Graham Oliver
Encyclopedia
Graham Oliver is an English
guitarist
.
band Saxon
from 1977 to 1994. After leaving the band he initially reformed his old band Son of a Bitch with former Saxon bassist
Steve Dawson
and drummer
Pete Gill
. Son of a Bitch released the largely ignored, album Victim You with Thunderhead
singer, Ted Bullet.
Bullet left the band, and Gill disappeared after the release of the album. They were replaced by vocalist John Ward and another former member of Saxon, Nigel Durham
on drums. Oliver and Dawson changed the name of the band to Oliver-Dawson Saxon, and continue to live up to the legacy of Saxon, playing smaller venues to appreciative crowds.They also undertook a full U.K tour on Ronnie James Dio 'Killing the dragon 'tour. Graham also duetted with Doug Aldrich
on 'Rainbow in the Dark' on the last gig at Plymouth. They initially performed under the Saxon name before being halted by legal action taken by the version of Saxon featuring Biff Byford
.
Oliver has also released the solo
album End Of An Era. Five of the tracks were written and performed by rock indie band Bullrush, with whom Graham' son Paul Oliver plays drums, along Steve Tudberry and Scott Howitt. Also appearing on the album were Pete Gill, Steve Dawson, Kev Moore
, Paul Johnson, Phil Hendriks, Richard Spencer (The Widdler) from Zephyr and Chris Archer.
Since 2003, Oliver sometimes plays with one former Marc Bolan
session musician who misleadingly tours under on the T.Rex banner. This opportunity materialised after Graham played Get It On with Rolan Bolan at a special show in Bradford. He has also recently gained an endorsement from British guitar
company Indie.
As of 2005, he was playing in Oliver/Dawson Saxon
in the US. Oliver maintains that the real 'Saxon' would be the one that has all the original founding members still playing together. The current band line up of Oliver-Dawson Saxon contains two of the five original founders and one member from the 1980 line up.
Oliver and Steve Dawson are currently writing the book, 'Saxon Drugs and Rock and Roll - The Real Spinal Tap'. The book will tell the story of how Oliver and Dawson were the inspirations for the film This is Spinal Tap
, and will include dozens of stories that never made it into the film.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
.
Career
He played with the heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
from 1977 to 1994. After leaving the band he initially reformed his old band Son of a Bitch with former Saxon bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Steve Dawson
Steve Dawson
Steven "Dobby" Dawson , is an English bass guitarist, founder of Saxon.Dawson was the inspiration for Harry Shearer's Spinal Tap character Derek Smalls.-Saxon:*Saxon *Wheels of Steel...
and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Pete Gill
Pete Gill
Pete Gill is a heavy metal drummer, formerly a member of The Glitter Band, Saxon and Motörhead.Gill was one of the two drummers in The Glitter Band, then formed part of the original line up Saxon in 1978. He stayed with them until 1981 when he injured his hand...
. Son of a Bitch released the largely ignored, album Victim You with Thunderhead
Thunderhead
Thunderhead can refer to:*a cumulonimbus cloud seen during a thunderstormOther meanings:*Thunderhead , a Marvel comic character in the comic Monstergirl...
singer, Ted Bullet.
Bullet left the band, and Gill disappeared after the release of the album. They were replaced by vocalist John Ward and another former member of Saxon, Nigel Durham
Nigel Durham
Nigel Durham is the drummer on Saxon's album Destiny. He now performs with former Saxon members Steve Dawson and Graham Oliver in Oliver/Dawson Saxon....
on drums. Oliver and Dawson changed the name of the band to Oliver-Dawson Saxon, and continue to live up to the legacy of Saxon, playing smaller venues to appreciative crowds.They also undertook a full U.K tour on Ronnie James Dio 'Killing the dragon 'tour. Graham also duetted with Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich , is a Los Angeles-based hard rock guitarist, since 2003 a member of Whitesnake. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St.John in 1998 and has played previously with the bands Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, and Bad Moon Rising...
on 'Rainbow in the Dark' on the last gig at Plymouth. They initially performed under the Saxon name before being halted by legal action taken by the version of Saxon featuring Biff Byford
Biff Byford
Peter Rodney "Biff" Byford is an English rock singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Saxon. Byford formed Son of a Bitch with guitarists Graham Oliver and Paul Quinn, bassist Steve Dawson and drummer Pete Gill in 1976...
.
Oliver has also released the solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album End Of An Era. Five of the tracks were written and performed by rock indie band Bullrush, with whom Graham' son Paul Oliver plays drums, along Steve Tudberry and Scott Howitt. Also appearing on the album were Pete Gill, Steve Dawson, Kev Moore
Kev Moore
Kev Moore is a Bass Player and Lead Vocalist. Formerly with Tubeless Hearts, he played with English pop band Christie from 1990 to 2003, and was featured in Graham Oliver’s Saxon on two European tours, before other commitments resulted in John Ward taking over vocal duties for the resulting...
, Paul Johnson, Phil Hendriks, Richard Spencer (The Widdler) from Zephyr and Chris Archer.
