Tony Clarkin

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Tony Clarkin
Tony Clarkin - Magnum - 2017.jpg
Background information
Birth nameAnthony Michael Clarkin
Born(1946-11-24)24 November 1946
Birmingham, England
Died7 January 2024(2024-01-07) (aged 77)
Genres Hard rock, progressive rock, album-oriented rock
OccupationsMusician, songwriter
InstrumentsGuitar
Years active1972–2024
Formerly of Magnum, Hard Rain
Website magnumonline.co.uk

Anthony Michael Clarkin (24 November 1946 – 7 January 2024) was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the guitarist of the rock band Magnum. He was the sole songwriter throughout Magnum's history, writing all of the material on their 23 studio albums as well as on two studio albums by Magnum spin-off group Hard Rain.

Contents

Biography

Anthony Michael Clarkin was born and grew up in the Shard End area of Birmingham, which spawned a number of bands tagged with the 'Brum Beat' label. Leaving school to train as a Ladies hairdresser he soon quit to join his first band The Boulevards with former school friends.

Magnum (1972–1995)

Magnum began as the house band at Birmingham's Rum Runner night club (later the home of Duran Duran) in 1972.

They began to develop their own style by playing Clarkin's songs at a residency at The Railway Inn, in Birmingham's Curzon Street, in 1976. Joining Clarkin and Bob Catley were drummer Kex Gorin and bassist Dave Morgan (later a member of ELO) and Mark Stanway keyboard player joined in 1980 and remained until 2016. Their most notable success during these early years was the Jeff Glixman produced Chase The Dragon (1982) which reached number 17 in the UK Albums Chart, [1] and included several songs that would be mainstays of the band's live set, notably "Soldier of the Line", "Sacred Hour" and "The Spirit".

It was not until the band came into association with manager Keith Baker, their breakthrough album came in 1985 with On a Storyteller's Night which featured the single "Just Like an Arrow". This success continued in the following years when Baker introduced the band to Queen drummer Roger Taylor. He produced Vigilante in 1986, the top 5 album Wings of Heaven in 1988, and the Keith Olsen produced Goodnight L.A. which reached number 9 in the UK Albums Chart in 1990. [1]

In mid 1995, Clarkin announced the band were to split following a farewell tour of the UK and Europe.

Hard Rain (1995–2001)

After Magnum split, a spin-off group featuring Catley and Clarkin was formed called Hard Rain, and they released the albums Hard Rain and When The Good Times Come . It was around this time that Catley launched a solo career using various songwriters, including Gary Hughes of the band Ten. However, Hard Rain found gigs and booking hard to come by, and there were discussions about renaming the band as Magnum. Also, at this time, Catley was becoming increasingly focused on his solo career, and he quit Hard Rain, marking the end of a working relationship with Clarkin that dated back to 1972. After a quiet period Clarkin announced the end of Hard Rain.

Clarkin commented: "The break since the middle of the Nineties was definitely necessary for me. Since the end of the Seventies, in fact since we embarked on the preparations for our debut recording Kingdom of Madness , not a single month had gone by in which I didn't work for Magnum, composed for the group, or at least thought of them permanently. For almost twenty years, all my thoughts had revolved around the band. I needed a break to clear my head and to be able to devote myself to the band again with renewed energy." [2] – Tony Clarkin, 2002

Magnum reunion and death (2001–2024)

Eventually, Clarkin and Catley re-launched Magnum with the album Breath of Life in 2002 on SPV. They were again joined by Stanway, with former Hard Rain bassist Al Barrow and former-Thunder drummer Harry James. This was subsequently followed by Brand New Morning in 2004.

Magnum completed work on a new studio album, Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow with drummer Jimmy Copley released on 26 March 2007, that also marked the return of cover artwork by Rodney Matthews. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 70, the first time Magnum had charted in the UK since 1994. [1] It also reached number 4 on the BBC Rock Albums Chart and number 60 in Germany, the band's biggest market along with Scandinavia outside of the UK.

