top of page

DAVEY PATTISON  INTERVIEWS

​

 i HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF CONDUCTING TWO INTERVIEWS WITH DAVEY. THE FIRST ONE IS WHEN I JUST GOT STARTED UP AND DAVEY HAD JUST RELEASED HIS FIRST SOLO CD '' MISSISSIPPI NIGHTS'' AND THE SECOND ONE WAS DONE AFTER HIS SECOND SOLO '' PICTURES' WHICH I HAD THE PLEASURE OF GETTING TO KNOW  SOME FINE MUSICIANS.

 An Interview with Davey Pattison

   By Steve Shail 
 

   INTRODUCTION :

     Imagine being at work and receiving a phone call from your 12 year old daughter asking if it was ok to read an e-mail I had just received, and then after she finishes reading this personable letter, says it's from  Davey Pattison! ........ Davey Pattison???  I didn't believe her at first.  What could have possible prompted Mr. Davey Pattison to e-mail me?? 
   I was first introduced to his awesome vocal talents back in '86 after I purchased Robin's Trower's  latest release "Passion". 
  I remember picking up the LP (in the grand old days of vinyl ) and immediately checking out who was in the band. Dave Bronze's name was familiar from Robin's previous release "Beyond The Mist", but I was intrigued with the fact that Bronze, who had handled the vocal duties on BTM, was now replaced with someone I was unfamiliar with, Davey Pattison. Pete Thompson on drums was also a name I was not familiar with. 
 Well, about 30 seconds into "Caroline" I was blown away! 
By the time "If Forever " was done my first thought was "This was the Trower sound that I felt had been missing! " After hearing the title track "Passion" I was wondering if it could get any better, and then I heard "No Time". This song has become one of my personal favourites. The 
combination of Trower's guitar with Pattison's equally powerful vocals, and the solid backing from Thompson (drums) and Bronze (bass), seemed to bring out the best in Robin's writing and playing and to me this song exemplified that. That total sound  Trower had always given us but I think was missing its mark during the Jack Bruce period. I like Jack Bruce but this collaboration seemed to take Robin away from what he does best, write and play Robin Trower music. What was missing, IMO, was, to quote an early Trower song " A voice so sweet and clear " (About To Begin) to allow the guitar to set the atmosphere while the singer tells the story. 
 Davey filled that gap and more. Here was a voice that was both soulful and powerful and worked well as a partner to Robin's guitar wizardry. 
 To be perfectly honest, after  Jimmy Dewar was out of the line up, I wondered if anyone could ever fill that void. 
 Davey did more than fill it, he created a sound of his own. 
   While defining and establishing his place within Robin's music at the time, Davey was also able to satisfy the fans when taking on the unenviable task of doing the "oldies" that helped make Robin Trower. With songs like "Too Rolling Stoned" , "Day Of The Eagle" etc. Davey could do them justice and I think that was important to the die-hards like myself. 
   And then came "Take What You Need", solidifying Davey's presence with Trower.  Songs like "Tear It Up", "Love Attack" and "Over You" followed by the release of "In The Line Of Fire" with "Sea Of Love", "Ev'rybody's Watching You Now" and "All That I Want" both  excellent releases. 
  So, being a respectful admirer of Davey's talents, I was still in a cloud when I got home and re-read that he happened to run across my web page, had  just released his first solo album (which I ordered immediately) and that he had delved into the world of the internet with his own page to help promote his release. 
  After a number of extremely pleasant e-mails were exchanged, I asked Davey if he would like to do an interview for my page and talk about his newest release, and maybe share a tale or two. 
  So, it is a great privilege and a pleasure to present to you, 
Mr. Davey Pattison ..........

 


 <S.S.>   First off, I'd like to congratulate you on the release of  "Mississippi Nights". I thought the MP3 clips were excellent and I am looking forward to receiving the CD.

 <D.P.>  Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed them.

<S.S.>    How long have you been working on it?

<D.P.>   Oh I guess for a couple of years or so.

