Toni Halliday
Encyclopedia
Antoinette "Toni" Halliday (born 5 July 1964) is an English musician best known as the lead vocalist, lyricist
, and occasional guitarist
of the band Curve
.
, Fulham
, and brought up in various locations across Europe, before eventually settling in Washington New Town, Tyne and Wear
.
From 1978 to 1980, Halliday was the lead vocalist in a punk rock
band named Photofitz (initially called The Incest), after which Toni left to start a solo career.
The first commercially-released recording to feature Halliday was the single "The Smile and the Kiss" (1983) by the group Bonk, on which she performed uncredited backing vocals
. The following year, Halliday's new band The Uncles released the single "What's the Use of Pretending", whereupon the singer returned to performing backing vocals for other artists, including the Robert Plant
albums Shaken 'n' Stirred
(1985), and Now and Zen
(1988).
In 1985, Halliday and multi-instrumentalist Dean Garcia formed the band State of Play
together with Garcia's wife Julie Fletcher and Eurythmics
drummer Olle Romö
. The following year, State of Play released an LP on Virgin Records titled Balancing the Scales - a non-hit album that spawned two non-hit singles: "Natural Colour" and "Rock-a-bye Baby".
After the subsequent demise of State of Play, Halliday made another attempt at a solo career. Her album Hearts And Handshakes (produced by Halliday with Alan Moulder
) was released in 1989, a year after it was finished, and four singles were taken from it, "Weekday", "Love Attaction", "Time Turns Around", and "Woman In Mind".
, with Halliday serving as lead singer; their partnership would last from 1990 to 2005. The group's main releases are the studio albums Doppelgänger
(1992), Cuckoo
(1993), Come Clean (1998), Open Day at the Hate Fest
(2001), Gift
(2001), The New Adventures of Curve
(2002), and the compilation The Way of Curve
(2004).
for the film Showgirls
. Another Scylla song, "Get A Helmet", can be heard in the Gregg Araki
film Nowhere
. Scylla recorded a 12-track demo with both Alan Moulder and Flood producing, but no album was released. A poor-quality bootleg of these demo tracks can be found on the internet.
album Bloodline, and also put in guest appearances on The Future Sound of London
's Lifeforms
(1994) and Leftfield
's Leftism
(1995). Other artists with whom Halliday has collaborated include Paul van Dyk
, DJ? Acucrack
, Acid Android
, Freaky Chakra
and, more recently, The Killers on their 2006 Christmas track "A Great Big Sled
".
Rumours of Curve reuniting and recording in 2011 prove false for the time being. Toni continues to work on the next Chatelaine album and other upcoming collaborations.
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, and occasional 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...
of the band Curve
Curve (band)
Curve was an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist/guitarist/programmer Dean Garcia.-History:...
.
Early life and career
Halliday was born on 5 July 1964 in Parsons GreenParsons Green
Parsons Green is an area in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.The mainly residential area is named after the village green now called Parsons Green Park where the vicar of Fulham used to live...
, Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, and brought up in various locations across Europe, before eventually settling in Washington New Town, Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
.
From 1978 to 1980, Halliday was the lead vocalist in a punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band named Photofitz (initially called The Incest), after which Toni left to start a solo career.
The first commercially-released recording to feature Halliday was the single "The Smile and the Kiss" (1983) by the group Bonk, on which she performed uncredited backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
. The following year, Halliday's new band The Uncles released the single "What's the Use of Pretending", whereupon the singer returned to performing backing vocals for other artists, including the Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
albums Shaken 'n' Stirred
Shaken 'n' Stirred
Shaken 'n' Stirred is an album by former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant, released in 1985 on the Es Paranza label. It featured his second Mainstream Rock Tracks top hit, "Little by Little", which was #1 on the chart for two weeks....
(1985), and Now and Zen
Now and Zen
Now and Zen is an album by the former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, released in 1988 under the label Es Paranza. The album made the top 10 in both the U.S. and the UK, reaching #6 in the former, and #10 in the latter...
(1988).
