Spring 2022Toni Baker

The Man Behind the Music of Phoenix Nights

Born and bred in Rochdale, Toni Baker’s career 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!”

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.

Turning professional

Despite leaving school with an aptitude for languages – Toni can speak French, German, Spanish and Italian – he left as a member of a local band and with a job working at Shorrock and Shorrocks music shop on Drake Street.

“I’d asked if I could take the Saturday – our busiest day – off to play with my band. I was told no, but I did the gig. On Monday morning I was instantly sacked,” Toni recalled. It was then he decided to turn professional – landing an audition on the same day as a job interview with the foreign office.

“I went to the audition,” he laughed. “I nailed it!”

Having joined several small bands and travelled Europe, in 1974 Toni joined ‘Shabby Tiger’ – a glam rock group which had signed to a professional label and went on to become a hit in Europe.

After calling it a day due to the rising popularity of the punk scene, Toni threw himself into sessions and went on to write ‘Eat You Up’, recorded in 1985 by Angie Gold. The track was subsequently covered by Yoko Oginome as ‘Dancing Hero: Eat You Up’ which made it to number two in the Japanese Hot 100 charts.

The Dakotas

In the 1980s, Toni joined The Dakotas, who continue to tour today playing sounds of the 60s. He toured America with the band and also toured Australia with The Fortunes, stepping in on the keyboard. The Dakotas are currently in the middle of a UK-wide 60 date tour with Mike Pender, The Fortunes, The Trems, and Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich.

Toni’s autobiography was published in 2021