For those unaware, The Singles Collection is a31 track 2CD digipack featuring every A and B-side issued by 70’s band Pilot.

It includes ‘January’ which topped the charts in 1974 in both the UK and Australia and reached the Top 10 in most European countries. Years later (2016) it was featured as the theme tune to Asda TV commercials.

It also includes ‘Magic’ which reached No.11 in the UK, No.5 in the USA and No.1 in Canada and which has also been used regularly in TV commercials.

Other UK hits ‘Just A Smile’ (No.31) and ‘Call Me Round’ (No.34) are also featured alongside bonus solo singles by vocalist David Paton and keyboardist William Lyall.

The booklet contains detailed liner notes overseen by the Pilot official webmaster plus pictures from across the globe of the various singles.

I grew up listening to 70’s music on the radio and Pilot - the Scottish soft rock band formed in 1973 by David Paton, Billy Lyall, and Stuart Tosh, and later joined by Ian Bairnson - was a band whose music always brought a smile to my face.

They achieved mainstream success in the mid-1970s with hits like ‘Magic’ and ‘January,’ which reached number one in several countries, the former an absolute banger of a soft rock tune. While initially inspired by The Beatles, Pilot developed their own unique sound within the pop rock genre, characterized by polished, radio-friendly melodies.

Later Pilot members David Paton and William Lyall first played together in an early formation of what later earned fame as Bay City Rollers. David Paton and Billy Lyall were both born in Edinburgh. Paton left BCR on the eve of their signing to Bell Records because he refused to wear stupid-looking tartan outfits with trousers that finished halfway up the shin!

Pilot disbanded in the late 1970s but continued to be active in various projects and recordings later on. Stuart Tosh later became a member of 10cc, and Paton and Bairnson worked as session players. Billy Lyall passed away in 1989.

Over the years, various demos from the band have surfaced, providing a fascinating insight into Paton’s songwriting process. Many of the demos feature fully-formed arrangements and musical content rather than the usual scrappy ideas or brief song outlines.

But when they were on radio hit fire, man they were smokin’! A signature mark of the band’s sound were the harmony guitars, largely due in part to Bairnson.

As aforementioned, the 1974 single ‘Magic’ from their debut album was their first major hit and remains to this very day a genuine pop classic. The simple but catchy pop ditty ‘January’ gave them their biggest hit, securing the #1 spot in the UK singles chart in January 1975.

Indeed, at the time of the release of ‘January,’ Pilot were label mates on EMI Records with Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel and Queen, who were all wanting to reach No. 1 first. This created a healthy competitive rivalry between all the acts. In the end, Pilot became the first to achieve the feat of reaching the top position.

But I’m getting ahead of myself as their first single ‘Just A Smile,’ as well as the album From the Album of the Same Name, failed to chart, but both releases were a good indication as to what could be expected with records to come. Even at that point Pilot represented solid hand-crafted musicianship, combined with unique composition talents.

Interestingly enough, before releasing the second single ‘Magic’ the band recorded the novelty song ‘Ra-Ta-Ta’ under the pseudonym Scotch Mist and both are also included here on this two CD set.

From March on the band started putting their second album together, again using Alan Parsons as their producer. Much to everyone’s disappointment, both the album Second Flight as well as the single taken from it, ‘Call Me Round’ failed to reach high chart positions (but is also here in this collection).

The next Pilot single was a Paton/Lyall composition, ‘Lady Luck’, which wasn’t contained on any regular album, but is also on this set, and skipping forward, after the band break up, eventually Paton would record the solo single ‘No Ties No Strings’ in 1980 and later join Camel for a short period of time (also included); along with two solo singles from Lyall in Us and Maniac.

Pilot’s music continues to be celebrated and enjoyed by fans, and they have occasionally reunited for performances.

DISC ONE:
1. Just A Smile
2. Don’t Speak Loudly
3. Ra-Ta-Ta (as Scotch Mist)
4. Pamela (as Scotch Mist)
5. Magic
6. Just Let Me Be
7. January
8. Never Give Up
9. Call Me Round
10. Do Me Good
11. Love Is
12. Just A Smile (Second Version)
13. Are You In Love
14. Lady Luck
15. Dear Artist
16. Running Water
17. First After Me

DISC TWO:
1. Canada
2. The Mover
3. Penny In My Pocket
4. Steps
5. Get Up And Go
6. Big Screen Kill
7. Monday Tuesday
8. Evil Eye
9. Ten Feet Tall
10. One Good Reason Why
11. Us [Bonus WILLIAM LYALL single]
12. Maniac [Bonus WILLIAM LYALL single]
13. No Ties No Strings [Bonus DAVID PATON single]
14. Stop And Let Go [Bonus DAVID PATON single]

Official Purchase Link

www.pilotmagicmusic.com