Search - Ian Thomas :: Little Dreams

Ian's large and loyal musical audience will be simply delighted with his newest gem, Little Dreams. It reaffirms his reputation as a songwriting craftsman with a rare gift for both memorable melodies and genuinely insightful and eloquent lyrics.

To record and release the album, Thomas turned to his close friend and long time collaborator, Peter Cardinali. The two worked together in The Boomers, and Cardinali was thrilled to both produce Little Dreams with Ian, and release it on his highly respected label, ALMA Records.

Recording sessions took place at Revolution and The Drive Shed studios in Toronto, with award winning engineer John Beetle Bailey. The all-star cast of players bringing Ian's songs to life included the versatile rhythm section of bassist (and producer) Peter Cardinali and drummer Jorn Andersen, guitar wizard Kevin Breit, pianist Gary Breit, and keyboard ace Robi Botos, with guests Murray McLauchlan, Molly Johnson and Marc Jordan.

Thomas singles out Kevin Breit for special mention. 'He wants to search for things that aren't predictable. 'Fear Of Falling' has a jazzy groove, but he suggested playing mandolin on it. A whacky idea that worked onderfully.' This moody, sparse and philosophical tune is a real highlight of an album devoid of lowlights. The achingly tender 'Little Dreams' is dedicated to Cate, Ian's wife of many years. 'It is somewhat confessional' he says. 'There is a sad realization that I am often a better person in my songs than in reality.' It is also a fitting choice as a title song, given Ian's explanation that 'all these new songs are little dreams that I inhabited.'

Songwriting is a dream Ian Thomas has pursued since he was a teenager. 'I go with the idea that songwriting is more of an affliction than a talent. It doesn't matter if you sell any records or not. You write songs because it is who you are. It has been a passion since I was 15.' His skill as a songwriter has been acknowledged by some of the biggest names in rock and pop. Just check this out for a partial list of those who have recorded (and had hits with) his songs: Bon Jovi, Santana, Manfred Mann, America, Chicago, Bette Midler, Anne Murray, Daryl Braithwaite.

Ian first broke in North America in 1974 with the top 40 Billboard hit Painted Ladies, which garnered a Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year Juno award. He was to become a fixture on US and Canadian radio with hits such as Painted Ladies, Long Long Way, Liars, Right Before your Eyes, Coming Home, Pilot, Time Is The Keeper, Hold On, The Runner and Strange Brew from the Bob and Doug McKenzie movie of the same name. Turns out Dave Thomas alias Doug McKenzie the hoser is Ian s brother. Ian swears that nepotism played no role in his involvement in the Bob and Doug Movie. His name was apparently placed in a toque and pulled out by a stranger....

Ian s group The Boomers, recorded four albums and had a string of international hits throughout the 90s and mid 2000s which included Love You Too Much, You ve Got To Know, I Feel A Change Coming, Saving Face, I Want To Believe In Something, and more.

In 2006, Thomas debuted as a novelist with 'Bequest', a book that fared well, critically and commercially. A second book, 'The Lost Chord', was equally well-received, and more are in the offing. Ian has also mastered composing for film, writing twenty five movie scores that have had him working in studios from Prague to Hollywood. There has even been a comedy record, Air Pirates, one showing he inherited the same comic genes as his successful comedian brother Dave Thomas.

Despite his success in all these other fields, Ian stresses that 'songs are still front and foremost my passion. They seem to naturally accumulate in my life like trail markers.'

Now, Little Dreams proves that this multi-faceted artist is writing and singing better than ever.