Tony Clarkin

Anthony Michael Clarkin (24 November 1946 – 7 January 2024) was an English musician, best known as the guitarist of the rock band Magnum. He was the sole songwriter throughout Magnum's history, writing all of the material on their 23 studio albums as well as on two studio albums by Magnum spin-off group Hard Rain. He also produced most of Magnum's albums.

Biography Anthony Michael Clarkin was born and grew up in the Shard End area of Birmingham, which spawned a number of bands tagged with the 'Brum Beat' label. Leaving school to train as a Ladies hairdresser he soon quit to join his first band The Boulevards with former school friends.

Magnum (1972–1995)

Magnum began as the house band at Birmingham's Rum Runner night club (later the home of Duran Duran) in 1972.

They began to develop their own style by playing Clarkin's songs at a residency at The Railway Inn, in Birmingham's Curzon Street, in 1976. Joining Clarkin and Bob Catley were drummer Kex Gorin and bassist Dave Morgan (later a member of ELO) and Mark Stanway keyboard player joined in 1980 and remained until 2016. Their most notable success during these early years was the Jeff Glixman produced Chase The Dragon (1982) which reached number 17 in the UK Albums Chart, and included several songs that would be mainstays of the band's live set, notably "Soldier of the Line", "Sacred Hour" and "The Spirit".

It was not until the band came into association with manager Keith Baker, their breakthrough album came in 1985 with On a Storyteller's Night which featured the single "Just Like an Arrow". This success continued in the following years when Baker introduced the band to Queen drummer Roger Taylor. He produced Vigilante in 1986, the top 5 album Wings of Heaven in 1988, and the Keith Olsen produced Goodnight L.A. which reached number 9 in the UK Albums Chart in 1990. – Tony Clarkin, 2002

Magnum reunion and death (2001–2024)

Eventually, Clarkin and Catley re-launched Magnum with the album Breath of Life in 2002 on SPV. They were again joined by Stanway, with former Hard Rain bassist Al Barrow and former-Thunder drummer Harry James. This was subsequently followed by Brand New Morning in 2004.

Magnum completed work on a new studio album, Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow with drummer Jimmy Copley released on 26 March 2007, that also marked the return of cover artwork by Rodney Matthews. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 70, the first time Magnum had charted in the UK since 1994. The previous month the band revealed that he was diagnosed with a rare spinal condition, which brought about the cancellation of their Spring 2024 tour. Two months after Clarkin's death, Catley announced that he could not carry on without him and that Magnum would retire. However, the band eventually decided to go on a short tour in 2025, paying tribute to Clarkin's legacy as well as presenting the new album.

Other projects In 1981, two tracks were written and produced by Clarkin and were sung by Sue McCloskey, a friend of Magnum. They were entitled "Really Need Your Love" and "Lost Inside Myself". After Catley left Hard Rain, Clarkin continued to write material with McCloskey. Some of these songs were broadcast on radio during an interview with Clarkin. Two of these songs surfaced as Magnum songs, "Still" and "Dream About You" on Magnum's 2002 studio album, Breath of Life.

Clarkin played guitar on a Rodney Matthews/Rudi Dobson side project called The House on the Rock.

Discography Magnum

Hard Rain Hard Rain (1997) When the Good Times Come (1999)