On 9 January 2024, Clarkin's family announced that Tony had died on 7 January. He was 77. [3] The previous month the band revealed that he was diagnosed with a rare spinal condition, which brought about the cancellation of their Spring 2024 tour. [4] [5] Two months after Clarkin's death, Catley announced that he could not carry on without him and that Magnum would retire. [6]

Other projects

In 1981, two tracks were written and produced by Clarkin and were sung by Sue McCloskey, a friend of Magnum. They were entitled "Really Need Your Love" and "Lost Inside Myself". [7] After Catley left Hard Rain, Clarkin continued to write material with McCloskey. Some of these songs were broadcast on radio during an interview with Clarkin. Two of these songs surfaced as Magnum songs, "Still" and "Dream About You" on Magnum's 2002 studio album, Breath of Life.

Clarkin played guitar on a Rodney Matthews/Rudi Dobson side project called The House on the Rock.

Discography

Magnum

Hard Rain

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnum (band)</span> English hard rock band

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<i>On a Storytellers Night</i> 1985 studio album by Magnum

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Catley</span> British rock singer

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<i>Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow</i> 2007 studio album by Magnum

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<i>Rock Art</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Magnum

Rock Art is the 11th studio album by the English rock band Magnum and was released in 1994 by EMI. It was the last album released by the band's first incarnation.

<i>Chase the Dragon</i> 1982 studio album by Magnum

Chase the Dragon is the third studio album by English rock band Magnum. It was released in 1982 on Jet Records. Overseen by the Kansas producer Jeff Glixman, Chase the Dragon was the first recorded appearance by the new keyboard player Mark Stanway, although he had made his live debut at Magnum's appearance at the Reading Festival in 1980. The album was recorded over 13 days at Town House Studios in London, and the following year Tony Clarkin flew to Axis Studios in Atlanta to mix it. However, there was a two-year delay before the album's release in 1982. Many of the tracks have remained in Magnum's live set for many years, including "Soldier of the Line", "The Spirit" and "Sacred Hour".

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<i>Goodnight L.A.</i> 1990 studio album by Magnum

Goodnight L.A. is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Magnum, released in 1990 by Polydor.

<i>Breath of Life</i> (Magnum album) 2002 studio album by Magnum

Breath of Life is the 12th studio album by English rock band Magnum. It was released in 2002 by SPV.

<i>Brand New Morning</i> (Magnum album) 2004 studio album by Magnum

Brand New Morning is the 13th studio album by the English rock band Magnum, released in 2004 by SPV.

The following is the discography of the hard rock band Magnum, which is headed by vocalist Bob Catley and guitarist/songwriter Tony Clarkin. Originally formed around 1972 they released their first single in 1975 and their first album Kingdom of Madness in 1978. They continued recording and releasing albums until 1995 when they split. However, they re-formed in 2001 and have released albums every few years since. Many compilations and live albums were released in the gap, as well as Bob and Tony forming Hard Rain before re-forming Magnum with long-time keyboard player Mark Stanway.

<i>Hard Rain</i> (Hard Rain album) 1997 studio album by Hard Rain

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<i>When the Good Times Come</i> 1999 studio album by Hard Rain

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<i>On the 13th Day</i> 2012 studio album by Magnum

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<i>The Valley of Tears – The Ballads</i> 2017 compilation album by Magnum

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<i>Dance of the Black Tattoo</i> 2021 compilation album by Magnum

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "MAGNUM". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Magnum 'Brand New Morning' album released by legendary art rock band Aug. 30th". workhardpr.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Magnum's Tony Clarkin dead at 77". Blabbermouth. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Magnum: Tony Clarkin ist gestorben". Metal Hammer (in German). 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Magnum's Tony Clarkin Diagnosed With Rare And Incurable Spinal Condition; Spring 2024 Tour Canceled". Blabbermouth.net. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "MAGNUM's BOB CATLEY: 'I Really Can't Carry On With TONY CLARKIN Not Here Anymore'". Blabbermouth.net. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "4. Chasing The Dragon". magnum-biography.piranho.de. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
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