Bob Catley
Encyclopedia
For the Australian politician, see Bob Catley (Australian politician)
Robert Adrian 'Bob' Catley is a British musician, perhaps best known as the lead singer of the rock band Magnum
. He is also an accomplished solo artist.
on 11 September 1947 Catley's family moved to the Tile Cross area of Birmingham
when he was young. He went on to attend the nearby Central Grammar School and left to start an apprenticeship at the GPO
before deciding on a musical career shortly after meeting similarly minded individuals at college.
During this time he joined several bands, such as The Smokestacks (who also included drummer Kex Gorin
, Life and Clearwater). His first professional band was when he joined local outfit The Capitol Systems. The line-up was Bob Catley (vocals) Paul Sargent (guitar) Charlie Harrison (bass) (replaced later by Dave Morgan), Dave Bailey (keyboards) and John 'Pank' Panteny (drums). Shortly afterward they changed their name to Paradox, inspired by a science-fiction novel. A one-off deal was arranged with Mercury after Paradox had come to the attention of Francis Rossi
and Rick Parfitt
--the tracks chosen were "Ever Since I Can Remember", backed with "Goodbye Mary". In addition they recorded "Mary Colinto" and "Somebody Save Me". All of these songs were written by Dave Morgan.
Paradox went on to play festivals in Holland and Italy before splitting up upon their return to the UK in 1970. Bob remained determined to pursue a career in music.
remain today.
Magnum began as the house band
at Birmingham
’s famous Rum Runner
night club (later the home of Duran Duran
). They began to develop their own style by playing Clarkin's songs at a residency at The Railway Inn, in Birmingham's Curzon Street, in 1976. Joining Clarkin and Catley were drummer Kex Gorin
and bassist Dave Morgan
(later a member of ELO
). Their most notable success during these early years was the Jeff Glixman
produced Chase The Dragon
(1982) which reached No. 17 in the UK, and included several songs that would be mainstays of the bands live set, notably "Soldier Of The Line", "Sacred Hour" and "The Spirit".
Their breakthrough album came in 1985 with On A Storyteller's Night
which featured the single "Just Like An Arrow". This success continued in the following years with the Roger Taylor
produced Vigilante
in 1986, the top 5 album Wings Of Heaven
in 1988, and the Keith Olsen
produced Goodnight L.A.
reaching No. 9 in the UK album charts in 1990.
In the summer of 1995 Tony Clarkin announced the band were to split following a farewell tour of the UK and Europe.
, and they released the albums Hard Rain
and When The Good Times Come
. It was around this time that Catley launched a solo career using various songwriters, including Gary Hughes
of the band Ten
. However, Hard Rain found gigs and booking hard to come by, and there were discussions about renaming the band as Magnum. Also, at this time, Catley was becoming increasingly focused on his solo career, and he quit Hard Rain, marking the end of a working relationship with Clarkin that dated back to 1972. After a quiet period Clarkin announced the end of Hard Rain.
and Catley re-launched Magnum with the album Breath Of Life in 2002 on SPV
. They were again joined by Stanway, with former Hard Rain bassist Al Barrow
and former-Thunder
drummer Harry James
. This was subsequently followed by Brand New Morning
in 2004.
Magnum completed work on a new studio album, Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow
released on 26 March 2007, that also marked the return of cover artwork by Rodney Matthews
. The album entered the UK Album Charts at #70, the first time Magnum have charted in the UK since 1994. It also reached No. 4 on the BBC Rock Album Charts and No. 60 in Germany, the bands biggest market outside of the UK along with Scandinavia.
at this time, Bob Catley has found time to embark on a solo career. He was first approached by Gary Hughes
(frontman of Rock band Ten
) in 1998 to write a solo album. Bob teamed up with Gary who wrote all the songs on The Tower (as well as producing and playing bass and keyboards). The Tower was written with classic Magnum
very much in mind and harks back to On A Storyteller's Night
style pomp meeting Wings Of Heaven
style AOR with a very 90s melodic rock production. The Tower was released in 1998 and was critically acclaimed.
