Peter Solley obit

R.I.P. Peter Solley, Producer for Black Sorrows, Peter Frampton, The Sports, Aged 75

 

He was not on the list.

Peter Solley, the UK producer and musician who worked with Australia’s Joe Camilleri for both Jo Jo Zep and The Black Sorrows, Stephen Cummings with Sports, as well as The Romantics, Peter Frampton, Motörhead, Ted Nugent and Oingo Boingo, has died at age 75.

One of Peter’s last recordings was as producer for The Black Sorrows most recent album ‘Saint Georges Road’ (2021).

In a post to The Black Sorrows socials Joe Camilleri said”

R.I.P. Peter Solley 1948-2023

At 7pm 16 Nov USA and 11am 17 Nov Aust…Peter chose to leave his mortal coil…I was prepared with a half glass of whiskey and Lee Morgan on the turntable…tears…all the buttons were pushed as the bells rang out…sail on sweet prince sail on..

Got to spend a little time with Peter in his hometown of Brattleboro Vermont just two weeks ago…we didn’t have to talk much and we didn’t…I did mention how inconvenient this was…he was meant to come back to the land of Oz and produce the next Black Sorrows’ album…so now I find myself asking what would Peter do? I’m lost with a sadness…I got to hold my friend and say my goodbyes

When I first met Peter I didn’t wanna like him…he was all business while I was all elastic. That dance lasted about a day and that was that. Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons was a great live band and Peter was able to capture that energy on record.

We found something else…a friendship…a brotherhood that can’t be broken by distance or time…we could pick up where we left off…all that had to be said was…are you up for one more dance?

Saint Georges Road…an album that really benefitted from Pete’s guiding hand…he made the hard calls that I wouldn’t. Best part…driving up and down the freeway…we were brothers doing dumb stuff…every day had its challenges…there was wisdom in the whiskey glasses and jazz was always on the turntable.

So there’s more stories to keep on telling

Peter’s wife Susan Tondreau is one hell of a gal…every day was a gift of love to him.

Pal Joey

Peter Solley first worked with Joe for Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons ‘Screaming Targets’ album. The album produced the hit songs ‘Hit and Run’ and ‘Shape I’m In’.

He worked with Joe and Jo Jo Zep through to the last album ‘Cha’ (1982). That produced the hit song ‘Taxi Mary’ with Jane Clifton.

Peter’s most famous international production was for The Romantics ‘What I Like About You’.

In his early days Peter was the touring organist for The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown’. He was a member of Fox who had the hit song ‘S-S-S-Single Bed’ in 1976.

Peter was also an early member of Whitesnake playing on the debut album ‘Snakebite’.

Peter Solley produced the second and third albums for The Sports ‘Don’t Throw Stones’ (1979) and ‘Suddenly’ (1980). Those recordings produced the hits ‘Who Listens To The Radio’, ‘Don’t Throw Stones’ and ‘Strangers on a Train’.

Peter was a one time member of Procol Harum, Ted Nugent producer for ‘Little Miss Dangerous’, Peter Frampton for ‘Premonition’, Motörhead ‘1916’ and ‘March or Die’ and Oingo Boingo ‘Only A Lad’ and string arranger for The Jam on ‘Setting Sons’.

At the age of 13, he won a scholarship to Trinity College of Music in London and after graduating became a session musician. In the late 1960s he played in The Thunderbirds, the backing group for vocalist Chris Farlowe, and was also in the backing band of singer Terry Reid, who toured with The Rolling Stones and Cream in the United States in 1968. During 1969 and 1970 he served as touring organist for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.

Solley was a founding member of British progressive rock band Paladin, whose second LP Paladin Charge! featured a cover design by Roger Dean. Following the break-up of Paladin in 1973, Solley joined Fox, which had a series of hit singles before breaking up in 1977. In 1973-75 he was a member of SNAFU, playing and singing on two of their three albums.

After turning down membership in several groups,[1] in 1976 Solley became a member of the progressive rock group Procol Harum playing organ and synthesisers, (this allowed Chris Copping to take over on bass guitar). During his time with the group he recorded one album, Something Magic, and toured extensively to promote the album. Shortly afterwards the group broke up.

In 1978 he joined the newly founded Whitesnake recording their debut EP Snakebite. On the sleeve, he was credited as a special guest, but he continued touring with the band until July 1978. His position in the band was later taken by Jon Lord. The following year he provided the string arrangement for "Smithers-Jones" on The Jam's Setting Sons album.

In the 1980s, Solley began writing TV jingles for clients including British Airways, BMW, and Coca-Cola, and he became a record producer. His credits include albums for the Australian bands Sports (Don't Throw Stones) and Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons (Screaming Targets, Hats Off Step Lively) and the 1982 Jo Jo Zep album Cha, featuring the novelty salsa-rock hit "Taxi Mary" with duet vocals by Jane Clifton. Solley's best-known production is the 1979 single "What I Like About You" by The Romantics. He also produced the Grammy nominated album, 1916 by Motörhead. He has produced albums for Ted Nugent, Peter Frampton, Mountain, and others, several receiving Grammy nominations, and arranged strings for The Jam several times. His songs have appeared on the Billboard charts, he's played jazz, and conducted the New York Philharmonic strings.

In 1997, he briefly re-joined Procol Harum for a concert in Redhill and, in 2004, played with their lead singer Gary Brooker in a concert in Guildford.

Solley was of Romanian descent, his grandparents were from Romania. His father was Leslie Solley, a British politician and barrister.

He recorded with Eric Clapton, Al Stewart and Whitesnake, as well as producing records for Ted Nugent, Oingo Boingo, Motörhead, The Romantics, Jo Jo Zep, Peter Frampton, The Sports, Wreckless Eric and many others.