Patto
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1970-73) - Clive Griffiths -- bass - Ollie Halsall (RIP 1992) -- guitar, vocals, vibes, keyboards - John Halsey (aka Barry Wom) -- drums, backing vocals - Mike Patto (aka born Michael Thomas McCarthy) (RIP 1979) -- vocals, guitar, keyboards
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- The Bluebottles (Mike Patto) - Blues Traffs (Ollie Halsall) - Bo Street Runners (Mike Patto) - Boxer (Ollie Halsall and Mike Patto) - The Joe Brown Band (Clive Griffiths and John Halsey) - Camelo Pardalis - Centipede (Mike Patto) - The Chicago Lines Blues Band (Mike Patto) - Decameron - Dick and the Firemen (Mike Patto) - Felder's Orioles (John Halsey) - Grimms (John Halsey) - The Gunslingers (Peter Halsall) - Ollie Halsall (solo efforts) - The Music Students (Peter Halsall) - Patto's People (Mike Patto) - The Rutles (John Halsey) - Spooky Tooth (Mike Patto) - Take 5 (Peter Halsall and Clive Griffiths) - Tempest (Peter Halsall) - Timebox (Clive Griffiths, Ollie Halsall, John Halsey, and Mike Patto)
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Patto Company: Vertigo Catalog: VEL
1001 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 13485 Price: $90.00
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One minute you're known as Timebox and the next you're out there as Patto ...
After three years trying to break commercially as Timebox, in 1970 bassist Clive Griffiths, multi-instrumentalist Ollie Halsall, drummer John Halsey, and singer/namesake Mike Patto re-invented themselves as Patto. They also reportedly toyed around with using the name 'Anarchy'. With help from former Spencer David Group member Muff Winwood, they became one of the first bands signed Philips/Phonogram's fledgling Vertigo label. Winwood also stepped in to produce their 1970 debut "Patto". Anyone expecting to hear a continuation of the eclectic sound they pursued in Timebox was liable to have been disappointed by the band's new direction. As most Patto fans will know, over their career Timebox pursued a fairly commercial path, recording a mixture of pop covers and frequently quirky original tunes. Oddball timings and Ollie Halsall's lead vibes occasionally added a jazzy touch to the proceedings, but Timebox were foremost a pop band.
Patto found them ditching the pop orientation for a far tougher sound. The inner sleeve liner notes contained the following description:.
"Jazz fused with rock is not new. Most bands say it with brass sections. Not Patto. They are four and use the rhythm section for variants of feel and its subtitles of time and key changes."
So I'd argue that wasn't a particularly accurate description for the band's new direction. With Winwood behind the boards, their debut album sported a barebones and raw sound. For better or worse, the intent seemed to be to capture the group's live sound. Yes, there were still jazzy influences (Halsall's vibes solo on 'The Man' and 'Government Man' and the seemingly endless and almost discordant jam on 'Money Man'), but thankfully those were far and few between. Not to confuse them with blues-rockers like Fleetwood Mac and Ten Years Later, but this time around the dominant genre was blues and country-blues. Tracks like 'The Man', 'Time To Die', 'Red Glow', and 'Government Man' all found the band working in the genre though the results reflected their typically eclectic vision. Having Mike Patto as lead singer certainly didn't hurt their efforts - with a dark, growling voice, he had one of those instantly recognizable voices that was perfect for the genre. Ollie Halsall's multi-instrumental versatility was also a band strength. For a guy who had been hired to play vibes, Halsall's true strength was as a versatile guitarist and capable keyboard player. Clive Griffiths was a competent, if occasionally bland bassist which to my ears left drummer John Halsey as the band's secret weapon. Halsey could seriously wail on the drums, bringing an amazing Keith Moon-styled intensity to virtually every one of these tunes (check out his work on 'Red Glow').
"Patto" track listing: 1.) The Man (Clive Griffiths - Ollie Halsall - Mike Patto - John Halsey) - 6:12 'The
Man' started out as a subdued country-blues influenced number; the band
hammering out a simply riff over Patto's restrained vocals. And
that lasted for about half of the track, before the band hit the collective
accelerator, eventually turning the song into a roaring blues number.
