Tony Mills (musician)
Encyclopedia
Tony Mills is an English musician and the vocalist in the Norwegian hard rock
band TNT
.
Hailing from Birmingham, when he was 14 years old, he sang in his first band, the punk band The Rip-Offs, before joining fellow Birmingham punk band Cracked Actors as bass guitarist. Turning to rock in 1980, he sang in rock bands with guitarist Nik Lloyd, such as Overdrive, Orion and Enigma, and in 1983 he joined the band Shy
. He recorded four albums with AOR/hair metal band Shy, including the critically acclaimed Excess All Areas and toured with Shy, supporting Gary Moore, Meatloaf, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Magnum, Manowar, Badlands, Enuff Z Nuff, Sleez Beez, UFO, and the Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson outfit which he performed on stage with in Brighton, just prior to Mick's death. The tours spanned the whole of Europe and North America, it was here that Tony worked with L.A. based band, Cinderella on their debut album, Night Songs. Co-writing sessions came about with Don Dokken (Dokken), Michael Bolton, Michael Des Barres (Power Station), John Parker (Chicago), Jeff Paris and Bob Kulick.
Tony left Shy in 1991, when MCA picked him up as a solo artist to record his first album in Manchester with engineer Andy Macpherson and guitarist Bob Maxim along with various members of 10CC and Sad Cafe. Later, forming another band, Siam, he wrote and sang on two albums, Prayer and The Language of Menace. After working as a session vocalist through the 1990s with Slade, Simon Harrison, Dave Saylor and Cozy Powell (unreleased) in conjunction with his recording and touring work with Siam, the band eventually folded in 1996 and Mills spent a year fronting a Rush tribute band, YYZ. In 2000 he reunited with Shy for two more albums, 'Unfinished Business' and 'Sunset and Vine'. At the turn of the millennium, he also released two solo albums, Cruiser and Freeway to the Afterlife. There followed a Danish tour with The Sweet, as bassist and lead vocalist, but this did not work out, and he returned to Shy, only to move swiftly on, when in 2006 he was asked to join TNT in Oslo, Norway. He was to replace their long-time vocalist Tony Harnell
who had decided to leave the band for both personal and professional reasons. The following year Mills sang on TNT's new album, The New Territory
, which despite high sales, was poorly received by several rock magazines, who it seems were somewhat taken aback by the new material. The band has toured and gigged extensively throughout 2007 in Norway to support the record, including supports to Ozzy O'sborne, Skid Row and Motorhead. Lasse Dale was also a progressive metal guitarist from Tromso in Norway, that enlisted Tony to write and record his debut album, 'Screaming For Silence. Tony worked for many Euro artist's between 2006 and 2010, namely Michael Voss and his 'Voices Of Rock' project, Liberty 'n' Justice in the U.S., Torben Enevoldsen in Denmark, Frederic Hugues and Blackstone and Tor Talle in Norway. In 2010 Douglas R. Docker, an American keyboardist living in Italy, appointed Tony as one of the four vocalists on his massive progressive rock project, 'Docker's Guild - The Mystic Technocracy', along with John Payne from Asia, Goran Edman and Amanda Somerville. Charity involvement for the Autistic Foundation for Children in North Trondelag, also saw the release of a single, 'Keep The Dream Alive' along with its associated video through NRK with vocalist, Siv-Anita Strickhert.
In 2007, Mills also performed backing vocals on the debut album by UK Band Crimes of Passion. He has numerous credits for, and is in regular demand for, provision of backing vocals,and other recent outputs include The Andersson-Mills Project, China Blue, and backing vocals for Dante Fox in the UK and Norwegian Rock outfit Winterstrain, appearing on their debut album Return to the Mirror as well as Shifting Sands. In 2008 Tony released a more metal oriented solo album Vital Designs, which featured bass by Morty Black , Oddvar Krogstad and Victor Borge
(TNT), guitars by Neil Hibbs, keyboards by Shy
's keyboard player Joe Basketts and drums by Shy
's drummer Bob Richards. Also appearing on the album was TNT member Dag Stokke
and Erik Ragno from China Blue. In the same year, he also began work with Ronni Le Tekrø on their second TNT collaboration together, which resulted in the album Atlantis, featuring the songs Tango Girl and Hello, Hello, which became regular tracks in their setlist for the following tour.
