Pilot (band)
| Pilot | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1973–1977, 2002, 2014 |
| Labels | EMI |
| Past members |
David Paton Ian Bairnson Billy Lyall Stuart Tosh |
Pilot were a Scottish rock band, formed during 1973 in Edinburgh by David Paton and Billy Lyall. They are best known for their 1974 hit songs "Magic" and "January".
Joined by drummer Stuart Tosh, the band recorded several demos during 1972 and 1974. They were signed to a management contract with Nick Heath and Tim Heath, sons of British bandleader Ted Heath, and John Cavanagh. In due course they signed to a worldwide recording deal with EMI Records. After the recording of their debut album, From the Album of the Same Name, guitarist Ian Bairnson (who had played on the album as a session musician) joined the band permanently.
The 1974 single "Magic" from their first album, produced by Alan Parsons and written by Paton, was a No. 11 UK and No. 5 US success. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in August 1975. The song "January" gave them their greatest success in the UK, securing the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart on 1 February 1975. It stayed at number one for three weeks. (It also went to number one in Australia where it stayed up top for eight weeks; in the United States, it reached the lower end of the Hot 100.) However, the group failed to make the Top 30 again. The arranger of "January", Andrew Powell, went on to record Kate Bush, and both Paton and Bairnson played on her debut album, The Kick Inside, which included "Wuthering Heights". Paton, Bairnson and Elliot also played on Kate Bush's second album Lionheart (1978).
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