Hughes/Thrall was a hard‑rock duo formed in 1982 by former Deep Purple bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes and guitarist Pat Thrall. Hughes had previously released the solo album Play Me Out in 1976, while Thrall had established himself with Automatic Man and Pat Travers in the late 1970s; their collaboration began after Thrall’s work caught Hughes’ attention in 1981. The pair recorded their self‑titled debut Hughes/Thrall in August 1982 under the short‑lived Boulevard Records, a label of Epic, and released the single "Beg, Borrow Or Steal" which peaked at number 79 on the U.S. charts. The album, produced by Andy Johns, received critical acclaim but limited commercial impact, and the duo embarked on a brief American tour supporting Santana, featuring drummer Tommy Aldridge and keyboardist Jesse Harms. A planned follow‑up was abandoned, though demos surfaced and later influenced tracks such as "Still the Night" on Phenomena (1985) and "City of Crime" for the 1987 film Dragnet, a single that achieved heavy MTV rotation. Hughes and Thrall reunited in 1995 on Hughes’ album Feel, contributing guitar, keyboards, and songwriting. In 2006 they announced work on a second album, Hughes/Thrall 2, but the project was ultimately shelved; the original album was remastered and reissued in 2007 with bonus tracks. The duo’s legacy remains a cult influence on 1980s rock, noted for blending hard rock with post‑punk and new‑wave elements.
