SAXON - Wheels Of Steel - Germany / Holland Release 12" Vinyl LP Album

- Breakthrough NWOBHM thunder that turned Saxon into a steel-forged institution

Pete Hinton is the catalyst who helped turn UK metal into chartable thunder. Raised on 60s radio grit, he surfaced at Carrere UK (1978-1984) as A&R and producer, signing Saxon (formed 1976: Biff Byford, Graham Oliver, Paul Quinn, Steve Dawson, Pete Gill) in 1979 and steering the breakthrough punch of "Wheels of Steel" (1980) and "Strong Arm of the Law" (1980); he stayed in the "Denim and Leather" orbit as mixer/partial producer (1981). Early 80s he produced Demon (1982 "The Unexpected Guest" plus singles). Late 80s he jumped borders, producing Deathwish (1987) and Coroner's "No More Color" (1989). His biggest controversy was label politics: budgets shifted, producers got swapped, and he walked away in 1984 rather than play nice.

Will Reid-Dick, I first noticed him as the guy behind the glass who could make chaos sound deliberate. Coming out of the 70s hard-rock studio grind, he shows up on records right where heavy metal starts turning professional: engineering Thin Lizzy's 1976 "Johnny the Fox" (Lynott, Gorham, Robertson, Downey), then helping capture Saxon's early NWOBHM punch on 1980's "Strong Arm of the Law" (Byford, Oliver, Quinn, Dawson, Gill). In 1982 he co-produced Motörhead's "Iron Fist" with "Fast" Eddie Clarke (Lemmy, Clarke, Phil Taylor) — a tense, rushed session that became as infamous as it was loud. By the late 80s he was producing Thunderhead (1989), proof his ears travelled well.

Biff Byford, Saxon's storm-tested voice, is the bloke who can turn a chorus into a pub chant and a battle order in the same breath. I first clock him in the mid-1970s fronting Son of a Bitch, then he takes the wheel when Saxon forms in 1976 and never really lets go. The NWOBHM years are where he stamps the passport: "Wheels of Steel" and "Strong Arm of the Law" (1980) push them into headliner territory, and "Denim and Leather" (1981) seals the tribe. The mid-80s gloss got purists grumbling, but he kept touring and recording through the 1990s. Later he went solo with "School of Hard Knocks" (2020) and formed Heavy Water with his son. He never sang like he was asking permission.

Paul Quinn is the quiet engine of Saxon, a Barnsley guitarist who helped turn late-70s pub grit into NWOBHM muscle. I first clock him in Son of a Bitch (1975-1978), then in Saxon from 1978 onward, locking riffs with Graham Oliver while Biff Byford barked the orders. The early run hit like a double punch: "Wheels of Steel" and "Strong Arm of the Law" (1980), then "Denim and Leather" (1981) when the scene became a tribe. He kept the machine running through the 80s and into the early 90s, even when labels wanted polish and the fans wanted blood. In 2023 he stepped back from touring; Brian Tatler took the live seat, while Quinn stayed on for studio work. Sensible, sure. Still stings.

Graham Oliver, Saxon’s original lead guitarist, is the bloke who made those early twin-lead harmonies feel like two motorbikes racing down the same hill. I remember him from the Son of a Bitch days (mid-1970s), then as a Saxon founder from 1976 to 1995 through the classic NWOBHM punch—“Wheels of Steel” and “Strong Arm of the Law” (1980), “Denim and Leather” (1981)—where his tone stayed bright, sharp, and just a bit reckless. After leaving, the band-name dispute turned into paperwork warfare. From the late 1990s into the 2000s he resurfaced with Oliver/Dawson Saxon, keeping the old songs alive with Steve Dawson. Not tidy. Not polite. Very Oliver.

Steve "Dobby" Dawson, is the Sheffield-born low-end anchor who helped turn pub-blues into full-bore NWOBHM thunder. My first note on him is Blue Condition (1970-1974), tightening into SOB (1974-1975), then Son of a Bitch (1975-1978) before the name finally snapped into Saxon (1978-1986). On record he's the calm steel beam under the early classics, locking in the kick, nudging the chorus, and leaving space for the twin guitars to do their hooligan dance. Worker's punch: steady eighth-notes, clean runs, backing vocals when needed, and absolutely no 'look at me' nonsense. After 1986 he reunited with Graham Oliver for Oliver/Dawson Saxon (1996-2021), touring and recording to keep the original-era spark alive.

Pete Gill, Sheffield drummer with a backbeat like a rivet gun, is the original engine behind Saxon's early charge. I first clock him as one of The Glitter Band's twin drummers (1973), then grinding it out in Son of a Bitch (1977–1979) before the badge changed to Saxon (1979–1981). Those first four studio albums don't breathe without his boots-on-concrete timing—straight, hard, and built for denim-and-leather choruses. A hand injury ended his first Saxon run in 1981, but he didn't fade; he jumped into Motörhead from 1984–1987, recording the new tracks for "No Remorse", the live "The Birthday Party", and the album "Orgasmatron". He returned for one last blast in 1996 with Oliver and Dawson's Son of a Bitch, laying drums on "Victim You".