Since 2003, Oliver sometimes plays with one former Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
session musician who misleadingly tours under on the T.Rex banner. This opportunity materialised after Graham played Get It On with Rolan Bolan at a special show in Bradford. He has also recently gained an endorsement from British guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
company Indie.
As of 2005, he was playing in Oliver/Dawson Saxon
Oliver/Dawson Saxon
Oliver/Dawson Saxon is an English heavy metal band formed in 1995 by former members of Saxon, guitarist Graham Oliver and bassist Steve Dawson.-Oliver/Dawson Saxon :...
in the US. Oliver maintains that the real 'Saxon' would be the one that has all the original founding members still playing together. The current band line up of Oliver-Dawson Saxon contains two of the five original founders and one member from the 1980 line up.
Oliver and Steve Dawson are currently writing the book, 'Saxon Drugs and Rock and Roll - The Real Spinal Tap'. The book will tell the story of how Oliver and Dawson were the inspirations for the film This is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap is an American 1984 rock musical mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap...
, and will include dozens of stories that never made it into the film.
Studio albums
- (1979) SaxonSaxon (album)Saxon is the debut studio album by British heavy metal band Saxon released in 1979 .-Track listing:Bonus tracks on 2009 remastered album-Personnel:*Biff Byford - vocals*Graham Oliver - guitar*Paul Quinn - guitar...
- (1980) Wheels of SteelWheels of SteelWheels of Steel is the second studio album by heavy metal band Saxon. It was released in 1980 .Despite its lyric, "747 " does not appear to be based on any actual incidents....
- (1980) Strong Arm of the LawStrong Arm of the LawStrong Arm of The Law is the third studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1980. This was released a few months after the classic Wheels of Steel and debuted on the UK chart at #11."Dallas 1 PM" was written about the assassination of John F...
- (1981) Denim and LeatherDenim and LeatherDenim and Leather is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon released in 1981 . The name of the album and song was inspired by the popular attire of metalheads in the early 1980s, defined by denim pants and leather jackets...
- (1983) Power & the Glory
- (1984) CrusaderCrusader (Saxon album)Crusader is the sixth studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1984 . The album sold over 2 million copies.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Biff Byford - Vocals*Graham Oliver - Guitar*Paul Quinn - Guitar*Steve Dawson - Bass...
- (1985) Innocence Is No ExcuseInnocence Is No ExcuseInnocence Is No Excuse is the seventh studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1985 . it was the group's first album for EMI after a falling-out with their previous label, Carrere Records...
- (1986) Rock the NationsRock the NationsRock the Nations is the eighth studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1986 . Elton John, who was recording the tracks for his album Leather Jackets in the same studio, is featured on the songs "Party Til You Puke" and "Northern Lady".-Track listing:-Personnel:*Biff Byford - vocals,...
- (1988) DestinyDestiny (Saxon album)Destiny is the ninth studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1988.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Biff Byford - vocals*Graham Oliver - guitar*Paul Quinn - guitar*Paul Johnson - bass*Nigel Durham - drums-Additional Musicians:...
- (1990) Solid Ball of RockSolid Ball of RockSolid Ball of Rock is the tenth studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1991 .Interestingly, five of the 11 tracks on Solid Ball of Rock were written by new bassist Nibbs Carter, who co-wrote an additional three songs....
- (1992) Forever FreeForever Free (Saxon album)Forever Free is the eleventh studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1992 .A UK version of the album features a cover of a biker Space Marine from the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop wargame.-Track listing:-Personnel:...
- (1995) Dogs of WarDogs of War (album)Dogs of War is the twelfth studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1995 . It is the last album to feature Graham Oliver on guitar.-Track listing:...
Live Albums
- (1982) The Eagle has LandedThe Eagle Has LandedThe Eagle Has Landed is a book by Jack Higgins set during World War II. It first published in 1975. It was made into a film of the same name in 1976 starring Michael Caine...
- (1989) Rock 'n' Roll GypsiesRock 'n' Roll GypsiesRock 'n' Roll Gypsies is the second live album by the band Saxon released in 1989 by Roadrunner Records.It was the first album produced by Biff Byford and the first work with bass player Nibbs Carter; in addition it states drummer Nigel Glockler's return to the band.In 2001 it was re-released with...
- (1990) Greatest Hits LiveGreatest Hits Live (Saxon album)Greatest Hits Live is the third live album by the band Saxon. It was released in 1990 just one year after their previous live album Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies to celebrate the tenth anniversary years of the band's activity, together with a VHS of the concert....
- (1999) BBC SessionsBBC Sessions (Saxon)BBC Sessions / Live at Reading Festival '86 is a live compilation album by the British heavy metal band Saxon. It was recorded live in studio by the famous British record producer Tony Wilson for the BBC Radio 1 shows of the early 80s and at the 1986 Reading Festival, where Saxon were the...
- (2000) Live at Buxted Lodge 1980
Oliver/Dawson Saxon
- (2000) Re://Landed
- (2003) It's Alive
- (2003) The Second Wave: 25 Years of NWOBHM