Tom Robinson

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tom Robinson (left) and Jamie Moses (right), 2012.
Tom Robinson's voice (English)

Tom Robinson (born June 1, 1950 in Cambridge ) is a British musician (bass and vocals) and songwriter who also works as a radio presenter.

Youth and first attempts at walking

Born in Cambridge, Tom Robinson learned to play clarinet , oboe and especially bass while still at school . He had three siblings: Matthew, George and Sophie. At 16 he was sent to a home for difficult-to-educate young people, which he was only allowed to leave when he was 23 years old. It was in this home that he met Danny Kustow, who later became the guitarist of his Tom Robinson band . In 1975 Robinson belonged to the folk trio "Cafe Society", which released its first and only LP that same year.

Tom Robinson Band

He then worked on various music and theater projects before founding the Tom Robinson Band in January 1977 with Danny Kustow (g), Mark Ambler (key) and Brian Taylor (dr) . The first single 2-4-6-8 Motorway became a huge hit in England. The debut album Power In The Darkness , released in May 1978, was also a great success. The Tom Robinson Band played committed powerful rock songs against state repression (Up Against The Wall , We Ain't Gonna Take It) , racism (The Winter Of '79) and a lying sexual morality (Glad To Be Gay) . Tom Robinson was openly homosexual from the start and acknowledged his left-wing political stance. Because of the guitar-driven sound as well as the aggressiveness and brilliant simplicity of their songs, Tom Robinson and his band were included in the punk movement that was just emerging at the time . When the second album TRB Two could not repeat the success of its predecessor in the spring of 1979, Robinson broke up the band.

The time as a soloist

In 1980 he formed a new band under the name Sector 27, whose first and only LP went unnoticed, as did Tom Robinson's solo debut North By Northwest , published in 1981 . In 1982 Tom Robinson irritated the audience with the single Tango recorded in German on the wall . It wasn't until 1983 that he made a surprising comeback with the singles War Baby and Listen To The Radio . The album Hope And Glory , released a year later, also sold very well in England. Robinson had made his songs more poppy and danceable and had another short-term success.

After that, however, it became quiet again for Tom Robinson, although he continued to release records. In addition, Robinson had failed throughout his career to achieve commercial success outside the UK. Today he works mainly as a radio DJ for BBC Radio 6 Music , but still makes music every now and then.

Discography

Albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
UK UK
1984 Hope and Glory UK21 (5 weeks)
UK

More albums

  • 1975: Cafe Society (with Cafe Society)
  • 1980: Sector 27 (with Sector 27)
  • 1981: North By Northwest
  • 1982: Cabaret '79
  • 1986: Still Loving You
  • 1987: Live - Midnight At The Fringe
  • 1989: Back In The Old Country
  • 1992: Living In A Boom Time
  • 1994: Love Over Rage
  • 1996: Having It Both Ways
  • 1997: Blood Brother
  • 2001: Smelling Dogs

Singles

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
UK UK
1983 Was Baby
Hope and Glory 		UK6 (9 weeks)
UK
Listen to the Radio: Atmospherics
Hope and Glory 		UK39 (7 weeks)
UK
1984 Back in the Old Country
Hope and Glory 		UK79 (4 weeks)
UK
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
 UK58 (4 weeks)
UK
1986 Still Loving You
Still Loving You 		UK88 (2 weeks)
UK
1987 Feel So Good
Still Loving You 		UK93 (1 week)
UK

More singles

  • 1980: Can't Keep Away
  • 1980: Not Ready
  • 1980: Invitation
  • 1981: Total Recall
  • 1982: Now Martin's Gone
  • 1985: Prison
  • 1986: Nothing Like the Real Thing
  • 1987: Spain
  • 1988: Hard Cases
  • 1990: Blood Brother
  • 1992: Living in a Boom Time
  • 1994: Hard
  • 1996: Connecticut

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ a b Chart sources: UK
personal data
SURNAME Robinson, Tom
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British musician (bass and vocals) and songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH June 1, 1950
PLACE OF BIRTH Cambridge