord bedrock as Leo veers between Thompkins-like falsetto and a Scaggs-ish baritone.

“I Want You Back” slow walks a desolate, autumnal stretch with lounge ambience as Leo laments loving memories, winding up to the modulated chorus cry. “It’s Over” saunters in with boogie-woogie rattle, jolting Leo as he copes with the inevitable amid the ominous forward lurch, weighed with looming brass and searing fret licks.

“Fool for Your Love” blooms with string shimmer and snaps along with Spinners buoyancy as Leo calls out to another absent interest. “World Keeps On Turning” slides along with strobe-lit precision as Leo, happy for once, shines and exudes wordless joy amid synth-string luster and fizzy breaks. “We Can Start All Over Again” enters lightly with somber ivory/twang filigree as Leo makes tender pleas that build to a shimmering bridge and impassioned, Blue Notes-like chorus.

A1. “Thunder in My Heart” (3:35) – Sayer, Snow
A2. “Easy to Love” (3:44) – Sayer, Hammond
A3. “Leave Well Enough Alone” (3:16) – Chater, Snow
A4. “I Want You Back” (4:29) – Sayer, Hammond
A5. “It’s Over” (3:47) – Sayer, Snow

B1. “Fool for Your Love” (3:25) – Sayer, Omartian
B2. “World Keeps On Turning” (3:21) – Sayer, Omartian
B3. “There Isn’t Anything” (3:12) – Vastano
B4. “Everything I’ve Got” (2:39) – Snow, Vastano
B5. “We Can Start All Over Again” (3:38) – Sayer, Roberts, Snow

Perry produced Thunder in My Heart during 1977 at Studio 55 in Los Angeles, where Howard Steele engineered and remixed the album. Helen Silvani assisted, with additional engineering by Tom Knox and Mike Stavrou. Allen Zentz mastered the album. David Larkham handled art direction and design, and Moshe Brakha photographed the sleeve.

Chrysalis issued “Thunder in My Heart” as an August 26, 1977 single (b/w “Get the Girl”), which reached No. 22 on the Official Singles Chart and No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The label issued “There Isn’t Anything I Wouldn’t Do” as a November 1977 single (b/w “World Keeps On Turning”). Warner Bros. issued “Easy to Love” as a December 1977 US single (b/w “Haunting Me”), which reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Thunder in My Heart reached No. 8 on the Official Albums Chart and No. 37 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer released his self-titled sixth album on August 11, 1978, on Chrysalis and Warner Bros.

The album contains four Sayer co-writes and six outside songs, including covers of the Amazing Rhythm Aces (“Dancing the Night Away”), Andy Fairweather Low (“La Booga Rooga”), Buddy Holly (“Raining in My Heart”), and Jackson Browne (“Something Fine”).

Leo Sayer, his third and final Perry-produced album, eschews recent disco and soul-pop trends for a set steeped in county ballads, recorded with half of Toto and members of Raydio, Fleetwood Mac, and assorted LA studio figures.

Ray Parker Jr. shares “Frankie Lee” with Sayer and plays within a guitar pool that includes Dean Parks, Jay Graydon, Fred Tackett, Davey Johnstone, Waddy Wachtel, and Steve Lukather. David Paich and Greg Phillinganes share piano and keyboard duties with Tom Snow, while Jeff Porcaro and Russ Kunkel divide the drum parts. Jackson Browne appears on “Something Fine” with Lindsey Buckingham, and David Lindley adds mandolin, violin, and steel guitar. Bill Champlin forms the backing-vocal cluster with Jim Gilstrap and Toto frontman Bobby Kimball.

“Stormy Weather” rolls back with rootsy sentiments, quaint harmonica and a lead stretched to the edge of Sayer’s range. “Dancing the Night Away” saunters through fiddle and steel figures. “I Can’t Stop Loving You (Though I Try)” steadies a mellow lead under delicate production. “La Booga Rooga” brightens into brisk vocal motion.

