Toby Jepson
Encyclopedia
Toby Jepson is a singer, songwriter
and was lead vocalist and guitarist in the British
rock
band
, Little Angels
between the years of 1984 and 1994. Between 2008 and 2010 he was the lead singer with Scottish rock band Gun
.
and went on to release three album
s and tour the UK
throughout the early 1990s.
The band had twelve Top 40 hits, including "Too Much, Too Young" and "Womankind" in 1993, and a number one album
Jam in 1993). They toured with Bon Jovi
, Bryan Adams
and Van Halen
, and performed their own headlining tours taking in venues such as Hammersmith Apollo
and The Royal Albert Hall
. They were arguably one of the most successful and popular British bands of their time.
When the band split (somewhat acrimoniously) in 1994, Jepson continued to write and produce
music
. His solo
debut album was released in 1995 under the moniker "Toby & The Whole Truth". Ignorance Is Bliss showed a different side to his songwriting, and he embarked on a tour to support it. This tour was cut short due to illness that developed into pneumonia
, and this had an impact on sales of the album and his profile, which suffered as a result.
Jepson spent a long while out of the spotlight, during which time he moved to Bristol
. He earned a living working as a supporting actor
on various productions (including Gladiator, Sleepy Hollow, The Visitors, Angela's Ashes, Highlander:End Game and Steven Spielberg
's Band of Brothers amongst others) and busying himself with various projects - including writing and recording
, although he was not releasing records
at the time.
He returned to the public eye in late 2001 and announced a short club tour with a new band (but using his own name). He toured the UK through the start of 2002, and released the "Refresh EP
" over the internet
and at gigs
to showcase the new material he had been working on. A re-issue of Ignorance Is Bliss was also made available at this time. As a premium membership feature of his website, he launched the "MP3 Club" in which subscribers would received exclusive recordings delivered straight to their inbox via email every month.
Jepson and his band continued writing and recording when they got off the road, and then toured again in 2002–2003. Around this time work commenced on Twisted Rhapsodies, a double disc collection of live material, demos
and rare recordings. Before its release, however, Jepson announced over his website that it was likely that this was to be his final output, as the venture was rapidly becoming unfeasible financially.
In November 2005, Jepson's fortunes appear to have improved considerably, and he resurfaced again to tour with Thunder
. He toured twice in the UK during 2006. The first tour supporting Thunder, and the second, headlining during September. This new tour premiered new songs to an eager fan
base.
In March 2007, Jepson released the first of three EPs entitled "Guitar, Bass and Drums
", and immediately began touring to promote them. In addition to headlining his own shows, he was a special guest to former Black Sabbath
vocalist, Glenn Hughes, at a date in Shepherd's Bush
, London
. EP 2 was released in September 2007 to rave reviews. More tour dates followed and the new material was performed live.
In May 2007, Jepson was invited to be the lead singer of the reformed Fastway
, led by former Motörhead guitarist
, "Fast" Eddie Clarke
. This took Jepson on a tour of some of Europe
's largest festival
dates including Download and as part of the 'Hyde Park Calling' series of events. After a short stint and despite strong reviews of shows in Europe and Japan, the band dissolved. No new material was recorded.
January 2008 saw Jepson perform solo and as a guest vocalist for Gun
, at a charity gig in Glasgow, promoted by Rockradio. During the Gun set, Jepson appeared on stage wearing a kilt, and in April 2008 he was announced as their full-time singer.
In November 2009 Gun released an EP entitled Popkiller. Popkiller was a very different departure to Jepson's solo work. In 2010 Jepson continued to tour with GUN up until 28 June, when he announced he was stepping down as GUN's singer due to other commitments. The statement was reproduced on the official GUN website the same day with an additional statement by Jools & Dante Gizzi confirming Jepson's departure.
In addition to work as a singer/songwriter, Jepson has begun a career as a music producer. In 2008 he was introduced to Macclesfield
rock act The Virginmarys, and went on to produce their debut mini album Cast the First Stone. This relationship has since developed and Jepson is now producing the band's first full album, set to be released in late 2011. Jepson owns and operates a small studio facility in his home town of Scarborough called The Strangeplace, where the majority of his productions begin, although the Chapel Studios in Louth
has become a base for the major recording aspects.
Since The Virginmarys, Jepson has produced the new 'FASTWAY' record with 'Fast' Eddie Clarke, the first from the band in over 15 years. He also co-wrote, sang, and played bass on the record. No release date has yet been announced, but it's likely to emerge in early 2012.
