Close to what would have been the late legendary Chris Bailey’s 69th birthday in November, Fire Records today announce the release of ‘Long March Through The Jazz Age’, essentially Chris Bailey’s The Saints last ever release. Available 28 November 2025 and recorded in late 2018 at Church Street Studios in Sydney, Bailey and longtime Saints drummer Pete Wilkinson flew in from Europe to reunite with guitarist/engineer Sean Carey, who had previously toured and recorded with the band. They were joined by Davey Lane (You Am I) on guitar, plus a handpicked ensemble of Sydney’s most exciting young horn, string and keyboard players.
Wilkinson recalls:
When it came to recording vocals, Chris Bailey saved the best until last. His lyrical prowess is well known to those familiar with The Saints, new and old, but these recordings offer a new-found depth and breadth to his voice that surpass anything I had heard before.
Carey adds:
Chris was a true artist, it was like watching someone paint a fresh artwork every single day. This
collection of songs and recordings were inspired and felt different to anything else I’d been doing.
Lead single ‘Empires (Sometimes We Fall)’ is the album’s anthemic opener, cast on a bedrock of western guitars punctuated by Bailey’s aching lyrics: Sometimes we rise, sometimes we fall. It has the signatory Chris Bailey imperial sound – statuesque and anthemic, his voice deep and thrilling as ever.
You can pre-order the album here in a variety of formats and through the link below with a bonus track available. Read a moving tribute to Bailey here.
Of course the memories of the legendary band continue with the work of surviving original member Ed Kuepper, who recently commemorated the band’s period between 1973-1978 with a tour and overseeing re-releases of their work.
Feature Photograph: Elisabet Corlin
