Ph.D. (band)
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | Jim Diamond, Tony Hymas |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Key people | Jim Diamond (vocals), Tony Hymas (keyboards) |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Ph.D. was a British musical duo primarily recognized for their UK top 10 single "I Won't Let You Down" released in April 1982, which had already gained popularity across Europe the year before.
The band's name originated from the last names of the three musicians involved in the initial recordings: Phillips, Hymas, and Diamond. Although drummer Simon Phillips participated as a session artist, the official lineup consisted of keyboardist Tony Hymas and singer Jim Diamond.
History
In 1980, Jim Diamond teamed up with former Jeff Beck Group member Tony Hymas to establish Ph.D. Diamond was responsible for writing lyrics and providing vocals, while Hymas composed the music and handled keyboard duties. Drumming on sessions was performed by Simon Phillips and Mark Craney.
Their debut album, titled Ph.D. (1981), featured the ballad "I Won't Let You Down," which climbed to number three on the UK Singles Chart in 1982 and reached number five in Australia. Following the single’s success, the album was re-released and subsequently entered the UK Albums Chart.
The music video for "Little Suzi's on the Up" was among the earliest clips broadcast on MTV’s launch day in August 1981, despite the song not charting in the United States.
Ph.D.'s sophomore album, Is It Safe? (1983), included drumming alternated between Phillips and Craney. Its lead single, "I Didn't Know," failed to break into the UK top 40 but achieved favorable reception throughout Europe.
Shortly after this period, Jim Diamond contracted hepatitis, which hindered touring plans and ultimately resulted in the group's dissolution.
After disbandment
Following Ph.D.'s breakup, Jim Diamond embarked on a solo career, securing a UK number one hit in November 1984 with "I Should Have Known Better." Tony Hymas collaborated on Diamond’s 1988 self-titled album, Jim Diamond. The pair reunited to revive Ph.D. in 2006. Voiceprint Records reissued their first two albums and also released their third album, Three, on 2 February 2009, which featured Simon Phillips on drums for three tracks. (Their other frequent session drummer, Mark Craney, passed away in 2005.)
Jim Diamond passed away on 8 October 2015.
Members
- Jim Diamond – lead vocals (1981–1983, 2006–2015; deceased 2015)
- Tony Hymas – keyboards (1981–1983, 2006–2015)
Regular session drummers:
- Simon Phillips – drums (1981–1983, 2009)
- Mark Craney – drums (1981–1983)
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | GER | NLD | ||
| Ph.D. |
|
33 | 29 | 52 | 6 |
| Is It Safe? |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Three |
|
— | — | — | — |
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart or were not issued in that country. | |||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BEL (FL) |
GER | IRE | NLD | SWI | ||||
| "Little Suzi's on the Up" | 1981 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ph.D. | |
| "I Won't Let You Down" | 1982 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| |
| "There's No Answer to It" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I Didn't Know" | 1983 | 153 | — | 31 | — | — | — | — | Is It Safe? | |
| "Fifth of May" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Drive Time" | 2009 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Three | |
| "—" indicates the single did not chart or was not released in that region. | ||||||||||