In the winter of 2008, Tony joined the band Serpentine, replacing former singer Greg Flores. In March 2010, Serpentine released their CD A Touch of Heaven on AOR/Metal Heaven in Europe and Marquee Avalon in Japan, gaining a glowing 92% review in rock magazine 'Burrn!
as well as hitting number 72 in the HMV Japan chart. Around the same period, Tony was commissioned to write and record an album for AOR Metal Heaven records in Germany, entitiled, 'State Of Rock', with Robby Boebel from Nuremberg act, 'Frontline'. Work was also completed on a more rock oriented TNT release for the end of the year, A Farewell To Arms, which returned to the classic sound of the band and was well received by fans and critics alike. Just after the summer, it was reported that Mills had suffered a heart attack at an airport in Norway, which prompted the singer to announce his departure from Serpentine before the completion of his second album with the band. The album has since been completed. Serpentine moved quickly to recruit 24-year-old British vocalist Matt Black as his replacement to allow the band to commence touring to support the A Touch Of Heaven album. The band's new album, currently untitled, is slated for a September 2011 release in Europe.
After a full recovery from his heart condition, at the opening of 2011, Tony had relocated to Norway to embrace the release of the latest TNT album and began touring to promote A Farewell To Arms, which in Scandinavia, was titled Engine. The change of album title for different territories was inextricably linked to his heart failure and consequent recovery. Tony's own engine was running smoothly again. He is currently writing and recording a rock opera with Trondheim writer Andreas Nergard whilst touring Europe with TNT. Tony will also be part of the Norwegian artist force supporting relief aid in Japan for their recent tragedy.
Tony is still very much an active session artist for many European and American artist's within the rock and metal markets.
Siam
Solo
Lasse Dale
The Andersson Mills Project
TNT
Tony Mills / Siv Anita Strickhert
China Blue
Serpentine
State Of Rock
Docker's Guild
Babis Kaisas
Nergard
Trine Rein
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band TNT
TNT (band)
TNT is a Norwegian hard rock/glam metal band from Trondheim, formed in 1982. The band has released twelve studio albums, three EPs and two live albums while going through numerous line-up changes since its formation...
.
Hailing from Birmingham, when he was 14 years old, he sang in his first band, the punk band The Rip-Offs, before joining fellow Birmingham punk band Cracked Actors as bass guitarist. Turning to rock in 1980, he sang in rock bands with guitarist Nik Lloyd, such as Overdrive, Orion and Enigma, and in 1983 he joined the band Shy
Shy (band)
Shy are a British metal band formed in 1980 under the name 'Trojan', hailing from Birmingham, England.-Biography:Formerly known as Trojan, Shy featured vocalist Tony Mills, Steve Harris , Paddy McKenna , Mark Badrick and drummer Alan Kelly...
. He recorded four albums with AOR/hair metal band Shy, including the critically acclaimed Excess All Areas and toured with Shy, supporting Gary Moore, Meatloaf, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Magnum, Manowar, Badlands, Enuff Z Nuff, Sleez Beez, UFO, and the Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson outfit which he performed on stage with in Brighton, just prior to Mick's death. The tours spanned the whole of Europe and North America, it was here that Tony worked with L.A. based band, Cinderella on their debut album, Night Songs. Co-writing sessions came about with Don Dokken (Dokken), Michael Bolton, Michael Des Barres (Power Station), John Parker (Chicago), Jeff Paris and Bob Kulick.
