Sunday, December 14, 2008

Whatever you do, don't make it sound like Sergio Mendez...

Several hundred years ago, my very good friend Paul lent me "Roll 'em, Smoke 'em, Put Another Line Out" by Patto. I played it death for about 2 weeks then gave it back. I had no means of copying it at the time and shortly after, Paul moved away to somewhere called the "West Country" (he's still on my contacts on my mobile despite us only communicating once in over 30 years). Every couple of years I encounter a raging desire to listen once again to "Singing the Blues on Reds", "Loud Green Song" or "Mummy" (if you've ever heard that and laughed, you share my sense of humour and are my friend. Vicus, surely you are familiar? You were technically alive in 1971, after all) and although now Youtube does actually feature a few tracks, it's not the same. I really do want the album. You can hear a very low-fi version of the whole album on the website of their superb guitarist and vibes player, Ollie Halsall here but it's just not the same. Actually if you are students of the comic, you may be more familiar with Ollie Halsall as the main guitar, bass and keyboards sound of the Rutles (he didn't appear except as "Leppo", the Stuart Sutcliffe character in a photo). Incidentally, a fellow Patto alumnus, the drummer John Halsey, played the Ringo character, Barry Wom. Mike Patto died of cancer in 1979, he was only 36.

I had a lead on a copy a couple of years ago but nothing happened. You can get it on CD but the only copies I've found so far on a well known interweb shop cost absolutely ridiculous money - the equivalent of well over a week's income for me. If anyone out there, or you know of anyone who, has the vinyl and has one of those USB turntable thingies and can burn me a copy, I'd be very, very grateful indeed.

In the meantime, have some of this.

4 Vegetable peelings:

Blogger Zed said...

Hmmmm. Your reference to Vicus having been technically alive back in those days has me wondering now. Is he even alive now? It's hard to work out.

I may listen to that music you talk of now.

It depends.

6:06 pm  
Blogger Vicus Scurra said...

No, I know nothing about them.
Fortunately, I know even less about Zoe.

8:42 pm  
Blogger Tim F said...

Patto and Halsall were also in Boxer, now only remembered for blessing us with one of the ghastliest album covers of all time.

11:44 pm  
Blogger Richard said...

Zoe, someone from his address sent me a Christmas card so I'm guessing yes.

Vicus, you appear to have answered Zoe's question.

Tim, they were indeed and I can well remember the intrigue that cover caused at school.

2:59 pm  

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