In late 2010, Jepson announced he was to co-produce English Rock Legends SAXON with singer Biff Byford. Work began once again in Chapel studios in December 2010 and was completed in Brighton and Los Angeles where US mix engineer Mike Plotnikoff mixed the album in February 2011. The album, 'Call To Arms' was released worldwide in June 2011 to international acclaim, prompting many reviews to state the record as a return to form for the band.
In 2010 the final EP in the 'guitar, bass and drums' trilogy was finally completed by Jepson and released on 6th Dec through Townsend Records. Jepson then went on tour with UK band SKIN where the EP was on sale. Unusually for an EP, the collection contained 11 original songs (two of which had been available as free downloads through his official website - 'The Chosen one' and 'Hurts'). The release marked the end to a 3 year wait by the fans. Jepson apologised to fans via his site for the wait putting it down to demand for his services elsewhere.
It was around this time also that Jepson met Wendy Dio at the Classic Rock Award ceremony in London and joined many who wished to express sympathy and condolences for the untimely death of the her husband Ronnie James Dio, of whom he had been a life long fan. Around New Year he was approached by Niji Entertainment, Wendy's company and the base for all of RJD's operations, through his long time agent and close friend, Steve Strange, to be one of two singers who would front a band consisting of Ronnie James Dio's band members, Craig Goldy, Simon Wright, Scott Warren, one time Megadeth bass player, James Lomenzo and metal singer Tim 'Ripper' Owens. It was to be a celebration of Dio's career due to his untimely death the year before from cancer. The project was named Dio's Disciples and was allied to a foundation set up to raise money and awareness for Cancer sufferers. The foundation was called 'Stand up and Shout' after a song on Ronnie James Dio's first solo record, 'Holy Diver'. After rehearsals in Los Angeles, the project's live début was in Moscow as part of a European wide tour that included performances at Finnish festival 'Sauna open air', UK's Download and Belgium Festival 'Graspop' as well as dates in clubs. The tour also featured US legends 'The Rods' - which features Dave 'Rock' Fienstein, RJD's cousin and one time 'ELF' member as well as Canadian metal stars 'Anvil' in support. The Spanish dates also featured Doro Pesch as a replacement vocalist for Ripper Owens due to his having to return to the US to attend his eldest daughters wedding. The tour finished on 3 July 2011 with a US, South American and Japanese tours planned for later in the year.
Upon his return from the tour, Jepson immediately went back into production work with the Virginmarys and Chrome Molly, another band whom he had begun producing just prior to setting off on tour with Dio.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and was lead vocalist and guitarist in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, Little Angels
Little Angels
Little Angels were a hard rock band of the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s.-History and members:Little Angels formed in Scarborough, England in 1984, under the name Mr Thrud. The founding members were Toby Jepson , Mark Plunkett , Dave Hopper and the brothers Bruce John and Jimmy Dickinson...
between the years of 1984 and 1994. Between 2008 and 2010 he was the lead singer with Scottish rock band Gun
Gun (band)
Gun are a rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, best known for their cover of Cameo's "Word Up!".-Early career:Originally called Blind Allez then for a short time, 'Phobia', GUN were formed in 1987 by Giuliano Gizzi and Cami Morlotti , with Mark Rankin , Alan Thornton and David Aitken...
.
Career
Jepson formed Mr Thrud with his school friend Mark Plunkett in Scarborough, and the band went on to become very popular in their local area. Eventually breaking out and achieving national success, Mr Thrud became Little AngelsLittle Angels
Little Angels were a hard rock band of the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s.-History and members:Little Angels formed in Scarborough, England in 1984, under the name Mr Thrud. The founding members were Toby Jepson , Mark Plunkett , Dave Hopper and the brothers Bruce John and Jimmy Dickinson...
and went on to release three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and tour the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
throughout the early 1990s.
The band had twelve Top 40 hits, including "Too Much, Too Young" and "Womankind" in 1993, and a number one album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Jam in 1993). They toured with Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
and Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
, and performed their own headlining tours taking in venues such as Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
and The Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. They were arguably one of the most successful and popular British bands of their time.