Tony left Shy in 1991, when MCA picked him up as a solo artist to record his first album in Manchester with engineer Andy Macpherson and guitarist Bob Maxim along with various members of 10CC and Sad Cafe. Later, forming another band, Siam, he wrote and sang on two albums, Prayer and The Language of Menace. After working as a session vocalist through the 1990s with Slade, Simon Harrison, Dave Saylor and Cozy Powell (unreleased) in conjunction with his recording and touring work with Siam, the band eventually folded in 1996 and Mills spent a year fronting a Rush tribute band, YYZ. In 2000 he reunited with Shy for two more albums, 'Unfinished Business' and 'Sunset and Vine'. At the turn of the millennium, he also released two solo albums, Cruiser and Freeway to the Afterlife. There followed a Danish tour with The Sweet, as bassist and lead vocalist, but this did not work out, and he returned to Shy, only to move swiftly on, when in 2006 he was asked to join TNT in Oslo, Norway. He was to replace their long-time vocalist Tony Harnell
Tony Harnell
Antony "Tony" Harnell is an American hard rock singer, best known for his work with the Norwegian hard rock band TNT....
who had decided to leave the band for both personal and professional reasons. The following year Mills sang on TNT's new album, The New Territory
The New Territory
The New Territory is the tenth studio album by the Norwegian hard rock band TNT, and was released on 30 June 2007.-Track listing:# "A Constitution" - 4:16# "Substitute" - 2:42...
, which despite high sales, was poorly received by several rock magazines, who it seems were somewhat taken aback by the new material. The band has toured and gigged extensively throughout 2007 in Norway to support the record, including supports to Ozzy O'sborne, Skid Row and Motorhead. Lasse Dale was also a progressive metal guitarist from Tromso in Norway, that enlisted Tony to write and record his debut album, 'Screaming For Silence. Tony worked for many Euro artist's between 2006 and 2010, namely Michael Voss and his 'Voices Of Rock' project, Liberty 'n' Justice in the U.S., Torben Enevoldsen in Denmark, Frederic Hugues and Blackstone and Tor Talle in Norway. In 2010 Douglas R. Docker, an American keyboardist living in Italy, appointed Tony as one of the four vocalists on his massive progressive rock project, 'Docker's Guild - The Mystic Technocracy', along with John Payne from Asia, Goran Edman and Amanda Somerville. Charity involvement for the Autistic Foundation for Children in North Trondelag, also saw the release of a single, 'Keep The Dream Alive' along with its associated video through NRK with vocalist, Siv-Anita Strickhert.
In 2007, Mills also performed backing vocals on the debut album by UK Band Crimes of Passion. He has numerous credits for, and is in regular demand for, provision of backing vocals,and other recent outputs include The Andersson-Mills Project, China Blue, and backing vocals for Dante Fox in the UK and Norwegian Rock outfit Winterstrain, appearing on their debut album Return to the Mirror as well as Shifting Sands. In 2008 Tony released a more metal oriented solo album Vital Designs, which featured bass by Morty Black , Oddvar Krogstad and Victor Borge
Victor Borge (bassist)
Victor Cito Borge is the bassist in the Norwegian hard rock band TNT and the black metal band Tulus. He joined TNT in 2005, replacing Sid Ringsby.Borge started playing the bass when he was 8 years old...
(TNT), guitars by Neil Hibbs, keyboards by Shy
Shy (band)
Shy are a British metal band formed in 1980 under the name 'Trojan', hailing from Birmingham, England.-Biography:Formerly known as Trojan, Shy featured vocalist Tony Mills, Steve Harris , Paddy McKenna , Mark Badrick and drummer Alan Kelly...
's keyboard player Joe Basketts and drums by Shy
Shy (band)
Shy are a British metal band formed in 1980 under the name 'Trojan', hailing from Birmingham, England.-Biography:Formerly known as Trojan, Shy featured vocalist Tony Mills, Steve Harris , Paddy McKenna , Mark Badrick and drummer Alan Kelly...
's drummer Bob Richards. Also appearing on the album was TNT member Dag Stokke
Dag Stokke
Dag Stokke was a Norwegian keyboardist, church organist and mastering engineer best known for his work with the Norwegian rock bands TNT and Vagabond...
and Erik Ragno from China Blue. In the same year, he also began work with Ronni Le Tekrø on their second TNT collaboration together, which resulted in the album Atlantis, featuring the songs Tango Girl and Hello, Hello, which became regular tracks in their setlist for the following tour.
