60 Seconds with Singer Leo Sayer

Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen

Leo Sayer does not really need an introduction. He has been in the music business for 50 years with hits like “When I need you”, “More than I can say” and “Orchard Road”. He has a new album out where he sings The Beatles and is on tour. He lives in Australia.

KB: We all know you best from songs like “When I Need You”, “More Than I Can Say” and “Orchard Road”: What is the story behind these songs and were you surprised they became such hits?

“When I need you” was a song by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager that was presented to me to record on my 1976 album ‘Endless Flight’. I loved the lyric which perfectly describes the difficulties of long-distance love, but I had to persuade producer Richard Perry to record it because he thought it was a bit too ‘soppy’. I stood my ground, we recorded it, and the rest is history!

“More than I can say” was originally written by two guys from Buddy Holly’s Crickets, Sonny Curtis and Jerry Alison, and was a hit for Bobby Vee in 1960. In 1980, my producer Alan Tarney and I had just finished our ‘Living in A Fantasy’ album, when we discovered we had an extra day in the studio we hadn’t accounted for. We decided to maybe cut a B-side for one of the singles on the album. We were thinking of doing a cover of an old track but couldn’t decide which one. Then sitting around watching TV an ad came on for ‘The Greatest Hits of Bobby Vee’. Soon as we heard ‘More Than I Can Say’ we knew we had to cut it. We finished it that day, and it beat all the other songs as the first choice for our single.

“Orchard Road” was written with Alan Tarney. We were fooling around with a new keyboard when I stepped up to the mic and this (true) story came rushing out of me. It was something I’d bottled up because it was about a relationship I’d had with a young girl, while I was married, and furthermore detailing me going back to my wife to ask for forgiveness – not something I would’ve intentionally tried to write, but there it was. The confessional song we created, without any intention to do so, was undeniably powerful and became one of my most popular songs.

KB: You are celebrating 50 years in the business: Was this ever the plan and are you surprised you stayed successful this long?

No, it was never the plan. But I’ve had many difficult experiences that have always made me determined to overcome the negative times and I think that’s what has kept me going. Mentally I live my life as if I’m a 25-year-old (!) and I don’t feel my story is finished yet, not by a long chalk.

KB: You are an Australian citizen and have been living in Australia for a long time: What made you move there?

I felt right at home here from the early days of touring and visiting this country. Space, freedom of movement, great nature, and creative people with a very positive attitude. I felt, 17 years ago, that I needed a change too. It’s worked out great for me in so many ways.

KB: You have a new album out called Northern Songs: you sing 19 Beatles songs in your own style: What is the story behind this new album? Why The Beatles? You have a favorite Beatles song?

I always loved The Beatles, and like many of my contemporaries, they were such a great influence on me musically and culturally. I was trying some things in my studio and found that ‘Eleanor Rigby’ worked with a Michael Jackson beat, so I recorded the song like that. That was 10 years ago, and I kept having more ideas of how I could interpret these songs, so I carried on. When Covid stopped me from going anywhere I hunkered down in my studio and finished the project. I’m mighty proud of it. No favorites except these choices that are on the album. They wrote so many great songs it’s hard for me to pick one.

KB: Any artists you currently like and who you would like to work with?

Well, nobody really. I’m one of those strange creatives who works best on my own these days. I’ve developed a method to do this and right now this the way I’m happiest proceeding.

KB: The whole world has been in several lock downs due to the raging pandemic: what have you been doing during these lock downs?

Finishing this album, but I also released online some songs that described the pandemic, like ‘My City in Lockdown’ and ‘How Did We Get Here’, both are on You Tube.

KB: You are coming back to Ireland: You give a concert on 22 August at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin? I would love to meet you there and do another interview with you.

Yes, I’m so happy to be coming back. The Dublin concert and the ones in Belfast and Cork had to be postponed in March 2020, so it’s great that we can finally perform them. Yes of course, I’ll probably be staying in Dublin for a couple of days, so we’ll set it up!

Check out Leo’s website HERE