"Is it hype? Is it hope?" asked the ever-objective Howard Cosell, "Or is it a bicentennial gift from the old country?" These were the questions posed to America on the historic night of Saturday, September 20, 1975. The occasion was the premiere of ABC-TV's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH HOWARD COSELL. The subject was the Bay City Rollers.

Performing live via satellite from London, America was witness to the unforgettable spectacle of complete shrieking, fainting, Roller-induced hysteria. Hype or hope, it was almost effective introduction.

Within a week, the Rollers were in America. Arriving at New York City's Kennedy Airport, their plane was met by national press, television cameras and hundreds of screaming, plaid-clad American teens. By the next week, it was the #1 record in the nation.

The Rollers saga began in 1967 in Edinburgh, Scotland. As The Saxons, they struggled along in relative obscurity for three years before deciding to change their name and image. As pop history tells it, the lads stuck a pin in a map of the United States and hit Bay City, Michigan. With the addition of "Rollers" (the British term for "soft rockers") and a new wardrobe, the Bay City Rollers were born. A succession of Top 10 UK hits followed.

While accusations of hype raged, the physical evidence was irrefutable: concert riots, hotels under siege, mass teen faintings, etc. Additionally, this teenybopper havoc had a look all its own - tartan. Like their idols, tartan-trimmed trousers and shirts and plaid scarves and suspenders became required wardrobe for devoted Rollers fans. "What could girls do to identify with the Osmonds?" admitted one British teen magazine, "Dress up like Mormons?" By 1974, the phenomena known as "Rollermania" had conquered Britain and most of Europe.

The Bay City Rollers soon had die hard tartan-clad devotees in the U.S. They performed on all the major television programs of the day, and were hosts of the NBC-TV series, THE KROFFT SUPERSTAR HOUR. More hits followed Saturday Night: I Only Want To Be With You, Rock n'Roll Love Letter, The Way I Feel Tonight, Money Honey and You Made Me Believe in Magic, all achieved U.S. Top 40 status.

The Rollers graced the cover of 16 Magazine more than anyone else. "Rollermania" became the rule wherever the band appeared. Teenage girls routinely screamed until they vomited at Rollers' concerts. On
AMERICAN BANDSTAND, Dick Clark stated "more has been written about you four individuals than anybody except the Beatles. "British rocker Nick Lowe wrote and recorded a song entitled Roller Show, which expresses the joy in anticipation of a Bay City Rollers' concert.

The Rollers earned five R.I.A.A. gold albums (Bay City Rollers, Rock n' Roll Love Letter, Dedication, It's A Game, and Greatest Hits). They are one of the best selling artists on Arista Records and since the 70's have never been far from the public eye. The Rollerboard is one of the most popular boards on America Online. Comedienne and vocalist Tracy Ullman attired herself in "Roller gear" for the video of her Top 10 hit They Don't Know About Us. Mike Myers lauded the band in his motion picture SO I MARRIED AN AX MURDERER, and Planters Peanuts utilized Saturday Night for a recent advertisement campaign.

Now, some 30 years after the initial "Rollermania" explosion, it's possible to look beyond the hype and hysteria and observe the Rollers' true legacy. Led by vocalist/guitarist Ian Mitchell, the Bay City Rollers are making new fans and continuing the love affair with the original fans. Their show is non-stop, combining hit after hit, old and new songs. As their performances and recordings prove, The Bay City Rollers created some of the most enjoyable, irresistible and enduring pop music of the 1970s.

"From 1974 to 1976, the BAy City Rollers had no equals in international music" - Rock Author Howard Elson

"They are more than a group, they are an entire cult. Although they are Scotland's own, their success is unconfined. The Rollers have achieved impregnable heights." - The New Musical Express Encyclopedia of Rock

"The Rollers created their own following and "Rollermania" for millions of teenage girls throughout the world." - Rock On Volune 2

"No one had seen anything like Rollermania since the Beatles went weird. And no one has seen anything like it since." - U.K. Rock Critic Jeremy Austin

"The Rollers are a terrific power pop group." - Goldmine Magazine