INTERVIEW: Saxon’s Biff Byford on the influences of Eric Burdon, Nazareth
Photo: Saxon are a heavy metal band from the United Kingdom, and their new album is called More Inspirations. Photo courtesy of the band / Provided by press site with permission.
Although the members of the heavy metal band Saxon haven’t toured in the United States since before the pandemic, that doesn’t mean this legendary British group has stayed quiet. During the pandemic, they released a covers album of tunes that inspired them during their early years, and now they are back for round two. Released earlier this year, More Inspirations features Saxon and lead singer Biff Byford interpreting even more tunes that influenced their career trajectories.
Listeners of the new album can expect a variety of cuts, both well known and rare. There’s The Animals’ “We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place” and Kiss’ “Detroit Rock City,” plus Alice Cooper’s “From the Inside” and Nazareths’ “Razamanaz,” among others.
“We did the first one in lockdown,” Byford said in a recent phone interview. “We thought we should put something out that was interesting for people in lockdown because we didn’t want to put out a big studio album with COVID, so we waited to put that [first Inspirations] album out. We just thought we’d do Inspirations and have a bit of fun. Early last year we thought, let’s do another one. We have a bit of time, so that’s what we did really. All the songs on these albums are all connected.”
Byford said that the band members were “heavily” into Nazareth, a legendary band originally from Scotland, so it was a no-brainer to include them on this release. In fact, Saxon toured with Nazareth in the early 1980s; it was one of the first tours ever for Saxon, which was originally formed as the band Son of a Bitch in 1977 in Barnsley, England, according to their official biography. The name Saxon came two years later.
“They were like the premium UK band,” Byford said of Nazareth. “They used to start the set with this song [‘Razamanaz’], so I suppose they inspired us really because they’re such a really high-energy rock band.”
The Animals, fronted by Eric Burdon, were another important influence on Byford and company. He remembers “We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place” and its opening bass line, which was impressive to Byford, who was playing bass at that time in his life. “It was the first time I’d ever heard a song start with bass,” he said. “I was literally trying to play that riff on the bass guitar and learn it, so, yeah, just one of those songs that you learn to play really when you’re starting.”
Byford said that More Inspirations, much like the earlier covers album, had an interesting dilemma during the recording process. Should these songs sound like their original rock versions, or should they sound like Saxon’s heavier sound? The singer said he ultimately didn’t want to change the songs too much.
“We rearranged them a little bit, put drum beats in when there weren’t any, put a guitar solo instead of an organ, but generally we didn’t want to change any of the songs,” he said. “We didn’t use a keyboard player. We transposed everything to the guitar, so it just sounds heavier. Singing all the songs is quite a challenge because obviously every song is different vocally.”
Byford still has a strong voice as the lead vocalist, and amazingly he doesn’t do much to protect that instrument of his. He’s been going strong for four decades, and he reported that the best vocal exercise is simply singing. As he said, sometimes his voice is in good condition, and sometimes it’s not. He counts himself a lucky person to have such a strong command at this point in his career, with more better days than not.
The COVID-19 pandemic afforded Byford the rare chance to rest his voice, at least for live gigging. “The way it panned out, we all had to wait,” he said. “People were sick. It wasn’t a great time, but, yes, I did miss the live audience. We are a live band. People know us as a live band. I missed all that, the connection with the band. With social media, I stay in touch with people and let them know what’s happening on a day to day.”
Up next? There are a few items on Saxon’s to-do list, including a tour of the United States, which has been a long time coming. Byford said they are actively working on making some dates in the States a reality. “We’re working on it all the time actually,” the singer said. “The tax situation in America is a bit strange at the moment. … But, yeah, we’re always looking for a great package to come back into the States with. We’re trying every day. … Hopefully we can get back as soon as possible. We have a lot of fans in America.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Saxon’s new album is called More Inspirations. Click here for more information.
