The wait is over! There
is
finally a site for one of the
most underrated acts of the '80s. I took it upon myself to create
the site no one else would.
When people think "Ph.D.", they might think of Dr. Phil.
Actually, Ph.D. refers to one of the most underrated acts in pop music
history. This site is a labour of love that carves a niche on the Web.
PhD are Scottish singer-songwriter Jim Diamond and English
composer-keyboard player Tony Hymas. They were brought together
in late 1980 after Diamond had been in the US working with Earl Slick
and blues legend Alexis Korner. Hymas had worked with Stanley
Clarke and Jeff
Beck, and joining on drums was seasoned session drummer Simon
Phillips. Their initials comprise of the name, though the 'P' may
also be their publisher Polythemus. They were signed a worldwide
deal to WEA Records (to Atlantic in the US), and released Ph.D. in mid-1981. The first
single from the album was "I Won't Let You Down", which was accompanied
by a music video where Jim Diamond persues a woman, and Tony Hymas is a
rival for her affection, pulling cartoonish tactics like lighting
explosives or dropping an anvil, at the end towing Jim's car away with
him in it! This would be played on the newly launched MTV in
America, which was only in a few homes at the time. It would take
a few months before the single would catch fire across the pond,
eventually reaching #3 in the UK, #1 in Holland, and the top 10 in West
Germany, Belgium,
Brasil, Switzerland, and South Africa.
The album would
be reissued with another cover. It would be available briefly in
Japan in 1997.
The next single was "Little Suzi's on the Up", which didn't
chart in the UK or US. The video has Jim going from a butcher's shop to a
ballroom for a dance competition (well before Dancing with the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing!). Tony
would have a fold out keyboard in his pocket placed onto the
piano. Tesla would make it their own in 1986 (they played it "for
the diehards" when I saw them last year).
The last single from the LP was "There's No Answer to It", which was
different from the LP version. There's no official video to it
either, at
least that I know of. A couple kids made their own on YouTube,
but it's just not the same!
The next album would be Is It Safe?,
released in early 1983. It featured "I Didn't Know", a ballad
that sold a few copies on the continent. A tour was planned, but
Jim was diagnosed with hepatitis, and was ordered by the doctor to
rest. Ph.D. quietly split after. Tony Hymas would later
record avant-garde, jazz and classical. Jim would re-emerge with
a solo career
in late 1984, hitting #1 at home with "I Should have Known Better" and
#6 with "Hi Ho Silver" in 1986.
The 1988 solo album Jim Diamond
would feature Hymas on a few tracks, which may have led the Ph.D. cult
to believe that there was hope for more Ph.D. Hymas would still work
with the Jeff Beck Group and record classical, jazz, and avant-garde
albums (he gave his blessing for this site). Diamond would release a few occasional releases, do club dates,
raise a family, and keep a low profile.
After a long dry spell, even with solo careers, I would recieve an
e-mail from Jim Diamond himself in summer 2006 that the first Ph.D.
album in a whole
generation was underway. I was one of the first to know. He also said Warner's Rhino reissue division (I know this business enough) would put the first two albums on
iTunes. Apparently, that plan fell through. Either the masters disappeared (I had to send WAVs of the tracks derived mainly from vinyl, so this may be a cause), or Warner lost interest (typical majors!). I also heard from Rob Ayling of Voiceprint, an indie
powerhouse reissue label. He's a mate of theirs as well. He'll reissue them
instead. The first and new albums are now in EU shops and for sale online. As for the second and possibly forth, more as this develops further (it's been a while since the last update!). A compilation of B-sides, alternates, single edits, unreleased tracks, and versions not on the reissue is being considered and may surface in future. Right now, we want you to get the new CD and get some action going.
My Ph.D. experience
I live in Upstate New York (the provinces!) in
the
US, where Ph.D., or Jim Diamond
for that matter, have never really been household names per se, much like Robbie Williams,
Cliff Richard for the most part, or Girls Aloud! I must have
heard "I Won't Let You Down" somewhere in time. It was like a
repressed memory when the two videos were shown on Vh1 Classic on MTV's
25th Anniversary on 1 August 2006. I knew this I
would like. I was able to find some solo Diamond material to
download, but Ph.D. would begin an elusive and expensive six-month trek
to find these records. The first album I would easily find at a
store in Albany, NY, which had both covers. I would choose the
original. They assumed it was the only album (aah, what do they know anyway?!!). The next album, and all the singles, I would shell out
on eBay, GEMM, and Total Recall. I was getting more solo Diamond
as well. Only the Beatles, ABBA, and Queen, who lead the
collectors'
market anyway, have I spent more on! I know it was well worth the
investment.
A couple fans have been found in my country. One lives in
San
Antonio. The other in Ireland, originally
from the London commuter belt.
I am doing this site for us fans, who have been shortchanged of
a site
for just Ph.D. The official solo sites have sparse information.
If and when I leave OCC, this site will be done through Google,
Freewebs, or another server. You will still be able to use
"www.phdmusic.co.nr". We'll just see what happens.
The video for the new version of "Drive Time" is live, so I embedded it here.
I need original (preferably recent) images of Jim alone and with Tony for Wikipedia (English language, but also yours if you're outside the Anglosphere). You can upload them yourself, or send an attachment to me. I recommend a Creative Commons 2.0 licence (no NC or ND, please) like I used for this site.
This site is not about the rap duo PhD if that's what
you're looking for. Sorry.
Let's trade!
At least in the
US, I can do
trade. Here's what I have on CD and mp3:
Ph.D.:
Ph.D. (1981)
Is It Safe?
See original scans in discography for more details
Bandit - Ohio/All I Can Do is Get Over It - single off early LP (available on blog)
Bacco - Cha Cha Me (short-lived Japanese band with Jim on vocals)
Double Crossed + 2 Desire for Freedom
Jim Diamond (1988) - Now available (see Discography)! Jim Diamond (1993) - With
a new version of "I Won't Let You Down"
Sugarolly Days*
The Best of Jim Diamond++
Souled and Healed*
Blue Shoes EP* Blue Shoes - Live at the Shed
*Available on emusic. + Please buy the CD. ++ Tracks on first two albums.
I'd like:
Albums Jim did with Earl Slick and Alexis Korner
Clean Up the City (scarce early solo single)
Any rare material I may have missed
Disclaimer
This is the work of a
student. It is not part of the
official OCC
Web Site. This site
is not authorised by Jim Diamond, Tony Hymas, Voiceprint Group of Companies, Ltd., or Warner Music UK Ltd. All information subject to change.
Fan Site
