Philip Thornalley (born 5 January 1960) is an English songwriter-producer who has worked in the

music industry The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...

since 1978. He is perhaps best known for co-writing (with Scott Cutler and Anne Preven) the song "

Torn Torn may refer to: Film and television * ''Torn'' (2009 film), an American film by Richard Johnson * ''Torn'' (2013 American film), directed Jeremiah Birnbaum * ''Torn'' (2013 Nigerian film), directed by Moses Inwang * ''Torn'' (TV series), a ...

" (made famous by Natalie Imbruglia's cover version, which he also produced) and the UK number one hits "

Mama Do "Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)" (also known as "Mama Do") is the debut single by English singer and songwriter Pixie Lott released as the lead single from her debut studio album, ''Turn It Up (Pixie Lott album), Turn It Up'' (2009). Written and produc ...

" and " Boys and Girls" for Pixie Lott. He also produced

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...

's 1982 album ''

Pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

'' and was later their bass player for eighteen months, producing and performing the distinctive

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

line on their 1983 single " The Love Cats". In 1988, Thornalley released his only solo album ''

Swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

'' and briefly joined the band

Johnny Hates Jazz Johnny Hates Jazz are a British band, currently consisting of Clark Datchler (songwriter, vocalist, keyboards) and Mike Nocito (guitarist, bassist, producer, engineer). In April 1987, they achieved international success with their first hit s ...

. He then worked principally as a

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

for hire for many acts including Bryan Adams. In 2017 he joined Adams' band as bass player for 18 months before releasing two solo albums of his own seventies inspired music under the moniker Astral Drive.

Biography

Thornalley was born in

Worlington Worlington may refer to: * Worlington, Devon, village in Devon, England. * Worlington, Suffolk, village in Suffolk, England See also *East Worlington, village in Devon, England *West Worlington West Worlington is a small village and former civi ...

, near Mildenhall, Suffolk, England. He began working as a recording engineer in 1978, at RAK Studios in

St. John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...

, London for producers

Mickie Most Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003), known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind scores of hit singles for acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate ...

, Steve Lillywhite and Alex Sadkin. Thornalley became the producer for

on their fourth album, ''

Pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

''.Rees, Dafydd & Crampton, Luke (ed.) ''Rock movers & shakers, Volume 1991, Part 2'' (1991), , ("...the band going into RAK studios to record with new producer Phil Thornalley") After

Simon Gallup Simon Jonathon Gallup (born 1 June 1960) is an English musician and bassist with the alternative rock band The Cure. He is the second longest-serving member of the band after lead vocalist/guitarist Robert Smith. Early years Born in Duxhurst ...

parted ways with the band in 1982, he was The Cure's bassist for eighteen months. He produced their 1983 single '' The Love Cats'' and their first live album, ''

Concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...

''. However, he quit to resume working as a songwriter and producer.(noting that Thornalley is a current member of the Cure) He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 1984 for ''

Into the Gap ''Into the Gap'' is the fourth studio album by British pop group Thompson Twins, released on 17 February 1984 by Arista Records. The album was recorded during 1983 at Compass Point Studios, in Nassau, Bahamas, and was produced by Alex Sadkin who ...

'' by the Thompson Twins and released his only solo album (''

''). in 1988. Thornalley has worked primarily as songwriter and record producer for other artists. In 1991, he co-wrote "

" (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 re-recorded alongside four other songs Thornalley wrote on Imbruglia's 1997 seven million selling debut album ''

Left of the Middle ''Left of the Middle'' is the debut studio album by Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia, released on 24 November 1997 by RCA Records. It is primarily an alternative pop album. Spurred by the success of lead single " Torn", the album reached numb ...

'', and became a worldwide hit single. In 2012, the single was covered by

One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the gr ...

on their live concert DVD ''Up All Night: The Live Tour''. Other artists Thornalley has worked with as a songwriter include Bryan Adams, BBMak, Eliza Doolittle,

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...

Stephanie Kirkham Stephanie is a female name that comes from the Greek language, Greek name Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown". The male form is Stephen. Forms of Stephanie in other languages include the German language, German "Stefanie", the Italian ...

and Pixie Lott.("For the last three years, she has been collaborating with some of the biggest hitmakers in the industry, including Red One (Lady GaGa's Just Dance), Phil Thornalley (Natalie Imbruglia's Torn) and Toby Gad (Beyonce's If I Were A Boy).") Artists Thornalley has produced, recorded or mixed include

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

, Junior Giscombe, Thompson Twins,

XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in ...

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

, Edwyn Collins, Kiki Dee,

Kim Wilde Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer, DJ and television presenter. She first saw success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at No. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award f ...

, Prefab Sprout, Hot Chocolate,

Racey Racey are a British pop group, formed in 1976 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, by Clive Wilson and Phil Fursdon. They achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with hits such as "Lay Your Love on Me" and "Some Girls". Thei ...

, Chris Spedding,

Kasim Sulton Kasim Sulton (born December 8, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States. As a solo artist, Sulton ...

Robbie Nevil Robert S. Nevil (born October 2, 1958) is an American pop singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist who had five ''Billboard'' top 40 hits including his songs "C'est la Vie" (#2, 1986), "Dominoes" (#14, 1987), and " Wot's It to Ya" (#10, 1987 ...

, The Frank and Walters,

Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

Julian Cope Julian David Cope (born 21 October 1957) is an English musician and author. He was the singer and songwriter in Liverpool post-punk band the Teardrop Explodes and has followed a solo career since 1983 in addition to working on musical side proj ...

, Dionne Bromfield, Blur,

Katrina and the Waves Katrina and the Waves were a British rock band widely known for the 1985 hit " Walking on Sunshine". They also won the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Love Shine a Light". History Pre-history (1975–1980) The band's earliest inc ...

Kate Earl Kate Earl (born Kate Smithson) is an American singer-songwriter based out of London. Early life Earl was born to Charles and Pomposa Smithson in Anchorage, Alaska. She is of Philippines, Filipino, Dutch and Welsh descent. She has been married t ...

, The Waterboys,

Psychedelic Furs Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

Wax Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to give low ...

, Cyndi Lauper, Lulu, Seona Dancing and Clint Eastwood & General Saint. In 2010, he wrote two UK number ones: "Mama Do" and "Boys and Girls" for Pixie Lott, and in 2012 the top ten hit "Kiss the Stars". In 2016 and 2017, Thornalley toured as bass player with Bryan Adams on his "

Get Up Get or GET may refer to: * Get (animal), the offspring of an animal * Get (divorce document), in Jewish religious law * GET (HTTP), a type of HTTP request * "Get" (song), by the Groggers * Georgia Time, used in the Republic of Georgia * Get AS, a ...

" and "

Ultimate Ultimate or Ultimates may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Ultimate'' (Jolin Tsai album) * ''Ultimate'' (Pet Shop Boys album) *''Ultimate!'', an album by The Yardbirds *''The Ultimate (Bryan Adams Album)'', a compilatio ...

" tours. He played 53 shows in the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Israel and Republic of South Africa. He contributed the song " That's Rock and Roll" to the ''

'' album and "The Last Night on Earth" and "Talk to Me" to the 2019 '' Shine a Light'' album. In May 2018, Thornalley announced a new solo project called 'Astral Drive' with the release of the single "Summer of '76", followed by the ''Love Is Real'' EP in January 2019 (including a cover of the

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Ut ...

song, "A Dream Goes On Forever"). The self-titled album was released in July 2018 on the

Lojinx Lojinx is a British independent record label and Music publisher (popular music), music publishing company established in 2004 in South London, United Kingdom, UK. It was voted as one of the top ten "Best Record Labels of 2010". Based in London ...

label. In summer 2019, Astral Drive released a companion album of remixes and out takes titled 'Green'. Summer 2021 saw the release of another album, again titled 'Astral Drive', including ten original songs and a cover of 'Open My Eyes' by

Nazz The Nazz was an American rock band formed in Philadelphia in 1967. The group was founded by guitarist and principal songwriter Todd Rundgren and bassist Carson Van Osten. Drummer Thom Mooney and vocalist/keyboardist Robert "Stewkey" Antoni joine ...

. The National Portrait Gallery includes his portrait by photographer Julian Anderson where he is listed as 'songwriter'. In 2022 Bass Player Magazine listed Thornalley's upright bass performance on " The Love Cats" by

as the 23rd best bass part of all time.

Influences

Thornalley's influences are

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

and

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

. Soul and R&B singer

Reggie Sears Reggie Sears (born April 12, 1991) is an American recording artist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer, and a former child prodigy guitarist known for his songs "Dirty Dancer", "Dip My Dipper", and "You Betrayed Me". ...

has named Thornalley as his favourite singer and credits Thornalley's 1988 release ''

'' as the main driving force for wanting to be a singer and musician.

Selected work

As writer/producer

;Singles * Natalie Imbruglia - "

" (#2 UK) *Natalie Imbruglia - "Wishing I Was There" (#15 US) * BBMak - "Back Here" (#11 USA / No. 5 UK) (writer only) * Bryan Adams - "On a Day Like Today" (#12 UK) *

Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career start ...

- "The Way You Make Me Feel" (#5 UK) * Pixie Lott - "Boys and Girls" (#1 UK) *Pixie Lott - "Mama Do" (#1 UK) *Pixie Lott - "Cry Me Out" (#5 UK) *Pixie Lott - "Kiss the Stars" (#9 UK) *

Hepburn Hepburn may refer to: Surname People with the surname Hepburn (the most famous in recent times being actresses Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn): * Hepburn (surname) Linguistics * Hepburn romanization, a system for the romanization of Japa ...

- " I Quit" (#8 UK) * Shannon Noll - "Drive" (#1 Australia) *

Daisy Wood-Davies Daisy, Daisies or DAISY may refer to: Plants * ''Bellis perennis'', the common daisy, lawn daisy or English daisy, a European species Other plants known as daisy * Asteraceae, daisy family ** ''Euryops chrysanthemoides'', African bush daisy ** '' ...

-"Dream Baby Dream" - from the West End musical

Dreamboats and Petticoats ''Dreamboats and Petticoats'' is a jukebox musical based on popular songs from the fifties and early sixties. The musical, featuring those songs of the rock 'n' roll era, is set around the years 1957 to 1963 and was written by Laurence Marks an ...

* Elkie Brooks - "Forgive and Forget" * Astral Drive - "Summer Of '76" ;Albums *Natalie Imbruglia - ''

'' (#5 UK) * Bryan Adams - "Shine A Light" (co-writer "The Last Night On Earth" & "Talk To Me") *Bryan Adams - ''On a Day Like Today'' (co-writer "On a Day Like Today" & "How Do You Feel Tonight") *Bryan Adams - ''Room Service'' (co-writer "Not Romeo Not Juliet") *Bryan Adams - ''Bare Bones'' (co-writer "The Way You Make Me Feel") *Bryan Adams - ''Get Up'' (co-writer "That's Rock and Roll") *Bryan Adams - "Shine A Light" (co-writer "Talk to Me" & co-writer and producer "The Last Night on Earth") *

- ''Reason'' (writer "Do I","Positively Somewhere' and "Let's Love") *Melanie C - ''Northern Star'' (writer "Ga Ga" and "Be the One") * Astral Drive - ''Astral Drive'' (writer on all songs) * Astral Drive - Green (writer on all songs) * Astral Drive - Orange (writer on ten songs) * Phil Thornalley - Now That I Have Your Attention (writer on all songs )

As producer only

;Singles *

- "The Hanging Garden" * Prefab Sprout - "When Love Breaks Down" (#25 UK) *The Cure - " The Love Cats" (#5 UK) * Holly Vallance - "Naughty Girl" (#9 UK) *

- "C'est La Vie" (#2 US) *

- " Right Between the Eyes" (#1 Spain) ;Albums *The Cure - ''

Pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

'' (#2 UK)

As mixer

- " Girl from Mars" *

- "

Pretty in Pink ''Pretty in Pink'' is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about love and social cliques in American high schools in the 1980s. A cult classic, it is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film. It was directed by Howard Deutch, produc ...

" (original version) *

- "Spread a Little Happiness" *

- "

Is There Something I Should Know? "Is There Something I Should Know?" is the eighth single by British pop band Duran Duran, released on 14 March 1983. The song was released as a stand-alone single and became the band's first UK number one record. It debuted in the number one ...

" (#4 US/#1 UK) * Thompson Twins - " Hold Me Now" *Thompson Twins - "

Doctor! Doctor! "Doctor! Doctor!" is a song performed by the British new wave band Thompson Twins. It is the second single from the band's fourth studio album, ''Into the Gap'' (1984). It was written by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, and prominent ...

" *Thompson Twins - "

In the Name of Love IN, In or in may refer to: Places * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Independ ...

" *Thompson Twins - "Lies" * Cyndi Lauper - "What's Going On" * The Waterboys - "

Fisherman's Blues ''Fisherman's Blues'' is a 1988 album by The Waterboys. The album marked a change in the band's sound, with them abandoning their earlier grandiose rock sound for a mixture of traditional Irish music, traditional Scottish music, country music, a ...

" *

Gary Breit Gary Breit (June 18, 1960) is a Canadian keyboardist and vocalist best known for his collaboration with singer/songwriter Bryan Adams. He has also recorded with acts such as Amanda Marshall, Cassandra Wilson, Corey Hart, Amy Sky, Long John Bal ...

- "Color Wheel"

Albums as recording engineer and mixer only

*Psychedelic Furs - ''

The Psychedelic Furs The Psychedelic Furs are a post-punk band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene ...

'' *Psychedelic Furs - ''

Talk Talk Talk ''Talk Talk Talk'' is the second studio album by the English rock band the Psychedelic Furs. It was released 15 May 1981 by Columbia Records. It was reissued with bonus tracks in 2002 by Columbia/Legacy and on vinyl in the UK in 2011 without b ...

'' * John Martyn - '' Well Kept Secret'' *Duran Duran - '' Seven and the Ragged Tiger'' *Thompson Twins - ''

Quick Step & Side Kick ''Quick Step & Side Kick'' is the third studio album by the British new wave group Thompson Twins. It was released in February 1983 by Arista Records, and was their first album to be released as a trio (the band consisted of up to seven members ...

'' *Thompson Twins - ''

Set Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics *Set (mathematics), a collection of elements *Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively Electro ...

'' *Thompson Twins - ''

'' *Robbie Nevil - '' C'est La Vie'' *

Graham Parker Graham Thomas Parker (born 18 November 1950) is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour. Life and career Early career (1960s–1976) Parker was born in Hackney, East L ...

- ''

The Real Macaw ''The Real Macaw'' is an album by Graham Parker, released in 1983. Critical reception ''Rolling Stone'' called ''The Real Macaw'' "a propulsive, brilliantly sung LP." ''Trouser Press'' called the album "a disc that is watered down and should h ...

Awards and nominations

Awards

* ASCAP 'Song of the Year' 1998 for "Torn" (Natalie Imbruglia) * ASCAP 'Song of the Year' 2000 for "Back Here" ( BBMak)

Nominations

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

'Best Engineered Pop Album 1984' for Thompson Twins' ''Into the Gap''

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thornalley, Phil 1960 births Living people The Cure members English record producers English rock bass guitarists Male bass guitarists English male singers English new wave musicians English songwriters People educated at Culford School People from Worlington, Suffolk Lojinx artists