{{about|the album||Just a Boy (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox album | name = Just a Boy | type = Album | artist = Leo Sayer | cover = Leo Sayer - Just a Boy.jpg | alt = | released = October 1974 | recorded = 1974 | venue = | studio = Kingsway Recorders, London | genre = Soft rock | length = 38:04 | label = Chrysalis Records (UK)<br>Warner Bros. Records (USA) | producer = David Courtney, Adam Faith | prev_title = Silverbird | prev_year = 1973 | next_title = Another Year | next_year = 1975 | misc = {{Singles | name = Just a Boy | type = studio | single1 = One Man Band | single1date = 31 May 1974<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1974/Music-Week-1974-05-25.pdf|title=Music Week|page=40|website=Worldradiohistory.com}}</ref> | single2 = Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance) | single2date = September 1974 | single3 = Train | single3date = February 1975 (EU)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Leo+Sayer&titel=Train&cat=s|title=Leo Sayer - Train|first=Steffen|last=Hung|website=Hitparade.ch|access-date=26 October 2024}}</ref> }} }} {{Album ratings |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r48746/review|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review], ''AllMusic''</ref> |rev2 = ''Christgau's Record Guide'' |rev2Score = C+<ref name="CG">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: S|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=S&bk=70|access-date=12 March 2019|via=Robertchristgau.com}}</ref> |rev3 = ''The Village Voice'' |rev3Score = C+<ref name="VV">{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=17 March 1975|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv3-75.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|access-date=28 April 2013}}</ref> }}
'''''Just a Boy''''' is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter, Leo Sayer, and was released in 1974. It features his interpretations of two songs ("One Man Band" and "Giving It All Away") written by Sayer and David Courtney for the Who's lead vocalist Roger Daltrey's debut album, ''Daltrey''. The latter song also kicked-off Sayer's run of hits in Australia, to which he subsequently emigrated.<ref>{{cite news|title=Leo Sayer Touring Soon |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/190089198?searchTerm=%22giving%20it%20all%20away%22%20%22leo%20sayer%22 |website=Trove|date=3 June 1988 |publisher=The Times, Victor Harbour, SA. |access-date=18 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Gocs|first=Danny|title=Leo Sayer keeps on rocking |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/261930198?searchTerm=%22giving%20it%20all%20away%22%20%22leo%20sayer%22 |website=Trove|date=21 October 1994 |publisher=The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne, Vic.) |access-date=18 April 2025}}</ref> His singles "One Man Band" and "Long Tall Glasses" both hit the charts in the UK and around the world. Leo Sayer was now popular in Europe and made many promotional appearances there. He headlined in Paris at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the venue known as the home of his then-hero, mime artist Marcel Marceau.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}
==Album cover artwork== The cover is a painting by Humphrey Butler-Bowden.<ref name="AMG"/> It is a tribute to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's artwork for his famous novella ''The Little Prince''. The album's back cover pointedly depicted a group of new Sayers giving Pierrot the elbow.
==Recording== Adam Faith, David Courtney and Sayer had already started work on the album, cutting "One Man Band" while Sayer was on an American tour. More recording took place in London. This time the recording went smoothly and the right results were quickly accomplished. Some of the songs, like "Long Tall Glasses", were written in the studio.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leosayer.com/biography/leos-story-so-far |title=Leo's Story – So Far… | Leo Sayer.com |access-date=16 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310161951/http://www.leosayer.com/biography/leos-story-so-far |archive-date=10 March 2015 }}</ref> Roger Daltrey had first recorded Sayer's songs, "One Man Band" and "Giving It All Away" on his 1973 debut solo album, ''Daltrey''.
A cover of the song "I Can Dance (Long Tall Glasses)" by the Canadian band Shooter hit the Canadian charts the same week as the Sayer original. The Sayer version reached No. 18, where the Shooter version reached No. 22, both on 3 May chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6158a.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles – May 3, 1975|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca}}</ref>
==Track listing== All lyrics by Leo Sayer and music by David Courtney.
===Side one=== #"Telepath" – 3:12 #"Train" – 4:25 #"The Bells of St Mary's" – 3:36 #"One Man Band" – 3:35 #"In My Life" – 3:23
===Side two=== #"When I Came Home This Morning" – 5:17 #"Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)" – 3:19 #"Another Time" – 3:26 #"Solo" – 3:59 #"Giving it All Away" – 3:52
== Personnel == * Leo Sayer – vocals * David Courtney – acoustic piano (1, 8, 10) * Cliff Hall – acoustic piano (2, 3, 7, 9) * David Rose – acoustic piano (4, 5, 6) * John Mealing – organ (5) * Paul Keogh – guitars (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9) * James Litherland – guitars (4, 5, 6) * Keith Nelson – banjo (7) * Dave Markee – bass (2, 3, 7, 8, 9) * Bill Smith – bass (4, 5, 6) * Theo Thunder – drums (2–7, 9) * Michael Giles – drums (8) * Andrew Powell – string, woodwind and brass arrangements * Jeanie Greene – backing vocals * Barry St. John – backing vocals (5) * Liza Strike – backing vocals (5) * Lucas Piccoli – inspiration
=== Production === * David Courtney – producer * Adam Faith – producer * Louis Austin – engineer * Martin Birch – engineer * George Sloan – tape operator * Paul "Chas" Watkins – tape operator * Terry O'Neill – photography, back cover conception * Humphrey Butler-Bowdon – cover painting <ref name="AMG">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/just-a-boy-mw0000221888#credits|title=Just a Boy - Leo Sayer | Album |website=AllMusic|access-date=26 October 2024}}</ref>
== Charts == {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} ===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! Chart (1974–75) ! Peak<br />position |- !scope=row|Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=265}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"| 3 |- {{Album chart|Canada|12|artist=Leo Sayer|album=Just a Boy|chartid=6143a|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|New Zealand|35|artist=Leo Sayer|album=Just a Boy|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|UK2|4|date=19741027|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|Billboard200|16|artist=Leo Sayer|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" ! Chart (1975) ! Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=427}}</ref> | 2 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications== {{certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Australia|award=Platinum|relyear=1974|certyear=1976|certref=<ref name=JETHRO>{{cite web|url=https://www.backstageauctions.com/catalog/jethro-tull-1976-festival-records-in-house-award-presented-to-terry-ellis/i/0/45258/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250515062747/https://www.backstageauctions.com/catalog/jethro-tull-1976-festival-records-in-house-award-presented-to-terry-ellis/i/0/45258/|archive-date=May 15, 2025|url-status=dead|title=Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, and Leo Sayer 1976 Festival Records Australian Award Presented To Terry Ellis|access-date=May 15, 2025}}</ref>}} {{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Leo Sayer|title=Just a Boy|award=Silver|relyear=1974|certyear=1975|id=3552-3335-2}} {{certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Discogs master|master=90399|name=Just a Boy|type=album}}
{{Leo Sayer}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1974 albums Category:Chrysalis Records albums Category:Leo Sayer albums Category:Warner Records albums