Tim Thorney (February 4, 1955 – June 15, 2021)[1] was a Canadian guitarist, songwriter, and record producer, working out of his studio Villa Sound near Collingwood, Ontario.[2]
Tim Thorney | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 4, 1955 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Died | June 15, 2021 (aged 66) Collingwood, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Country, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, record producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1981–2021 |
| Labels | Epic Perimeter Thorniac |
History
editThorney first came to prominence as a recording engineer and songwriter. In 1981, he co-wrote most of Lisa Dalbello's Drastic Measures album.[3] In 1983 and 1984, he was a singer, songwriter and keyboard player with The Front, a Canadian studio band that released two albums of pop rock.[4]
In 1995, Tim and his younger brother Tom Thorney were taken on as partners in Great Big Music, which later became Tattoo Music. Through their studio work, the Thorney brothers have won advertising awards for many commercial campaigns in both Canada and the U.S., these awards include a Gemini Award and three Daytime Emmy Awards for the hit show Rolie Polie Olie.[5] They have produced jingles for many high-end clients, including FedEx, Sympatico, 7up and the Ford Motor Company.[6]
In addition to his work in film and television, Tim has worked with many Canadian music artists. Some of these collaborations include producing Vancouver-based hillbilly/punk/folk band Hard Rock Miners' 1992 album The Final Frontier (Einstein Bros./Epic/Sony), co-producing Jimmy Rankin's 2001 album Song Dog and his 2003 album Handmade (he also co-wrote a track with Jimmy), and co-producing Alanis Morissette's 2004 album So-Called Chaos.
In 2008, Thorney produced country artist Alex J. Robinson's debut album, Never Say Never, which featured the hit single "Breakin' on the Love Thing". In 2010, Thorney continued his association with Robinson, on her album, The Getaway.[7] Also in 2010, Thorney was involved in producing singer-songwriter Andrea Ramolo. Albums for both Robinson and Ramolo were released on Thorniac Records, co-owned by Thorney.[8]
On June 15, 2021, Thorney died at his home in Collingwood, Ontario, at the age of 66 following a prolonged period of illness.[9][10]
Discography
editThe Front
edit- 1983 Gina's at a Party (Duke Street)
- 1984 Underworld
Solo
edit- 1993 Some Other Time
- 1999 Extenuating Circus Dances
- 2011 Villa Freud
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN AC | CAN | |||
| 1993 | "Missing Person" | 29 | 27 | Some Other Time | |
| "Fortunate Home" | 17 | ||||
| 1994 | "Chains" (with Cassandra Vasik) | 54 | |||
| "All the Things I Do" | 38 | ||||
References
edit- ^ Wheeler, Brad (2 July 2021). "Obituary: Musical mastermind Tim Thorney was a sensitive and generous collaborator". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "Villa Sound About".
- ^ See credits at Drastic Measures.
- ^ See The Front (Canadian band). A fellow member of The Front was singer-songwriter and producer Joel Feeney.
- ^ http://www.framebyframesound.com/crew/tThorney/index.htm/ Profile of Tom Thorney on framebyframesound.com
- ^ http://radio3.cbc.ca/nmc/artist.aspx?name=TIM-THORNEY&readmore=true Profile on CBC Radio 3's website
- ^ Thorney is described as Robinson's relationship partner: see Alex J. Robinson Myspace Page; retrieved 10-06-16.
- ^ With Kim Zayac. See Interview with Andrea Ramolo Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine; www.canadianinvader.com. Thorney has been associated with Zayac since his youth, when Thorney was in the band "Homer", and Zayac was its manager. See A Trip To The Past; www.robertcerins.com.
- ^ Doole, Kerry (17 June 2021). "Music News Digest, June 17, 2021". FYIMusicNews.
- ^ Kennedy, John R. (17 June 2021). "Tributes Pour In For Canadian Songwriter-Producer Tim Thorney". iHeartRadio.