You also got to hear Halsall shine on a vibes solo (a carryover from his
Timebox days). rating:
*** stars Kicked along by some seething Halsall lead guitar and Haley's take-no-prisoners drumming, 'Hold Me Back' was blazing hard rock, but with an insidiously catchy edge and chorus that should have sent radio DJs into ecstasy (had the been listening). Judging by the Lolita lyrics, I'm not sure I would have wanted Patto anywhere near my teenaged daughter ... The album's best performance. rating: **** stars 3.) Time to Die (Clive Griffiths - Ollie Halsall - Mike Patto - John Halsey) - 2:54 'Time
To Die' was a surprisingly restrained and subtle acoustic number from
the group with Patto showing he was capable of handling more than hardcore
rockers. Halsall turned in some nice acoustic guitar
moves. There isn't a great deal of live Patto material
available, but YouTube has a clip of the band performing (with Jody Grind's
Louis Cennamo substituting for a then-hospitalized Griffiths) 'Time To Die'
on French television: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1grDvm8xjWQ
rating: *** stars 'Red Glow' captured the band at their heaviest - a blazing blues-rocker that served to showcase Patto's distinctively craggy voice (which has always reminded me a bit of Roger Chapman's) and Halsall's amazing squealing lead guitar moves - damn the guy could squeeze out a ton of notes. Unsung hero on this one was drummer Halsey who would have given Keith Moon a run for his money. rating: **** stars. (side
2) As
exemplified by 'San Antone' I guess Patto's ability to inject a jazz element
into their repertoire led lots of folks to label them as a progressive
entity. Personally that's always confused me since 'San Antone'
strikes me as being little more than vapid cocktail jazz-meets-the-blues
vamping. In spite of some stellar Halsall guitar (possibly one of the
best things he ever recorded), its still not a favorite. rating:
*** stars Griffiths
and Halsall's bass and guitar moves gave 'Government Man' a nifty opening
segment, though the real surprise came in terms of the lyrics. I've
always wondered how a bunch of English guys could come up with a song about
the government foreclosing on farms ... talk about an Americana
theme. talk about a theme that's even more relevant as I type this in
2013. Seriously, this was one killer tune.
rating: **** stars Geez,
most of this extended tune was lost to an almost discordant jazz jam.
I sure it was technically impressive with Griffiths, Halsall, and Halsey all
demonstrating their chops,, but the first six and a half minutes of it simply
weren't much fun to hear. Things got better when Patto's vocals
kicked in and the song found a more conventional structure and
melody. YouTube also has a clip of the band performing the
tune on French television. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot9aquVmsYQ
rating: ** stars The album ended with what started as a likeable country-blues number; Patto showing uncommon restraint on the vocals. Well, he showed restraint until the song hit the 45 second mark the song exploded into a wailing blues number.
So what to make of it all? Well. I'd argue calling it a classic release was a stretch. The band certainly had more than their share of talent and a couple of the tunes were quite good - especially the more conventional rock oriented numbers like 'Hold Me' and 'Red Glow'.
And yes, I always thought the insanely ugly Tony Benyon cover design was kind of cool, though I've always suspected it might have been one of the reasons the album reportedly sold a total of 5,000 copies.
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Roll 'em Smoke 'em Put Another Line Out Company: Island Catalog: SW
9322 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: cut out hole top right corner Available: 2 Catalog ID: 805 Price: $50.00
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Having recorded two poorly selling albums for Vertigo, 1971 found the band Patto without a record company label. Luckily for the band producer Muff Winwood stepped in and helped them score a contract with Chris Blackwell's Island imprint. Winwood extended his support by signing on to produce the group's third album - 1972's "Roll 'em Smoke 'em Put Another Line Out" - the title alone makes this somewhat of an infamous release ... clearly the early-'70s were a different time. Compared to the first two albums, this one exhibited an engaging "don't-give-a-crap" looseness. With the band jumping all around the musical spectrum you got the distinct impression they knew they were living on borrowed time and intended to make the most of what they'd been given. The result is engaging stabs at blues ('I Got Rhythm'), pop, rock ('Turn Turtle'), and even Monty Python-styled weirdness 'Mummy'). Power by Patto's growling voice, musically this was instantly recognizable as a Patto LP, but there were some significant differences through the grooves - probably the most notable being Ollie Halsall's decision to focus on keyboards rather than lead guitar. Mind you, Halsall was equally talented at both instruments, but keyboard heavy tunes like 'Flat Footed Woman' and 'Turning Turtle' gave the album a different vibe than the earlier sets. So what to make of the package? Well, the looseness factor was simultaneously charming and off-putting with 'Mummy' and 'Cap'n P and the Attos (Sea Bisquits Parts 1 and 2)' pushing the set into "might-have-been-a-classic" territory. Shame they didn't substitute two more coventional numbers for those goofball efforts.
