Tommy Hale
Tommy Hale | |
|---|---|
| Instruments | Bass and Guitar |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Associated acts | Swank Deluxe |
Tommy Hale is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist and producer from Dallas, Texas. His music as a solo artist is a mixture of 1970s rock ‘n’ roll, country and New York-style punk, with some songs having broader influences, including gospel[1] and mariachi.[2] His vocal style has drawn comparisons with Mick Jagger[3] and Jim Carroll.[4]
Musical career
Hale began his musical life as a bass player. In 1994, he moved to guitar and took on the role of frontman to form Swank Deluxe,[5] a hard-edged rock ‘n’ roll act in the vein of the Rolling Stones and the New York Dolls.[6] In 1996, the band released a mini-album, An Acceptable Level Of Decadence. It was to be Swank Deluxe’s only release, and the band split up in 1999.
In 2001, Hale co-produced an album for singer-songwriter Nate Fowler,[7] titled Nate Fowler's Elixir, and played bass in Fowler's band.[8]
In 2003, Hale returned to guitar for his debut solo album, Far From Grace. The album was recorded with a group of US musicians, around a core band of Nate Fowler (guitar), Kinley Wolfe (bass) and Kevin Gorman (drums). However, when touring the record in the UK, Hale fronted British alt-country band The Snakes,[9] with whom he would go on to record five of the songs on his follow-up, 2007’s Stolen Conversations, Three Chords And The Truth.
On 30 September 2016, Hale released Magnificent Bastard. The album was recorded in Wiltshire in the UK with musicians from The Snakes and The Redlands Palomino Company, and produced by The Snakes’ frontman Simon Moor.[10] In October 2016, the album's title song was one of Classic Rock's Tracks of the Week.[11]
In recent years, Hale has performed in the US with his band The Magnificent Bastards: Kinley Wolfe, Kevin Gorman, Duncan Black, Justin Smith and Jeff Schulze.[12] A UK tour, featuring the musicians who performed on Magnificent Bastard, ran through April 2017.[13]
Hale is a regular performer at the annual Christmas Toy Drive Concert at The Libertine Bar in Dallas.[14]
Discography
With Swank Deluxe
- An Acceptable Level Of Decadence (Holiday Disaster Records, 1996)
As a solo artist
- Far From Grace (Holiday Disaster Records, 2003)
- Stolen Conversations, Three Chords And The Truth (Holiday Disaster Records, 2007)
- Magnificent Bastard (Holiday Disaster Records, 2016)
Tracks on compilation albums
- Their Hearts Caught Fire (2008) features Tommy Hale’s version of The Dogs D'Amour's Billy Two Rivers
Production work
In addition to producing the Swank Deluxe record and his first two solo albums, Hale has production credits on the following releases:
- The Ricki Derek Holiday Album by Ricki Derek (Numbsville Productions, 2000) - produced by Tommy Hale
- Dancin’ With Thunder: The Official Music Of The PBR by Various Artists (Sony, 2001) - featuring Rank Bull by Jack Ingram, which was engineered by Tommy Hale
- Nate Fowler’s Elixir by Nate Fowler (Neighborhood Recordings, 2001) - produced by Tommy Hale and Nate Fowler
- Sway, a split five-track EP by Milton Mapes and Nate Fowler (Neighborhood Recordings, 2001) - featuring two tracks produced by Tommy Hale and Nate Fowler
References
- ↑ Gnad, Megan (January 2017). "Insight: Tommy Hale". R2: Rock 'N' Reel. Terra Nova Magazines Ltd. p. 85.
- ↑ Wilson, MacKenzie. "Far From Grace - Tommy Hale". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
- ↑ Thomas, Helen (October 2016). "Tommy Hale - Magnificent Bastard". Maverick. Hand Media Ltd.
- ↑ Stockford, Darren (1998-03-25). "Dallas wow boys: Swank Deluxe live at the Mean Fiddler, London, 24 March 1998". darrenstockford.com. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ↑ Ranson, Gerry. "Magnificent Return for Tommy Hale! | Vive Le Rock Magazine". Vive Le Rock Magazine. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
- ↑ Stockford, Darren (2015-12-13). "Maybe it's the lateness: Tommy Hale talks about his "emotionally difficult" new album". darrenstockford.com. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ↑ Crain, Zac (2002-01-17). "The Cure". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ↑ Crain, Zac (2001-10-25). "Scene, Heard". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ↑ Stockford, Darren (2003-10-24). "Hail Hale! Rock 'n' roll: Tommy Hale and The Snakes - live at The Verge, London, 23 October 2003". darrenstockford.com. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ↑ "Tommy Hale & The Magnificent Bastards". tommyhale.com. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ↑ Glass, Polly (2016-10-14). "Metallica, Testament, Blackberry Smoke & more: Vote for your Track Of The Week". Classic Rock. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
- ↑ "Tommy Hale - About". Facebook. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ↑ Whitfield, Mark (2017-02-02). "Tommy Hale announces UK dates". Americana UK. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
- ↑ Hallock, Jeremy (2014-12-15). "Libertine Bar Celebrates 15 Years of Christmas Toy Drives with Concert Tonight". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
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