<S.S.>   What made you decide after all these years to do a solo album? What or who helped inspired you?

<D.P.>  Well, I had a bunch of songs written and until I actually went into the studio, I would have never known if any of them were any good. For me it takes the input of the musicians to realize the full  potential of any project, so basically I went in hearing the finished song in my head, and hoping the musicians would come close to that.  They did that and more!

<S.S.>   Did you write or co-write any of the songs?

<D.P.>  I wrote all the songs.

<S.S.>   Tell us a bit about the songs and any comments you would care to share regarding them.

<D.P.>  This is a difficult question to answer. I've been dealing with the break-up of a marriage that lasted for almost thirty years, so as it says on 
the liner notes, my wife , and what we were going  through at the time, were the inspiration behind  most of the songs on the album. Not all of them, but anyone who has gone through the ordeal of separation will, I'm sure, be able to relate. Some of the songs were very painful to even record. I don't think I want to say too much more than that.

<S.S.>  Who are the musicians playing on  it and how did  you come about getting together to record?

<D.P.> When I first went into the studio, I had a twelve piece band called  Big Muddy. To be honest  with you, it was a little self  indulgent on my part.  I was really trying to put together a Muscle Shoals kind of thing, playing R&B and blues. It  sure was a lot of fun. There are three songs on the album from this line up. From Big Muddy, I kept only one guy, slide guitarist Steve Canali. Steve is the kind of guy who I can sit down with an acoustic guitar, play him something I am working on, and he just knows exactly what I'm aiming for. He is fabulous, and also a great guy. He had been playing shows with the Doobie Brothers and  introduced me to keyboard player Dale Ockerman who had been with the Doobies for about ten years. Again I found "common ground" with someone who just "knew" where I was trying to  go with my songs.

<S.S.>  You mentioned on your site bio that you were known mostly as a rock singer because of your connections with Ronnie Montrose and Trower while this CD is definitely more blues and soul oriented music. Are these the sounds that inspired you as a youth growing up in Scotland? Who in particular were you listening to ?

<D.P.> Oh, very much so. I've sung in a lot of "rock" bands in my time, but I think of my whole approach to any song, regardless of "label" as a blues song. I can't think of it any other way. I remember as a little boy being taken to my very first rock and roll show and seeing Little Richard. Man, I was mesmerized!! I had no idea what he was doing, I just knew I was going to find out and do the exact same thing. Richard, in my humble opinion, is the true King of RocK & Roll. After that came Ray Charles, Bobby Bland, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, God I could go on forever. Lets just say I was like a sponge.!!

<S.S.>  How old were you when you realized that you loved  to sing and that people started to listen with interest?

<D.P.> I would be about five or six. When I first went to school, they had a choir for church services and I was the little guy doing all the solo's out front. Never really thought about it at the time of course. Rehearsals got me out of Math!!

< S.S.> Where exactly did you grow up?

<D.P.>  I grew up in Glasgow, Scotland. Very much in a working class family. I have two sisters who still  live there, unfortunately my parents are both gone.

<S.S.>   I'm sorry to hear that.  You left Scotland in 1979  to sing with Ronnie Montrose in Gamma at the request of  the late Bill Graham. How did that come about and how  did they hear about you?

<D.P.>  Good question. I had been in London working with Matthew Fisher (ex Procol Harum member,  producer of three Trower albums and also Jimmy Dewar's solo release) on an album, and staying at Jimmy Dewar's house. I've known Jimmy since the early sixties, and he passed on a tape of the album to Ronnie Montrose. I guess he  liked what he heard, cause I got the call from Bill Graham asking me to fly to California. Ronnie and I started to write together, and the first Gamma record was recorded.

<S.S.>  Was this your first time in North America?

<D.P.> Yes, I had played a bit in Europe, but had never been to America.

<S.S.>  So after a successful three albums with Gamma the band went there separate ways and you found  yourself  doing what?