In 1985, Halliday and multi-instrumentalist Dean Garcia formed the band State of Play
State of Play
State of Play is a six-part British television drama serial directed by David Yates and written by Paul Abbott. The serial, first broadcast on BBC One in 2003, was produced in-house by the BBC in association with the independent production company Endor Productions...
together with Garcia's wife Julie Fletcher and Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
drummer Olle Romö
Olle Romo
Olle Romo is a music producer, songwriter and drummer.He was the drummer for Eurythmics in the mid-to-late 1980s, and also worked on Dave Stewart's solo albums in the 1990s. During his career he has been a programmer for producers such as Robert John "Mutt" Lange; on albums including Shania Twain's...
. The following year, State of Play released an LP on Virgin Records titled Balancing the Scales - a non-hit album that spawned two non-hit singles: "Natural Colour" and "Rock-a-bye Baby".
After the subsequent demise of State of Play, Halliday made another attempt at a solo career. Her album Hearts And Handshakes (produced by Halliday with Alan Moulder
Alan Moulder
Alan Moulder is one of Britain's premier alternative rock record producers. He has worked with such artists as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Elastica, Gary Numan, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Curve, Ride, Lush and My Bloody Valentine, Lostprophets, Shihad, Ivyrise and Placebo, as well as with many American...
) was released in 1989, a year after it was finished, and four singles were taken from it, "Weekday", "Love Attaction", "Time Turns Around", and "Woman In Mind".
Curve
Dean Garcia had played on Hearts and Handshakes, and the pair now collaborated to form CurveCurve (band)
Curve was an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist/guitarist/programmer Dean Garcia.-History:...
, with Halliday serving as lead singer; their partnership would last from 1990 to 2005. The group's main releases are the studio albums Doppelgänger
Doppelgänger (Curve album)
Doppelgänger is the 1992 debut album by the British band Curve. A continuation of the musical idiom established by the group on its three earlier EPs, the record combines elements of dance music and alternative rock with the reverb- and distortion-heavy stylings of "shoegazing".-Track listing:All...
(1992), Cuckoo
Cuckoo (Curve album)
Cuckoo was the second all-new studio album to be released by the British band Curve.The album - a musically more varied but significantly darker release than Curve's debut, Doppelgänger - performed poorly in the UK charts compared to the band's first LP, and its relative commercial failure is...
(1993), Come Clean (1998), Open Day at the Hate Fest
Open Day at the Hate Fest
Open Day at the Hate Fest is an album-length, internet-released compilation of music recorded by Curve since their reformation in 1996.Open Day at the Hate Fest was produced during a time that saw Curve embroiled in legal battles with Universal Records over the company's decision to shelve Gift,...
(2001), Gift
Gift (Curve album)
Gift was the fourth all-new studio album to be released by the British band Curve.Following two years of legal wrangles between the group and their then record company, Universal Records, the online success of Curve's self-released album Open Day at the Hate Fest convinced Universal - who had been...
(2001), The New Adventures of Curve
The New Adventures of Curve
The New Adventures of Curve is the fifth and final studio album released by the British band Curve.The LP was exclusively available via the group's official website...
(2002), and the compilation The Way of Curve
The Way of Curve
The Way of Curve is a compilation album by Curve.The album consists of two discs: the first is basically a greatest hits disc, containing many of Curve's most famous and successful songs; the second contains rare tracks, including one that had never been released...
(2004).
Scylla
In 1995, a year after the first, temporary dissolution of Curve, Halliday formed the band Scylla with Ricky Barber, Lindy Pocock, Fiona Lynsky and Julian Bown. The group toured small clubs in the summer of 1995. Scylla's only recording to have been officially released is the song "Helen's Face", which can be found on the soundtrack albumShowgirls (soundtrack)
Showgirls is the soundtrack album of the 1995 film Showgirls.-Track listing:# "Animal"#* Performed by Prick#* Written by Kevin McMahon#* Produced by Warne Livesey...
for the film Showgirls
Showgirls
Showgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon...
. Another Scylla song, "Get A Helmet", can be heard in the Gregg Araki
Gregg Araki
Gregg Araki is an American independent filmmaker. He is involved in New Queer Cinema.-Early life:Araki was born in Los Angeles but grew up in Santa Barbara, California...
film Nowhere
Nowhere (film)
Nowhere is a 1997 film by director and screenwriter Gregg Araki. It stars James Duval and Rachel True as Dark and Mel, a bisexual teen couple who are both sexually promiscuous....
