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Jigsaw (band)
Encyclopedia
Jigsaw were an English
pop music
group, fronted by the singer-songwriter
duo
of Clive Scott
and Des Dyer. In Australia
the group was called "British Jigsaw" due to the existence of a local band of the same name.
, formed from musicians in Coventry
and Rugby
by Tony Campbell in April 1966, they went on to score a number of hit singles
around the world
. They also released thirteen album
s. The group was partly influenced by fellow British musician
s The Beatles
, at times sounding Beatle-esque, especially their ballad
s, which show leanings towards Paul McCartney
's musical and vocal arrangements.
), Clive Scott
(keyboards
and vocals) (born 24 February 1945, in Coventry
, Barrie Bernard (bass guitar
) (born 27 November 1944, in Coventry
, Warwickshire
), Tony Campbell (guitar
) (born Anthony Campbell, 24 June 1944, in Rugby
, Warwickshire), Tony Britnell (saxophone
) and Kevin "Beppy" Mahon (saxophone). Biffo left in the first year, and was replaced by Des Dyer (drums
) (born Desmond Dyer, 22 May 1948, in Rugby
, Warwickshire
), who took over lead vocals.
Scott was previously in Scott and The Antarctics; Dyer had played in both The Surfcyders and Clockwork Shoppe; Campbell, Mahon and Beech had worked together previously in The Mighty Avengers
; and Bernard had been a member of Pinkerton's Assorted Colours
, whilst Britnel had worked with The Fortunes
.
Campbell actually named the band after a Manchester nightclub called "The Jigsaw Club", but the way that he 'pieced together' the band from other members of existing groups also gave added credence to the name.
In 1970, the group were given the opportunity of turning fully professional by being the backing band for Arthur Conley
, on his European tour. Most of the band took the plunge, but Kevin Mahon decided to keep his day job and left the band. In 1974, Tony Britnell became seriously ill and left the band. After his recuperation he became a member of The Sunsets, the backing band for Shakin' Stevens
.
Jigsaw's arrangement of the Johann Sebastian Bach
tune, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
was featured on their 1970 debut album Letherslade Farm.
The group gives credit to their producer and manager, Chas Peate, for inspiration to get songs completed. As Jigsaw toured a lot, Scott and Dyer would write snippets of songs separately in their spare time, but, as Dyer said in an interview in the 1990s, "it was Chas who would say we're recording an album soon, you'll need 10 songs by then". The two would then combine their work together for the planned recording sessions.
As songwriters, the duo had a hit song with "Who Do You Think You Are?", which was covered by the UK band Candlewick Green
in 1974. The song was further covered in the U.S. by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
(this version made the U.S. charts), and again in 1993 by Saint Etienne
. The song was also on Jigsaw's 1974 album I’ve Seen The Film, I’ve Read The Book. However, the band's own single from the album "You’re Not The Only Girl" was not a chart success and they were soon dropped by their recording label, BASF
.
Wanting to carry on, the group continued to make music and signed a new deal with independent UK label Splash, which was founded by Chas Peate himself. Their first single for their new label, entitled "Sky High
", was recorded for the film
The Man from Hong Kong
, a 1975 martial-arts action movie starring George Lazenby
. Splash pressed a couple of hundred promotional copies and reaction to the song was good, especially from Radio Luxembourg which began playing the song with high rotation during its nightly English pop music broadcasts to the UK. "Sky High" subsequently made the UK Top 10 in November 1975. Chelsea Records released it in the U.S. (where Splash had no pressing plant) and it was a hit there, going to #3. It charted all over the world and was #1 in Japan
. A famous Mexican wrestler called Mil Mascaras
used "Sky High
" as his theme tune. He would walk to the ring with the song playing in the background. His popularity in Japan helped "Sky High
" to become a hit twice over in that country in consecutive years.
Their album also entitled Sky High sold very well too, especially in Japan, and the next single "Love Fire" was another hit, although not in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, "Love Fire" was followed by two new albums, one for the British market called Pieces of Magic and another for the American market simply named after the band, Jigsaw.
