Utah Saints are a British dance band from Leeds in West Yorkshire. The music is produced by Jez Willis and Tim Garbutt, who are joined on-stage by other musicians whenever the band plays live. Utah Saints were one of the early pioneers of bringing sampling technology into mainstream dance and pop music, and have also gained a certain notoriety for the long gap between releases - their follow-up, Two, came seven years after their debut.
They were described as the first true stadium house band (by Bill Drummond), though their music is difficult to place into one particular genre and they have been compared to Underworld, Fluke, The KLF, and even Ministry or Nine Inch Nails.
They first had chart success with the singles What Can You Do For Me, Something Good and Believe In Me, which they described as their vocal sample trilogy as those singles sampled Gwen Guthrie, Kate Bush and Human League respectively (What Can You Do For Me also features a sample from Eurythmics). Contrary to one rumour, the band were not sued by Kate Bush over the use of a sample from Bush's track Cloudbusting in the Utah Saints track Something Good, the sample was legally cleared before use. Utah Saints then moved away from vocal samples with singles such as I Want You and I Still Think Of You (Jez Willis providing original vocals on each).
After their first album, the self-titled Utah Saints, and one further single Ohio, Utah Saints seemed to disappear for several years, spending a long time producing their second album as well as doing remixes and producing tracks for other artists such as Terrorvision. During this time they produced a handful of Utah Saints tracks that to date have never had a proper release, with titles such as Star, Train and Rock.
They eventually re-appeared in late 1999 with charting singles Love Song, Funky Music (featuring Edwin Starr on guest vocals), Power To The Beats and Lost Vagueness. In 2002 they went back into hibernation and fans are still waiting for their next re-appearance.
They were described as the first true stadium house band (by Bill Drummond), though their music is difficult to place into one particular genre and they have been compared to Underworld, Fluke, The KLF, and even Ministry or Nine Inch Nails.
They first had chart success with the singles What Can You Do For Me, Something Good and Believe In Me, which they described as their vocal sample trilogy as those singles sampled Gwen Guthrie, Kate Bush and Human League respectively (What Can You Do For Me also features a sample from Eurythmics). Contrary to one rumour, the band were not sued by Kate Bush over the use of a sample from Bush's track Cloudbusting in the Utah Saints track Something Good, the sample was legally cleared before use. Utah Saints then moved away from vocal samples with singles such as I Want You and I Still Think Of You (Jez Willis providing original vocals on each).
After their first album, the self-titled Utah Saints, and one further single Ohio, Utah Saints seemed to disappear for several years, spending a long time producing their second album as well as doing remixes and producing tracks for other artists such as Terrorvision. During this time they produced a handful of Utah Saints tracks that to date have never had a proper release, with titles such as Star, Train and Rock.
They eventually re-appeared in late 1999 with charting singles Love Song, Funky Music (featuring Edwin Starr on guest vocals), Power To The Beats and Lost Vagueness. In 2002 they went back into hibernation and fans are still waiting for their next re-appearance.
Dance Electronic British Techno
Past Events
- Shiiine On Weekender 2022
- Solfest 2021
- Doune The Rabbit Hole 2021
- Nozstock Festival 2020
- Beat-Herder 2020
- Solfest 2019
- Green Meadows Festival 2019
- Camp Bestival 2019
- Beat-Herder 2019
- B Love 2019
- Green Meadows Festival 2018
- Sunflowerfest 2018
- Audio Soup Festival 2018
- Beat-Herder 2018
- Blackpool Festival 2018
- The Old Saw Mill Garden Party 2017
- BoomTown Fair 2017
- The Secret Garden Party 2017
- Beat-Herder 2017
- Shiiine On Weekender 2016
- The Big Kahuna 2016
- Beat-Herder 2016
- Beat-Herder 2015
- Bang Face - The Weekender 2015
- The Wickerman Festival 2014
- Beat-Herder 2014
- Solfest 2013
- The Beat Herder Festival 2013
- Shrewsbury Fields Forever 2012
- Kendal Calling Festival 2012
- Secret Garden Party 2012
- The Beat Herder Festival 2012
- Willowman Festival 2012
- Summer Break 2012
- Solfest 2011
- The Wickerman Festival 2011
- Southern Sounds Festival 2011