Someone ought to erect a monument to Pete Thomas for services to rock music – MUSIC Magazine
Quite a remarkable statement on its own, but the fact that the person honoured in this way is not a guitar hero but a college trained sax player and composer is even more remarkable. Pete has recently been paid a further compliment by Virgin Vision when they asked him to make a saxophone instruction video for worldwide release.
But then Pete Thomas doesn’t mess around. One of his first professional gigs was with Fats Domino. Pete is probably one of the first British musicians to feature with this 11 piece New Orleans band both as a soloist and as a member of the legendary horn section.
It was this connection that led to a musical partnership with Joe Jackson as co-arranger and saxophonist on records and world tours. This partnership was resumed on Joe Jackson’s film score and soundtrack album for Francis Ford Coppola’s movie Tucker for which Pete features as a soloist.
More recently he was commissioned by Island/Polygram to produce the live recording and mixing of PJ Harvey’s Forum concert for MTV and video documentary Reeling as well as co-producing with her the tribute to Kurt Weill: Ballad Of The Soldier’s Wife for Sony Classical.
Not satisfied with simply helping others to create great music he has recently been involved in composition and production himself with some highly acclaimed work which has led him into the demanding world of TV films, commercials and record production. His successes in this area include composing music for Michael Caine’s feature film Blue Ice (commissioned source music), American Kick Boxer II (full score), The Late Show: Movies From Hell – BBC2, Signals – Channel 4 ,Best – The Movie and a series of stylish, unique and highly musical TV ads for Tennent’s, Dry Blackthorn, Sainsbury’s, Orangina, Holsten Pils, Playstation, Pantene and many more.
Credits
COMPOSITION (TV/FILM)
- Blue Ice (commissioned source music)
- Best (the Movie) – commissioned source music
- The Divide – Channel 4 Dispatches
- Movies From Hell (BBC2)
- Another Side Of London (Thames)
- Signals (Channel 4)
- The Full Treatment (Thames)
- S & M (Hat Trick)
- Bottom (BBC video)
- Follow The Money -The Fix (BBC2)
- Flavours Of The Orient (Granada)
- Barred Love (Channel 4)
- Blooming Youth (Channel 4)
- Sex Crime Investigators (Channel 4)
- Meet The Foxes (Channel 4)
- How Does Your Garden Grow? (BBC2)
- Monkey Business (Meridian)
- Pier On Film 1998 (Meridian)
- Costa Del Nosh (Carlton Network)
COMMERCIALS (COMPOSITION)
- Wrigleys Airwaves
- Mentos
- First Line Mobile
- Playstation: Crocs 2
- Scottish Power
- Pantene Conditioner
- Dry Blackthorn Cider
- Dewars Whiskey
- Vidal Sassoon Wash And Go
- Tennents Pilsner
- Armorall
- Ambrosia Creamed Rice
- Thomas’s Treats
- Holsten Pils
- Orangina
- Sunsilk
- Sainsbury’s
- Daily Telegraph
- Bella Pasta
RADIO (Music Trails)
- Music Live 95 – BBC Radio 1,2,3 & 4
- Jazz FM
- London Radio Services (worldwide sig themes and trails)
FEATURED PRODUCTION MUSIC
- Instrument Amnesty (BBC Promo)
- The Cosby Show
- Eurotrash (Rapido TV)
- Barry Norman’s Film Night (Sky Premier)
- The Tottenham Ayatollah (Channel 4)
- Pier On Film (Meridian)
- Under The Moon (Channel 4)
- Home Front (BBC)
- Cannes Film Festival(BBC)
- The Lying Game (Torch Productions)
- Monkey Business (Meridian)
- BBC1 Christmas promo music trails
- Sky TV promo trails
RECORDING SESSIONS
- Joe Jackson – Jumping Jive album
- Joe Jackson – Tucker film soundtrack (A&M)
- R.E.M. – Fables Of The Reconstruction (IRS)
- Dave Stewart – Greetings From The Gutter
- Richard Thompson – Hand of Kindness & Across a Crowded Room (Hannibal)
- Kim Wilde – Rockin Around the Christmas Tree
- Cliff Richard and the Young Ones – Living Doll
- Proclaimers – Hit The Highway (Chrysalis)
- Elton John – Ice On Fire – (Rocket)
- Father Father – Album (GoDiscs)
- Dana Gillespie (3 Albums)
- Labi Siffri – album (China)
- Keziah Jones – Bluefunk is a Fact (Virgin)
- Jimmy Witherspoon – The Blues, The Whole Blues And Nothing But The Blues (Indigo)
- Vic Goddard – album (Rough Trade)
- Monochrome Set -album
- Barrington Levy – single
- Ruth Rogers Wright Don’t Compromise
TV AND FILM INSTRUMENTAL SESSIONS
- Tucker – Orchestra leader and soloist (Francis Ford Coppola/George Lucas)
- Showgirls (Dave Stewart soundtrack)
- London’s Burning (LWT)
- Last Pit In The Rhonda Valley – soloist (BBC)
- Say Hello To The Real Dr. Snide – soloist (C4)
- Moondial (BBC)
- Sounds Of Surprise – soloist (C4)
- Bad Girl (BBC)
- Coded Hostile – soloist (Granada)
- Bottom (BBC)
LIVE
- Jon Hendricks 1972
- Neil Sedaka 1973
- Rolf Harris 1974
- Three Degrees 1974
- Rod Argent 1977 UK Tour
- Bill Haley 1977 European Tour
- Joe Jackson 1981 U.S. Tour
- Richard Thompson 1983 U.S. Tour
- Fats Domino 1991 European Tour
- Ben Waters
- Loose Tubes 1991
- Jimmy Witherspoon 1992 UK Tour
PRODUCTION
- PJ Harvey – Reeling (Polygram/MTV)
- PJ Harvey – September Song (Kurt Weill Tribute – Sony Classical)
- Ray Gelato Giants Of Jive (Ace Records/Nuova Durium)
- Ruth Allen – The Ruth Allen Songbook (Astor Records)
- Don’t Stop The Groove – (JVC Victor, Japan)
- The Saint Theme Remix (Telstar Records)
- The Vulcans – Diddle I Di Di (Mermaid Records)
- Big Jay McNeely/Dana Gillespie – Cherry Pie
MD/ARRANGING
- PJ Harvey (To Bring You My Love – Island) String arrangements
- Gene (Olympian – Costermonger/Polygram) String Arrangements
- Gerideau/Adamski (L’Attitude) String Arrangements
- Richard Berry UK Tour and Radio 1 John Peel session
- The Spaniels – The Teenagers – Laverne Baker – Johnny Allen – Wembley show
- Ray Gelato Giants Of Jive – Ace Records/Nuova Durium
- Ruth Allen – Astor Records
TV APPEARANCES
- Sting (Later With Jools Holland)
- Paul Young
- Joe Jackson (Old Grey Whistle Test)
- Bill Haley (Royal Variey Show)
- Robert Cray
- Richard Thompson (Old Grey Whistle Test)
- The Bluebells
- Jimmy Witherspoon
- Dina Carroll
- Dana Gillespie (Pebble Mill at One)
