line up 1 (1972-)

- Roger Saunders (RIP 2000) -- vocals, guitar, keyboards

- Chaser

- Chicken Shack

- Freedom

- The Glitter Band

- Medicine Head

- Saunders & English

- The Washington D.C.s

Genre: pop

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Title: The Roger Saunders Rush Album

Company: Warner Brothers

Catalog: BS-2601
Year: 1972

Country/State: Barking, Essex UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: cut lower left corner; still in shrink wrap (opened)

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $30.00

There is obscure and then there is OBSCURE.  This 1972 release by singer/guitarist Roger Saunders falls in the latter category.  Mind you, it isn't rare.  You can find copies littering eBay and the internet.  For some reason you can't find any reviews of the album.   That's surprising to me given Saunders' recording career spanned some four decades, stretching  back to the mid-'60s and The Washington D.C.s.  Prior to his death due to cancer in 2000, he'd worked and recorded with a host of bands including Freedom, Medicine Head, Chaser and Chicken Shack.

As part of Freedom's second line-up, Saunders recorded four studio albums over a three year period with the band.  Still part of Freedom, in 1972 he signed a solo deal with Warner Brothers.  Written and recorded over an eighteen month period, given Saunders' contributions to those Freedom albums, you would have expected "The Roger Saunders Rush Album" to showcase a similar blues-rock sound.  That was underscored by Warner Brothers choice of Black Sabbath manager Patrick Meehan as album producer.  Well guess what ...  Exemplified by heavily orchestrated ballads like "Gentian Violet", "Hard To Love" and "Where Are You Leaving For" much of the album sounded like something a young James Taylor might have recorded. Well, imagine if Taylor had an English accent and was excited to be buried under heavy orchestration (courtesy of Bill Shepherd).  The ballads were all quite nice, but stacked one after the other started to drone on.  Besides, if you were expecting something from Freedom's blues-rock cannon, you were going to be disappointing.  Mind you the eleven tracks weren't all ballads.  Opening up with some awesome percussion, "Darkness" was one of the funkiest things Saunders ever wrote.  I guess it was a ballad, but "Direction" had a heavy melody and arrangement and was probably the one song that would not have sounded out of place on a Freedom album.  Still those up-tempo efforts were far and few between leaving you to drag yourself through ballad after ballad after ballad..  Lord knows I've been disappointed by scores of albums over the years, but this one remains a major surprise.  Why would Saunders agreed to let his label reframe his rock identity for this kind of throwaway material?  Did Warner Brothers really think Saunders was going to attract a pop audience?  

Just to end on a positive note, I've always liked the timepiece cover design by Rod Dyer and Ed Thrasher.  Wonder how many people even know what Kodak film is today?

"The Roger Saunders Rush Album" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Gentian Violet (Roger Saunders - Bernie Frost) - 3:17 rating: ** stars

Introducing Saunders' totally unexpected musical direction, "Gentian Violet" was one of four tracks co-written with Status quo associated Bernie Frost.  A pretty, heavily orchestrated ballad the track showcased Saunders' sweet voice and nice acoustic guitar moves.  But, darn was it different.  Yes there is a violet with that name), 

2.) Hard To Love (Roger Saunders - Bernie Frost) - 3:57  rating: ** stars

Opening with pretty piano, the double tracked ballad "Hard To Love" underscored Saunders' new direction wasn't a fluke. Warning - Bill Shepherds' arrangement threatened to drown Saunders out.
3.) Darkness (Roger Saunders - Bernie Frost) - 3:13 rating: **** stars

Thankfully "Darkness" at least partially broke away from the string of ballads.  Opening up with some funky percussion (which has been sampled several times), it was a blessing to hear Saunders open up with a rock-ish tune (including some electric guitar).  Darn the anonymous drummer was good.

4.) Where Are You Leaving For (Roger Saunders) - 3:19  rating: ** stars

One of the more pop-oriented tunes, "Where Are You Leaving For" found Saunders returning to orchestrated pop ballads.  Too much orchestration, not enough melody ...

5.) Little Old Lady (Roger Saunders - Bernie Frost) - 2:21  rating: ** stars

Anyone feel like hearing a folksy acoustic ballad?  

6.) Who Knows (Roger Saunders) - 1:44  rating: ** stars

Well, the opening keyboards were pretty, the melody was pleasant with some nice backing horns and the ballad was merciful short.  The song also appeared as the "B" side on Saunders "No Better Place" 45.

(side 2)

1.) No Better Place (Roger Saunders - Auli Pajunen) - 4:04  rating: ** stars

With lyrics by then girlfriend Auli Pajunen, wow, talk about a "big" sentimental ballad ...  Be careful if you are a diabetic as this one might push you into diabetic shock.  Not sure why Warner Brothers released it as a single.  (Saunders supported Pajunen on a couple of singles recorded as part of the band Chaser.)

- 1972's "No Better Place" b/w "Who Knows" (Warner Brothers catalog number WB 7610)

2.) Direction (Roger Saunders) - 5:00 rating: **** stars

Yes, "Direction" was a ballad, but it benefited from a "heavy" rock arrangement, some lovely piano and the absence of heavy orchestration.

3.) Unanswered Question (Roger Saunders) - 2:59 rating: *** stars

There's a brief interview with Saunders where he mentions Warner Brothers apparently wanted to market him as Elton John clone.  You can kind of hear their intent on the stark piano-powered ballad "Unanswered Question".  The song was also tapped as the "B" side on the "Loving You" single.

4.) Loving You (Roger Saunders) - 4:07 rating: ** stars

And for a change of pace let's end the album with a heavily orchestrated pop ballad.  Clearly I'm not enraptured by this album, but I'll admit that "Loving You" was one of the set's more commercial offerings which probably explains it being released as a single.  Docked a star for the angelic chorus that kicked in at the end.

- 1972's "Loving You" b/w "Unanswered Question" (Warner Brothers catalog number 7628)

5.) Thanks (Roger Saunders - Bobby Harrison) - 4:16 rating: *** stars

Given it was co-written by Freedom's Bobby Harrison, I've always wondered if "Thanks" was a Freedom carryover, or castoff.  Sadly it was another over-orchestrated ballad, though the appreciative lyrics were a chance of pace and the song included a brief Saunders guitar solo.

The album proved a commercial failure and with Freedom calling it quits Saunders drifted into sessions work including albums by Kevin Ayers, John Glover, Chaser and The Rhead Brothers.  He undertook occasional stints with other bands. Prior to his death from liver cancer in 2000, he had recorded with Medicine Head and  as an early-80s member of Chicken Shack.  He was also a longtime member of Gary Glitter's touring band The Glitter Band.

I've never seen a copy, let alone heard it, but for hardcore fans, there's a one-shot collaboration with drummer Scott English:

- 1975's "Broken English" b/w "What's the Matter Baby" (NEMS catalog number NES 006)

© Scott R. Blackerby November 2025