Phil Thornalley
Encyclopedia
Phil Thornalley is a songwriter-producer who has worked in the music industry since 1978. He is perhaps best known for co-writing (with Scott Cutler
and Anne Preven
) the song "Torn
" which Natalie Imbruglia
later covered to great success for her 1997 debut album, Left of the Middle
. He was also member of The Cure
for a brief stint in the early 1980s, as well as the acting frontman for the band Johnny Hates Jazz
in the early 1990s
.
in St. John's Wood, London
for producer Mickie Most
. He also worked with producer Steve Lillywhite
(the Psychedelic Furs and the Thompson Twins
) and Alex Sadkin
.
Thornalley became the producer for The Cure
on their fourth album, Pornography
. After Simon Gallup
quit in 1982, he filled in as their bassist during the recording of Japanese Whispers
and their first live album, Concert
but eventually quit to keep on working as a songwriter and producer.
In 1984, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
for Into the Gap
by the Thompson Twins
.
Thornalley has worked as a mixer for Duran Duran
, XTC
, Sting, Ash
and Cyndi Lauper
.
In 1988 he released his only solo album (Swamp). He then joined Johnny Hates Jazz
, and was the frontman on their 2nd album, 1991's Tall Stories. In 2010, Thornalley referred to his time with the band as “a grand mistake, in the sense that I devoted three years to it, and it was deeply unsuccessful. But you learn from your mistakes."
Since leaving Johnny Hates Jazz, Thornalley has worked primarily as songwriter
and record producer
for other artists. In 1991, he co-wrote "Torn
" (with Scott Cutler
and Anne Preven
), which later appeared on Ednaswap
's 1995 debut album. Subsequently he was asked to produce some songs for Natalie Imbruglia
, and "Torn" was rerecorded, as among five songs Thornalley co-wrote on Imbrulgia's 1997 debut album Left of the Middle
, and became a worldwide hit single.
Other artists Thornalley has worked with include Bryan Adams
, Melanie C, Hepburn
, Ronan Keating
, BBMak
, and Pixie Lott
.
In 2009, three songs co-written for Pixie Lott reached #1 on the UK charts.
Scott Cutler
Scott M. Cutler is an American musician and music producer.-Personal life:He recently had his 1st son "Lane" and his 2nd son "Duke" with his wife Meredith Morton.-Career:...
and Anne Preven
Anne Preven
Anne Preven is an American songwriter and musician, originally from New York. She has co-written songs for Beyoncé , Katy Perry, Madonna, Natalie Imbruglia, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Sinéad O'Connor, Charice, The Hush Sound, Jordin Sparks, Miranda Cosgrove, Black Veil Brides, Pnau, Pixie Lott,...
) the song "Torn
Torn (Ednaswap song)
"Torn" is a song by the band Ednaswap from their debut album Ednaswap . It was their second single from that album, after "Glow". "Torn" was written by Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Phil Thornalley during a demo session in 1993 before Ednaswap was formed. The lyrics were written by Preven....
" which Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
later covered to great success for her 1997 debut album, Left of the Middle
Left of the Middle
Left of the Middle is the first album by Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia. Released in 1997, the album was a worldwide hit. Spurred by the success of lead single "Torn", the album reached number 1 in her home country and the top 10 in both the UK and US...
. He was also member of The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
for a brief stint in the early 1980s, as well as the acting frontman for the band Johnny Hates Jazz
Johnny Hates Jazz
Johnny Hates Jazz is an Anglo-American Pop/Rock band, formed in 1986 by Clark Datchler , Mike Nocito , and Calvin Hayes...
in the early 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
.
Background
Thornalley began working as a recording engineer in 1978, at RAK StudiosRAK Records
Rak Records was a British record label, founded by record producer Mickie Most in 1969. Rak was home of artists like Herman's Hermits, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Kenny, Hot Chocolate, Smokie, Arrows, Span, Racey and Kim Wilde. Rak Records were distributed via a licensing deal with EMI, which bought the...
in St. John's Wood, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for producer Mickie Most
Mickie Most
Mickie Most was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group often issued on his own RAK Records label....
. He also worked with producer Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
(the Psychedelic Furs and the Thompson Twins
Thompson Twins
The Thompson Twins were a British pop group that were formed in April 1977 and disbanded in May 1993. They achieved considerable popularity in the mid 1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States and around the globe. The band was named after the two bumbling detectives...
