Peter "Pete" Solley (19 October 1948, London) is a Hammond organ player, pianist and a Grammy-nominated record producer. He has recorded with Eric Clapton, Al Stewart and Whitesnake as well as producing records for Ted Nugent, Oingo Boingo, Motörhead, The Romantics, Peter Frampton, The Sports, Wreckless Eric and many others.
At the age of 13 he won a scholarship to Trinity College of Music in London and after graduating became a session musician. In the late 1960s he played in The Thunderbirds, the backing group for vocalist Chris Farlowe, and in the backing band of singer Terry Reid.
ca. 1970 Solley was a founding member of British progressive rock band Paladin, whose second LP Paladin Charge! featured a cover design by Roger Dean. Following the break-up of Paladin in 1973, bassist Peter Beckett joined Steve Kipner and Steve Groves in the pop band Tin Tin.
After turning down membership in several groups,[1] in 1977 he became a member of the Progressive rock group Procol Harum playing synthesisers (this allowed Chris Copping to take over on bass guitar). During his time with the group he recorded one album, Something Magic, and toured extensively to promote the album. Shortly afterwards the group broke up.
In the 1980s, Solley began writing TV jingles for clients including British Airways, BMW cars, and Coca Cola, and he became a record producer; his credits include hit albums for the Australian bands Sports (Don't Throw Stones) and Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons (Screaming Targets, Hats Off Step Lively). Solley's best-known production is the 1980 single "What I Like About You" by The Romantics. He also produced the Grammy nominated album, 1916 by Motörhead.
In 1997, he briefly rejoined Procol Harum for a concert in Redhill and, in 2004, played with their lead singer Gary Brooker in a concert in Guildford.
Solley is of Romanian descent, his grandparents were from Romania.[1]
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