“Raining in My Heart” polishes a lonesome cover with electric, slide, and acoustic guitar layers. “Something Fine” pares back around acoustic figures and shared backing lines. “Frankie Lee” twists a rustic dance feel into a clipped strut. “Don’t Look Away” surges through pulsing keyboards and hard-edged figures. “No Looking Back” rests on piano and symphonic backing.

A1. “Stormy Weather” (4:06) – Sayer, Snow
A2. “Dancing the Night Away” (4:05) – Smith, Brown
A3. “I Can’t Stop Loving You (Though I Try)” (3:29) – Nicholls
A4. “La Booga Rooga” (3:40) – Fairweather Low; originated as the title track of Andy’s 1975 second solo album.
A5. “Raining in My Heart” (3:16) – Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant

B1. “Something Fine” (3:32) – Browne
B2. “Running to My Freedom” (3:19) – Snow, Vastano
B3. “Frankie Lee” (3:19) – Sayer, Parker
B4. “Don’t Look Away” (3:30) – Sayer, Snow
B5. “No Looking Back” (2:58) – Sayer, Snow

Perry produced Leo Sayer during 1978 at Studio 55 in Los Angeles with engineer Bill Schnee and horn arranger Tom Saviano.

Ria Lewerke designed the black-framed, serif-font cover with a portrait photo of the singer by Claude Mougin.

Chrysalis issued “Dancing the Night Away” in April 1978 as an advance UK single with “Tell Me Just One More Time,” a Sayer–Snow exclusive. “I Can’t Stop Loving You (Though I Try)” followed in September (b/w “No Looking Back”) and reached No. 6 on the Official Singles Chart.

“Raining in My Heart” became the third UK single in November 1978 (b/w “Don’t Look Away”) and reached No. 21 on the Official Singles Chart. Stateside, the Warner-issued single reached No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Leo Sayer reached No. 15 on the Official Albums Chart and No. 101 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Here

Leo Sayer released his seventh album, Here, on September 21, 1979, on Chrysalis and Warner Bros.

Here contains eight Sayer co-writes and “Lost Control,” written session guest Al Kooper. Side B includes a cover of the Chi-Lites soul classic “Oh Girl.”

The Los Angeles cast includes Booker T. & the M.G.’s guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn. Additional players include Doobies guitarist Jeff Baxter, Little Feat guitarist Bill Payne, and Endless Flight bassist Chuck Rainey.

“The World Has Changed” slides forth with spiraling synth and a ghostly intro-chorus that breaks with Leo’s gutteral, lovelorn hopes and fears. “When the Money Runs Out” rocks on a funky pocket as Leo caterwauls with reaffirmed devotion amid frugal circumstances, enlived by a late-entry sax break. “Lost Control” broadens into an expansive ballad, with Sayer’s vocal set against a late-night piano climate. “Work” advances from tentative steps to a free-walking chorus as Leo shed’s daily drudgery for a carefree mindset. “The End” references the nihilistic infamy and demise of Pistols bassist Sid Vicious with fuzzy licks across a moderate bar-rock backbeat.

A1. “The World Has Changed” (3:54) – Sayer, Livsey, Cuevas
A2. “When the Money Runs Out” (3:39) – Sayer, Parker
A3. “The End” (3:52) – Sayer, Courtney
A4. “Lost Control” (4:30) – Kooper
A5. “An Englishman in the U.S.A.” (4:40) – Sayer, Davidson

B1. “Who Will the Next Fool Be” (4:15) – Sayer, Courtney
B2. “Work” (3:31) – Sayer, Snow, Vastano
B3. “Oh Girl” (3:47) – Record
B4. “Ghosts” (4:29) – Sayer, Farrell, Nicol
B5. “Takin’ the Easy Way Out” (4:48) – Sayer, Courtney

Courtney produced Here during 1979 at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles and Davlen Sound Studios in Hollywood. Chris Desmond, Jeff Borgeson, Mark Linett, and Patrick Von Wiegandt engineered the album. David Larkham designed the sleeve.

