Folk rock outfit the Sutherland Brothers first assembled in London in 1970, though their strongest commercial impact arrived only after they merged with a second ensemble several years afterward. Ian, who handled vocals and guitar, joined forces with his sibling Gavin on bass and vocals; the pair initially performed under the name A New Generation at their manager’s urging before reverting to the Sutherland Brothers moniker and cutting a demo. Former Traffic bassist Muff Winwood heard the tape and arranged their contract with Island Records, where he worked in A&R. Two predominantly folk-leaning albums appeared in 1972—the self-titled debut and Lifeboat—the latter delivering the band’s initial genuine hit, “(I Don’t Want to Love You But) You Got Me Anyway,” along with the original “Sailing” that Rod Stewart would later record.
Early in 1973 the Sutherland Brothers, dissatisfied with their live presentation, expanded by joining the little-known rock group Quiver, whose own two albums—the self-titled 1971 release and 1972’s Gone in the Morning—had received limited attention. The combined unit adopted the name the Sutherland Brothers & Quiver, often shortened to SBQ, and remained together through most of the decade. Stewart’s version of “Sailing” reached number one in the U.K., while the group itself scored another major success in 1975 with “The Arms of Mary,” which climbed to number five on the British chart. Extensive touring followed across the United States and Europe, accompanied by further Island releases: Dream Kid in 1973 and Beat of the Street in 1974. After switching to Columbia Records, they issued Reach for the Sky in 1975, Slipstream in 1976, Down to Earth in 1977, and When the Night Comes Down in 1979. By the start of the 1980s, however, chart momentum had faded and SBQ disbanded. Separate solo attempts by both Sutherland brothers in the early 1980s likewise failed to recapture their former audience.