In 1977, the band recorded their album Journey Into Space in Los Angeles. Years later, Clive Scott revealed in an interview that the record label (Twentieth Century Fox) paid for the band to fly out to make the album, paid for their accommodation, and gave them cash advances (or, as Scott called it, “pocket money
”) to live off for three months while making the record. The album was produced by Rick Jerrard who was the producer of Jose Feliciano and the person responsible for putting together Elvis Presley's Las Vegas band. However, the album was never released, much to the frustration of the group.
Jigsaw returned to Britain and scored another hit with the single "If I Have To Go Away", after which they recorded ten original songs for the film Home Before Midnight.
. The album, a disco influenced set (that was never released in the United Kingdom
) was issued in the United States
the following year. A final single under the Jigsaw name was released by Splash in early 1983 called "Love Isn't At Home".
Following the group split, Scott and Dyer continued to be successful songwriters, having their work recorded by Nicki French
, Bad Boys Inc
, Boyzone
, Jon Otis and many others. After leaving his music career behind when he quit Jigsaw in 1979, Tony Campbell went back to his first occupation, ophthalmic engineering. Barrie Bernard continued to work in the entertainment business, running night clubs as well as being an active magician. Though no new studio albums have been issued, eight newly recorded songs were included on a 1995 compilation CD, entitled The Best Of Jigsaw, just one of the collections of their music released. Dyer has twice attempted to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest
, taking part in both the 1983 and 1985 A Song For Europe
competitions. In 1983, he placed third as lead singer of the group Casablanca with the song "With Love". Two year's later, as a soloist, he took "Energy" to fourth place. The song from 1985, "Energy", was reworked to become the album track "Voice Of America" and sung by Nicki French
for her first studio album "Secrets". In 1988, Dyer provided backing vocals at the Eurovision final alongside Julie Forsyth and Dominic Grant, both formerly of Guys 'n' Dolls, for the UK entry performed by Scott Fitzgerald
, "Go". This song placed second in the Dublin based contest.
Despite the longevity they had, many consider the group to be highly underrated. Much has also been made about their lack of success in the UK charts, where only two of their singles made the Top 40. It has been suggested this was because BBC Radio 1
, the most popular station in the UK at the time, gave little or no airplay to their singles after "Sky High" in 1975. However, the group lasted a long time and were big stars in Japan, as well as having four Billboard Hot 100
hit singles in the U.S. Their music is also still in print on compact disc
, enjoying healthy sales. The sleeve notes to their 1998 Greatest Hits collection, The Very Best Of Jigsaw stated "A look at Jigsaw’s songs reveals the innovative work of its creators: the advanced song structure, the clever use of classical techniques like counterpoint and a novel approach to using sound effects – leaving the listener with a sadly-overlooked-but-very-impressive catalogue of melodic pop songs".
Founding member Clive Scott died on 10 May 2009. He had an accident at home two weeks earlier and never recovered, despite having brain surgery. He was 64 years old and is survived by his widow and son.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group, fronted by the singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
of Clive Scott
Clive Scott
Clive Scott was a former keyboard player of the British 1970s pop / rock group, Jigsaw, as well as the composer of most of the group's recordings, together with the singer, Des Dyer...
and Des Dyer. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
the group was called "British Jigsaw" due to the existence of a local band of the same name.
Overview
Originally a six piece bandBand (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, formed from musicians in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
and Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
by Tony Campbell in April 1966, they went on to score a number of hit singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
around the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
. They also released thirteen album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s. The group was partly influenced by fellow British musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, at times sounding Beatle-esque, especially their ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s, which show leanings towards Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's musical and vocal arrangements.
The early days
The original line-up consisted of Dave "Biffo" Beech (vocals and drumsDrum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), Clive Scott
Clive Scott
Clive Scott was a former keyboard player of the British 1970s pop / rock group, Jigsaw, as well as the composer of most of the group's recordings, together with the singer, Des Dyer...
(keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and vocals) (born 24 February 1945, in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Barrie Bernard (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) (born 27 November 1944, in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
), Tony Campbell (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...
) (born Anthony Campbell, 24 June 1944, in Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, Warwickshire), Tony Britnell (saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
) and Kevin "Beppy" Mahon (saxophone). Biffo left in the first year, and was replaced by Des Dyer (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) (born Desmond Dyer, 22 May 1948, in Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
), who took over lead vocals.
Scott was previously in Scott and The Antarctics; Dyer had played in both The Surfcyders and Clockwork Shoppe; Campbell, Mahon and Beech had worked together previously in The Mighty Avengers
The Mighty Avengers (band)
The Mighty Avengers were a pop group, formed in 1962 in Coventry, England.- History :The group were managed by Andrew Loog Oldham, who at the same time, also managed The Rolling Stones...
; and Bernard had been a member of Pinkerton's Assorted Colours
Pinkerton's Assorted Colours
Pinkerton's Assorted Colours were a mid 1960s pop band from England.-Career:Formed in Rugby, Warwickshire as 'The Liberators', they became Pinkerton's Assorted Colours in 1965, and scored a Top 10 hit with their first single release, "Mirror, Mirror" written by Tony Newman. They were managed by...
, whilst Britnel had worked with The Fortunes
The Fortunes
The Fortunes are an English harmony beat group. Formed in Birmingham, The Fortunes first came to prominence and international acclaim in 1965, when "You've Got Your Troubles" broke into the US and UK Top 10s...
.
Campbell actually named the band after a Manchester nightclub called "The Jigsaw Club", but the way that he 'pieced together' the band from other members of existing groups also gave added credence to the name.
In 1970, the group were given the opportunity of turning fully professional by being the backing band for Arthur Conley
Arthur Conley
Arthur Lee Conley was an American soul singer, best known for the 1967 hit "Sweet Soul Music".-Career:...
, on his European tour. Most of the band took the plunge, but Kevin Mahon decided to keep his day job and left the band. In 1974, Tony Britnell became seriously ill and left the band. After his recuperation he became a member of The Sunsets, the backing band for Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
.
Change in musical direction and commercial success
On stage, Jigsaw were a wild rock band who had a high energy live show (drum kits were set on fire, explosions were set off as an effect, Tony Britnell performed fire eating and Clive Scott would make his Marshall stack explode and disintegrate), however, during the 1970s they began writing and recording more mainstream pop.Jigsaw's arrangement of the Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
tune, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is the most common English title of the 10th movement of the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. A transcription by the English pianist Myra Hess was published in 1926 for piano solo and in 1934 for piano duet...
was featured on their 1970 debut album Letherslade Farm.
The group gives credit to their producer and manager, Chas Peate, for inspiration to get songs completed. As Jigsaw toured a lot, Scott and Dyer would write snippets of songs separately in their spare time, but, as Dyer said in an interview in the 1990s, "it was Chas who would say we're recording an album soon, you'll need 10 songs by then". The two would then combine their work together for the planned recording sessions.
As songwriters, the duo had a hit song with "Who Do You Think You Are?", which was covered by the UK band Candlewick Green
Candlewick Green
Candlewick Green were a five piece English pop group. They are best known for their cover of Jigsaw's song, "Who Do You Think You Are" .-Career:...
in 1974. The song was further covered in the U.S. by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods are an American pop music group, known mainly for their 1970s hit singles, "Billy Don't Be A Hero" and "Who Do You Think You Are".-History:The band was formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1965 by their leader Bo Donaldson...
(this version made the U.S. charts), and again in 1993 by Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne (band)
Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
. The song was also on Jigsaw's 1974 album I’ve Seen The Film, I’ve Read The Book. However, the band's own single from the album "You’re Not The Only Girl" was not a chart success and they were soon dropped by their recording label, BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
.
Wanting to carry on, the group continued to make music and signed a new deal with independent UK label Splash, which was founded by Chas Peate himself. Their first single for their new label, entitled "Sky High
Sky High (song)
"Sky High" is the name of a 1975 single by British pop music group, Jigsaw. The song, the main title theme to the film entitled The Man from Hong Kong, was a world-wide hit in the latter part of 1975, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and #9 in the UK Singles Chart.Two...
