Ali Thomson -

Ali Thomson is a Scottish art-pop vocalist and songwriter behind the 1980/81 A&M albums Take a Little Rhythm and Deception Is an Art. The debut title track reached No. 15 on the Billboard chart in 1980. He is the brother of Supertramp bassist Dougie Thomson.

Background

Ali Thomson was born on April 19, 1959, in Glasgow, Scotland. His elder brother, Dougie Thomson, played bass in the Alan Bown Set and joined Supertramp in 1972 as bassist. Ali sang as a choirboy in Glasgow. He later sang and played piano with local bands.

Thomson moved from Glasgow to London shortly before his seventeenth birthday. He found his first music-industry job there with Mountain Records, which employed him as a tea boy for the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Mountain promoted him to assistant publicist nine months into the job. Thomson met SAHB keyboardist Hugh McKenna through the position. The pair wrote songs together, among them “The Hollywood Role.” McKenna and Thomson also formed a short-lived band with American drummer Dallas Taylor of Crosby, Stills & Nash and Manassas.

McKenna ended the project because of contractual obligations. Thomson then spent several months in Topanga Canyon near Los Angeles, where Dougie encouraged him to develop his material and vocal delivery.

In 1979, Thomson became a staff writer for Rondor Music International president Bob Grace signed Thomson as a staff writer in 1979 and encouraged him to collaborate with established songwriters. He cut demos that Rondor president Bob Grace sent to A&M, which signed the young singer.

Discography: