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Stuart Tosh
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Key Information
Stuart Mcbeath Tosh[1] (born 26 September 1948)[2] is a Scottish drummer, songwriter and vocalist. He recorded and toured with a succession of bands during the 1970s and 1980s, including Pilot,[3] The Alan Parsons Project, 10cc,[4] Camel, and Roger Daltrey.
Biography
[edit]Tosh was born in Aberdeen, Scotland.[2] He was a founding member of the 1970s band Pilot, who achieved commercial success in 1974 and 1975 with "Magic" and "January" respectively. The band split up in 1977, and Tosh rejoined again, from 2007 to 2015.
From 1975 to 1977, all four members of Pilot played in The Alan Parsons Project. They played on the first two albums, Tales of Mystery and Imagination and I Robot, made in 1976 and 1977.[5] Tosh left the project and joined 10cc in 1977.[5] Tosh's first album in 10cc was Bloody Tourists,[6][7] which included "Reds in My Bed" which Tosh sang lead vocals[8][9] on and "Dreadlock Holiday" which became the bands third and final number one.[10] Tosh was in 10cc for four years, leaving in 1981.[11] Tosh would returned for two albums a decade later.
Albums discography
[edit]- From the Album of the Same Name (1974)[6]
- Second Flight (1975)[6]
- Morin Heights (1976)[6]
- Two's a Crowd (1977)[6]
- A Pilot Project (2014)[6]
With The Alan Parsons Project
[edit]- Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976)[6]
- I Robot (1977)[6]
- Bloody Tourists (1978)[6][7]
- Look Hear? (1980)[6]
- Ten Out of 10 (1981)[6]
- Windows in the Jungle (1983)[6][12]
- ...Meanwhile (1992)[6]
- Mirror Mirror (1995)[6]
Others
[edit]- One of the Boys for Roger Daltrey (!977)[12]
- Girls for Eric Stewart (1980)[12]
- Animalympics for Graham Gouldman (1980)[12]
- More Than a Dream for John Townley (1981)[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "The Official 10cc Pages". the10ccfanclub.com. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ a b Saunderson, Jamie (26 September 2023). "Aberdeen-born Pilot drummer Stuart Tosh celebrates 75th birthday". Aberdeen Live. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ Prato, Greg. "Tosh profile". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Biography: 10cc". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
- ^ a b "Alan Parsons". The Strange Brew. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Stuart Tosh Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More..." AllMusic. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ a b xfactor,matia. "Stuart Tosh". maniadb.com. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "Song of the day: 10cc – "Reds In My Bed"". Peter's Power Pop. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "10CC". www.discog.info. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "10 C.C." Official Charts. 23 September 1972. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "B". badcatrecords.com. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Stuart Tosh – Musicango" (in German). Retrieved 3 July 2025.
External links
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Stuart Tosh
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Biography
Early life
Stuart Tosh was born Stuart McBeath Tosh on September 26, 1948, in Aberdeen, Scotland.[2] He grew up in a musical family, where his parents were singers, fostering his early interest in music.[3] Tosh began playing drums at the age of 10, initially teaching himself the instrument before drawing influences from big band music and jazz drummers such as Buddy Rich.[3] In his late teens, he joined local bands in the Edinburgh area, including the pop/beat group The Athenians from 1966 to 1967.[4] By the early 1970s, he was drumming for Scots 'N' Soda, with whom he recorded the 1972 single "Looking (For A Place To Sleep) / Bachelor Man" on Barclay Records.[5] These early experiences as a session musician and band member laid the groundwork for his professional career, leading to his pivotal role in Pilot starting in 1973.[3]Pilot era
Stuart Tosh co-founded the Scottish pop-rock band Pilot in 1973 in Edinburgh with bassist and lead vocalist David Paton, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Billy Lyall, and guitarist Ian Bairnson, evolving from Paton and Lyall's prior collaboration in an early Bay City Rollers lineup.[6][7] Serving as Pilot's drummer, percussionist, and backing vocalist, Tosh played a central role in the band's tight, harmony-driven sound during their 1970s heyday, contributing to the debut album From the Album of the Same Name (1974), Second Flight (1975), Morin Heights (1976), and Two's a Crowd (1977), which yielded the UK number-one single "Magic" in 1974 and the chart-topping "January" in 1975.[7][2] Pilot's primarily studio-based output faced mounting internal tensions, including Lyall's departure in 1976 due to creative differences, leading to the original lineup's disbandment in 1977 after a final tour.[8][9] In 2007, Tosh reunited with Paton and Bairnson as Pilot, participating in live performances such as their Japan tour that year and contributing to the 2014 album A Pilot Project, while earlier reunion efforts by Paton and Bairnson had incorporated 1970s live recordings featuring Tosh into the 2002 release Blue Yonder.[7][10]Alan Parsons Project contributions
In 1975, Alan Parsons recruited Stuart Tosh, the drummer from the band Pilot—which Parsons had previously produced—as a session musician for the debut Alan Parsons Project album, Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976).[11][12] Tosh provided drums and percussion across multiple tracks, including timpani and backwards cymbals on "The Tell-Tale Heart," contributing to the album's atmospheric, Edgar Allan Poe-inspired soundscapes.[13] His work alongside fellow Pilot alumnus Ian Bairnson on guitar helped maintain a cohesive rhythm section drawn from Parsons' prior collaborations.[11] Tosh continued his involvement with the Project on the follow-up album, I Robot (1977), delivering drums and additional percussion that supported the record's futuristic, orchestral prog-rock arrangements.[11][14] This studio-oriented approach emphasized meticulous layering and innovative production techniques, such as multi-tracked overdubs and synthesized elements, which presented challenges for session players like Tosh in achieving precise synchronization without a traditional live band dynamic.[12] His contributions extended to promotional efforts for I Robot, including early live demonstrations that marked the Project's initial forays beyond pure studio work.[15] Tosh departed the Project around 1977 following the completion of I Robot, subsequently joining the band 10cc.[12]10cc period
In 1977, following the departure of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme from 10cc in 1976, Stuart Tosh joined the band as drummer, marking the start of his four-year tenure as a core member alongside Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman.[16] His early contributions focused on live performances, including the international tour supporting the album Deceptive Bends, where he shared drumming duties with Paul Burgess and added backing vocals.[17] Tosh's live work during this period was captured on the concert album Live and Let Live, released that same year, on which he is credited with drums and vocals. Tosh transitioned to studio recordings with 10cc's 1978 album Bloody Tourists, providing drums across the record and taking lead vocals on the track "Reds in My Bed", which he co-wrote with Stewart. The album yielded the band's third UK No. 1 single, "Dreadlock Holiday", with Tosh contributing drums to the reggae-influenced hit that topped the charts for one week in September 1978.[18][19] Tosh remained integral to 10cc's sound on Look Hear? (1980), including the track "One Two Five". His involvement ended in 1981 amid lineup changes, including the addition of new members and internal band dynamics.[2]Later collaborations and reunion work
Following his departure from 10cc in the early 1980s, Stuart Tosh engaged in a series of guest appearances and tours with progressive rock band Camel, including their 1982 Single Factor tour where he provided drums and backing vocals alongside bassist David Paton and keyboardist Kit Watkins.[20][21] This collaboration marked a shift toward more fluid, project-based work, with live recordings from the tour later released as On the Road 1982 in 1994 and Live at Playhouse Theatre - Edinburgh 1982 in 2022.[22] In the same decade, Tosh contributed drums to solo efforts by former 10cc colleagues, including Eric Stewart's 1980 album Girls and Graham Gouldman's soundtrack for Animalympics that year, showcasing his versatility in pop and orchestral arrangements.[23] He also played drums on Cliff Richard's 1984 rock album The Rock Connection, adding rhythmic drive to tracks like "Hot Love" and "All Shook Up."[24] These sessions highlighted Tosh's continued affinity for polished, mainstream rock, often employing the tight, dynamic drumming style he refined in earlier band settings. The 1990s saw Tosh focusing on smaller-scale projects, drumming on Sub Rosa's synth-pop album Interior Design in 1990, which featured tracks blending ballads and upbeat electronic elements.[25] The following year, he reunited with Pilot bandmate David Paton for the solo album Passions' Cry, providing percussion on songs like "Ae Fond Kiss" that evoked their shared folk-rock roots.[26] In 1995, Tosh appeared as a session drummer on the original cast recording for the musical Only the Lonely: The Roy Orbison Story, contributing to its rockabilly-infused tracks during the London production at the Piccadilly Theatre.[27] Tosh's most notable later band involvement was the 2007 reunion of Pilot, where he rejoined David Paton and Ian Bairnson on drums and percussion until 2015, performing classic hits like "Magic" at select live shows and contributing to the band's revival efforts.[1] This period culminated in final performances around 2015, after which Tosh stepped back from active touring. Since 2015, Tosh has maintained a low profile, with no major releases or tours reported as of November 2025.[1][28]Discography
With Pilot
Stuart Tosh joined Pilot as their drummer in 1973, contributing percussion and backing vocals that helped define the band's polished pop-rock sound on their early releases.[29] On the debut studio album From the Album of the Same Name (1974, EMI), Tosh performed drums, percussion, and backing vocals on all 12 tracks, including the hit single "Magic."[30] He reprised these roles—drums, percussion, and backing vocals—on the follow-up Second Flight (1975, EMI), which featured tracks like "January" and "Call Me Round," and on the third album Morin Heights (1976, EMI), known for its atmospheric production.[2] The 2002 album Blue Yonder (Jak Records) includes new studio recordings by David Paton and Ian Bairnson, alongside a live performance from 1975 of "Hold Me," on which Tosh played drums and provided backing vocals.[31] Tosh reunited with David Paton and Ian Bairnson for the tribute album A Pilot Project: A Return to the Alan Parsons Project (2014, Irond), where he played drums on re-recorded versions of Alan Parsons Project tracks.[32] Pilot's singles during Tosh's tenure highlighted his rhythmic contributions, with several achieving notable chart success:| Single | Year | UK Peak | US Peak (Billboard Hot 100) | Tosh's Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Magic" / "It Happened One Sunday" | 1974 | 11 | 5 | Drums, backing vocals, percussion[33][34] |
| "Just a Smile" / "Do Me Good" | 1974 | 31 | 90 | Drums, backing vocals, percussion[35][34] |
| "January" / "Never Give Up" | 1975 | 1 | 87 | Drums, backing vocals, percussion[36][34] |
| "Call Me Round" / "I'm Gonna Find Me a Woman" | 1975 | 34 | — | Drums, backing vocals, percussion[35] |