Phil Thornalley

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Phil Thornalley's connection to The Cure began not as a musician but as a producer. In 1982, he produced the album *Pornography*, a landmark of dark post-punk. The following year, he produced the non-album single "The Love Cats" and contributed a double bass performance on the song — despite never having played an upright bass before. Since The Cure lacked an official bassist at the time, Thornalley joined the band for a short tour of the US and some television appearances. In 1984, he appeared in videos for songs from the band's album *The Top*, though he did not play on the studio recordings due to being involved with producing and mixing other artists. He also performed on the ensuing tour. During his time with the band, Thornalley helped fill the vacant drummer position by recruiting two musicians he had worked with in previous studio sessions: temporary touring drummer Vince Ely, followed by Boris Williams, who joined the band officially. After about 18 months with The Cure, Thornalley left and resumed working as a songwriter and producer. In 2022, *Bass Player* magazine listed his performance on "The Love Cats" as the 23rd-best bass line of all time.

In Their Own Story

The studio was a tomb of smoke and reverb. Phil Thornalley's fingers found the cold neck of his bass, and the room seemed to exhale. Robert Smith's voice, a whisper from the corner, counted them in. The first notes of "One Hundred Years" crawled out of the amps like something waking from a long sleep. Thornalley's bass didn't just play—it resonated, a low thrum that made the floorboards ache. He looked across at Lol Tolhurst, whose drums were a skeleton of rhythm, and they locked into a groove that felt like a pact. For those four minutes, the world outside ceased to exist.

Reader's Guide

Phil Thornalley's role with The Cure was multi-faceted. He first worked with the band as the producer of their 1982 album *Pornography*. The following year, he produced the non-album single "The Love Cats" and contributed a double bass performance on the song — his first time ever playing an upright bass. Since the Cure lacked an official bassist at the time, Thornalley joined the band for a short tour of the US and some television appearances. In 1984, he appeared in videos for songs from the band's album *The Top* though he did not play on the studio recordings due to being involved with producing and mixing other artists. He also performed on the ensuing tour. During his approximately 18 months with the Cure, he helped fill the vacant drummer position by recruiting two musicians with whom he had worked in previous studio sessions: temporary touring drummer Vince Ely, followed by Boris Williams who joined the band officially. After leaving the Cure, Thornalley resumed working as a songwriter and producer. In 2022, *Bass Player* magazine listed his performance on "The Love Cats" as the 23rd-best bass line of all time.

Did You Know?

• Thornalley produced The Cure's 1982 album *Pornography* before joining the band as their bass player.
• His double bass performance on "The Love Cats" was the first time he had ever played an upright bass.
• In 2022, *Bass Player* magazine ranked his bass line on "The Love Cats" as the 23rd-best of all time.
• Thornalley helped recruit Boris Williams as The Cure's permanent drummer after recommending him from previous studio sessions.
• He co-wrote the international hit "Torn" (made famous by Natalie Imbruglia) and two UK number one singles for Pixie Lott.