Chrysalis issued “When the Money Runs Out” as an August 31, 1979 single (b/w “Takin’ the Easy Way Out”). “The World Has Changed” followed as a November 9, 1979 single (b/w “Oh Girl”). Warner Bros. issued “Oh Girl” as a December 1979 US single (b/w “An Englishman in the U.S.A.”).

Here reached No. 44 on the Official Albums Chart and No. 65 on the Kent Music Report.

Living in a Fantasy

Leo Sayer released his eighth album, Living in a Fantasy, on August 22, 1980, on Chrysalis and Warner Bros.

The album pairs Sayer with writer/producer Alan Tarney, the English–Australian multi-instrumentalist and frontman of the Tarney/Spencer Band. Tarney notched recent credits behind Charlie Dore, Barbara Dickson, and Cliff Richard. He submitted three songs for Living in a Fantasy and co-wrote six with Sayer. Side A includes the Crickets cover “More Than I Can Say.” They recorded the album as a quartet with drummer Trevor Spencer and keyboardist Nick Glennie-Smith.

“Time Ran Out on You” glides on ivory filigree and fret-clipped lyrical ruminations on destiny. “You Win, I Lose” tip-toes through sparse, pastel corridors as Leo makes a concession. “More Than I Can Say” eases through light acoustic strum, gentle four-beat sway, soft lead, and wordless backing voices. “Millionaire” shimmies along jagged chords as Leo takes a nonchalant attitude toward his partner’s wandering, gold-digging eye.

“Once in a While” rides a twangy lick through private misgivings to a soaring, desperate bridge plea that crests on lyrical uncertainty. “She’s Not Coming Back” sprints along with breezy vibes as Leo copes with post-breakup blues; he bears his soul on the heady middle-eight and finds renewed vigor by Tuesday, the third chorus. “Let Me Know” makes tentative steps through a circular modulation as Leo makes a plea for transparency. “Only Foolin’” steamrolls into view with martial-snare precision and romantic illuminations that swell with resignation on the harmonized chorus.

A1. “Time Ran Out on You” (3:50) – Tarney
A2. “Where Did We Go Wrong” (3:55) – Sayer, Tarney
A3. “You Win, I Lose” (3:43) – Sayer, Tarney
A4. “More Than I Can Say” (3:41) – J.I. Allison, Sonny Curtis; originated on the December 1960 Coral Records release In Style with the Crickets, their first album since the death of Buddy Holly. Bobby Vee popularized the song with his 1961 version, a UK No. 4 hit.
A5. “Millionaire” (4:22) – Sayer, Tarney

B1. “Once in a While” (3:30) – Tarney
B2. “Living in a Fantasy” (4:25) – Sayer, Tarney
B3. “She’s Not Coming Back” (3:50) – Sayer, Tarney
B4. “Let Me Know” (3:55) – Tarney
B5. “Only Foolin’” (3:40) – Sayer, Tarney

Sessions occurred in late 1979 and early 1980 amid Tarney’s work on The Barbara Dickson Album, his first major production since his songwriting triumph with “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” the summer ’79 Cliff chart-topper that codified the Tarney sound. The Dickson album spawned a winter 1980 UK hit with “January February.”

Tarney and Sayer brought Living in a Fantasy to near-completion when they decided to include an oldie. During a studio break, Sayer caught a commercial for a Bobby Vee compilation and chose “More Than I Can Say” as the snippet played. They purchased the record that afternoon and had it studied, customized, and recorded by nightfall, just before the album entered post-production.

For his next project, Tarney reteamed with Richard for the singer’s 1980 album I’m No Hero, which introduced another product from the Tarney/Sayer partnership, “Dreamin’,” an upbeat Coral e-sitar-laden track that became another big hit for Cliff.

Living in a Fantasy appeared in a sleeve co-credited to collage artist Paul Maxon and the UK design firm Hipgnosis. The cover renders Leo’s silhouette as a multi-colored collage of stripes, checkers, and newsprint.