Bob made his debut solo appearance at The Gods '98, performing a show stopping set featuring tracks from The Tower as well as classic Magnum
songs. Such was the response to the show that Now & Then decided to release an "official bootleg" of the set. Live At The Gods
which was released in January 1999 and features the full set list performed on the day. Bob's backing band for the concert was made up of Canadian label mates Emerald Rain with Vinny Burns
(Ten
) on lead guitar and Paul Hodson (Hard Rain) on keyboards. Bob and Emerald Rain also undertook a successful UK tour.
During the summer of 1999 recording commenced on Bob's second solo album Legends
. Gary Hughes once again wrote and produced the album (as well as playing keyboards) with Ten's Vinny Burns and Steve McKenna and Dante Fox's John Cooksey providing the musical backing. The songs are based on various Legends, factual, fictional, historical and mythological.
Legends
was launched at The Gods 99 where Bob headlined the Saturday night with Emerald Rain and Paul Hodson once again providing backing. Bob toured the UK extensively during 2000 with Paul Hodson and Native Cain providing his backing band. In the run up to Christmas 2000 Bob toured the UK again, and for one Spanish date, with special guest Kip Winger
.
2001 saw the release of Bob's third album Middle Earth
, which was based on J. R. R. Tolkien's
epic The Lord of the Rings
. The songs, once again penned by Gary Hughes, are based on various parts/incidents/characters from the book. Musicians on Middle Earth
include Gary's band mates Ten
plus a guest appearance by Landmarq vocalist Tracy Hitchings. Bob toured extensively in 2001 with Kip Winger
opening acoustically early in the year, and then spent a month co-headlining UK and European dates with Ten later in the year.
2003 saw a change in writing partners for Catley – When Empires Burn
was written and produced by Bob’s long time keyboard player Paul Hodson and features a much heavier sound, bordering on heavy metal
. The backing band included Vince O’Regan (Guitars), Al Barrow (Bass) and Jamie Little (Drums). When Empires Burn
was again backed by a full European tour, this time touring with the Yorkshire based band Lost Weekend.
Bob’s 2006 solo album Spirit Of Man
was written by Dave Thompson and Paul Uttley of Lost Weekend and Vince O’Regan of Pulse, and was recorded at KRT Studio’s in Wolverhampton. Bob and Vince have co-produced the album. This is the first time that Catley has had a role in the production of one of his albums, and continues the somewhat heavier approach seen in the previous album. The album was supported by a full UK and European tour, including an intimate date at London's famous Underworld club.
Bob was also one of the many singers involved with the Power Metal
project Avantasia
, created by Edguy
's frontman Tobias Sammet
. Bob was featured in almost all Avantasia albums, from The Metal Operas
to the more recent Wicked Trilogy
. He appeared on The Scarecrow Tour in 2008 and also on The Metal Opera Comes To Town Tour in December 2010. He is seen on the DVD from the first tour.
Bob Catley (Australian politician)
Robert "Bob" Catley is a former Labor politician.Catley was born in Wales and received a BScEcon from the London School of Economics and a PhD from the Australian National University...
Robert Adrian 'Bob' Catley is a British musician, perhaps best known as the lead singer of the rock band Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
. He is also an accomplished solo artist.
Early years (1947–1972)
Born in AldershotAldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
on 11 September 1947 Catley's family moved to the Tile Cross area of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
when he was young. He went on to attend the nearby Central Grammar School and left to start an apprenticeship at the GPO
GPO
-Organisations:*General Post Office **General Post Office UK*German Patent Office, *United States Government Printing Office, a federal government agency*Green Party of Ontario, a policial party in Ontario, Canada...
before deciding on a musical career shortly after meeting similarly minded individuals at college.
During this time he joined several bands, such as The Smokestacks (who also included drummer Kex Gorin
Kex Gorin
Kex Gorin , was a British drummer. He was the original drummer for Magnum and played on the bands first four studio albums and one live album...
, Life and Clearwater). His first professional band was when he joined local outfit The Capitol Systems. The line-up was Bob Catley (vocals) Paul Sargent (guitar) Charlie Harrison (bass) (replaced later by Dave Morgan), Dave Bailey (keyboards) and John 'Pank' Panteny (drums). Shortly afterward they changed their name to Paradox, inspired by a science-fiction novel. A one-off deal was arranged with Mercury after Paradox had come to the attention of Francis Rossi
Francis Rossi
Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE is a British musician best known for being a co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, in which he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar.- Career :...
and Rick Parfitt
Rick Parfitt
Richard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
--the tracks chosen were "Ever Since I Can Remember", backed with "Goodbye Mary". In addition they recorded "Mary Colinto" and "Somebody Save Me". All of these songs were written by Dave Morgan.
