The Very Best of Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 15, 2000)
• Original Release Date: February 15, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B000046PVJ
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,045 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Searching for hits in the '70s, Leo Sayer became a tender balladeer, an Elton John wannabe, a falsetto-voiced disco crooner, and a straightforward pop "entertainer." Remarkably, Sayer was good was at everything-from the Tin Pan Alley pop to the power ballads. While he will certainly be remembered for "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," Sayer's versatility is what's immediately obvious on this compilation. And aside from its obvious nostalgic charm, The Very Best of Leo Sayer sketches a portrait of a singer not only loaded with talent and ability, but also with resourcefulness, dedication, and an ability to remake himself with a speed that might impress Madonna. Loaded with songs you may have forgotten that you loved, this package, with comprehensive liner notes and hilarious photos, is both a consummate '70s document and a very entertaining listen. --S. Duda

Product Description

Stellar British-born pop singer-songwriter Leo Sayer's earliest successes include writing Giving It All Away, Who frontman Roger Daltrey's first hit as a solo artist. Leo's own version of it is featured on this definitive single-disc retrospective, along with fifteen more classic tracks. Also included are Sayer's 1973 debut single, Why Is Everybody Going Home, the follow-up, The Show Must Go On #1 in the U.K. One Man Band and Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)
from 1975's Just A Boy. The latter became his U.S. breakthrough hit, claiming #9 on Billboard®'s Pop singles chart. Sayer was a
fixture on the U.S. Top 40 through 81, with hits including More Than I Can Say, Living In A Fantasy, and the #1 singles When I Need You, and You Make Me Feel Like
Dancing, 1977's GRAMMY® winner for BestR&B Song, all featured here. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Leo Sayer - '70s Survivor, June 22, 2000

By 

Brent Evans (Rockhampton, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Very Best of Leo Sayer (Audio CD)

Believe it or not,Leo Sayer went through a few changes on the musical road he's been travelling close to thirty years now.When he started his songwriting partnership with David Courtney(around 1971-72),his songs were big hits for other artists(Three Dog Night -THE SHOW MUST GO ON,Roger Daltrey -ONE MAN BAND/GIVING IT ALL AWAY).Then around 1975,he started having hits of his own(LONG TALL GLASSES[I CAN DANCE], MOONLIGHTING).Leo has attempted disco (YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING,HOW MUCH LOVE,THUNDER IN MY HEART),covers(RAINING IN MY HEART,MORE THAN I CAN SAY)and ballads(HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE,WHEN I NEED YOU).Through all the musical styles,Leo Sayer has sailed through with an easy going nature and a strong confidence.True,he may not be on the hit parade anymore,but there is not one day that goes by without a radio station playing one of his hits;that alone has to be worth a look at this survivor of the '70s.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All the essentials, April 19, 2005

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Very Best of Leo Sayer (Audio CD)

Leo first achieved success as a songwriter when Roger Daltrey had a UK top five hit in 1973 with Giving it all away, co-written by Leo. He soon got a recording contract and released a single (Why is everybody going home) that flopped and is not included here.

Leo entered the UK charts at end of 1973 with his second single, The show must go on, which made number two in the UK. Three Dog Night covered the song and had an American hit with it so Leo's original was not released in America. Leo's next single, One man band, made the UK top ten while Three Dog Night covered the song for the American market. I guess this was sweet revenge for American artists, who had so often seen their songs covered by British artists in the sixties. While it may have been frustrating for Leo, it did at least prove that his songs appealed to American record buyers and may have helped to create awareness of him in the industry.

Leo made the UK top five with Long tall glasses, which finally gave him an American hit of his own. His next single, Moonlighting, made number two in the UK. There was a gap of several months (during which I think there was a failed single) before You make me feel like dancing returned Leo to the UK charts - it also made number two in the UK and went on to sell a million copies in America, where it made number one.

Leo finally had a UK number one with When I need you, which became his second American number one. It now seemed that Leo was on a roll but history shows that this was the pinnacle of Leo's career. He made the UK top ten four more times, with How much love, I can't stop loving you though I try, More than I can say (a cover of the Bobby Vee that gave Leo his fourth UK number two hit) and Have you ever been in love.

Leo had lesser UK hits with Thunder in my heart, Raining in my heart (a cover of Buddy Holly's classic), Heart stop beating in time, Orchard road, Till you come back to me and Unchained melody.

This compilation includes all of Leo's major hits (a few minor UK hits are missing), together with his recording of Giving it all away. As such, it contains all the tracks that most people are looking for.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A musical chameleon, August 25, 2004

By 

J. Carroll "Jack" (Island Heights,NJ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Very Best of Leo Sayer (Audio CD)

This greatest hits collection does a good job of representing the different faces of Leo Sayer. Starting off with the quirky but irresistable "The Show Must Go On," (Which is much more interesting than Three Dog Night's cover) the CD begins with the stuff I liked about Sayer. The first five cuts here represent the clever artist that probably never would have been huge but might have developed a nice cult following if he stayed in this direction. How many people are going to write upbeat numbers about a hobo dancing for his supper?("Long Tall Glasses")Then producer Richard Perry comes into the mix and Sayer moves quickly to disco ("You Make Me Feel Like Dancing")and maudlin balladeer. (Pretty much the rest of the CD)This proved to be beneficial to his career at the time, but I think if he stuck to his early vision, he would have a bit more popularity today. Three stars for those early hits and the fact that when it comes right down to it he can flat out sing in that wild falsetto.