Thomas Alexander Bailey is an English singer, songwriter, musician, composer and record producer. Bailey came to prominence in the early 1980s as the lead vocalist for the new wave band Thompson Twins, which released five singles that entered the top ten charts in the United Kingdom during the 1980s: "Love On Your Side", "We Are Detective", "Hold Me Now", "Doctor! Doctor!", and "You Take Me Up". He was the only member of the band to have formal musical training. From 1994, Bailey was also a member of its later incarnation, Babble, releasing two commercially unsuccessful studio albums. He released his debut solo studio album Science Fiction in 2018.
Bailey performing live on the Nocturnal Culture Night festival in 2023
Bailey in San Bernardino, California, 1986
Bailey performing "Hold Me Now" at Northcote Theatre in 2022
Bailey performing with Thompson Twins in 1986
Thompson Twins were a British pop band, formed in 1977 in Sheffield. Initially a new wave group, they switched to a more mainstream pop sound and achieved considerable popularity during the early and mid-1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States, and around the world. In 1993, they changed their name to Babble, to reflect their change in music from pop to dub-influenced chill-out. They continued as Babble until 1996, at which point the group permanently broke up.
Thompson Twins in 1985, left to right: Joe Leeway, Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey.
Thompson Twins, c. 1982
Thompson Twins in a publicity shot, c. 1984
Alannah Currie (left) and Joe Leeway (right), performing in 1984