George Caruana, better known in the music world as Tony Carr, celebrates his 91st birthday today. He was born in Valletta in 1927 and spent his early years mingling with musicians and other people who worked in the bars in Strait Street, or The Gut, as it was better known by the sailors and soldiers who frequented the music halls and bars there. 

During his younger years, Caruana experienced the turbulent years of the war, but following the cessation of hostilities and life painfully returning to normal, activities in the bars slowly began to blossom.

Warships of all Allied nations and troop movement brought great wealth to Valletta and since music was performed live, these venues also required bands and musicians to entertain. Venues such as the Old Vic Music Hall, the Cairo Bar, the Cotton Club, Morning Star, Charlie’s Bar and many others practically covered the entire street. Others such as the Egyptian Queen and Las Vegas were just around the corner in Old Theatre Street.

These were the years when big names like Joe Curmi, Leli Borg Bonaci, Charles and Oscar Lucas, Leli Spiteri and Vinny Vella played in the bars and halls of Strait Street. Inspired by renowned drummers like Charlie Ciangura and the Englishman Sonny Foster, Caruana soon found a place where to practise his music and began to play the drums in one or two bars, as well as earning some good money. He is known to have played with Freddie Mizzi and Sammy Galea, although he is better known for his time with Jimmy Dowling’s band.

During his younger years, Caruana experienced the turbulent years of the war

Two of his closest friends, with whom he played for some time and enjoys meeting during the few occasions he visits Malta, are Joe Curmi il-Pusè and Frankie Camilleri Il-Bibi. They smile when they recall the first time they listened to themselves playing in a session they had recorded at the British Forces Broadcasting Service in Floriana. 

Like many other Maltese before him, in 1953 Caruana emigrated to seek a better life in England, where he also worked in the bars of London, some run by fellow countrymen. It didn’t take him long to strike his first break when during the same year he played with the Billy Eckstine Band at the London Palladium. He was one of 19 drummers who auditioned for the part and was chosen by Eckstine himself. By now, he had become Tony Carr, and played regularly at the Bull’s Head in Barnes.

Shortly afterwards, he became the drummer in Donovan’s back-up band and with the British blues outfit Collective Consciousness Society with whom he played in three top hits. The band consisted of Alexis Korner and vocalist Peter Thorup and different studio musicians including Tony Carr on drums.

Tony Carr during one of his sessions with Donavan.

Many of Donovan’s late 1960s recordings featured top-session musicians, with Tony Carr playing the drums and congas and Harold McNair on saxophone and flute, as well as accompanying Donovan on several concert tours. He was the first Maltese musician to reach the highest spot in a song when he played in Donovan’s Sunshine Superman which topped No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and No. 2 in the UK’s Top 20 in December 1966. Playing on electric guitar was none other than Jimmy Page. In 1968, Tony Carr played on Donovan in Concert’s live album.

1964 and 1966 were busy years for Tony Carr, playing with or backing many prominent singers and bands, again with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant at the Odeon in London. He was a session musician with Madness, The Alan Parsons Project, Bryn Ferry, Roy Harper, Hot Chocolate, Racing Cars and others.

Back to the Egg is the seventh and final studio album by Paul McCartney’s band Wings, released in 1979 and in which Tony Carr played percussions. He featured in the Rockestra Theme at the Hammersmith Odeon and So Glad to See You Here during the same year.

Also in 1979, Tony Carr played in the Concert for Kampuchea, which featured Wings, The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Pretenders, Ian Dury, Queen, The Specials, The Who and in Rockpile featuring Robert Plant. He was quite close with the 1960s and 1970s big names and bands of the UK. Music is in his blood and although getting on with the years, he played in albums with his old friends Al Stewart and Alan Price, featured in Cliff Richard’s albums, The Platinum Collection in 2005 and in 75 at 75 as recent as 2015.

A vivid supporter of Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club, for which he composed and arranged a number of the team’s supporters’ songs, Tony Carr visits Malta occasionally to meet his old friends.