Paradox went on to play festivals in Holland and Italy before splitting up upon their return to the UK in 1970. Bob remained determined to pursue a career in music.
Magnum (1972–1995)
Formed in 1972, Magnum have undergone several changes in personnel over the years, however the core of vocalist Bob Catley and guitarist/songwriter Tony ClarkinTony Clarkin
Tony Clarkin is a British musician, best known as the guitarist of the rock band Magnum...
remain today.
Magnum began as the house band
House band
For the British band that existed from 1984-2001, see The House BandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to...
at Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
’s famous Rum Runner
Rum Runner (nightclub)
The Rum Runner nightclub was opened on Broad Street, Birmingham in the city centre in 1964. It was demolished in 1987 to make way for the Hyatt Hotel....
night club (later the home of Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
). They began to develop their own style by playing Clarkin's songs at a residency at The Railway Inn, in Birmingham's Curzon Street, in 1976. Joining Clarkin and Catley were drummer Kex Gorin
Kex Gorin
Kex Gorin , was a British drummer. He was the original drummer for Magnum and played on the bands first four studio albums and one live album...
and bassist Dave Morgan
Dave Morgan (musician)
David 'Dave' Morgan is an English songwriter and musician.-Career:He was a member of well-regarded Birmingham 60's group The Uglys with Steve Gibbons between 1967 and 1969, where Morgan was the bassist and vocalist...
(later a member of ELO
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
). Their most notable success during these early years was the Jeff Glixman
Jeff Glixman
Jeff Glixman is an American record producer. He has produced, mixed or remastered artists such as Kansas, Gary Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen, the Georgia Satellites and Black Sabbath...
produced Chase The Dragon
Chase the Dragon
- Cover Sleeve :The cover art was designed by Rodney Matthews."My original brief for Magnum's 'Chase the Dragon' album cover was given by Tony Clarkin, founder member of the band, who writes all the music and lyrics. In the first instance the record was to have been called 'The Spirit' and my rough...
(1982) which reached No. 17 in the UK, and included several songs that would be mainstays of the bands live set, notably "Soldier Of The Line", "Sacred Hour" and "The Spirit".
Their breakthrough album came in 1985 with On A Storyteller's Night
On A Storyteller's Night
On a Storyteller's Night is the fifth studio album by British melodic rock band Magnum, released in 1985 on FM Records. The album is widely considered as Magnum's breakthrough album. This album features one of the Tony Clarkin's most thoughtful songs, "Les Morts Dansant" — a simple song in that...
which featured the single "Just Like An Arrow". This success continued in the following years with the Roger Taylor
Roger Meddows-Taylor
Roger Meddows Taylor , known as Roger Taylor, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of...
produced Vigilante
Vigilante (album)
Vigilante is the sixth studio album by British melodic rock band Magnum, released in 1986 on Polydor.Capitalising on the success of On a Storyteller's Night, Magnum change to a more commercial direction with their 1986 album Vigilante...
in 1986, the top 5 album Wings Of Heaven
Wings of Heaven
-Singles:Days of No Trust 7" #"Days of No Trust" [Edit] — 3:46#"Maybe Tonight" [B-Side] — 4:39Days of No Trust 12" #"Days of No Trust" [Edit] — 3:46#"Maybe Tonight" [B-Side] — 4:39#"The Spirit" [Live] — 0:00...
in 1988, and the Keith Olsen
Keith Olsen
Keith Olsen is one of the most prolific and successful music producers in the industry.-Career:With over 120 albums produced netting a 1 in 4 Gold or better ratio, of which more than 24 are Platinum or better, and more than 14 are multi-Platinum, sales from Keith Olsen’s work exceeds 110 million...
produced Goodnight L.A.
Goodnight L.A.
-Singles:Rockin' Chair 7" #"Rockin' Chair" [LP Version] — 4:10#"Mama" [LP Version] — 4:34Rockin' Chair 12" #"Rockin' Chair" [LP Version] — 4:10...
reaching No. 9 in the UK album charts in 1990.
