Page 8 - Real Rochdale Issue 13 Spring 2022

TONI BAKER
orn and bred in Rochdale, Toni Baker’s
Bcareer as a musician has taken him
round the world and back. Now settled in
Rossendale, he fills Real Rochdale in on a
lucrative career.
You might not know his name, but you’ve
almost certainly heard his work: in a career
spanning six decades, Toni has worked
alongside names like Peter Kay, Tony
Christie, Billy Ocean, Sheena Easton and
Lisa Stansfield, and was a member of
Shabby Tiger in the 70s, a band which was
a huge success in Europe. He’s even had a
number two hit in Japan!
Phoenix Nights
Toni co-wrote, recorded and produced all the
original music and cover songs in the comedy
series Phoenix Nights as well as its iconic
theme tune: “[Peter] told me he fancied
something on a solo instrument like ‘Some
Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em’. We settled on the
glockenspiel sound which conjured up
something slightly mysterious and comical.”
The collaboration came about after Toni put
an advert in the paper to teach piano lessons
– and was called by Peter Kay, wanting to
learn how to play ‘Dancing Queen’ as a
surprise for his fiancée at their wedding in
12 months. “He’d just got the go-ahead to
start work on a new series, Phoenix Nights,
based on characters from ‘That Peter Kay
Thing’. He asked if I’d like to write and
produce all the music – you bet I would!”
REAL ROCHDALE - SPRING 2022
As well as both original and cover songs, Toni
wrote music for hundreds of “little incidental
scenes” and also went on to create the theme
for ‘Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere’ and
has also written music for ‘The League of
Gentlemen’, the ‘Bottom’ Mindless Violence
live theatre tour, ‘Waterloo Road’ and
‘Early Doors’.
Rochdale
Toni was born in February 1949 at Birch Hill
Hospital. He grew up in Milnrow before
moving to Hollingworth Lake, and later
became an organist for both Milnrow and
Kirkholt Working Men’s Clubs.
Having joined several small bands and The Dakotas
Turning professional
travelled Europe, in 1974 Toni joined
Despite leaving school with an aptitude for ‘Shabby Tiger’ – a glam rock group which In the 1980s, Toni joined The Dakotas, who
languages – Toni can speak French, German, had signed to a professional label and continue to tour today playing sounds of the
Spanish and Italian – he left as a member of a went on to become a hit in Europe. 60s. He toured America with the band and
local band and with a job working at Shorrock also toured Australia with The Fortunes,
and Shorrocks music shop on Drake Street. After calling it a day due to the rising stepping in on the keyboard.
popularity of the punk scene, Toni threw
“I’d asked if I could take the Saturday – our himself into sessions and went on to write The Dakotas are currently in the
busiest day – off to play with my band. I was ‘Eat You Up’, recorded in 1985 by Angie Gold. middle of a UK-wide 60 date tour with Mike
told no, but I did the gig. On Monday morning The track was subsequently covered by Yoko Pender, The Fortunes, The Trems, and Dozy
I was instantly sacked,” Toni recalled. It was Oginome as ‘Dancing Hero: Eat You Up’ Beaky Mick & Tich.
then he decided to turn professional – landing which made it to number two in the
an audition on the same day as a job interview Japanese Hot 100 charts.
with the foreign office.
“I went to the audition,” he laughed. “I Toni’s autobiography was published in 2021
nailed it!”
The Man Behind the Music of Phoenix Nights
8 9 REAL ROCHDALE - SPRING 2022