Tommy Graham (singer)

For other people named Thomas Graham, see Thomas Graham (disambiguation).
Tommy Graham
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s) singer and record producer

Tommy Graham is a singer and record producer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Life

Graham joined his first band in 1958. He worked his way through the Toronto club scene with Kay Taylor And The Regents.[1] He moved to Los Angeles in 1960[2] and returned to Canada three years later. He formed the group Big Town Boys, which gained prominence as backing musicians for vocalist Shirley Matthews.

Big Town Boys split in 1968 and Graham went to journey around the world. In India, he met and studied under Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar's sarode player. In 1970 Graham returned to Toronto where he began working for producer Brian Ahearn. He contributed playing many instruments on Anne Murray's hit Snowbird and her first four LP's.

Capitol producer Paul White gave Graham the opportunity to record for the label. Tommy Graham's debut album, "Planet Earth" was released in 1972.[3] The only charting single from the album was a cover of Neil Young's After the Gold Rush.[1]

Continuing in the 70's and 80's, Graham started producing albums as well as contributing as a studio musician for many artists, such as Bruce Cockburn, Brent Titcomb and many more. In 1980 with his wife (Jenny Baboolal) he started a computer graphics company (Ariel Computer Productions),[4] that pioneered a new process of high resolution computer graphics imaging to film. This was before the advent of Mac's and PC's.[1]

Starting 1993 Graham has resumed his career in music full-time. He traveled to the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador and Colombia, and Argentina, where he recorded indigenous as well as New Age inspired interpretative and progressive Andean music, while continuing his work as a producer/engineer.[1]

In 2008, Amorphous Androgynous featured Tommy Graham's recording of Brent Titcomb's song, Sahajiya on their compilation mix album A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Exploding in Your Mind: Volume 1. He continues to this day recording and producing music internationally.

Discography

Albums

Year Album CAN
1970 Planet Earth 67

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions Album
CAN AC CAN Country
1970 "Things Ya Say" 21 Planet Earth
"24 Hours from Tulsa" 2 single only
1971 "Sahajiya" Planet Earth
1972 "After the Gold Rush"
1973 "Now and Then" 55
"My Happy Song" 73 singles only
1974 "Sea Cruise"

1975 "Here I Go Crying Again"/"Two Fisted Patriot Man" Beverly Hills Records # 45-9366 7" - 45 RPM Single (Recorded live at the Custer County Fair) Matrix (Monarch Pressing) 85057/8

Collaborations

with Shirley Matthews (featuring the Big Town Boys)

with the Big Town Boys (aka BTB4)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia: Graham, Tommy". The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  2. Bush, John. "Tommy Graham". allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  3. "Tommy Graham - Planet Earth". allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  4. former employee


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, May 01, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.