In the winter of 2008, Tony joined the band Serpentine, replacing former singer Greg Flores. In March 2010, Serpentine released their CD A Touch of Heaven on AOR/Metal Heaven in Europe and Marquee Avalon in Japan, gaining a glowing 92% review in rock magazine 'Burrn!
Burrn!
Burrn! is a monthly Japanese magazine, published since 1984, for fans of heavy metal music. It is published by Shinko Music in Tokyo. The magazine's content is in Japanese, but the covers are predominantly in English.-References:* Japanavision...
as well as hitting number 72 in the HMV Japan chart. Around the same period, Tony was commissioned to write and record an album for AOR Metal Heaven records in Germany, entitiled, 'State Of Rock', with Robby Boebel from Nuremberg act, 'Frontline'. Work was also completed on a more rock oriented TNT release for the end of the year, A Farewell To Arms, which returned to the classic sound of the band and was well received by fans and critics alike. Just after the summer, it was reported that Mills had suffered a heart attack at an airport in Norway, which prompted the singer to announce his departure from Serpentine before the completion of his second album with the band. The album has since been completed. Serpentine moved quickly to recruit 24-year-old British vocalist Matt Black as his replacement to allow the band to commence touring to support the A Touch Of Heaven album. The band's new album, currently untitled, is slated for a September 2011 release in Europe.
After a full recovery from his heart condition, at the opening of 2011, Tony had relocated to Norway to embrace the release of the latest TNT album and began touring to promote A Farewell To Arms, which in Scandinavia, was titled Engine. The change of album title for different territories was inextricably linked to his heart failure and consequent recovery. Tony's own engine was running smoothly again. He is currently writing and recording a rock opera with Trondheim writer Andreas Nergard whilst touring Europe with TNT. Tony will also be part of the Norwegian artist force supporting relief aid in Japan for their recent tragedy.
Tony is still very much an active session artist for many European and American artist's within the rock and metal markets.
Discography
Shy- Once Bitten...Twice... (1983)
- Brave the Storm (1985)
- Excess All Areas (1987)
- Misspent Youth (1989)
- Welcome to the Madhouse (1994)
- Regeneration (1999)
- Let the Hammer Fall (1999)
- Live in Europe (1999)
- Breakaway (EP) (2001)
- Unfinished Business (2002)
- Sunset and Vine (2005)
- Reflections: The Anthology 1983-2005 (2006)
Siam
- The Language Of Menace (1994)
- Prayer (1995)
Solo
- Cruiser (2002)
- Freeway To The Afterlife (2005)
- Vital Designs (2008)
Lasse Dale
- "Screaming For Silence" (2006/7)
The Andersson Mills Project
- Crank It Up (2007)
TNT
- The New TerritoryThe New TerritoryThe New Territory is the tenth studio album by the Norwegian hard rock band TNT, and was released on 30 June 2007.-Track listing:# "A Constitution" - 4:16# "Substitute" - 2:42...
(2007) - AtlantisAtlantis (TNT album)Atlantis is the eleventh studio album by Norwegian hard rock band TNT. It was released on September 22, 2008.-Track listing:#"Hello, Hello" - 4:03#"Peter Sellers Blues" - 4:45#"Baby's Got Rhythm" - 3:39...
(2008) - A Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to Arms (album)A Farewell to Arms is the twelfth studio album by the Norwegian hard rock band TNT, released on December 15, 2010 in Japan. The album is in stark contrast to the previous two TNT albums, being a very 1980s-melodic rock-oriented album...
(2010)
Tony Mills / Siv Anita Strickhert
- Keep The Dream Alive (2008)
China Blue
- Twilight of Destiny (2008)
Serpentine
- A Touch Of Heaven (2010)
- tba (2011)
State Of Rock
- A Point Of Destiny (2010)
Docker's Guild
- The Mystic Technocracy - Season 1: The Age of Ignorance (2011)
Babis Kaisas
- "Unify" (2010)
Nergard
- The Beginning (EP) (2011)
- Memorial For A Wish ACT 1 (due for release fall 2011)
- Memorial For A Wish ACT 2 (due for release fall 2012)
Trine Rein
- 'The Earth Is Trembling' (2011 - Japanese Relief Aid Track)