", was recorded for the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
The Man from Hong Kong
The Man from Hong Kong
The Man from Hong Kong, known in the U.S.A. as The Dragon Flies is a 1975 action film that was the first Australian-Hong Kong co-production being filmed in both nations. The film was also the first Australian martial arts film. It was produced by Raymond Chow and John Fraser, directed by Brian...
, a 1975 martial-arts action movie starring George Lazenby
George Lazenby
George Robert Lazenby is an Australian actor and former model, best known for portraying James Bond in the 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.-Early life:...
. Splash pressed a couple of hundred promotional copies and reaction to the song was good, especially from Radio Luxembourg which began playing the song with high rotation during its nightly English pop music broadcasts to the UK. "Sky High" subsequently made the UK Top 10 in November 1975. Chelsea Records released it in the U.S. (where Splash had no pressing plant) and it was a hit there, going to #3. It charted all over the world and was #1 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. A famous Mexican wrestler called Mil Mascaras
Mil Máscaras
Aaron Rodríguez , best known as Mil Máscaras , is a semi-retired Mexican professional wrestler and actor, who has starred in several films with fellow luchadores...
used "Sky High
Sky High (song)
"Sky High" is the name of a 1975 single by British pop music group, Jigsaw. The song, the main title theme to the film entitled The Man from Hong Kong, was a world-wide hit in the latter part of 1975, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and #9 in the UK Singles Chart.Two...
" as his theme tune. He would walk to the ring with the song playing in the background. His popularity in Japan helped "Sky High
Sky High (song)
"Sky High" is the name of a 1975 single by British pop music group, Jigsaw. The song, the main title theme to the film entitled The Man from Hong Kong, was a world-wide hit in the latter part of 1975, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and #9 in the UK Singles Chart.Two...
" to become a hit twice over in that country in consecutive years.
Their album also entitled Sky High sold very well too, especially in Japan, and the next single "Love Fire" was another hit, although not in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, "Love Fire" was followed by two new albums, one for the British market called Pieces of Magic and another for the American market simply named after the band, Jigsaw.
In 1977, the band recorded their album Journey Into Space in Los Angeles. Years later, Clive Scott revealed in an interview that the record label (Twentieth Century Fox) paid for the band to fly out to make the album, paid for their accommodation, and gave them cash advances (or, as Scott called it, “pocket money
Pocket Money
Pocket Money is a 1972 film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, from a screenplay written by Terrence Malick and based on the novel Jim Kane by Joseph P. Brown...
”) to live off for three months while making the record. The album was produced by Rick Jerrard who was the producer of Jose Feliciano and the person responsible for putting together Elvis Presley's Las Vegas band. However, the album was never released, much to the frustration of the group.
Jigsaw returned to Britain and scored another hit with the single "If I Have To Go Away", after which they recorded ten original songs for the film Home Before Midnight.
Break-up
A little-known fact is that Bernard left the band in 1978 and was replaced by Jon Fox. Campbell left the band in 1979 and was replaced by Rod Godwin. The band, as a unit, finally ceased touring in 1981 but Scott and Dyer continued to record using Tim Stone on guitar and Pete Dennis on bass. This new group lineup recorded one album for ElektraElektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
. The album, a disco influenced set (that was never released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) was issued in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the following year. A final single under the Jigsaw name was released by Splash in early 1983 called "Love Isn't At Home".
Following the group split, Scott and Dyer continued to be successful songwriters, having their work recorded by Nicki French
Nicki French
Nicola S. French is a female English singer and dancer. She is best known for her 1995 dance cover version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and for representing the United Kingdom in 2000 at Eurovision in Stockholm.-Career:French provided backing vocals on Rose-Marie's 1992 album, Emotional Exposure...