When the band split (somewhat acrimoniously) in 1994, Jepson continued to write and produce
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. His solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
debut album was released in 1995 under the moniker "Toby & The Whole Truth". Ignorance Is Bliss showed a different side to his songwriting, and he embarked on a tour to support it. This tour was cut short due to illness that developed into pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, and this had an impact on sales of the album and his profile, which suffered as a result.
Jepson spent a long while out of the spotlight, during which time he moved to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. He earned a living working as a supporting actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
on various productions (including Gladiator, Sleepy Hollow, The Visitors, Angela's Ashes, Highlander:End Game and Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's Band of Brothers amongst others) and busying himself with various projects - including writing and recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, although he was not releasing records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
at the time.
Refresh EP
Refresh EP After an absence from the music scene of about 7 years, former Little Angels singer Toby Jepson returned with this EP. 5 brand new tracks recorded in January 2002 at Spool Studios and featuring the rockers Unwind and Breakdown, the mid-tempo title track, the ballad-y Forgiveness and...
" over the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and at gigs
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
to showcase the new material he had been working on. A re-issue of Ignorance Is Bliss was also made available at this time. As a premium membership feature of his website, he launched the "MP3 Club" in which subscribers would received exclusive recordings delivered straight to their inbox via email every month.
Jepson and his band continued writing and recording when they got off the road, and then toured again in 2002–2003. Around this time work commenced on Twisted Rhapsodies, a double disc collection of live material, demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
and rare recordings. Before its release, however, Jepson announced over his website that it was likely that this was to be his final output, as the venture was rapidly becoming unfeasible financially.
In November 2005, Jepson's fortunes appear to have improved considerably, and he resurfaced again to tour with 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...
. He toured twice in the UK during 2006. The first tour supporting Thunder, and the second, headlining during September. This new tour premiered new songs to an eager fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
base.
In March 2007, Jepson released the first of three EPs entitled "Guitar, Bass and Drums
Guitar, Bass and Drums
"Guitar, Bass and Drums" is the three EP campaign from British rock singer, Toby Jepson. Formerly of the British rock band, Little Angels, Jepson has returned to the music industry in 2007....
", and immediately began touring to promote them. In addition to headlining his own shows, he was a special guest to former Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
vocalist, Glenn Hughes, at a date in Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. EP 2 was released in September 2007 to rave reviews. More tour dates followed and the new material was performed live.
In May 2007, Jepson was invited to be the lead singer of the reformed Fastway
Fastway (band)
Fastway is a British heavy metal band formed by guitarist, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, formerly of Motörhead, and bassist, Pete Way, formerly of UFO.-Career:...
, led by former Motörhead guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, "Fast" Eddie Clarke
Eddie Clarke
Edward Allan Clarke better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke, is a guitarist who was a member of British heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead.-Early days:...
. This took Jepson on a tour of some of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's largest festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
dates including Download and as part of the 'Hyde Park Calling' series of events. After a short stint and despite strong reviews of shows in Europe and Japan, the band dissolved. No new material was recorded.
January 2008 saw Jepson perform solo and as a guest vocalist for Gun
Gun (band)
Gun are a rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, best known for their cover of Cameo's "Word Up!".-Early career:Originally called Blind Allez then for a short time, 'Phobia', GUN were formed in 1987 by Giuliano Gizzi and Cami Morlotti , with Mark Rankin , Alan Thornton and David Aitken...
, at a charity gig in Glasgow, promoted by Rockradio. During the Gun set, Jepson appeared on stage wearing a kilt, and in April 2008 he was announced as their full-time singer.
In November 2009 Gun released an EP entitled Popkiller. Popkiller was a very different departure to Jepson's solo work. In 2010 Jepson continued to tour with GUN up until 28 June, when he announced he was stepping down as GUN's singer due to other commitments. The statement was reproduced on the official GUN website the same day with an additional statement by Jools & Dante Gizzi confirming Jepson's departure.
In addition to work as a singer/songwriter, Jepson has begun a career as a music producer. In 2008 he was introduced to Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
rock act The Virginmarys, and went on to produce their debut mini album Cast the First Stone. This relationship has since developed and Jepson is now producing the band's first full album, set to be released in late 2011. Jepson owns and operates a small studio facility in his home town of Scarborough called The Strangeplace, where the majority of his productions begin, although the Chapel Studios in Louth
Louth, Lincolnshire
Louth is a market town and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Known as the "capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds", it is situated where the ancient trackway Barton Street crosses the River Lud, and has a total resident population of 15,930.The Greenwich...
has become a base for the major recording aspects.