Island promo photo
"Roll 'em
Smoke 'em Put Another Line Out" track listing: 1.) Singing the Blues On Reds (Ollie Halsall - Mike Patto) - Powered by one of the funkiest bass line you'll ever hear, 'Singing the Blues On Red' found the band and company seemingly trotting out their best James Brown impression. And the results were pretty impressive ! I have no idea if it is true, but the song was supposedly inspired by a Scandinavian tour with Alvin Lee and Ten Years After. Anyhow, if you didn't think a bunch of pasty English white guys could get funky, then ya need to check this one out !!! Amazingly, in an edited format, this one got tapped as an America single. That probably explains the difference in UK and US release track listings. In the UK the lead off track was 'Flat Footed Woman', whereas in the States, probaby because it had been tapped as a single, it was this song. rating: **** stars 2.) Flat Footed Woman (Ollie Halsall - Mike Patto) - Yeah, the low-fi horror sound effects were momentarily jarring, but when Halsey's drums kicked in the song underscored the band's unique blues and jazz vibe. A love song to a female police officer (?), it may sound kind of strange, but even with an extended Halsall keyboard solo, the song somehow managed to generate quite a bit of energy. Who knows why, but the track was released as a single in Spain. rating: **** stars 3.) Mummy (John Hasley) - Sounding like a studio demo, that went astray (the band were reportedly pretty wasted when they recorded it), 'Mummy' was an a cappella performance that left you with the impression drummer John Hasley was part of a long tradition of English rockers who had parental issues (John Lennon, Roger Waters, etc.). The band's Australian label were so taken aback by the song that it was dropped from the Australian pressing - not a major loss. rating: * star 4,) Loud Green Song (Ollie Halsall - Mike Patto) - You had to laugh at the opening studio chatter "whatever you do don't make it sound like Sergio Mendes ..." Little chance of that since 'Loud Green Song' sounded like a proto-type punk tune ... well what a punk tune would have sounded like had punk bands been able to play their instruments. Halsall's squealing guitar was pretty cool (perhaps a few too many reds on this session), as was Griffith's crushing bass line. rating: *** stars
(side
2) With Patto sounding like he's about to explode, sexual frustration has seldom been wrapped in such a catchy tune ... Always loved Halsall's rollicking keyboards and the bouncy female backing vocals - turn turtle, play dead ... rating: **** stars 2.) I Got Rhythm (Mike Patto) - A Patto solo composition, 'I Got Rhythm' reflected an interesting blues vibe and lyrics that aren't politically in this day and age. Quite spare with Patto debuting on keyboards, while Halsall contrbuted effects laiden lead guitar. rating: **** stars 3,) Peter Abraham (Ollie Halsall) - With Halsall on lead vocals (you quickly understand why it was usually Mike Patto), 'Peter Abraham' was one of the album's strangest efforts. Apparently planned for release on a Halsall solo project (subsequently shelved), the song seemingly had biographical, including the reference to Geoffrey Dean who had been a drummer in Timebox (forced to quit when he contracted TB), while Abraham was apparently a school friend. Mildly entertaining, but fragmented, not particularly tuneful, and far from the album's stand out performance. rating: ** stars 4.) Cap'n P and the Attos (Sea Bisquits Parts 1 and 2) (Ollie Halsall - Mike Patto) - It started out sounding like a blues track and abruptly shifted into long and seemingly endless Monty Python-esque sea chanty territory ... Even with the sound effects (waves, pirate noises, and an occasional fart), it didn't do much for me. rating: ** stars
As mentioned, the album spun off a pair of singles (the latter apparently only saw a Spanish release):
- 1972's 'Singing the Blues On Reds' b/w 'Mummy' (Island catalog number 1208) - 1973's 'Flat Footed Woman (Part 1) b/w 'Flat Footed Woman (Part 2) (Island catalog number 11.600-A)
Opening for Joe Cocker, the band undertook a brief tour of the States. Halsey then quit and the band called it quits with Patto and Halsall continuing their partnership in Boxer.
For anyone interested, there's a great Patto website at: http://www.pattofan.com/index.htm
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