T2 (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Defunct | 1972, 1997 |
| Fate | Disbanded |
| Headquarters | England, United Kingdom |
Key people | Pete Dunton, Bernard Jinks, Keith Cross |
| Products | Music albums |
| Parent | Decca Records |
T2 was a progressive rock band from England, primarily recognized for their 1970 release, It'll All Work Out in Boomland.
Origins
The band T2 originated from Neon Pearl, a group led by drummer Pete Dunton. By 1968, Dunton had joined Please alongside Bernard Jinks, who was also part of Neon Pearl. Following the dissolution of Please in 1969—prompted by Dunton's move to Gun—Jinks became a member of Bulldog Breed.
Career
T2 came into existence when Dunton reunited with bassist Jinks and Keith Cross, the guitarist from Bulldog Breed’s later lineup. Their musical style blended psychedelic and early progressive rock elements reminiscent of their former bands. Under the management and financial backing of John Morphew, T2 obtained a £10,000 advance from Decca Records. Nevertheless, internal disagreements resulted in Morphew withdrawing his support.
After completing their debut album, It'll All Work Out in Boomland, T2 delivered well-received live performances, including an appearance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival where Cross drew comparisons to Eric Clapton. They featured on BBC 2 and started work on a second album. Due to limited pressing and inadequate promotion, the initial LP became scarce. In 1972, ongoing internal strife led to the group's breakup during sessions for their follow-up album, which remained incomplete until the early 1990s.
The debut album was reissued on CD by the German label World Wide Records, remastered from original tapes although some mixing components were lost; meanwhile, a South Korean CD edition appeared to be sourced from vinyl. This reissue sparked a short-lived reunion without Cross; the lineup comprised Dunton, Jinks, and Moore. During this period, T2 released Second Bite (1992), Waiting For The Band (1993), and On The Frontline (1994). By the time of Waiting For The Band, Jinks had departed and Moore switched to bass to accommodate new guitarist Ray Lee.
In 1992, Swedish neo-progressive rock band Landberk recorded a cover of "No More White Horses" on their album Lonely Land. Decca issued box sets titled Legend of a Mind (2003) and Strange Pleasures (2008), both featuring remastered tracks from T2’s debut.
Coinciding with T2’s reformation, a 1970 acetate demo collection was released in 1997 under the title Fantasy, also known as T2 or 1970. In 2012, Acme Records released 1971-1972, a compilation of demos recorded by Dunton and later collaborators following the departures of Cross and Jinks.
Peter Dunton, who served as drummer and vocalist for the band, passed away from brain cancer on January 20, 2022.
Discography
- 1970: It'll All Work Out in Boomland
- 1992: Second Bite
- 1993: Waiting For The Band
- 1994: On The Front Line
- 1997: Fantasy (also known as T2 or 1970) – demos recorded in 1970
- 2012: 1971-1972 – demo recordings from that era