Chrysalis issued “More Than I Can Say” as a June 27, 1980 single (b/w “Only Fooling”), which reached No. 1 in Australia and No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, held off No. 1 by “Use It Up and Wear It Out” by Odyssey.

In the US, Warner Bros. lifted “More Than I Can Say” in September 1980 (b/w “Millionaire”). The song peaked at No. 2 behind the Kenny Rogers ballad “Lady” for the week of December 7, 1980, one day before the murder of John Lennon, who overtook the No. 1 spot with “(Just Like) Starting Over” while Sayer remained at No. 2 for two further weeks.

“Once in a While” followed as a September 12, 1980 UK single (b/w “Living in a Fantasy”). Tarney re-recorded the song with Cliff Richard for the 1981 I’m No Hero followup, Wired for Sound. In 1982, American country singer Dan Seals covered “Once in a While” for his second solo album, Harbinger.

“Where Did We Go Wrong” appeared as an October 31, 1980 UK single (b/w “Millionaire”). Warner Bros. issued “Living in a Fantasy” as a January 1981 US single (b/w “Only Foolin’”), and the title reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Living in a Fantasy reached No. 15 on the Official Albums Chart, No. 36 on the Billboard 200, and No. 12 on the Kent Music Report.

On August 1, 1981, “More Than I Can Say” became the 73rd video aired by MTV on the US cable music channel’s first broadcast day, which played the song between ska clips by The Selecter (“Celebrate the Bullet”) and The Specials (“A Message to You, Rudy”). The video, set in a period-white backdrop, makes use of the Living in a Fantasy cover collage.

The Missing Link

Leo Sayer contributed eight numbers to the soundtrack album The Missing Link (Music From the Motion Picture), released in 1980 on Chrysalis. Picha directed the French-Belgian adult animated feature The Missing Link [Le Chaînon manquant], which competed at Cannes with Tony Hendra on the English screenplay and music credits for Sayer and Roy Budd.

The film lampoons prehistory through O, a hairless child whose tribe rejects him after his birth. Igua, an abandoned brontosaur, adopts O before Croak, a pterodactyl, joins the pair. O recognizes his human reflection and abandons his dinosaur household for a chain of encounters with No-Lobes, a feline tribe, a dragon, ants, Arctic barbarians, and a shark. He reaches humans at the end of the journey, but Ah turns discovery into conquest while O, Igua, and Croak withdraw to an island after the destruction of the surrounding species.

The album alternates Sayer-led songs with Budd and Fishman score cues. Sayer performs with bassist Dill Katz, drummer Dave Mattacks, guitarists Les Davidson and Alan Parker, and keyboardists Billy Livsey and John Mealing. Budd conducts the National Philharmonic Orchestra on the orchestral cues, while Fishman adds electronic synthesizer material. Mealing arranged the soundtrack.

A1. “Shake the Hand” (2:33) – Sayer, Masters, Davidson
A2. “It Hurts Every Time But We Love It” (3:14) – Sayer, Masters, Davidson
A3. “The Missing Link Theme” (3:40) – Sayer, Davidson
A4. “Paradise” (2:48) – Fishman
A5. “The Only Way to Travel” (4:17) – Sayer, Masters, Livsey
A6. “The Croak” (2:23) – Budd
A7. “You Can’t Make an Omelette Without Eggs” (2:37) – Sayer, Masters, Davidson
A8. “Creation” (4:09) – Budd, Fishman

B1. “Eating” (4:17) – Sayer, Masters, Davidson
B2. “The Mouth” (4:53) – Fishman
B3. “Takin’ the Brakes Off” (3:47) – Sayer, Masters, Davidson
B4. “Stand on Your Own Feet” (1:34) – Sayer, Masters, Davidson
B5. “Ant City” (5:11) – Budd
B6. “The Missing Link” (2:27) – Sayer, Davidson
B7. “The March of Man” (3:19) – Masters, Pasztor, Jakab

Sayer recorded The Missing Link in London circa April 1980 with co-producers Jack Fishman and Davidson. Engineers Richard Goldblatt, Dave Hunt, and Dick Plant handled the sessions.

