Phillip Goodhand-Tait


Phillip Goodhand-Tait is an English singer-songwriter, record producer and keyboard player.

Life and career

Goodhand-Tait was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. Known as Phil Tait in his school years, his mother was a piano teacher and his father was involved in trade unions. Goodhand-Tait began his music career shortly after the family moved to Guildford, Surrey, in 1957. His first group, Phill Tone and the Vibrants, was renamed Phill and the Stormsville Shakers in 1961. The band included Paul Demers on drums, Ivor Shackleton on guitar, and Kirk Riddle on bass.
By 1966, the same year the group released its first singles, the Stormsville Shakers's lineup included Tait, Riddle, Ian Jelfs on guitar, David Sherrington on tenor sax, and Alan Bunn on drums. That same year, Mel Collins was recruited on second tenor sax. In 1967, the band's name changed to Circus, releasing further singles sides. January 1969 saw Goodhand-Tait exit the group to pursue a solo career, leaving Jelfs, Collins, Riddle, and new drummer Chris Burrows to write, record and release the self-titled pop-jazz album Circus, after which they disbanded in 1970.
In September 1971 Goodhand-Tait released the album I Think I'll Write a Song. On the album appear guitarist Andrew Latimer, drummer Andy Ward and bassist Doug Ferguson. They auditioned to be the backing band for Phillip. They were a trio named Brew, formed in Guildford, Surrey. After the album with Goodhand-Tait the three formed Camel, along with keyboardist Peter Bardens.
Goodhand-Tait wrote and recorded songs that have been covered by Roger Daltrey, Euson, Gene Pitney, Zoot Money, and Love Affair.
In 1971, Goodhand-Tait wrote the soundtrack for the film Universal Soldier. In 1976, he played the harmonium on Chris De Burgh's album, Spanish Train and Other Stories.
Goodhand-Tait has also produced live albums by Magnum, Venom, Climax Blues Band, Kid Creole and the Coconuts and The Lords of the New Church.
In 2021, Goodhand-Tait's DJM output was released on CD for the first time in the UK, after being out of print for many years. The box set, titled Gone Are The Songs of Yesterday and released by Cherry Red Records, includes Rehearsal, I Think I'll Write a Song, Songfall, and Phillip Goodhand-Tait as well as bonus material including singles, B-sides, and previously unreleased songs featured in Universal Soldier. The albums concurrently made their debut on streaming platforms such as Spotify.

Solo discography

Studio albums

  • Rehearsal – 1971 – DJM
  • I Think I'll Write a Song – 1971 – DJM
  • Songfall – 1972 – DJM
  • Phillip Goodhand-Tait – 1973 – DJM
  • Oceans Away – 1976 – Chrysalis
  • Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks – 1977 – Chrysalis
  • Good Old Phil's – 1980 – Gundog
Ricky-Tick...40 years on -2005 - Span TV
  • An Evening With Peggy Sue – 2006 – Span TV
  • The Last Laugh – 2008 – Span TV

Compilation albums

  • Jingle-Jangle Man – 1975 – DJM

Live albums

  • Radio Songs: 1977 Recordings from Radio Bremen – 2010 – Span TV Angel Air
  • Age of Bewilderment Vol. 1 – with David Sherrington – 2012 – Span TV
  • Age of Bewilderment Vol. 2 – with David Sherrington – 2012 – Span TV

Original UK singles

  • "Love Has Got Hold of Me" / "Too Pleased to Help"
  • "Jeannie" / "Run See The Sun"
  • "Everyday" / "I Think I'll Write A Song"
  • "Oh Rosanna" / "I Didn't Know Myself"
  • "City Streets" / "Moon"
  • "You Are" / "Five Flight Walk Up"
  • "Almost Killed A Man" / "Reach Out For Each Other"
  • "I Think I Can Believe" / "One More Rodeo"
  • "Sweet Emotion" / "Jesus Didn't Only Love The Cowboys"
  • "Oceans Away" / "Can You Demonstrate"
  • "Jewel" / "Old Fashioned Love"
  • "Don't Treat Your Lover Like A Thief" / "If We Ever Meet Again"
  • "Angeltown" / "If We Ever Meet Again"
  • "Fly Me To The Sun" / "Sunshine On Ice"
  • "Wolfgang"

International exclusive singles

  • "Medicine Man" / "Sunrise Sunset"
  • "Sugar Train" / "Forever Kind of Love"
  • "Leon" / "Everyday"
  • "Warm Summer Rain" / "One More Rodeo"
  • "Sugar Train" / "Reach Out For Each Other" [Netherlands