Peter Solley, the UK producer and musician who worked with Australia’s Joe Camilleri for both Jo Jo Zep and The Black Sorrows, Stephen Cummings with Sports, as well as The Romantics, Peter Frampton, Motörhead, Ted Nugent and Oingo Boingo, has died at age 75.
One of Peter’s last recordings was as producer for The Black Sorrows most recent album ‘Saint Georges Road’ (2021).
In a post to The Black Sorrows socials Joe Camilleri said”
R.I.P. Peter Solley 1948-2023
At 7pm 16 Nov USA and 11am 17 Nov Aust…Peter chose to leave his mortal coil…I was prepared with a half glass of whiskey and Lee Morgan on the turntable…tears…all the buttons were pushed as the bells rang out…sail on sweet prince sail on..
Got to spend a little time with Peter in his hometown of Brattleboro Vermont just two weeks ago…we didn’t have to talk much and we didn’t…I did mention how inconvenient this was…he was meant to come back to the land of Oz and produce the next Black Sorrows’ album…so now I find myself asking what would Peter do? I’m lost with a sadness…I got to hold my friend and say my goodbyesWhen I first met Peter I didn’t wanna like him…he was all business while I was all elastic. That dance lasted about a day and that was that. Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons was a great live band and Peter was able to capture that energy on record.
We found something else…a friendship…a brotherhood that can’t be broken by distance or time…we could pick up where we left off…all that had to be said was…are you up for one more dance?Saint Georges Road…an album that really benefitted from Pete’s guiding hand…he made the hard calls that I wouldn’t. Best part…driving up and down the freeway…we were brothers doing dumb stuff…every day had its challenges…there was wisdom in the whiskey glasses and jazz was always on the turntable.
So there’s more stories to keep on tellingPeter’s wife Susan Tondreau is one hell of a gal…every day was a gift of love to him.
Pal Joey
Peter Solley first worked with Joe for Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons ‘Screaming Targets’ album. The album produced the hit songs ‘Hit and Run’ and ‘Shape I’m In’.
He worked with Joe and Jo Jo Zep through to the last album ‘Cha’ (1982). That produced the hit song ‘Taxi Mary’ with Jane Clifton.
Peter’s most famous international production was for The Romantics ‘What I Like About You’.
In his early days Peter was the touring organist for The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown’. He was a member of Fox who had the hit song ‘S-S-S-Single Bed’ in 1976.
Peter was also an early member of Whitesnake playing on the debut album ‘Snakebite’.
Peter Solley produced the second and third albums for The Sports ‘Don’t Throw Stones’ (1979) and ‘Suddenly’ (1980). Those recordings produced the hits ‘Who Listens To The Radio’, ‘Don’t Throw Stones’ and ‘Strangers on a Train’.
Peter was a one time member of Procol Harum, Ted Nugent producer for ‘Little Miss Dangerous’, Peter Frampton for ‘Premonition’, Motörhead ‘1916’ and ‘March or Die’ and Oingo Boingo ‘Only A Lad’ and string arranger for The Jam on ‘Setting Sons’.
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