The front cover places Sayer below a stone-textured title-block, surrounded by cartoon-bright dinosaurs, cave figures, and a red-orange prehistoric landscape.

A&R issued “Shake the Hand” in the Netherlands on December 20, 1980 (b/w “You Can’t Make an Omelette Without Eggs”).

JHP issued The Missing Link (Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) as a July 2022 digital album with “Aeromancy” as the closing Fishman cue.

World Radio

Leo Sayer released his ninth album, World Radio, in April 1982 on Chrysalis and Warner Bros.

The album contains five Sayer co-writes and five outside numbers, including the Bee Gees-associated “Heart (Stop Beating in Time)” and songs by Paris (“Have You Ever Been in Love”) and Bruce Cockburn (“Wondering Where the Lions Are”).

Arif Mardin places Sayer with a New York–Los Angeles studio cast. Jeff Porcaro anchors the drum parts, while James Stroud programs Linn, Fairlight, and Synclavier parts. Steve Khan, Steve Lukather, and Dean Parks form the main guitar cluster, with bass parts by Abraham Laboriel, Will Lee, and David Hungate. David Sanborn adds alto saxophone, and Michael Boddicker joins Bob Christianson in the synthesizer layer.

“Heart (Stop Beating in Time)” rolls with synth-bass pulse and sunset luster as Leo croons and belts impassioned words to an unsettled love interest. “Paris Dies in the Morning” perks up with marquee synths and sharp chord injections as Leo recalls a weekend romance in the City of Love. “Rumours” makes frantic steps with eerie vibes as Leo confronts his partner about mounting gossip, swelling with guttural intensity as he braces for the truth amid colliding voices and fretboard pileup.

“Heroes” flashes bleak reflections on the guide-less current state, then tightens around the same question posed five years earlier by The Stranglers. “The End of the Game” lurches with deep bass amid sparse ambience and situational confusion, tightening for the back-slide reggaefied chorus and phased middle-eight.

A1. “Heart (Stop Beating in Time)” (4:35) – Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
A2. “Paris Dies in the Morning” (3:53) – Sayer, McCrorie-Shand
A3. “Have You Ever Been in Love” (3:45) – Hill, Sinfield, Danter
A4. “Rumours” (3:55) – Mark, Smith
A5. “Heroes” (4:21) – Sayer, Courtney

B1. “‘Til You Let Your Heart Win” (4:41) – Willis, Wood
B2. “The End of the Game” (3:28) – Sayer, Courtney
B3. “Wondering Where the Lions Are” (3:28) – Cockburn
B4. “We’ve Got Ourselves in Love” (3:54) – Sayer, Courtney
B5. “World Radio” (5:26) – Sayer, Courtney

Sessions occurred during 1981 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles and Atlantic Studios in New York City. Mardin produced World Radio, with string and rhythm arrangements credited to Mardin. Jerry Lee Smith mixed the album, and George Marino mastered the final cut.

Chrysalis issued “Have You Ever Been in Love” as a March 5, 1982 single (b/w “I Don’t Need Dreaming Anymore”), which reached No. 10 on the Official Singles Chart.

“Heart (Stop Beating in Time)” followed as a May 28, 1982 single (b/w “The End of the Game”) and reached No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 17 in Ireland.

Warner Bros. issued “Paris Dies in the Morning” as a September 1982 US single (b/w “We’ve Got Ourselves in Love”).

World Radio reached No. 30 on the Official Albums Chart and No. 14 on the Kent Music Report.

Have You Ever Been in Love

Leo Sayer released his tenth album, Have You Ever Been in Love, on November 4, 1983, on Chrysalis and Warner Bros.

