Everything about Bruce Thomas totally explained
Bruce Thomas (born
August 14,
1948 in
Stockton-on-Tees,
England) is best known as
bassist for
The Attractions; the
band formed in
1977 to back
Elvis Costello on stage and record.
Thomas was already a 10-year veteran of the
British music scene before he hooked up with Costello, having played with such short-lived bands as The Roadrunners (with
Paul Rodgers), Bitter Sweet, and
Bodast in the late
1960s and recording with
Quiver,
Moonrider and
Al Stewart in the early
1970s.
But it was his work with Costello that brought Thomas his greatest fame. Between 1977 and 1987, Elvis Costello & The Attractions released nine
albums, including
This Year's Model (1978),
Punch The Clock (1983), and
Blood and Chocolate (1986), and toured extensively.
After Costello's initial split with The Attractions in 1987, Thomas recorded with such other artists as
Billy Bragg,
John Wesley Harding, and
Suzanne Vega. In 1990 he released his first book
The Big Wheel, an
autobiography in which the key characters are recognizable without ever being identified by name. Costello, for instance, is called "the Singer." Apparently annoyed by his depiction in the book, Costello responded with the song "How To Be Dumb" on his album
Mighty Like a Rose (1991). Costello has described his relationship with Thomas during this period as "pretty non-existent."
Despite this estrangement, Costello was persuaded by co-
producer Mitchell Froom to invite Thomas to play on the album
Brutal Youth (1994). The reunited Elvis Costello & The Attractions followed the album with a tour and the album
All This Useless Beauty (1996). Toward the end of a second tour, Costello announced that he'd be splitting with the group as soon as the tour was over. Elvis Costello & The Attractions played their final concert
September 15,
1996 in
Nagoya,
Japan.
Although Costello has been vague about exactly what prompted the split, he's made it clear that Bruce Thomas is the Attraction he wishes to shun. The other two Attractions,
Steve Nieve and
Pete Thomas (no relation to Bruce), have continued to tour and record with Costello. Bruce has said that he simply lost interest in playing with Costello.
In 2003 Thomas was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions. Thomas appeared onstage with Costello to accept the honour, but they didn't perform together. Thomas' book
On the Road... Again, the sequel to
The Big Wheel, was published that same year.
Thomas is also the author of 1994's
Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit, a
biography of the renowned
martial artist and
movie star.
Further Information
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