Since The Virginmarys, Jepson has produced the new 'FASTWAY' record with 'Fast' Eddie Clarke, the first from the band in over 15 years. He also co-wrote, sang, and played bass on the record. No release date has yet been announced, but it's likely to emerge in early 2012.
In late 2010, Jepson announced he was to co-produce English Rock Legends SAXON with singer Biff Byford. Work began once again in Chapel studios in December 2010 and was completed in Brighton and Los Angeles where US mix engineer Mike Plotnikoff mixed the album in February 2011. The album, 'Call To Arms' was released worldwide in June 2011 to international acclaim, prompting many reviews to state the record as a return to form for the band.
In 2010 the final EP in the 'guitar, bass and drums' trilogy was finally completed by Jepson and released on 6th Dec through Townsend Records. Jepson then went on tour with UK band SKIN where the EP was on sale. Unusually for an EP, the collection contained 11 original songs (two of which had been available as free downloads through his official website - 'The Chosen one' and 'Hurts'). The release marked the end to a 3 year wait by the fans. Jepson apologised to fans via his site for the wait putting it down to demand for his services elsewhere.
It was around this time also that Jepson met Wendy Dio at the Classic Rock Award ceremony in London and joined many who wished to express sympathy and condolences for the untimely death of the her husband Ronnie James Dio, of whom he had been a life long fan. Around New Year he was approached by Niji Entertainment, Wendy's company and the base for all of RJD's operations, through his long time agent and close friend, Steve Strange, to be one of two singers who would front a band consisting of Ronnie James Dio's band members, Craig Goldy, Simon Wright, Scott Warren, one time Megadeth bass player, James Lomenzo and metal singer Tim 'Ripper' Owens. It was to be a celebration of Dio's career due to his untimely death the year before from cancer. The project was named Dio's Disciples and was allied to a foundation set up to raise money and awareness for Cancer sufferers. The foundation was called 'Stand up and Shout' after a song on Ronnie James Dio's first solo record, 'Holy Diver'. After rehearsals in Los Angeles, the project's live début was in Moscow as part of a European wide tour that included performances at Finnish festival 'Sauna open air', UK's Download and Belgium Festival 'Graspop' as well as dates in clubs. The tour also featured US legends 'The Rods' - which features Dave 'Rock' Fienstein, RJD's cousin and one time 'ELF' member as well as Canadian metal stars 'Anvil' in support. The Spanish dates also featured Doro Pesch as a replacement vocalist for Ripper Owens due to his having to return to the US to attend his eldest daughters wedding. The tour finished on 3 July 2011 with a US, South American and Japanese tours planned for later in the year.
Upon his return from the tour, Jepson immediately went back into production work with the Virginmarys and Chrome Molly, another band whom he had begun producing just prior to setting off on tour with Dio.
Little Angels
- "Mr. Thrud" (EP) (1986)
- "87" (EP) (1987)
- Too Posh To Mosh (1988)
- Don't Prey For Me (1989)
- Young Gods (1991)
- Jam (1993)
- Little Of The Past (1994)
- Too Posh To Mosh, Too Good To Last (1994)
Solo
- Refresh EPRefresh EPRefresh EP After an absence from the music scene of about 7 years, former Little Angels singer Toby Jepson returned with this EP. 5 brand new tracks recorded in January 2002 at Spool Studios and featuring the rockers Unwind and Breakdown, the mid-tempo title track, the ballad-y Forgiveness and...
(2002) - MP3 Club (internet only subscription releases) (2003)
- Twisted Rhapsodies (2003)
- "Guitar, Bass and DrumsGuitar, Bass and Drums"Guitar, Bass and Drums" is the three EP campaign from British rock singer, Toby Jepson. Formerly of the British rock band, Little Angels, Jepson has returned to the music industry in 2007....
EP1" (2007) - "Guitar, Bass and DrumsGuitar, Bass and Drums"Guitar, Bass and Drums" is the three EP campaign from British rock singer, Toby Jepson. Formerly of the British rock band, Little Angels, Jepson has returned to the music industry in 2007....
EP2" (2007) - "Guitar, Bass and DrumsGuitar, Bass and Drums"Guitar, Bass and Drums" is the three EP campaign from British rock singer, Toby Jepson. Formerly of the British rock band, Little Angels, Jepson has returned to the music industry in 2007....
EP3" (2010)