Saga

The Oakville, Ontario progressive pop band whose Behaviour (1985) includes the single "What Do I Know?".

Pockets to Saga

Saga formed in Oakville, Ontario in 1977, first under the name Pockets, growing from the nucleus of Fludd. The principal songwriters are Michael Sadler and Jim Crichton, and the band's sound is defined by Ian Crichton's staccato guitar riffs doubled with synths and keyboard arrangements often involving three players. The debut Saga came out in April 1978 and sold over 30,000 copies in Germany as an import. Images at Twilight (1979) produced their first Canadian chart single, "It's Time" at 84; Silent Knight followed in 1980, and Worlds Apart (1981) gave them "On the Loose", 22 in Canada and 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, with the album going gold in the US in 1983. They won the Juno for Most Promising Group in 1982 and opened for Jethro Tull that year and Billy Squier in 1983.

Many of their early albums carry The Chapters, a science-fiction concept told out of order, chapters 1 to 8 on the first four albums and 9 to 16 between 1999 and 2003. Germany has always been a stronghold, and they have visited Puerto Rico 12 times, where a 1981 concert caused riots among fans trying to enter a sold-out show of over 10,000, and the Puerto Rican legislature recognized them in February 2005. Wikipedia credits more than 8 million albums sold.

Line-up changes

After Behaviour (1985) Steve Negus and Jim Gilmour left in 1986 and formed the Gilmour-Negus Project (Safety Zone, 1988); both returned in 1992. Wikipedia's two pages tell the departure differently: the band article says management concerns, the Behaviour article says Sadler told them they were no longer welcome. Sadler left in 2007 to focus on family, with Rob Moratti singing from 2008 to 2011, and returned in January 2011. Brian Doerner drummed from 2006 to 2012 and Mike Thorne since 2012, chosen through YouTube auditions.

Sadler announced retirement after the 40th anniversary Final Chapter tour in 2017, and Jim Crichton left on August 5, 2018, before the final two shows of that run; the band continued after fan requests. Dusty Chesterfield replaced him on tour from 2019. Symmetry (2021) is an acoustic album recorded in lockdown. Sadler returned to the stage in 2026 for a limited run of Canadian shows, with a Generations Tour listed into 2027. Edwin Ammerlaan wrote Saga: The Biography (2008).

Albums

Saga 1978
A 1978 album.
Images At Twilight 1979
A 1979 album.
Silent Knight 1980
A 1980 album.
Worlds Apart 1981
A 1981 album.
In Transit 1982
A 1982 album.
Heads Or Tales 1983
A 1983 album.
Behaviour 1985 · Portrait
Their first album without producer Rupert Hine, with a pop-leaning sound.
Wildest Dreams 1987
A 1987 album.
The Beginner's Guide To Throwing Shapes 1989
A 1989 album.
The Security Of Illusion 1993
A 1993 album.
Steel Umbrellas 1994
A 1994 album.
Generation 13 1995
A 1995 album.
Pleasure & The Pain 1997
A 1997 album.
Detours 1998
A 1998 album.
Full Circle 1999
A 1999 album.
House Of Cards 2001
A 2001 album.
Marathon 2003
A 2003 album.
Network 2004
A 2004 album.
Trust 2006
A 2006 album.
10,000 Days 2007
A 2007 album.
Worlds Apart Revisited 2007
A 2007 album.
The Human Condition 2009
A 2009 album.
20/20 2012
A 2012 album.
Sagacity 2014
A 2014 album.
Symmetry 2021
A 2021 album.

Songs

What Do I Know? Behaviour · 1985
A single from Behaviour, 57 in Canada.

Sources

Saga (band), Wikipedia
Saga, Saga
Saga to return to stage in 2026, Blabbermouth
Saga on MusicBrainz, MusicBrainz