In the summer of 1995 Tony Clarkin announced the band were to split following a farewell tour of the UK and Europe.
Hard Rain (1995–2001)
After Magnum split, a spin off group featuring Catley and Clarkin was formed called Hard RainHard Rain (band)
Hard Rain are a British Melodic Rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed in 1996, following the demise of Magnum. The core of the band are vocalist Bob Catley and guitarist/songwriter Tony Clarkin....
, and they released the albums Hard Rain
Hard Rain (Hard Rain album)
Hard Rain is the debut studio album by British melodic rock band Hard Rain. It was released in 1996 on German record label Semaphore GmbH....
and When The Good Times Come
When the Good Times Come (Hard Rain album)
When The Good Times Come is the second studio album by British melodic rock band Hard Rain. It was released in 1999 on Eagle Records.-Track listing:All Tracks written by Tony Clarkin.#"Eat It Up"#"Who You Gonna Trust"#"Rock Me In Ya Cradle"...
. It was around this time that Catley launched a solo career using various songwriters, including Gary Hughes
Gary Hughes
Gary Hughes is an English hard rock singer, songwriter and musician. Apart from his work as a solo artist, Gary Hughes is the front man and main songwriter of Hard Rock/Melodic Rock band Ten...
of the band Ten
Ten (band)
Ten is a British hard rock/melodic rock band which was formed in 1995 by vocalist/songwriter Gary Hughes and guitarist Vinny Burns.-Formation :...
. However, Hard Rain found gigs and booking hard to come by, and there were discussions about renaming the band as Magnum. Also, at this time, Catley was becoming increasingly focused on his solo career, and he quit Hard Rain, marking the end of a working relationship with Clarkin that dated back to 1972. After a quiet period Clarkin announced the end of Hard Rain.
Magnum reunion (2001–present)
Eventually, Tony ClarkinTony Clarkin
Tony Clarkin is a British musician, best known as the guitarist of the rock band Magnum...
and Catley re-launched Magnum with the album Breath Of Life in 2002 on SPV
SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide....
. They were again joined by Stanway, with former Hard Rain bassist Al Barrow
Al Barrow
Al Barrow is the bassist of the British band Magnum.Barrow joined Magnum in 2001 after he was a member of Hard Rain, a group formed by Magnum members, Bob Catley and Tony Clarkin, while activities around Magnum was set on pause. Officially the band was split, but made a comeback in 2001 with their...
and former-Thunder
Thunder (band)
Thunder were an English hard rock band, who originally formed in 1989 when the band Terraplane broke up, leaving lead singer Danny Bowes and guitarist/main songwriter Luke Morley to form a new group, namely Thunder...
drummer Harry James
Gary James
Gary Milton James, popularly known as 'Harry' James is the drummer for themelodic rock band Magnum,although he is best known as the drummer for the now defunct hard rock band Thunder....
. This was subsequently followed by Brand New Morning
Brand New Morning (Magnum album)
- Personnel :* Tony Clarkin — Guitar* Bob Catley — Vocals* Al Barrow — Bass* Mark Stanway — Keyboards* Harry James — Drums- External links :* — Official Magnum site...
in 2004.
Magnum completed work on a new studio album, Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow
Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow
-Singles:Like Brothers We Stand Digital # "Like Brothers We Stand" [Radio Edit] — 3:31# "Your Lies" [LP Version] — 4:32-Cover Sleeve:The cover art was designed by Rodney Matthews....
released on 26 March 2007, that also marked the return of cover artwork by Rodney Matthews
Rodney Matthews
Rodney Matthews is a fantasy artist and illustrator.In 1978, he published Yendor: The Journey of a Junior Adventurer, a hard-back picture book featuring his distinctive paintings of "The Wild Country", a fantasy world seen through the eyes of young Yendor, named after his son...
. The album entered the UK Album Charts at #70, the first time Magnum have charted in the UK since 1994. It also reached No. 4 on the BBC Rock Album Charts and No. 60 in Germany, the bands biggest market outside of the UK along with Scandinavia.