<D.P.> After Gamma split up I put a band together, started writing some songs. At this time I also got into singing on commercials. Did work for Sprint, Mattel, Coke and even got to work on one for Taco Bell with the man who got me started in the  first place, Little Richard! It was a big thrill.  At this time I was doing a lot of work with my friend John Rewind, we were coming up with a lot of songs at his studio in Mill Valley Ca.

<S.S.>  And then, to quote you, you were "..... approached by your 'old friend' Robin Trower" who wanted  your help on his next album "Passion". How long have you known Robin and where did you first meet?

<D.P.>  Yes, I was actually swimming in the pool with some of the guys in my band when the phone rang. It was Robin, who asked me if I would be 
interested in singing on the upcoming "Passion" album. At that time I can't say that I knew Robin VERY well, I had met him a few times through my friendship with Jimmy Dewar. I think the first time I actually talked to him was after a show at  the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow. Met him again a few times in London. Robin also knew my friend John Rewind, who gave him a copy of some of the songs we had been working on. I guess he liked it, hence the call.

<S.S.> Well, a big thanks to John Rewind. Now you know we have to get into your tenure with Robin because that's who basically introduced you to a good percentage of us. In one of our e-mails you mentioned that you do keep in touch with Robin.  Can you tell us what has he been up to lately?

<D.P.> I don't hear from him much. If he is in the San Francisco area he always calls, and I always get a card at Xmas. I think at the moment he is working on a new album.

<S.S.>  How familiar with his music were you prior to your playing together?

<D.P.> Oh, very. Mainly at that time because Jimmy and I were friends.

<S.S.>  We are all fans of the great James Dewar, who is one of the greatest  vocalists I have ever heard.

<D.P.> As I said earlier, I've known Jimmy since the sixties. James Dewar is the best white rock and roll singer I have ever heard in my life. He turned me on to a lot of great music in the early days. There was this little bar in Glasgow called "Burns Cottage", and I was just starting out, playing there five nights a week with a bar band playing cover songs, top forty kind of thing. On a Saturday afternoon though they had a band that was drawing every good musician in town, bit of a jam session. This is where I met Jimmy, (this would be around 1965 or so) who was playing bass and doing some of the singing. Frankie Miller was there , Maggie Bell was there, the late Leslie Harvey (both of whom later worked with Jimmy in a band called " Stone the Crows"). We would all go to Jimmy's house after the gig and we would listen to all this great music, Solomon Burke, Brooke Benton, Bobby Bland. The guitars would always come out and we would be singing away, man we had so much fun. Everybody was broke, but I tell you, I look back at those days as some of the best of my life. I will always be grateful to Jimmy for all the help he offered me. Bill Lordan also was a very good  friend. I think it may have been Bill who actually  gave my "Matthew Fisher" tape to Bill Graham.  Thanks Bill, and if you read this, give me a call.

 Note :  While Davey and I were doing the interview I got hold of Bill and they did get together and since that time have remained in close touch with each other.  Davey has since sang on a few tracks for Bill Lordans upcoming release.

<S.S.>  A few people are unaware of what happened to Jimmy Dewar. What can you tell us about him?

<D.P.> As far as I know, Jimmy had a stroke, was getting treatment in the hospital, but then suffered another one. I was going to go see him when I was in Scotland last year, but was advised by my  friends that he would not know who I was. I didn't  want to see him like that, so I didn't go. I choose to remember my friend as the man who saw  something in me, and tried to help in any way he could.

 (note)  Just on the off chance that Jimmy's family may see  this, I just want to say that his voice was an  inspiration to all who heard it. And that a lot of  people I talk to, from all over the world, send their  most sincere best wishes to Jimmy's family. He is  not forgotten.

 Since doing this interview, and thanks to a mutual friend of Jimmy's and Davey's, we have been in touch with Jimmy and you can read about it by going to the Dewar interview. 
Davey is also making a trip back home in May 2002 adn has made arrangements to go visit his old friend.

<S.S.> Davey, one question that was sent to me for this interview was if you remember going into the first session with Robin, what was it like? What songs did you run through? And what were Robin's and your initial reactions to your first time playing together?