, Bad Boys Inc
Bad Boys Inc
Bad Boys Inc were an English boy band, formed in 1993 by the record producer, Ian Levine. Signed to A&M Records, the members were David W. Ross, Matthew Pateman, Tony Dowding and Ally Begg.-Career:...
, Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
, Jon Otis and many others. After leaving his music career behind when he quit Jigsaw in 1979, Tony Campbell went back to his first occupation, ophthalmic engineering. Barrie Bernard continued to work in the entertainment business, running night clubs as well as being an active magician. Though no new studio albums have been issued, eight newly recorded songs were included on a 1995 compilation CD, entitled The Best Of Jigsaw, just one of the collections of their music released. Dyer has twice attempted to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
, taking part in both the 1983 and 1985 A Song For Europe
A Song for Europe
A Song for Europe may refer to:*A Song for Europe, former name of British pre-selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, now known as Eurovision: Your Country Needs You...
competitions. In 1983, he placed third as lead singer of the group Casablanca with the song "With Love". Two year's later, as a soloist, he took "Energy" to fourth place. The song from 1985, "Energy", was reworked to become the album track "Voice Of America" and sung by Nicki French
Nicki French
Nicola S. French is a female English singer and dancer. She is best known for her 1995 dance cover version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and for representing the United Kingdom in 2000 at Eurovision in Stockholm.-Career:French provided backing vocals on Rose-Marie's 1992 album, Emotional Exposure...
for her first studio album "Secrets". In 1988, Dyer provided backing vocals at the Eurovision final alongside Julie Forsyth and Dominic Grant, both formerly of Guys 'n' Dolls, for the UK entry performed by Scott Fitzgerald
Scott Fitzgerald (singer)
Scott Fitzgerald is a Scottish singer, who had his biggest success in the 1970s and later represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest.-Career:...
, "Go". This song placed second in the Dublin based contest.
Despite the longevity they had, many consider the group to be highly underrated. Much has also been made about their lack of success in the UK charts, where only two of their singles made the Top 40. It has been suggested this was because BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, the most popular station in the UK at the time, gave little or no airplay to their singles after "Sky High" in 1975. However, the group lasted a long time and were big stars in Japan, as well as having four Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit singles in the U.S. Their music is also still in print on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, enjoying healthy sales. The sleeve notes to their 1998 Greatest Hits collection, The Very Best Of Jigsaw stated "A look at Jigsaw’s songs reveals the innovative work of its creators: the advanced song structure, the clever use of classical techniques like counterpoint and a novel approach to using sound effects – leaving the listener with a sadly-overlooked-but-very-impressive catalogue of melodic pop songs".
Founding member Clive Scott died on 10 May 2009. He had an accident at home two weeks earlier and never recovered, despite having brain surgery. He was 64 years old and is survived by his widow and son.
Albums
- Letherslade Farm (1970) Philips
- Aurora Borialis (1972) Philips
- Broken Hearted (1974)
- I've Seen The Film, I've Read The Book (1974)
- Sky High (1975) (track listing differed from country to country)
- The Best of Jigsaw (1995) (included new recordings)
Singles
- Let Me Go Home c/w Tumblin (1968) Music Factory
- "One Way Street" (1968)
- "Keeping My Head Above Water" (1971)
- "I've Seen The Film, I've Read The Book" (1974)
- "Sky HighSky High (song)"Sky High" is the name of a 1975 single by British pop music group, Jigsaw. The song, the main title theme to the film entitled The Man from Hong Kong, was a world-wide hit in the latter part of 1975, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and #9 in the UK Singles Chart.Two...
" (1975) - (UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#9) (#3 US) - "Brand New Love Affair (1976) Originally the "B" side to Sky High. (#66 US)
- "Love Fire" (1976) (#30 US)
- "Cry 'Til The Tears Run Dry" (1976)
- "If I Have To Go Away" (1977) - (UK #36) (#93 US)
- "Only When I'm Lonely" (1977)
- "Everytime" (1978)
- "You Bring Out The Best In Me" (1980)
- "Prizefighter" (1980)
- "Airport (1980)
- "Love Isn't At Home" (1983)