Solo career (1998–present)
Despite a busy touring and recording schedule with MagnumMagnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
at this time, Bob Catley has found time to embark on a solo career. He was first approached by Gary Hughes
Gary Hughes
Gary Hughes is an English hard rock singer, songwriter and musician. Apart from his work as a solo artist, Gary Hughes is the front man and main songwriter of Hard Rock/Melodic Rock band Ten...
(frontman of Rock band Ten
Ten (band)
Ten is a British hard rock/melodic rock band which was formed in 1995 by vocalist/songwriter Gary Hughes and guitarist Vinny Burns.-Formation :...
) in 1998 to write a solo album. Bob teamed up with Gary who wrote all the songs on The Tower (as well as producing and playing bass and keyboards). The Tower was written with classic Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
very much in mind and harks back to On A Storyteller's Night
On A Storyteller's Night
On a Storyteller's Night is the fifth studio album by British melodic rock band Magnum, released in 1985 on FM Records. The album is widely considered as Magnum's breakthrough album. This album features one of the Tony Clarkin's most thoughtful songs, "Les Morts Dansant" — a simple song in that...
style pomp meeting Wings Of Heaven
Wings of Heaven
-Singles:Days of No Trust 7" #"Days of No Trust" [Edit] — 3:46#"Maybe Tonight" [B-Side] — 4:39Days of No Trust 12" #"Days of No Trust" [Edit] — 3:46#"Maybe Tonight" [B-Side] — 4:39#"The Spirit" [Live] — 0:00...
style AOR with a very 90s melodic rock production. The Tower was released in 1998 and was critically acclaimed.
Bob made his debut solo appearance at The Gods '98, performing a show stopping set featuring tracks from The Tower as well as classic Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
songs. Such was the response to the show that Now & Then decided to release an "official bootleg" of the set. Live At The Gods
Live at the Gods (Bob Catley album)
Live at the Gods is a live album by Bob Catley. Recorded at The Gods 98, Wigan, UK, 15 November 1998, this disc was included on the Japanese release of Bob's first solo album The Tower...
which was released in January 1999 and features the full set list performed on the day. Bob's backing band for the concert was made up of Canadian label mates Emerald Rain with Vinny Burns
Vinny Burns
Vinny Burns is an English hard rock guitarist best known for his work in the bands Dare and Ten. He has also been a member of Asia, Ultravox, Bob Catley, Hugo, FM, The Ladder, Phoenix Down, and on his own project with Sam Blue, Burns Blue.-External links:**...
(Ten
Ten (band)
Ten is a British hard rock/melodic rock band which was formed in 1995 by vocalist/songwriter Gary Hughes and guitarist Vinny Burns.-Formation :...
) on lead guitar and Paul Hodson (Hard Rain) on keyboards. Bob and Emerald Rain also undertook a successful UK tour.
During the summer of 1999 recording commenced on Bob's second solo album Legends
Legends (Bob Catley album)
Legends is the second solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 1999.The albums songs are based on legendary characters and literature, .- Track listing :...
. Gary Hughes once again wrote and produced the album (as well as playing keyboards) with Ten's Vinny Burns and Steve McKenna and Dante Fox's John Cooksey providing the musical backing. The songs are based on various Legends, factual, fictional, historical and mythological.
Legends
Legends (Bob Catley album)
Legends is the second solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 1999.The albums songs are based on legendary characters and literature, .- Track listing :...
was launched at The Gods 99 where Bob headlined the Saturday night with Emerald Rain and Paul Hodson once again providing backing. Bob toured the UK extensively during 2000 with Paul Hodson and Native Cain providing his backing band. In the run up to Christmas 2000 Bob toured the UK again, and for one Spanish date, with special guest Kip Winger
Kip Winger
Charles Frederick Kip Winger is an American rock musician, both a member of the hard rock band, Winger, and a solo artist.-Early days:Winger was born in Denver, Colorado to parents who were both jazz musicians....
.
2001 saw the release of Bob's third album Middle Earth
Middle Earth (album)
Middle Earth is the third solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 2000.The album draws upon J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings for inspiration...
, which was based on J. R. R. Tolkien's
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
epic The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
. The songs, once again penned by Gary Hughes, are based on various parts/incidents/characters from the book. Musicians on Middle Earth
Middle Earth (album)
Middle Earth is the third solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 2000.The album draws upon J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings for inspiration...
include Gary's band mates Ten
Ten (band)
Ten is a British hard rock/melodic rock band which was formed in 1995 by vocalist/songwriter Gary Hughes and guitarist Vinny Burns.-Formation :...
plus a guest appearance by Landmarq vocalist Tracy Hitchings. Bob toured extensively in 2001 with Kip Winger
Kip Winger
Charles Frederick Kip Winger is an American rock musician, both a member of the hard rock band, Winger, and a solo artist.-Early days:Winger was born in Denver, Colorado to parents who were both jazz musicians....
opening acoustically early in the year, and then spent a month co-headlining UK and European dates with Ten later in the year.
2003 saw a change in writing partners for Catley – When Empires Burn
When Empires Burn (Bob Catley album)
When Empires Burn is the fourth solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 2003.-Track listing:All songs written by Paul Hodson.# "The Torment" — 1:53# "Children of the Circle" — 5:40# "Gonna Live Forever" — 3:39...
was written and produced by Bob’s long time keyboard player Paul Hodson and features a much heavier sound, bordering on heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. The backing band included Vince O’Regan (Guitars), Al Barrow (Bass) and Jamie Little (Drums). When Empires Burn
When Empires Burn (Bob Catley album)
When Empires Burn is the fourth solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 2003.-Track listing:All songs written by Paul Hodson.# "The Torment" — 1:53# "Children of the Circle" — 5:40# "Gonna Live Forever" — 3:39...
was again backed by a full European tour, this time touring with the Yorkshire based band Lost Weekend.
Bob’s 2006 solo album Spirit Of Man
Spirit of Man (Bob Catley album)
Spirit of Man is the fifth solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 2006.-Track listing:# "Heart of Stone" — 5:23# "Moment of Truth" — 5:13...
was written by Dave Thompson and Paul Uttley of Lost Weekend and Vince O’Regan of Pulse, and was recorded at KRT Studio’s in Wolverhampton. Bob and Vince have co-produced the album. This is the first time that Catley has had a role in the production of one of his albums, and continues the somewhat heavier approach seen in the previous album. The album was supported by a full UK and European tour, including an intimate date at London's famous Underworld club.
Bob was also one of the many singers involved with the Power Metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
project Avantasia
Avantasia
Avantasia is a heavy metal project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist and frontman of the band Edguy. The project's title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" and describes "a world beyond human imagination"...
, created by Edguy
Edguy
-Demos, AFM years :Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for Mr. Edgar Siedschlag, their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, Evil Minded and Children of...
's frontman Tobias Sammet
Tobias Sammet
Tobias Sammet is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the German Power metal band Edguy, as well as the creator of the metal opera Avantasia and a member of the metal project Final Chapter. He also made guest appearances on the Rob Rock album Holy Hell and the metal opera Aina...
. Bob was featured in almost all Avantasia albums, from The Metal Operas
Avantasia (story)
Avantasia is a story composed as a metal album by Tobias Sammet's Avantasia. It is written in the format of a play and the songs are the characters' dialogs and inner thoughts. The album was split into two parts , with the second part being released a year after the first...
to the more recent Wicked Trilogy
The Scarecrow (story)
The Scarecrow is a story comprising three music albums by Tobias Sammet's symphonic power metal project Avantasia. The story started with the 2008 album and is concluded by The Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon-Plot:...
. He appeared on The Scarecrow Tour in 2008 and also on The Metal Opera Comes To Town Tour in December 2010. He is seen on the DVD from the first tour.
Hard Rain
- Hard RainHard Rain (Hard Rain album)Hard Rain is the debut studio album by British melodic rock band Hard Rain. It was released in 1996 on German record label Semaphore GmbH....
(1997) - When The Good Times ComeWhen the Good Times Come (Hard Rain album)When The Good Times Come is the second studio album by British melodic rock band Hard Rain. It was released in 1999 on Eagle Records.-Track listing:All Tracks written by Tony Clarkin.#"Eat It Up"#"Who You Gonna Trust"#"Rock Me In Ya Cradle"...
(1999)
Solo
- The Tower (1998)
- Live At The GodsLive at the Gods (Bob Catley album)Live at the Gods is a live album by Bob Catley. Recorded at The Gods 98, Wigan, UK, 15 November 1998, this disc was included on the Japanese release of Bob's first solo album The Tower...
