Phil Thornalley

Phil Thornalley devoted much of his professional path to songwriting and album production for other performers rather than claiming the foreground himself. His greatest commercial achievement came through co-writing and producing the single "Torn" for Natalie Imbruglia, a track he never performed. Still, he did step into the spotlight at points during his career. After Simon Gallup departed in 1983, Thornalley joined gothic rock pioneers the Cure as their bassist; he had already co-produced the band's 1982 LP Pornography. He toured with the Cure in support of The Top album, yet the stint proved brief and concluded after the group's November 17, 1984 show at New York's Beacon Theatre once Gallup rejoined and Thornalley stepped away. In 1987 he served as engineer on Johnny Hates Jazz's debut LP Turn Back the Clock and also penned the track "Listen." When vocalist Clark Datchler left Johnny Hates Jazz in 1988, Thornalley took over as the band's new lead singer. That same year he issued his own solo project, Swamp. Johnny Hates Jazz returned in 1991 with Tall Stories, again featuring Thornalley on vocals; although the album maintained stylistic continuity with Turn Back the Clock, it achieved limited commercial success. Thornalley co-wrote the track "Torn" for Ednaswap's self-titled debut in 1995. Three years afterward he produced Natalie Imbruglia's cover of "Torn," which became a worldwide smash.