The album contains two Sayer–Tarney co-writes and twelve outside titles, including songs originated or established by Aretha Franklin (“‘Til You Come Back to Me”), Don Gibson (“Sea of Heartbreak”), the Crickets (“More Than I Can Say”), the Beach Boys (“Darlin’”), and Stevie Wonder (“Never Had a Dream Come True”). The album also repeats Sayer versions of “More Than I Can Say” from Living in a Fantasy and “Heart (Stop Beating in Time)” and “Have You Ever Been in Love” from World Radio.

Alan Tarney supplies synthesizer, bass, guitar, and backing vocals on his productions. Shadows guitarist Hank Marvin appears in a guitar pool with Al Hodge, Steve Khan, and Steve Lukather. Robbie Buchanan and Geoff Westley cover the piano parts, while Mo Foster, Abraham Laboriel, and Will Lee split bass duties against drums by Bob Jenkins, Jeff Porcaro, Casey Scheuerell, and Trevor Spencer. James Stroud programs Synclavier and LinnDrum, and Frank Ricotti adds percussion and marimba.

“Sea of Heartbreak” slows around a plain vocal line. “Orchard Road” pares the arrangement to Fairlight and Linn machine, with a rough-edged vocal moving across a warm, uncluttered setting. “Heart (Stop Beating in Time)” returns to a slow-paced lead with falsetto turns and rasp-edged phrase endings.

A1. “‘Til You Come Back to Me” (4:05) – Wonder, Paul, Broadnax
A2. “Sea of Heartbreak” (3:44) – originated as a 1961 Billboard No. 2 country hit for singer Don Gibson; composed by Paul Hampton with lyrics by Hal David. Covered in the Sixties by The Searchers, The Spotnicks, The Everly Brothers, and Danish beatsters The Matadors. Tarney first revived the song with Spencer on the 1976 debut duo album.
A3. “More Than I Can Say” (3:41) – Allison, Curtis
A4. “Darlin’” (4:58) – Wilson, Love
A5. “Don’t Wait Until Tomorrow” (2:43) – Sayer, Tarney
A6. “How Beautiful You Are” (3:54) – Blegvad, Greaves
A7. “Orchard Road” (4:27) – Sayer, Tarney

B1. “Aviation” (4:27) – Clarke
B2. “Heart (Stop Beating in Time)” (4:35) – Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
B3. “Your Love Still Brings Me to My Knees” (3:01) – Cook, Wood
B4. “Have You Ever Been in Love” (3:43) – Hill, Sinfield, Danter
B5. “Wounded Heart” (4:13) – Climie, Carter
B6. “Love Games” (3:47) – McKay
B7. “Never Had a Dream Come True” (4:51) – Moy, Wonder, Cosby

Mardin, Tarney, and Christopher Neil produced Have You Ever Been in Love. The release joins new Neil productions with Tarney and Mardin tracks from the preceding two albums.

Chrysalis issued “Orchard Road” as a February 1983 single (b/w “Gone Solo”), which reached No. 16 on the Official Singles Chart.

“Until You Come Back to Me” followed as a September 1983 single (b/w “Train”) and reached No. 51 on the UK Singles Chart.

“Sea of Heartbreak” appeared as a January 1984 single (b/w “Easy to Love”) and reached No. 35 in New Zealand.

Have You Ever Been in Love reached No. 15 on the Official Albums Chart and No. 20 on the Kent Music Report.

Television

During 1983–84, BBC2 kept Sayer in a resident light-entertainment slot through the self-titled Leo Sayer and Leo programmes. Episodes placed his current material beside guest numbers and short inserts built around visitor specialties. Guests on the 1983 episodes include Elkie Brooks, Suzi Quatro, Randy Crawford, Eric Bristow, Geoff Capes, Randy Newman, and Tony Orlando.

The 1984 series used a recurring hobby device, with Robin Gibb in a Bristol history sequence and Gary Numan in an aviation segment. Numan appeared on the February 1984 episode with Gloria Gaynor and the Thompson Twins. He discussed flying with Sayer, then joined him for a minimal wave arrangement of the Drifters classic “On Broadway.” Additional 1984 guests include Paul Nicholas and Justin Hayward.

Discography: