Phil Thornalley
Producer of Pornography who became The Cure's bassist and played on "The Love Cats."
via Wikipedia: Phil Thornalley · see source
Phil Thornalley is an English songwriter, musician, and producer who worked with The Cure during a transitional period in the early 1980s. His tenure with the band was brief, lasting about 18 months, during which he helped fill the vacant drummer position by recruiting Boris Williams. Outside The Cure, Thornalley co-wrote the international hit "Torn" (made famous by Natalie Imbruglia) and two UK number one singles for Pixie Lott.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Phillip Carden Thornalley
- Born
- 5 January 1960
- Origin
- Worlington, Suffolk, England
- Instruments
- Bass guitar
- guitar
- vocals
- drums
- piano
- Genre
- Punk rock
- post-punk
- new wave
- gothic rock
- alternative rock
- pop rock
- Occupations
- Songwriter, producer
- Years active
- 1978–present
- Past member of
- The Cure
- Johnny Hates Jazz
- Bryan Adams
Lore & Background
Phil Thornalley's connection to The Cure began not as a musician but as a producer. In 1982, he produced the album Pornography, a landmark of dark post-punk. The following year, he produced the non-album single "The Love Cats" and contributed a double bass performance on the song — despite never having played an upright bass before. Since The Cure lacked an official bassist at the time, Thornalley joined the band for a short tour of the US and some television appearances. In 1984, he appeared in videos for songs from the band's album The Top, though he did not play on the studio recordings due to being involved with producing and mixing other artists. He also performed on the ensuing tour. During his time with the band, Thornalley helped fill the vacant drummer position by recruiting two musicians he had worked with in previous studio sessions: temporary touring drummer Vince Ely, followed by Boris Williams, who joined the band officially. After about 18 months with The Cure, Thornalley left and resumed working as a songwriter and producer. In 2022, Bass Player magazine listed his performance on "The Love Cats" as the 23rd-best bass line of all time.
Reader's Guide
Phil Thornalley's role with The Cure was multi-faceted. He first worked with the band as the producer of their 1982 album Pornography. The following year, he produced the non-album single "The Love Cats" and contributed a double bass performance on the song — his first time ever playing an upright bass. He also performed on the ensuing tour. During his approximately 18 months with the Cure, he helped fill the vacant drummer position by recruiting two musicians with whom he had worked in previous studio sessions: temporary touring drummer Vince Ely, followed by Boris Williams who joined the band officially. After leaving the Cure, Thornalley resumed working as a songwriter and producer.
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