{{distinguish|text=[[heads or tails]], the practice of throwing a coin in the air}} {{Infobox album | name = Heads or Tales | type = studio | artist = [[Saga (band)|Saga]] | cover = Heads_or_tales.jpg | alt = | released = September 29, 1983<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/CMJ/1983/|title=Upcoming Releases|work=CMJ New Music Report|page=10|date=September 26, 1983}}</ref> | recorded = The Farmyard, [[Little Chalfont]], [[Buckinghamshire]], [[England]] | venue = | studio = | genre = *[[Progressive rock]] *[[new wave music|new wave]] | length = 40:23 (vinyl) / 47:47 (CD) | label = [[Portrait Records|Portrait]], Maze | producer = [[Rupert Hine]] | prev_title = [[In Transit (Saga album)|In Transit]] | prev_year = 1982 | next_title = [[Behaviour (Saga album)|Behaviour]] | next_year = 1985 }} {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000650734|title=Heads or Tales Review|last=Hinds|first=Andy|access-date=5 April 2022}}</ref> }} '''''Heads or Tales''''' is the fifth studio album by the Canadian [[progressive rock]] band [[Saga (band)|Saga]], released in 1983. The album was the second of the band's to be produced by [[Rupert Hine]]. Although it did not attain the same commercial success and status of the previous collaboration between the band and Hine, [[Worlds Apart (Saga album)|Worlds Apart]] (1981), both "The Flyer" and "Cat Walk" became respectable radio hits for the band with the album eventually securing gold status in Canada (50,000) and Germany (250,000). A third single from the album, "Scratching the Surface", became a live staple and fan favourite in the band's concert line-up during the late-1990s and 2000s as a piano solo played by Jim Gilmour during a break by the other band members. The song reached #45 in the Canadian Singles charts, April 1984.
== Track listing == {{Track listing | headline = Side One
| title1 = The Flyer | lyrics1 = Jim Crichton | music1 = J. Crichton, Michael Sadler | length1 = 3:47
| title2 = Cat Walk | lyrics2 = J. Crichton | music2 = J. Crichton, Jim Gilmour, Ian Crichton | length2 = 4:24
| title3 = The Sound of Strangers | lyrics3 = Sadler | music3 = Sadler, J. Crichton, Gilmour, I. Crichton, Steve Negus | length3 = 4:09
| title4 = The Writing | lyrics4 = J. Crichton | music4 = J. Crichton, Sadler | length4 = 4:14
| title5 = Intermission | lyrics5 = Sadler | music5 = Sadler, J. Crichton, I. Crichton | length5 = 5:28 }} {{Track listing | headline = Side Two
| title6 = Social Orphan | lyrics6 = Sadler | music6 = Sadler, J. Crichton | length6 = 3:24
| title7 = The Vendetta (Still Helpless) | lyrics7 = Sadler | music7 = Sadler, J. Crichton, Gilmour, I. Crichton | length7 = 3:55
| title8 = Scratching the Surface | lyrics8 = Gilmour | music8 = Gilmour, J. Crichton | length8 = 5:26
| title9 = The Pitchman | lyrics9 = J. Crichton | music9 = J. Crichton, Sadler, I. Crichton, Gilmour, Negus | length9 = 5:46 }} {{Track listing | headline = Bonus track (CD and cassette only)
| title1 = Cat Walk
| note1 = Unabridged
| length1 = 7:44 }}
==Personnel== '''Saga:'''<ref name=Discogs>{{Discogs release|release=1537671|name=Saga – Heads Or Tales (Vinyl, LP, Album)|type=single}}. Retrieved 5 April 2022.</ref> * Michael Sadler{{snd}}[[lead vocals]] (all but track #8), [[electronic keyboard|keyboards]] * Ian Crichton{{snd}}[[guitar]] * Jim Gilmour{{snd}}lead keyboards, backing and lead (8) vocals, [[saxophone|sax]] * Jim Crichton{{snd}}[[bass guitar]], keyboards * [[Steve Negus]]{{snd}}[[Drum kit|drums]], [[Percussion instrument|percussion]], electronic percussion
'''Production:'''<ref name=Discogs /> * Judith Salavetz, Spencer Drate{{snd}}art direction, design * Stephen Durke{{snd}}front and back illustrations artwork * Andrew Scarth{{snd}}assistant engineer * Stephen W Tayler{{snd}}recording and mixing engineer * Larry Williams{{snd}}inner sleeve photography * Producer{{snd}}Rupert Hine
== Charts == {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1983) ! scope="col" | Peak<br> position |- {{albumchart|Canada|17|chartid=4383a|artist=Saga|album=Heads or Tales|rowheader=true|accessdate=July 20, 2024}} |- ! scope="row"| Finnish Albums ([[The Official Finnish Charts]])<ref name=FINI>{{cite book|last=Pennanen|first=Timo|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972|edition=1st|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|year=2006|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5| language= fi}}</ref> | align="center"| 26 |- {{album chart|Germany|3|artist=Saga|album=Heads or Tales|id=4|rowheader=true|access-date=July 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Norway|4|artist=Saga|album=Heads or Tales|rowheader=true|access-date=July 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|4|artist=Saga|album=Heads or Tales|rowheader=true|access-date=July 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|4|artist=Saga|album=Heads or Tales|rowheader=true|access-date=July 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|92|artist=Saga|rowheader=true|access-date=July 20, 2024}} |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1983) ! scope="col" | Position |- ! scope="row" | German Albums ([[GfK Entertainment Charts|Offizielle Top 100]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1983|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|date=1983|publisher=[[GfK Entertainment Charts]]|language=de|access-date=5 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005040410/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1983|archive-date=5 October 2021}}</ref> | 58 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Saga|title=Heads or Tales|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1983|certyear=1984|access-date=July 20, 2024}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=Saga|title=Heads or Tales|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1983|certyear=1984|access-date=July 20, 2024}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Discogs master|42113}}
{{Saga}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heads Or Tales}} [[Category:1983 albums]] [[Category:Saga (band) albums]] [[Category:Albums produced by Rupert Hine]] [[Category:Portrait Records albums]]