Tony McPhee

For the English soccer player, see Tony McPhee (footballer).

Tony McPhee
McPhee with The Groundhogs, London, September 1991
McPhee with The Groundhogs, London, September 1991
Background information
Birth nameAnthony Charles McPhee
Also known as"T.S." McPhee
Born(1944-03-23)23 March 1944
Humberston, Lincolnshire, England
Died6 June 2023(2023-06-06) (aged 79)
Genres
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Formerly ofGroundhogs
Websitehttp://www.thegroundhogs.co.uk/

Anthony Charles McPhee (23 March 1944 – 6 June 2023) was an English guitarist and singer. He was the founder of the British blues and rock band the Groundhogs.

Career

McPhee was given the name "T.S." — standing for "Tough Shit" — when he released a duet single with Champion Jack Dupree — titled "Get Your Head Happy!" — in 1966. Producer Mike Vernon suggested adding to McPhee's name in order to make it look more like an official blues name.[3]

The Groundhogs backed Dupree and John Lee Hooker on UK concerts in the mid-1960s.[4] The band evolved into a blues-rock trio that produced three UK Top 10 albums in the UK in the early 1970s.[5][6]

In 1973, McPhee released a solo album titled The Two Sides of Tony (T.S.) McPhee. Side A of this record is blues rock, and Side B is a single psychedelic art rock electronic composition in four movements, featuring Arp 2600 synthesizers, electric piano, and The Rhythm Ace drum synthesizer. Entitled The Hunt, it explores McPhee's strong stance against fox and stag hunting.[7][8] McPhee also released many other solo acoustic blues records, as well as duets with Jo Ann Kelly.[8]

Apart from the Groundhogs, McPhee played with Herbal Mixture, the John Dummer Band, Hapshash and the Coloured Coat, Tony McPhee's Terraplane, Tony McPhee's Turbo, the Tony McPhee Band,[9] and Current 93.[10]

McPhee's definitive biography, written by Paul Freestone, was published in 2012.[8]

Health issues and death

In 2009, McPhee suffered a stroke, which affected his speech and ability to sing.[11][12]

McPhee died on 6 June 2023 of complications from a fall that occurred the previous year. He was 79.[13]

Solo discography

  • 1966 Ain't Gonna Cry No More – Someone to Love Me
  • 1966 You Don't Love Me When You Gotta Good Friend
  • 1968 Me and the Devil – various artists
  • 1969 I Asked for Water – various artists
  • 1971 Same Thing on Their Minds
  • 1973 Two Sides of Tony McPhee
  • 1991 The Blues and the Beast
  • 1993 Foolish Pride
  • 1996 Slide, T.S., Slide
  • 1996 Herbal Mixture-Groundhogs
  • 1997 Bleachin' the Blues
  • 2000 Live in Poland at Blues Express
  • 2004 Blues at Ten

References

  1. ^ a b c Petridis, Alexis (June 2023). "The Groundhogs' Tony McPhee will remain a hero for the musically adventurous". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b Male, Andrew (6 July 2023). "Tony McPhee And Groundhogs: The Best Albums Ranked". Mojo.
  3. ^ Brunning, Bob (1986). Blues : the British connection (1. publ. in the UK. ed.). Poole: Blandford Press. p. 97. ISBN 9780713715873.
  4. ^ Bruce Eder (22 March 1944). "Tony McPhee | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  5. ^ They continued to play in various line-ups until, McPhee retired in 2014.2024 update by Joanna Deacon Tony McPhee's widow
  6. ^ "Interview: Ken Pustelnik". Bristol 24/7. 19 November 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  7. ^ Breznikar, Klemen (9 August 2011). "The Groundhogs interview with Tony McPhee". It's Psychedelic Baby! Magazine. Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  8. ^ a b c Freestone, Paul (2012). Eccentric Man: A Biography & Discography of Tony (TS) McPhee. Incompetent Publishing. ISBN 9780956865205.
  9. ^ "An Interview with Tony "TS" McPhee of The Groundhogs: A Legendary Artist of British Blues History". blues.gr. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Current 93: I Am the Last of All the Field That Fell: A Channel Album Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Official Tony (TS) McPhee & The Groundhogs Web Site". Thegroundhogs.co.uk. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Official Tony (TS) McPhee FaceBook Pagee". FB. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  13. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (6 June 2023). "Tony McPhee, singer and guitarist for rock band the Groundhogs, dies aged 79". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 June 2023.