Tommy Graham (singer)
| 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 LPs.
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 70s and 80s, 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 Macs and PCs.[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)
- 1963 Big Town Boy (Tamarac)
- 1964 Private Property (Tamarac)
with the Big Town Boys (aka BTB4)
- 1965 Put You Down (Tamarac) [#14 CAN]
- 1965 It Was I (Tamarac) [#5 CAN]
- 1965 I Love Her So (Tamarac)
- 1966 Hey Girl Go It Alone (Tamarac) [#7 CAN]
- 1966 My Babe (Tamarac)
- 1967 Do It To 'Em (Tamarac)
- 1967 Jack Rabbit (Tamarac)
References
- 1 2 3 4 "The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia: Graham, Tommy". The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
- ↑ Bush, John. "Tommy Graham". allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
- ↑ "Tommy Graham - Planet Earth". allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
- ↑ former employee