) and Alex Sadkin
Alex Sadkin
Alex Sadkin is best remembered as a record producer in the early 1980s, but actually got his start in the music industry as a saxophonist for the Las Olas Brass in Fort Lauderdale, Florida....
.
Thornalley became the producer for The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
on their fourth album, Pornography
Pornography (album)
NME reviewer Dave Hill wrote, "This record portrays and parades its currency of exposed futility and naked fear with so few distractions or adornments, and so little sense of shame...
. After Simon Gallup
Simon Gallup
Simon Jonathon Gallup is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.-Early years:...
quit in 1982, he filled in as their bassist during the recording of Japanese Whispers
Japanese Whispers
Japanese Whispers: The Cure Singles Nov 82:Nov 83 is a compilation album by British rock group The Cure. It was released in late 1983 by their record company, Fiction Records....
and their first live album, Concert
Concert (album)
Concert: The Cure Live is the first live album of English rock band The Cure. It was recorded in 1984 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London and in Oxford...
but eventually quit to keep on working as a songwriter and producer.
In 1984, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1959. The award had several minor name changes:*In 1959 the award was known as Best Engineered Record - Non-Classical...
for Into the Gap
Into the Gap
Into the Gap is the fourth album by the British pop group Thompson Twins. It was released in February 1984 and reached no.1 on the UK Albums Chart, and no.10 on the U.S...
by the Thompson Twins
Thompson Twins
The Thompson Twins were a British pop group that were formed in April 1977 and disbanded in May 1993. They achieved considerable popularity in the mid 1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States and around the globe. The band was named after the two bumbling detectives...
.
Thornalley has worked as a mixer for Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, Sting, Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
and Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
.
In 1988 he released his only solo album (Swamp). He then joined Johnny Hates Jazz
Johnny Hates Jazz
Johnny Hates Jazz is an Anglo-American Pop/Rock band, formed in 1986 by Clark Datchler , Mike Nocito , and Calvin Hayes...
, and was the frontman on their 2nd album, 1991's Tall Stories. In 2010, Thornalley referred to his time with the band as “a grand mistake, in the sense that I devoted three years to it, and it was deeply unsuccessful. But you learn from your mistakes."
Since leaving Johnny Hates Jazz, Thornalley has worked primarily as songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
for other artists. In 1991, he co-wrote "Torn
Torn (Ednaswap song)
"Torn" is a song by the band Ednaswap from their debut album Ednaswap . It was their second single from that album, after "Glow". "Torn" was written by Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Phil Thornalley during a demo session in 1993 before Ednaswap was formed. The lyrics were written by Preven....
" (with Scott Cutler
Scott Cutler
Scott M. Cutler is an American musician and music producer.-Personal life:He recently had his 1st son "Lane" and his 2nd son "Duke" with his wife Meredith Morton.-Career:...
and Anne Preven
Anne Preven
Anne Preven is an American songwriter and musician, originally from New York. She has co-written songs for Beyoncé , Katy Perry, Madonna, Natalie Imbruglia, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Sinéad O'Connor, Charice, The Hush Sound, Jordin Sparks, Miranda Cosgrove, Black Veil Brides, Pnau, Pixie Lott,...
), which later appeared on Ednaswap
Ednaswap
Ednaswap was an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, United States, that existed between 1993 and 1998.Over a span of five years, the band released four major label records on East West, Elektra Records and Island Records...
's 1995 debut album. Subsequently he was asked to produce some songs for Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
, and "Torn" was rerecorded, as among five songs Thornalley co-wrote on Imbrulgia's 1997 debut album Left of the Middle
Left of the Middle
Left of the Middle is the first album by Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia. Released in 1997, the album was a worldwide hit. Spurred by the success of lead single "Torn", the album reached number 1 in her home country and the top 10 in both the UK and US...
, and became a worldwide hit single.
Other artists Thornalley has worked with include Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, Melanie C, Hepburn
Hepburn (band)
Hepburn were a four-piece British all-girl pop rock band. The band released an album and three singles in 1999-2000, but is best known for their first single, "I Quit", which reached #8 on the UK charts, and was best known to American audiences when it appeared on the soundtrack to the TV series,...
, Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
, BBMak
BBMak
BBMak were an English pop group consisting of Mark Barry, Christian Burns and Stephen McNally. Together they sold nearly three million albums and spawned two Top 10 and Top 40 singles worldwide between 1999 when the group was formed and 2003 when they eventually disbanded...
, and Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
.
In 2009, three songs co-written for Pixie Lott reached #1 on the UK charts.