. Scylla recorded a 12-track demo with both Alan Moulder and Flood producing, but no album was released. A poor-quality bootleg of these demo tracks can be found on the internet.
Other work
Following the emergence of Curve in 1991, Halliday co-wrote and performed vocals on two songs for the 1992 RecoilRecoil (band)
Recoil is a musical project created by former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder. Essentially a solo venture, Recoil began whilst Wilder was still in Depeche Mode as an outlet for his experimental, less pop-oriented compositions...
album Bloodline, and also put in guest appearances on The Future Sound of London
The Future Sound of London
The Future Sound of London is a prolific British electronic music band composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. The duo are often credited with pushing the boundaries of electronic music experimentation and of pioneering a new era of dance music...
's Lifeforms
Lifeforms
Lifeforms is a 1994 double album by experimental electronica group The Future Sound of London. With time, it has become their best-known album and is considered to be an important and influential classic of avante garde electronic music.-The album:...
(1994) and Leftfield
Leftfield
Leftfield are a British duo of electronica artists and record producers, namely Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, who formed in 1990 in London, England...
's Leftism
Leftism (album)
Leftism is the first album by electronica musicians Leftfield, released in 1995. It was shortlisted for the 1995 Mercury Music Prize but lost-out to Portishead's Dummy...
(1995). Other artists with whom Halliday has collaborated include Paul van Dyk
Paul van Dyk
Matthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
, DJ? Acucrack
DJ? Acucrack
DJ? Acucrack is an electronic music duo based in Chicago, Illinois. It is a side project of Acumen Nation and is also on the Crack Nation record label...
, Acid Android
Acid Android
Acid Android is the solo project of yukihiro, drummer of the popular Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. They are signed to yukihiro's Tracks on Drugs label, a division of Ki/oon Records. Acid Android releases, as with the other L'Arc-en-Ciel members' solo projects, take place when they are on hiatus...
, Freaky Chakra
Freaky Chakra
Freaky Chakra is a project by Daum Bentley, an American artist that produces rhythm-based techno music.In the mid-1990s, Freaky Chakra went on tour, performing live with Single Cell Orchestra. Their performances led to the Astralwerks release, Freaky Chakra vs. Single Cell Orchestra. In early...
and, more recently, The Killers on their 2006 Christmas track "A Great Big Sled
A Great Big Sled
"A Great Big Sled" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. It was recorded in mid-November 2006 with record producer Alan Moulder as a one-off track and the band's Christmas 2006 single. Moulder's wife Toni Halliday, the former lead vocalist of Curve, features on backing vocals.The song...
".
Chatelaine
In February 2008 Toni introduced a new solo project called Chatelaine on MySpace. Chatelaine's debut album "Take a Line For a Walk" was released in June 2010. It featured nine new tracks: "Broken Bones", "Oh Daddy", "Life Remains", "Stripped Out", "Shifting Sands", "Killing Feeling", "Take a Line For a Walk", "Head To Head" and "Seen and Lost".Rumours of Curve reuniting and recording in 2011 prove false for the time being. Toni continues to work on the next Chatelaine album and other upcoming collaborations.
Curve
- Pubic FruitPubic FruitPubic Fruit is a compilation album by Curve, containing the band's first three EPs and an extended mix of 'Faît Accompli'.Curve released three critically acclaimed and increasingly successful EPs, The Blindfold EP, The Frozen EP and The Cherry EP, in the UK throughout 1991...
(collection of EPs from 1991, released 1992) - DoppelgängerDoppelgänger (Curve album)Doppelgänger is the 1992 debut album by the British band Curve. A continuation of the musical idiom established by the group on its three earlier EPs, the record combines elements of dance music and alternative rock with the reverb- and distortion-heavy stylings of "shoegazing".-Track listing:All...
(1992) - Radio SessionsRadio SessionsRadio Sessions is a compilation album of recordings made by the British band Curve during their two sessions for John Peel's show on the UK broadcasting station Radio 1.-Track listing:#"Ten Little Girls" - 4:42#"No Escape From Heaven" - 4:47...
