phil thornton

Early Stallion – Skeleton Tich, dustbin photo and playlist 1975

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 skeleton photo supplied by Chris Meachen, dustbin photo supplied by Stallion Facebook page

playlist supplied by Roger Carey

Tich Turner, Tony Bridger, Phil Thornton, Steve Demetri, Roger Carey.

David Miller….Phil’s trashed again…..

Yvonne Cleland….hoho

Glenn Piper….I  remember it well

Caz Simpson… I have a cd of the tape they did of Cobra and a Skinny Kid and all. I never met a nicer man than Steve. I went with them to the competitions, and the final x

John Wilde…  I was Stallions singer when we won the 1976 Melody Maker contest. x

Caz Simpson…   I was there when you won, it was an amazing night and a well deserved win x

Phil Gill… Fabulous – that’s the set I learned from a cassette when I first joined the band. Some great songs there, I’d love to here them again.

Alan Esdaile… Farts? on playlist.

Glenn Piper… Directions maybe?

Phil Gill… No idea Alan, the list at the bottom looks more like stage directions. It’s one way of getting your own dressing room.

Alan Esdaile… Perhaps its something you need to do before you put the outfit on.

 

Stallion -Martin Casson Agency promo photo – Rock-A-Nore Hastings 1975

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Tich Turner, Phil Thornton, Roger Carey, Steve Demetri, Vic Bridger.

Promotion picture when they were signed to ‘Martin Casson Agency’.

Roger Carey… they asked us to wear suits for the promo photo.

Gaynor Duke… Tony Bridger

Glenn Piper… Anthony Victor Bridger hence the “Vic”

Andy Qunta… Can’t see exactly, but it looks like Tich might have been the only one who complied with that request!

Pete Prescott… Should I tell my Tich/skeleton story ?

Martyn Baker… Yes, of course you should Pete. I’m all ears!

Pete Prescott… Here goes. So it’s Sep 77 and I’m down in Hastings from north Kent where I live to audition for a band Steppin Out. It’s a Sunday afternoon. I go to a place in Silverhill called The Box. The audition seems to go well, I’m asked about my past. I mention that my last band made it to the final of the Melody Maker competition a few years previously. “Oh” says Tich “we were on that year too!” Just as I’m about to say “do you remember that complete tosser in the skeleton outfit that had everyone pissing themselves?” Tich says “you might remember me…I had a skeleton outfit on!” I was that close to never living in Hastings (and having no teeth !). I have to say that the time I spent in Steppin Out was an eye opener for me. An education. I wasn’t really up to the job. Tich was (and No doubt still is) a fantastic front man. I liked his singing. I couldn’t think why they wanted another singer. I had never sung harmonies and was bloody useless at those. I was very static on stage in those days. Pretty redundant. Rich also wrote sing great songs with Roger Hubbard who was the guitarist. It was an amazing band. Tich should have been successful. Wearing that skeleton outfit was something I would never have done. I didn’t have the balls. He did. Singers like Peter Gabriel or David Bowie wore make up and costumes and stunned people. I realised then that that could never be me. So hats off to the skeleton outfit !

 

 

Phil Thornton gear nicked – 1978

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supplied by Sarah Harvey

Sarah Harvey……Came across this cutting as I was sorting through some stuff in the loft….from the Observer July 8th, 1978 (My Birthday! 🙂 )

Andy Qunta…..Hope Phil got all his gear back!

Phil Thornton……no ! never saw the Elka or my HH amp again ! – I was lucky that the guy tried to sell the rest to our roadie though ! he had to lay down £100 deposit to get the guy to come back and of course we had the law waiting for him when he did ! ( Quick thinking Steve !)

Andy Qunta……Sorry about the Elka & HH amp, Phil! Had my Mini-Moog stolen in 1982, & still haven’t got over it! I’m sure you feel the same way!

Phil Thornton…..that would have made me cry ! – I seem to recall it was a very nice one ! (the oscillators made that great phasing sound when tuned together that only some mini’s can do !) The band all clubbed together to replace the Elka, amp and double neck guitar ! we carried on with out the glockenspiel !

David Miller….Ah yes, I remember that night…walking around somewhat inebriated after the show trying to remember where we’d parked the van until we came to understand that someone had very kindly decided to take it and park it somewhere else for us, just as a favour, you see. One good thing that came of this plunderous event was that my ‘customised’ white doubleneck ( a piece of junk) was, happily, stolen and never seen again, thank the stars…! I don’t remember us ever having a glockenspiel but I do remember a bell-tree, however…

Phil Thornton – beginnings and Expandis

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supplied by  Phil Thornton

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supplied by David Miller

Phil Gill…..I recognise the Clavi and the Phoenix amp from Stallion days – and that Moog and it’s snare drum stand were fixtures in my studio for about six weeks, earlier this year! Hope it’s fixed and all well now.

Phil Thornton….yes ! the Moog is back …. the led screen is still cutting out though :0( , just noticed the casio VL-tone resting on the railing behind me … must have been something to do with John Wilde !!

John Wilde…..Yep I confess, it was my Casio vl tone.

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