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Andy Thornton
biography
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| born | 5th Sep 1958 in Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire |
| height | 6' 1" |
| eyes | blue |
| feet | 2 |
| likes | Blue Nile, James Taylor, Nitin Sawheny, Talvin Singh, Bruce Cockburn, Iain Archer, U2, Joan Armatrading, John Martyn |
| dislikes | beautiful south, texas, hue & cry, reminiscing |
| academic qualifications | it's academic... well OK - BSc in physiology at Dundee Uni |
| Love of life | Donna Ferrigan |
| Father | Ronald - teacher & amateur operatic singer |
| Mother | Ivy (1925-1992) Piano Teacher |
| Grandparents | Miner, Plasterer & Fish & Chip shop owner - nr Doncaster |
| music qualifications | you're kidding... O Level, grade 4 oboe |
| instruments | Guitar, Sax, programming, percussion |
| uses | Cubase, Wavelab, LM4, Spirit FX16, ASR 10, Takamine Santa Fe, Sansamp, tons of hand held percussion |
| inspiration | Love, struggle, corruption, hope, the realm of God |
| perspiration | keep listening for where the song wants to go, stay with it.. |
musical career
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| Wrote first song | aged 14 - "Nobody knows that I'm here" (sad or what?) |
| First band seen live | status quo in Bournemouth (later that year) |
| First love | Amanda Tul |
| First love song | "I eat men for breakfast" (slightly bitter eh?) |
| First Band | "Dry Ice" |
| Their most memorable song | "Witches Parlour" |
| First Band to Perform Live | "Fracas" (aged 17) |
| Reaction to the gig | buns from the church hall thrown at the band |
| Their most memorable song | "Spring Morning Sunrise" ("lay it easy on the mind" - mmm mmm) |
| First paid gigs | light entertainment guitar novelty duet "Stonewall Griffiths" with John Griffiths (later to become a Woebegone Brother) |
| First recorded release | "The Last of Stonewall Griffiths" 1981 featuring guest artists Jon Magnussen & Ricky Ross, amongst others.. |
| Outstanding Songs... | "Who Shot JR?", "The Dart Night of the Soul", "Used to be a Man", "Jammy Side Down" |
| Other Dundee Bands | "Ricky Ross and the Norman Tebbits of this World", "Wells Fargo and the Stage Frights" |
but more seriously ... move to Glasgow...
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| 1983 - 86: rattling the cage |
"Sophisticated Pop" 6 piece featuring - amongst others, Loraine McIntosh & Ewen Vernal, later of Deacon Blue. No releases but gig coverage in Melody Maker. First gig at Greenbelt in 1986 supporting Fat and Frantic on Sunday lunchtime. Got wet & went home thinking it was a strange event.
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| 1986 - 89: big sur |
80's song-based pop band. Released 12" single "Please Stay". Simultaneously 'record of the week' in Record Mirror and "a vile disgusting whinge" in NME. Toured UK as support to Deacon Blue in 1988. Released "Doing the Rounds" comemorative cassette & T shirt. Much radio play but never distributed seriously to shops. Andy signed to Chrysalis in 1989 as a songwriter. Demoralising experience which led to the collapse of the band due to passivity of Publishing company. Recorded songs solo then started own studio in order to get some income.
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| 1990 - co-founder of The Late Late Service |
experimental contemporary worship arts collective based round dance beats and multimedia environments. Recorded the first ever Christian Service for Radio 1 (and the second), also on Channel 4 & Channel 5 at Christmas. Released several albums through Sticky Music.
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1994 - recorded Victims & Criminals
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| 1996 - moved to London |
to manage Greenbelt Festivals - music dries up except for in the basement studio & pieces for 'Host' - Hackney based alternative worship group.
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2000 - released The Things You Never Say
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| 2001 - move around London, move job |
| campaign manager at The Giving Campaign running a new project to promote charitable giving to young people in the UK: Giving Nation. |
| Giving Nation web site |
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gigs...
Thu 13 Mar 08
Bush Hall
London
reviews...
"makes and instant connection"
Rock n Reel
"wonderfully mature intelligent songs"
Maverick
"an oustanding collection of mature pop songs"
Penny Black
"in 'That Girl' Thornton has written an instant classic"
Penny Black
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