(1993) - CuckooCuckoo (Curve album)Cuckoo was the second all-new studio album to be released by the British band Curve.The album - a musically more varied but significantly darker release than Curve's debut, Doppelgänger - performed poorly in the UK charts compared to the band's first LP, and its relative commercial failure is...
(1994) - Pink Girl With the Blues EP (1997)
- Come Clean (1998)
- Open Day at the Hate FestOpen Day at the Hate FestOpen Day at the Hate Fest is an album-length, internet-released compilation of music recorded by Curve since their reformation in 1996.Open Day at the Hate Fest was produced during a time that saw Curve embroiled in legal battles with Universal Records over the company's decision to shelve Gift,...
(2001) - GiftGift (Curve album)Gift was the fourth all-new studio album to be released by the British band Curve.Following two years of legal wrangles between the group and their then record company, Universal Records, the online success of Curve's self-released album Open Day at the Hate Fest convinced Universal - who had been...
(2001) - The New Adventures of CurveThe New Adventures of CurveThe New Adventures of Curve is the fifth and final studio album released by the British band Curve.The LP was exclusively available via the group's official website...
(2002) - The Way of CurveThe Way of CurveThe Way of Curve is a compilation album by Curve.The album consists of two discs: the first is basically a greatest hits disc, containing many of Curve's most famous and successful songs; the second contains rare tracks, including one that had never been released...
(2004)
Collaborations
Toni Halliday provided vocals on the following songs:- RecoilRecoil (band)Recoil is a musical project created by former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder. Essentially a solo venture, Recoil began whilst Wilder was still in Depeche Mode as an outlet for his experimental, less pop-oriented compositions...
— "Edge To Life" - RecoilRecoil (band)Recoil is a musical project created by former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder. Essentially a solo venture, Recoil began whilst Wilder was still in Depeche Mode as an outlet for his experimental, less pop-oriented compositions...
— "Bloodline" - LeftfieldLeftfieldLeftfield are a British duo of electronica artists and record producers, namely Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, who formed in 1990 in London, England...
— "Original" - The Future Sound of LondonThe Future Sound of LondonThe Future Sound of London is a prolific British electronic music band composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. The duo are often credited with pushing the boundaries of electronic music experimentation and of pioneering a new era of dance music...
— "Cerebral" - Freaky ChakraFreaky ChakraFreaky Chakra is a project by Daum Bentley, an American artist that produces rhythm-based techno music.In the mid-1990s, Freaky Chakra went on tour, performing live with Single Cell Orchestra. Their performances led to the Astralwerks release, Freaky Chakra vs. Single Cell Orchestra. In early...
— "Budded On Earth To Bloom in Heaven" - DJ? AcucrackDJ? AcucrackDJ? Acucrack is an electronic music duo based in Chicago, Illinois. It is a side project of Acumen Nation and is also on the Crack Nation record label...
— "So To Speak" - Paul Van DykPaul van DykMatthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
— "Words" - Acid AndroidAcid AndroidAcid Android is the solo project of yukihiro, drummer of the popular Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. They are signed to yukihiro's Tracks on Drugs label, a division of Ki/oon Records. Acid Android releases, as with the other L'Arc-en-Ciel members' solo projects, take place when they are on hiatus...
— "Faults" - The Killers — "A Great Big Sled"
- Headcase — "Lola"
- Bonk — "The Smile and the Kiss"
- Bias — "Things That Dreams Are Made Of"
- The Future — "Night Makes You" (backing vocals)
- Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
— Shaken 'n' StirredShaken 'n' StirredShaken 'n' Stirred is an album by former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant, released in 1985 on the Es Paranza label. It featured his second Mainstream Rock Tracks top hit, "Little by Little", which was #1 on the chart for two weeks....
(backing vocals) - Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
— Now and ZenNow and ZenNow and Zen is an album by the former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, released in 1988 under the label Es Paranza. The album made the top 10 in both the U.S. and the UK, reaching #6 in the former, and #10 in the latter...
(backing vocals)