Bay City Rollers: Where Is the Pop Rock Band Now?
With hits like “Saturday Night” and “Bye Bye Baby,” the Bay City Rollers were once one of the most popular music groups of the ’70s. The Scottish pop-rock band’s breakup pushed them out of the spotlight, but what are the Bay City Rollers up to today?
The formation of the Bay City Rollers
The band initially formed as a trio called the Ambassadors in 1964, as the Edinburgh News reports. The group was made up of Alan Longmuir, his brother Derek Longmuir, and their cousin Neil Porteous. They ended up changing their name to the Saxons and added a school friend, Gordon Clark, to be the lead singer.
The group gained and lost members over the years but continued performing whenever they got the chance. Their big break came when they got a regular gig playing at a popular club and got to open for the Hipple People.
As their popularity grew, the band decided they needed a new, more American-sounding name. They settled on the Rollers but wanted to add something to it. Derek threw a dart at a map of the U.S., first landing on Arkansas. The band didn’t like the sound of that, so they threw the dart again. It landed near Bay City, Michigan, and the rest is history!
The Bay City Rollers’ success in the music industry
The Bay City Rollers found career success in the early ’70s, with singles like “Remember,” which went to No. 6 in the UK, “Shang-a-Lang” with a No. 2 spot, and “Summerlove Sensation,” which hit No. 3.
Their biggest success came with “Saturday Night,” which was released in 1975. The song went No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and skyrocketed the group to worldwide fame.
Even though the Bay City Rollers were enjoying a career-high, the band couldn’t seem to stick together. They constantly dropped and added members, as some couldn’t take the pressure of being in such a famous group, while others wanted to make more sophisticated music.
The Bay City Rollers have never stopped performing over the years, launching Japanese tours — the group was massively popular in the country — and plans to record new albums, which sadly never came to fruition.
The group has continued to enjoy major success, though. The Bay City Rollers have sold 120 million records worldwide, which makes them one of the best-selling artists of all time.
The legal dispute between the Bay City Rollers and their label
However, that has not translated to big bucks for the surviving members of the Bay City Rollers. In 2007, six former members of the group, including Alan, Derek, Les McKeown, Eric Faulkner, and Stuart Wood, sued Arista Records in hopes of claiming tens of millions of unpaid royalties.
Arista alleged that the statute of limitations on the royalties was up, as the Scotsman reports. But since the record label had continued to promise the Bay City Rollers the royalties in writing, a judge ruled that the statute was not applicable.
The legal battle came to an end in 2016, with the two parties settling out of court. Arista Records’ parent company, Sony Music, is believed to have paid the band members $3.5 million, with each party receiving £70,000.
Are the Bay City Rollers touring?
Bay City Rollers founding member Alan Longmuir died in 2018. Members Ian Mitchell and Les McKeown died in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Like many musicians, the Bay City Rollers were not able to tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the band continues to perform shows throughout the U.K led by Guitarist Stuart “Woody” Wood. In 2021, the band announced plans for new music (via YouTube).
Even though it took many years, fans of the Bay City Rollers are happy to know that the group has finally gotten the money that was due to them for all their hit records.
