Jigsaw

Jigsaw is a British pop rock group from Coventry, active from 1966 to 1981 and known for the 1975 hit single “Sky High”. Its best-known line-up centres on the singer-songwriter partnership of Clive Scott and Des Dyer, who front the group for most of its career. The band also works under the name British Jigsaw in Australia because of an Australian act with the same name.

Formation and early line-up

The group forms in Coventry and Rugby in 1966 as a six-piece. The original line-up includes Dave “Biffo” Beech on vocals and drums, Clive Scott on keyboards and vocals, Barrie Bernard on bass guitar, Tony Campbell on guitar, Tony Britnell on saxophone and Kevin “Beppy” Mahon on tenor saxophone. Campbell names the band after Manchester nightclub The Jigsaw Club.

Before joining Jigsaw, Campbell, Mahon and Beech play together in the Mighty Avengers, Bernard is previously in Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours, and Britnell has worked with the Fortunes. The band’s early sound is closer to blues rock than the pop rock style it later develops.

Line-up changes and early recordings

In 1967, Beech is replaced on drums by Des Dyer, who also becomes lead vocalist. In 1970, Jigsaw is invited to back Arthur Conley on his European tour. Mahon declines and leaves, and Britnell later departs, leaving Campbell, Bernard, Scott and Dyer.

The band gains a reputation for highly theatrical live performances, including burning drum kits, explosions, fire-eating and occasional property damage.

Albums, labels and songwriting

Jigsaw releases its debut album, Letherslade Farm, in 1970 on Philips. The record is a concept album satirising the music industry and loosely follows a broken-down pop singer through a series of interview-style interludes. The single taken from it is Clive Scott’s arrangement of Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”. None of the early releases chart.

During the early 1970s, Scott and Dyer write “Who Do You Think You Are”, which becomes a hit for Candlewick Green in 1974. Jigsaw later records its own version on I’ve Seen the Film, I’ve Read the Book, also released in 1974, but the album does not succeed and the band is dropped by BASF.

“Sky High” and international success

After losing its label, Dyer, Scott and manager-producer Chas Peate set up Splash Records. The first single released on the label is “Sky High”, recorded for the film The Man from Hong Kong. The song becomes Jigsaw’s biggest success, reaching the UK top 10 and also charting strongly in the United States, Japan, Australia and Canada. It is later used as the ring entrance music for Mexican wrestler Mil Máscaras.

The single’s success is followed by further releases and the album Pieces of Magic, although these do not repeat the same impact. The group has a brief UK top 40 entry in 1977 with “If I Have to Go Away”.

Later years and dissolution

In 1979, Jigsaw is asked to write the soundtrack for the film Home Before Midnight, and the material is later issued on the film’s soundtrack album. Barrie Bernard leaves in 1978, the band stops touring by the early 1980s, and after further line-up changes it records one final album for Elektra. A final single under the Jigsaw name, “Love Isn’t at Home”, appears in 1983 and the group dissolves.

After Jigsaw

After the band ends, Scott and Dyer continue as songwriters, with their work recorded by acts including Bad Boys Inc, Boyzone and Bobby Rydell. No new Jigsaw studio albums are issued, although a 1995 compilation includes eight newly recorded songs. Dyer later revives the Jigsaw name for occasional solo releases.

Dyer also attempts to represent the UK at Eurovision twice, through A Song for Europe in 1983 and 1985. In 1983 he places third as the singer of Casablanca with “With Love”; in 1985 he takes “Energy” to fourth place. In 1988 he provides backing vocals at the Eurovision final for Scott Fitzgerald’s UK entry “Go”, which finishes second. Clive Scott dies in 2009.

Selected releases

Jigsaw’s albums include Aurora Borealis (1972), Broken Hearted (1973), I’ve Seen the Film, I’ve Read the Book (1974), Sky High (1975), Pieces of Magic (1977), Journey into Space (1978), 12 Chapters of Love (1980) and Jigsaw (1981). Its singles include “Let Me Go Home”, “One Way Street”, “Mister Job”, “Keeping My Head Above Water”, “That’s What It’s All About”, “Lollipop and Goody Man”, “You’re Not the Only Girl”, “Brand New Love Affair”, “Love Fire”, “If I Have to Go Away” and “Love Isn’t at Home”.