(1999) - LegendsLegends (Bob Catley album)Legends is the second solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 1999.The albums songs are based on legendary characters and literature, .- Track listing :...
(1999) - Middle EarthMiddle Earth (album)Middle Earth is the third solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 2000.The album draws upon J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings for inspiration...
(2001) - When Empires BurnWhen Empires Burn (Bob Catley album)When Empires Burn is the fourth solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 2003.-Track listing:All songs written by Paul Hodson.# "The Torment" — 1:53# "Children of the Circle" — 5:40# "Gonna Live Forever" — 3:39...
(2003) - Spirit Of ManSpirit of Man (Bob Catley album)Spirit of Man is the fifth solo studio album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 2006.-Track listing:# "Heart of Stone" — 5:23# "Moment of Truth" — 5:13...
(2006) - ImmortalImmortal (Bob Catley album)Immortal is the sixth solo Studio Album by Bob Catley, released by Frontiers Records in 2008.-Track listing:All songs by Magnus Karlsson# "Dreamers Unite" - 6:19# "We Are Immortal" - 5:44# "End of the World" - 5:03# "Open Your Eyes" - 4:25...
(2008)
Side projects
- JabberwockyJabberwocky (album)Jabberwocky is a progressive rock album released in 1999 by British keyboardists Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman. It was the first of two albums released by the duo.-Plot:The album is based on the homonymous poem by Lewis Carroll...
(1999) – Clive NolanClive NolanClive Nolan is a British musician, composer and producer who has played a prominent role in the recent development of progressive rock...
and Oliver WakemanOliver WakemanOliver Wakeman is a rock keyboardist, best known as a member of Yes, where he replaced his father, Rick Wakeman.-Biography:Oliver is the first son of Rick Wakeman, but his parents divorced when he was young.... - Hound Of The Baskervilles (2002) – Clive NolanClive NolanClive Nolan is a British musician, composer and producer who has played a prominent role in the recent development of progressive rock...
and Oliver WakemanOliver WakemanOliver Wakeman is a rock keyboardist, best known as a member of Yes, where he replaced his father, Rick Wakeman.-Biography:Oliver is the first son of Rick Wakeman, but his parents divorced when he was young.... - The Metal Opera Part IIThe Metal Opera Part IIThe Metal Opera Pt. II is the second full-length album by Tobias Sammet's side project opera, Avantasia. It is a concept album and a rock opera, and further information on the story can be found here. The songs carry on the story begun in The Metal Opera, with the same characters...
(2002) – AvantasiaAvantasiaAvantasia is a heavy metal project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist and frontman of the band Edguy. The project's title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" and describes "a world beyond human imagination"...
project by Tobias SammetTobias SammetTobias Sammet is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the German Power metal band Edguy, as well as the creator of the metal opera Avantasia and a member of the metal project Final Chapter. He also made guest appearances on the Rob Rock album Holy Hell and the metal opera Aina...
of EdguyEdguy-Demos, AFM years :Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for Mr. Edgar Siedschlag, their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, Evil Minded and Children of... - Once and Future King Part IOnce and Future King Part I-Track listing:All songs written by Gary Hughes.# "Excalibur" – 6:22# "Dragon Island Cathedral" – 6:03# "At the End of Day" – 4:30# "The Reason Why" – 4:36# "Shapeshifter" – 4:45# "King for a Day" – 4:47# "Avalon" – 4:00# "Sinner" – 5:01# "In Flames" – 5:03...
(2003) – Gary HughesGary HughesGary Hughes is an English hard rock singer, songwriter and musician. Apart from his work as a solo artist, Gary Hughes is the front man and main songwriter of Hard Rock/Melodic Rock band Ten...
of TenTen (band)Ten is a British hard rock/melodic rock band which was formed in 1995 by vocalist/songwriter Gary Hughes and guitarist Vinny Burns.-Formation :... - Once and Future King Part IIOnce and Future King Part II-Track listing:All songs written by Gary Hughes.# "Kill the King" – 5:51# "There by the Grace of the Gods " – 5:10# "I Still Love You " – 4:06# "Oceans of Tears" – 4:30# "Rise from the Shadows" – 3:44# "Believe Enough to Fight" – 5:02...
