Come Sail Away - The story behind the song

[onestilllearning]

Can someone post an anatomy of the songs creation? It would be an interesting post - how's this : someone who knows nothing about this song research it and post a History and Origin of CSA and one or more Styx geeks do the same. If you choose to accept this as a project please post here that you will do it, then make your post without reading anyone else's post. In other words not plagiarism. I will repost this as a new subject under the subject "Come Sail Away - The story behind the song"

[classicstyxfan]

The song was actually something JY has been working on secretly........it was about Dennis, and the working title was

"Get (the) Hell Away ( from me )"

Dennis found JY's notebook, and unaware that the song was about him, saw great potential in it, and re-wrote the Lyrics. when JY found out, he was LIVID...that is until the 1st huge royalty check from the single was direct deposited into his bank account. Suddenly,at that point he became a great fan of the song, even wearing his best white boots and suit in the video.

And that's the way it was..........in the year 1977.

[ek88]

I haven't had any luck thus far finding anything official. I guess the way I heard the story was that the chorus was taken from an old MS Funk song (Ain't Getting Any or something like that) and that Dennis pretty much wrote the rest of the song around that. I have no idea if there's any truth there or not, but I seem to remember Tommy and Dennis both telling the story something along those lines!

[sadie65]

I haven't had any luck thus far finding anything official. I guess the way I heard the story was that the chorus was taken from an old MS Funk song (Ain't Getting Any or something like that) and that Dennis pretty much wrote the rest of the song around that. I have no idea if there's any truth there or not, but I seem to remember Tommy and Dennis both telling the story something along those lines!

I believe the song was Ain't Going Down. Tommy mentioned it in a Blender magazine interview sometime earlier this year I believe.

I am still looking for the actual interview, or at least that part of it.

[classicstyxfan]

Ain't Gettin Down was the title..........


Can you imagine a Styx hit with the word "Ain't" as a part of the title ?

I Cain't !!!!!

[SuiteMadameBlue]

I'm SO happy, I have my computer back and I didn't lose anything on my hard drive And I have a DVD burner added So I can actually make copies of my interview with Dennis for those who would like to transcribe the interview

Anyway, here is what I found so far about "Come Sail Away", hope this helps:

The entire track list of The Grand Illusion is strong. “Castle Walls” is an epic journey. “Come Sail Away” became a Top 10 single and “Superstars” captured the imagination and heart of the band. There was no stopping Styx. The band produced the album as well, with the help of engineer Barry Mraz. Mraz had proven he knew how Styx should sound in the studio. The only real complaint of Mraz comes from Shaw, “We might have gotten impatient with Barry for the amount of time he spent tuning and adjusting the microphones on the drums but he was a genius and his drum sounds were brilliant and worth the wait.” Mraz only encapsulated the genus of musicians. Styx proved they were as much of a team in the control room as they were on the stage. Shaw remembers mixing with Mraz and the rest of the band, “We knew how we wanted the arrangements to go. We were good judges of our performances and we all had hands on the console during the mixes. There was no automation. The middle section of "Come Sail Away" took seven of us, each with specific moves, to do all the pans and level changes. I'll never forget how exciting it was when we finally got the mix. It was quite an achievement.”

Indeed the hard work paid off. Styx watched as “Come Sail Away” entered the singles charts. As the song began to stall the band and the band’s management went to work. Rock radio stations were contacted and Styx went into action granting interviews and doing radio station promotions. The push climaxed and the song climbed higher until it reached # 8 on the charts. ““Come Sail Away” first came from the intro and chorus chord progression of a song I wrote in a former band,” notes Shaw, “The song was called "Ain't Gettin' Down For You." It was an okay song, and you can hear it--‘Ain't gettin' down/ain't gettin' down/ I ain't getting down for you’ sung to the tune of the chorus in "Come Sail Away.” Dennis took it another level; rewriting it and making it tell an uplifting story that was more universal and positive. JY put the spin on the last verse suggesting that what the singer perceived as angels were actually aliens from outer space. Put all of it together and that's what being in a band is all about--lifting up the best in each other and making it better.”

[bugsymalone]

SOMEwhere in all these interviews I have -- print, radio (on CD), and PBS (on DVD), Dennis talks about coming back from Hawaii. I think he said from a vacation there. He talked about Chicago having one of the worst snow storms ever and everyone was sort of confined to their homes.

While he was looking out at the huge piles of snow everywhere, he said he thought about Hawaii, how beautiful it had been, and he wanted to "sail away" and started working on this song.

Probably, if someone put a gun to my head, I could find this interview, and may yet look for it, but when? where? what is it on? OY! I have no idea. But I clearly remember hearing or reading this from him.

What I don't know if if he had the elements from Tommy's song already and added on to that or if everything was combined later.

From what I understand, the JY suggestion about the aliens was added when the song was basically completed. BTW, I think that was a great addition.

Bugsy

[SuiteMadameBlue]

STYX performed in Hawaii at the Sunshine Festival, Diamond Head Crater. I thought they performed in late December one year too when Tommy was brand new to the group.


Date 07-03-1977 07-04-1977
Venue Diamond Head Crater [Diamond Head, HI]
Band Elvin Bishop
Band Mickey Thomas
Band Flash Cadillac
Band Sandy Bull
Band Detective
Band Macky Feary Band
Band Journey
Band Styx
Producer Sunshine Festival

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Bugsy says:

While he was looking out at the huge piles of snow everywhere, he said he thought about Hawaii, how beautiful it had been, and he wanted to "sail away" and started working on this song.

A-Ha!!! Found it. STYX played on New Year's Day, January 1976. Tommy was the new kid in the band and at this point was still learning the songs when they went to Hawaii for this festival, this was one of his first shows.

Let's see, Crystal Ball was released October 1976. I think I have most of the story right Then they could have been working on the songs for Grand Illusion too. I have to add these questions to all the other ones I have stored up

That's my version I'm trying to find the poster for this concert, I have the copy of the poster from 1977.

[sadie65]

SOMEwhere in all these interviews I have -- print, radio (on CD), and PBS (on DVD), Dennis talks about coming back from Hawaii. I think he said from a vacation there. He talked about Chicago having one of the worst snow storms ever and everyone was sort of confined to their homes.

While he was looking out at the huge piles of snow everywhere, he said he thought about Hawaii, how beautiful it had been, and he wanted to "sail away" and started working on this song.

Probably, if someone put a gun to my head, I could find this interview, and may yet look for it, but when? where? what is it on? OY! I have no idea. But I clearly remember hearing or reading this from him.

What I don't know if if he had the elements from Tommy's song already and added on to that or if everything was combined later.

From what I understand, the JY suggestion about the aliens was added when the song was basically completed. BTW, I think that was a great addition.

Bugsy

You are thinking of Pieces of Eleven, otherwise known as Native Sons. It's a boot from back ten. Dennis mentions the snow, and talks about Hawaii. I believe he also says hi to CarrieAnn, however he doesn't say who she is (back in the day when rock "stars" weren't supposed to be married ya know, let alone have kids). I personally think this was stage fluff. He's said different things about this song over the years. Just my .05

[bugsymalone]

I do remember that from that concert, too, Sadie. But what I remember was a response to a question from an interviewer. Now, did he just embellish his story? He sure could have. It is very possible he had the bare bones of some song that, combined with Tommy's song, later became Come Sail Away.

It does sound to me, from all the stories about it, that it very much was a collaborative effort. But then, it sounds like that entire album was, and that is why they remember it so fondly.

Bugsy

[LordofDaRing]

I remember the Paradise Theater original tour, when DDY introduced this song, he did do that speech about laying on a beach in Hawaii and "sailing away"...the rest of that song sounds very much about his childhood...

[SuiteMadameBlue]

I'm SO happy, I have my computer back and I didn't lose anything on my hard drive And I have a DVD burner added So I can actually make copies of my interview with Dennis for those who would like to transcribe the interview

Anyway, here is what I found so far about "Come Sail Away", hope this helps:

The entire track list of The Grand Illusion is strong. “Castle Walls” is an epic journey. “Come Sail Away” became a Top 10 single and “Superstars” captured the imagination and heart of the band. There was no stopping Styx. The band produced the album as well, with the help of engineer Barry Mraz. Mraz had proven he knew how Styx should sound in the studio. The only real complaint of Mraz comes from Shaw, “We might have gotten impatient with Barry for the amount of time he spent tuning and adjusting the microphones on the drums but he was a genius and his drum sounds were brilliant and worth the wait.” Mraz only encapsulated the genus of musicians. Styx proved they were as much of a team in the control room as they were on the stage. Shaw remembers mixing with Mraz and the rest of the band, “We knew how we wanted the arrangements to go. We were good judges of our performances and we all had hands on the console during the mixes. There was no automation. The middle section of "Come Sail Away" took seven of us, each with specific moves, to do all the pans and level changes. I'll never forget how exciting it was when we finally got the mix. It was quite an achievement.”

Indeed the hard work paid off. Styx watched as “Come Sail Away” entered the singles charts. As the song began to stall the band and the band’s management went to work. Rock radio stations were contacted and Styx went into action granting interviews and doing radio station promotions. The push climaxed and the song climbed higher until it reached # 8 on the charts. ““Come Sail Away” first came from the intro and chorus chord progression of a song I wrote in a former band,” notes Shaw, “The song was called "Ain't Gettin' Down For You." It was an okay song, and you can hear it--‘Ain't gettin' down/ain't gettin' down/ I ain't getting down for you’ sung to the tune of the chorus in "Come Sail Away.” Dennis took it another level; rewriting it and making it tell an uplifting story that was more universal and positive. JY put the spin on the last verse suggesting that what the singer perceived as angels were actually aliens from outer space. Put all of it together and that's what being in a band is all about--lifting up the best in each other and making it better.”

Okay, this is what I was looking for regarding "Come Sail Away" :lol:

[StyxCollector]

From the rumors I've heard, in demo form, JY sang the "angels" verse. I guess by the time the album was recorded, the decision was made to let DDY sing it all.

Too bad no one outside the band will ever know the truth to this one.

[Angiekay]

As long as we are talking, "childhood friends and the dreams we had", Happy Birthday CHUCKIE!!!!!

Remember John as well on his birthday.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

From the rumors I've heard, in demo form, JY sang the "angels" verse. I guess by the time the album was recorded, the decision was made to let DDY sing it all.

Too bad no one outside the band will ever know the truth to this one.

It would be SO nice for a bunch of us from here to sit down with any of the band members and to ask any questions like this one!!

I still have like a list of 40 questions that I didn't get to ask Dennis - LOL

[OrlandoChris]

Not shooting a hole in your research Suite, but...from what you posted they played Hawaii on July 4, 1977. Since Grand Illusion was released on 7-7-77, it's a little hard for the song to have been created then.

Just a thought.

Chris

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Not shooting a hole in your research Suite, but...from what you posted they played Hawaii on July 4, 1977. Since Grand Illusion was released on 7-7-77, it's a little hard for the song to have been created then.

Just a thought.

Chris

Very true. They did play in Hawaii on New Years 1976 too or the end of 1975. I'm trying to find that date, it would've been one of Tommy's first concerts.

The article that I posted was from an interview with Tommy from the Blender magazine. I tried to find the whole article, I know it's in the archive here.