In 1979, Supertramp had a massive hit with “The Logical Song,” and it’s still a classic 47 years later.
Written by Roger Hodgson, the song from the iconic album Breakfast in America is a pop-rock track built around a distinctive keyboard opening and a prominent saxophone solo. Its lyrics look back on the magic of childhood while questioning the pressure to become a “logical” and “practical” adult.
“The Logical Song” reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1979. Decades later, it ranks at No. 67 on Amazon Music’s list of the 100 greatest classic rock songs ever.
Perhaps one of the most surprising things about the song is how the iconic alto sax solo came together.
According to the band’s saxophonist John Helliwell, during the recording sessions for the backing tracks, there was an issue with the sax and the drum mics.
“When we were recording the backing tracks, we didn’t want the sound of the sax to spill onto the drum mics, in case the sax wasn’t good and the drum was good, and we wanted to keep it or whatever,” Helliwell told radio station 102.9 The Whale.
“So the nearest place was the bathroom. So I sat on the toilet there, with a copy of Playboy in my left hand and my sax in my right hand and we did the takes there,” he said. “In fact, the take that turned out to be the real good backing track was the one with the sax solo you hear on it. So I must’ve got the inspiration even through the walls, even sitting on the toilet.”
Helliwell shared further details on the unusual recording situation in an interview on the Vintage Rock podcast, noting, “Roger was, I think he was in the drum booth playing the Wurlitzer, the electric piano, and the bass was somewhere else, so there wasn’t a room left for me. … You don’t want to play in the room with the drums because you’re kind of, the drums are spoiling the sound for the sax and vice versa, so they said, ‘Why don’t you just pop into the toilet down the corridor?’ So that was it.”
“We ended up recording about four or five different versions of ‘The Logical Song’ and I played saxophone on every one. And every solo was kind of different, you know,” he added.
Speaking with Sound on Sound, engineer Peter Henderson recalled the setup at Village Recorder’s Studio B, which featured a control room facing the live area and a drum booth at the far end. He noted that while recording the backing track for “The Logical Song,” drummer Bob Siebenberg was placed on the left side of the main room, while bassist Dougie Thomson was also in the live room. Rick Davies’ Hohner clavinet was on the right side of the live room while Hodgson’s electric piano was indeed placed in the drum booth.
Henderson laughed off the idea of putting Helliwell in the small bathroom when there was nowhere else to fit him. “John kept moaning about his lot, but I think he actually quite enjoyed it,” Henderson shared.
Neraly 50 years after its release, “The Logical Song” remains a beloved song from the classic lineup of Supertramp.
Related: 1979 Rock Classic, Recorded by Power Trio, Remains a Timeless Anthem About Honesty 47 Years Later
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