Apart from the world of recording, Phil Thornalley may not be a household name, but a quick scan of the many records he's produced, engineered, and co-written (or all of the above) reveals a discography steeped in such universally well-known acts as Bryan Adams, Thompson Twins, The Cure, Prefab Sprout, The Psychedelic Furs, The Jam, XTC [Tape Op #19], Duran Duran, and even Paul McCartney. He also co-wrote and produced the 1997 worldwide smash hit single "Torn" for Australian pop star Natalie Imbruglia, co-wrote and co-produced "On a Day Like Today" with Bryan Adams, and played the iconic upright bass part on The Cure's "The Love Cats," which he also produced. Last year, after touring the world for nearly two years as Adams' bass player, Thornalley took his recording chops and songwriting skills back into his home studio to make an album of original songs which paid homage to the earliest sounds of the studio that first pulled him towards a life in music. Thornalley's Astral Drive album, released in 2018 and named after the L.A. street address where Todd Rundgren created much of his 1972 album Something/Anything?, was a handmade labor of love; a decidedly analogue-sounding affair, recalling his early fascinations with the sonic experimentations of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon and, most significantly, Rundgren's experimental soundscapes on Todd. Thornalley got swept along in the late '70s punk explosion and took his first musical steps in a band literally called The First Steps. Their 1979 debut single, "The Beat is Back," even got a few on-air spins from legendary UK broadcasters David "Kid" Jensen and John Peel. But, by then, Thornalley's fascination with the recording studio had landed him a dream job at RAK Studios in London, apprenticing under the tutelage of legendary producer Mickie Most, before moving on to assist and engineer for two more significant producer mentors, Steve Lillywhite [Tape Op #93], and the late great Alex Sadkin. I caught up with Thornalley via Skype from his home studio, The Swamp, in North London, where he remains busy on both sides of the glass.

Photo Above: Thornalley mixing The Cure's Pornography at RAK Studio One, January 1982

More from this Issue