(2003) – Gary HughesGary HughesGary Hughes is an English hard rock singer, songwriter and musician. Apart from his work as a solo artist, Gary Hughes is the front man and main songwriter of Hard Rock/Melodic Rock band Ten...
of TenTen (band)Ten is a British hard rock/melodic rock band which was formed in 1995 by vocalist/songwriter Gary Hughes and guitarist Vinny Burns.-Formation :... - The Scarecrow (2008) – AvantasiaAvantasiaAvantasia is a heavy metal project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist and frontman of the band Edguy. The project's title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" and describes "a world beyond human imagination"...
project by Tobias SammetTobias SammetTobias Sammet is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the German Power metal band Edguy, as well as the creator of the metal opera Avantasia and a member of the metal project Final Chapter. He also made guest appearances on the Rob Rock album Holy Hell and the metal opera Aina...
of EdguyEdguy-Demos, AFM years :Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for Mr. Edgar Siedschlag, their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, Evil Minded and Children of... - 010110010101100101011001 is the seventh studio album by Arjen Anthony Lucassen's long-running Ayreon project. "01011001" is the binary representation of the ASCII value of the letter Y...
(2008) – AyreonAyreonAyreon is a project by Dutch composer and musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen.Ayreon's musical style derives mostly from heavy metal and progressive rock, but combines them with genres like folk, classical and electronica...
project by Arjen Anthony LucassenArjen Anthony LucassenArjen Anthony "Oswold Jr." Lucassen is a progressive metal/rock composer, singer and musician from the Netherlands, best known for his long-running progressive opera project titled Ayreon.... - The Wicked SymphonyThe Wicked Symphony-Track listing: -Personnel:* Tobias Sammet - Lead vocals, Bass guitar, Keyboards, Organ * Sascha Paeth - Guitars, Keyboards, Bass guitar Producer* Eric Singer - Drums * Miro - Keyboards, Orchestration...
(2010) – AvantasiaAvantasiaAvantasia is a heavy metal project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist and frontman of the band Edguy. The project's title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" and describes "a world beyond human imagination"...
project by Tobias SammetTobias SammetTobias Sammet is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the German Power metal band Edguy, as well as the creator of the metal opera Avantasia and a member of the metal project Final Chapter. He also made guest appearances on the Rob Rock album Holy Hell and the metal opera Aina...
of EdguyEdguy-Demos, AFM years :Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for Mr. Edgar Siedschlag, their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, Evil Minded and Children of... - Angel of BabylonAngel of BabylonAngel of Babylon is the fifth full-length Avantasia album by German power metal vocalist Tobias Sammet, released on April 3, 2010 along with The Wicked Symphony...
(2010) – AvantasiaAvantasiaAvantasia is a heavy metal project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist and frontman of the band Edguy. The project's title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" and describes "a world beyond human imagination"...
project by Tobias SammetTobias SammetTobias Sammet is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the German Power metal band Edguy, as well as the creator of the metal opera Avantasia and a member of the metal project Final Chapter. He also made guest appearances on the Rob Rock album Holy Hell and the metal opera Aina...
of EdguyEdguy-Demos, AFM years :Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for Mr. Edgar Siedschlag, their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, Evil Minded and Children of... - The Flying OperaThe Flying OperaThe Flying Opera is the first Avantasia live album by German power metal vocalist Tobias Sammet, released in March 2011. It was recorded during their first world tour in 2008, in support of the album The Scarecrow.-Tracklist:DVDDisc 1...
(live album) (2011) – AvantasiaAvantasiaAvantasia is a heavy metal project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist and frontman of the band Edguy. The project's title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" and describes "a world beyond human imagination"...
project by Tobias SammetTobias SammetTobias Sammet is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the German Power metal band Edguy, as well as the creator of the metal opera Avantasia and a member of the metal project Final Chapter. He also made guest appearances on the Rob Rock album Holy Hell and the metal opera Aina...
of EdguyEdguy-Demos, AFM years :Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for Mr. Edgar Siedschlag, their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, Evil Minded and Children of...
External links
- www.magnumonline.co.uk – Official Magnum Site
- www.bobcatley.com – Official Bob Catley Site