<D.P.> I arrived at this rehearsal studio just outside London, jet lagged out of my mind, and I remember that the first thing we did, in true British fashion, was to have a cup of tea!! We immediately started putting some rough demos together of what would be the "Passion" album.  As far as initial reaction, nothing much had to be said, because everyone there just knew this was going to be a great band.

< S.S.> I have heard a lot of shows from the "Passion" and "Take What You Need" tours. The live shows  were fantastic. Do you recall any particular shows or incidents that were memorable for you while on tour with Robin?

<D.P.> To be honest with you, I don't really. That band was so consistent. Every night was different, some nights of course were better than others, and when it was really "on", man it got very "deep".

<S.S.> On a couple of the live tapes I have when you were introducing the band you used the line "And the wonderful Mr. Dave Bronze". How did this moniker start?

<D.P.> Dave Bronze was and is a practical joker. I remember a night off in Seattle when we were in the bar of our hotel having a couple of drinks with our promoter Dan Ravisto. I don't drink hard liquor although I'd be the first to tell you that I do enjoy a few beers. Dave was tipping the bartender to spike my beers with vodka!! The "Wonderful" was something I said every night.

<S.S.>  Around 1990-91 while on tour you performed a few songs that never made it to the studio, "Welcome To Reality", "Where I'm Getting To" and "Dreams Come True" are three that come to mind. It is a shame these were never released as they are all great songs.

<D.P.>  Yeah I remember those songs. I really liked "Dreams Come True." I think I still have the demos somewhere.

<S.S.>  The song "Whisper Up A Storm" was originally done by you quite differently than the release on "20th Century Blues". I loved the spacier 
version.  Perhaps we have enough material here to encourage a reunion with Rob to release another album.  :o)

<D.P.> I certainly remember "my" version of that song, but I would be lying to you if I told you I have heard "20th Century Blues", because I haven't.  As far as a reunion is concerned all I can say is this. I miss Robin both musically and personally, but the music business is in such a mess now I doubt if finances would allow it. Saying that, I would love to do it.

<S.S.>  After the release of  "Best Of Gamma" you went on  tour with Ronnie Montrose to promote it. How did a show with Gamma differ from a show with Trower?

<D.P.> Performing with Gamma was very high energy. The songs demanded that. The shows with Robin were high energy too, but in a very controlled kind of way. Gamma hit you over the head, Robin massaged the heart.

<S.S.> Was your time performing  with Robin always intended to be a short term thing or were there  plans to get back  after the tour with Gamma was 
completed?

<D.P.> No, when I joined Robin I had no plans to go anywhere. I was asked to do "20th Century Blues" but I was committed to touring with Gamma and couldn't do it when they wanted me to. A pity because I wanted to do it.

<S.S.>  Robin was once quoted  referring to you as a "gift from God".  And you mentioned in an e-mail to me referring to Robin as "the most soulful guitar player alive today". This brings me to the question that was predominantly mentioned  for me to ask, is there a possibility of another collaboration between yourself and Mr. Trower?

<D.P.> That's a lovely compliment. I like to think that I contributed to the vision that he had for his music. Hey, I hear he is doing some singing himself now!! If it could be worked out, I would love to work with him again.

<S.S.>  Who is Caroline? ( from the Passion album)

<D.P.> You know Steve, I have no idea.

<S.S.>   What was the song you enjoyed performing the most when on stage with Robin? Why?

<D.P.>  I always enjoyed "No Time", and "Rock Me Baby" was always a lot of fun because I could have the audience sing along.

<S.S.>  If you were in a nostalgic mood and wanted to listen to something you did with Robin, what songs would you put on?

<D.P.> You know, I tend not to listen to my old albums.  I'm thinking about what's next. From my days with Robin, I guess my favourites would be "If 
Forever" and "No Time".

<S.S.>  How about Gamma songs?

<D.P.> From the Gamma days, "Voyager" and "Razor King" come to mind, and I always loved "Wish I Was".

<S.S.>  Were there any songs from Robin's earlier releases that you would have liked to have done on tour?

<D.P.> I always wanted to do "Hannah" and " In This Place". Never got around to it.

<S.S.>  I saw on your site a picture of you with Al Hendrix  (Jimi's father). How did you happen to meet him and were you a Hendrix fan? Did you ever see him perform live?

<D.P.> Al came to see us every time we played in Seattle.  A very nice man. Yes, I saw Jimi on his very first tour in Glasgow. He was opening for someone, can't remember who.

<S.S.>  Speaking of Jimi what were your thoughts when  you heard the endless comparisons between Rob's  playing and Hendrix's  style?

<D.P.> Anyone making those comments hasn't really listened to either of them.

<S.S.> I am glad to hear you say that.  A very true statement.  You had been playing with a band called Big Muddy, I heard some clips from the site that was up and liked what I heard. Did you release any recordings with this band?

<D.P.>  Just the three songs I mentioned earlier that are on "Mississippi Nights" with the "Big Muddy" line up.

<S.S.>  If you could sing with any band or anyone, past or present, who would it be and why ?

<D.P.> I was always a big fan of "The Band" and a lot of  what "Little Feat" were doing really appealed to me. Something so "real" about the way both bands approached the music. Very very American music.  America is, after all, the birthplace of Rock and Roll.

<S.S.> As a musician, I have had conflicting thoughts regarding the trading of "bootleg" recordings of  live shows for the usual reasons of the artist not seeing any residuals from them, but as I have said to others who do this, that if I had not been able to hear these I would have missed the real talents of all the musicians involved.  I always thought that Trower was an exceptional guitarist, I had every available release, but his true mastery is lost if you only hear the professional recordings. I often say to  people, if  "Too Rolling Stoned " or "No Time" is one of  your favourite songs, imagine having five versions, each just a bit different from the others but still all performed by Pattison/Trower! As a guitarist, I could not pass up the opportunity to hear these once in a lifetime recordings. I would gladly send the royalty portion to the artists. I have found that the quality is not that important to the real fans who just want to enjoy a great bit of music. This thinking seems to be universal in the trading groups. As a performer, what do you think about the trading or sharing of these bootleg recordings?

<D.P.> I have absolutely no problem with anyone trading tapes of "live" shows that have been recorded off  the radio etc. I do , however , have a real problem with the people that are releasing entire studio albums on the internet for all and sundry to download for free. THIS IS NOT COOL PEOPLE. I wonder how they would feel if they did a hard weeks work to be told when they go to collect their wages that the boss gave away their money to a complete stranger.!!! No, it is not cool.

<S.S.>  So when your relaxing at home, what do you like to do with your time? Any hobbies?

<D.P.> Hobbies. I never in a million years would have thought that I, of all people, would love this internet thing. But I do. I'm famous amongst my 
 friends for being  anti technology, but the internet has shown me that it is not all bad. I've been "talking" to people I haven't seen in thirty years.  This can't be a bad thing. I also made a new  friend in Canada named Steve Shail.   I'm also having a "guest book" section added to my web site, and I am looking forward to hearing  from fans (provided there are any out there).

<S.S.>  Now that your CD is out, are you planning to go on the road with it? What are your plans for the  future?

<D.P.> I am in the process of rehearsing a new band at  the moment. I would love to tour, but a lot depends on the reaction to "Mississippi Nights".  If there is a demand to see "live" what I'm doing,  then hopefully we can put it together.

<S.S.> Davey, I would like to thank you for taking the time to make this interview possible. I know that a lot of  people will enjoy learning more about you. For me  personally, it has  been a real pleasure getting to know you  and talking to you. I know I  speak for all of us in wishing you good  health, much happiness and success in all your future endeavours.

<D.P.>  Thank you very much Steve, God bless.

 


  If you haven't checked out Davey's site and ordered this CD, I strongly suggest you get right on it. Listen to the clips, this is great stuff. I truly believe we should support the real talents that are out there who have provided us with such great music but are often overlooked because they don't have huge record labels promoting them with videos and the like. And who loses if they don't get the airplay and visibility? We do! 

 During the process of doing this interview, I had a great time conversing back and forth with Davey. He really is one of the nicest people you could ever want to meet. I was totally impressed with his openness and willingness to help me do this interview and to turn around a quote of his, " I have made a new friend  and his name is Davey Pattison!" 
Thanks Davey. 
  

 This interview is about Davey's latest cd,  "Pictures" and what he has put into it.

  It also involves the friends who worked with Davey on this project, and the immense

struggle it took to simply get it out there. 
When we started talking about this interview many months ago,  Davey  voiced his

opinions about how frustrated he was with the music business and he kept saying

that this, in all likelihood, would be his last cd.  His honesty, openness and his

willingness to share his feelings regarding the music business were topics of

numerous discussions we have had.  I therefore offered this interview as a forum

to voice some of that frustration. 

​

 I would like to thank the following people for their assistance with this interview: 
John Rewind, Steve Canali, Dale Ockerman, Pete Sears, Jimmy Sanchez, 
Pam Torres, Joy Pattison and Brian Denniston.

​

 Steve:   I have to tell you, I have been really looking forward to doing this interview 

                with you.  The release of this cd  has been a long time coming.

Davey:  Hello Steve, it feels good to be doing this again. We have become good mates

                 in the past few years. I really do  need to sit down with you face to face, have

                 a few beers, get a couple of guitars out, and see what you have  got mate!!!! 
              Yes. It has been almost four years since, "Mississippi  Night's". I am certainly 
              not a "prolific" songwriter!!  In fact, when it comes to writing songs, I consider 
              myself a bit of an amateur really. I'm just trying, as always, to be true to what 
              I consider to be honest. To be truthful with you, I had  absolutely no plans 
              to do another album. The state that the music business finds itself in, almost 
              totally turned me off really, 'cos I am frankly appalled at what I see. I saw no 
             reason to put myself through the turmoil of what it takes to put an album 
             together. It is an incredible amount of work. (John) Rewind made it virtually 
             impossible for me to turn down the opportunity to record what I had at the 
             time, offering me virtually unlimited studio time. John and I have been friends 
             for twenty years now, he has a very cool studio, he thinks about music the same 
             way I do. We are both very much "students" of the "less is more" school. 
            "Pictures" is as much John's, as it is mine really.

John Rewind:  Davey called me up to help him finish a cd that he had been recording 
                          all over the place. We recorded 6 of the 9 tracks here at my studio and 
                          felt that "click"  that we had experienced in the past. That led to us 
                          doing "Pictures", as a heartfelt collaboration from the start. We just 
                          wanted to really get down to business and do a cd we could be proud of, 
                          take our time, and get it as good as we could, without taking the rest of 
                          our lives to do it.

Steve:   As you said, the title of this new cd is, "Pictures".  A fitting title for a cd that is 
               very reflective of what Davey Pattison is willing to share of himself.

Davey:  Funny story about that really. Colin Birdseye (one of my very closest friends 
              and the guy who did all the artwork on both this album, and the last one) and 
              his wife, Shelly, visited me soon after I bought the house that I now live in. I had 
              boxes and boxes of pictures, and I kind of had a problem finding room for them 
              all, so I decided to get some of them framed and put them all up on one wall. 
             Shelly walked into the living room and, I'll never forget this, she said, "My God 
             Davey, your whole life is up there on that wall !!"  The lovely Shelly got me 
             started on writing the song, "Pictures", with that statement. Thank you dear!! 
             Having written that one, it was really a question of what I was really willing to 
             share with people who might perhaps buy this album. I wanted to write songs 
             that got a lot of shit out of my system once and for all, and that people who 
             perhaps have been in the same situation that I found myself in, could relate to.

Steve:   Was it your idea to show the picture of yourself as a little boy on the front 
               and back covers?

Davey:  No it was Colin's idea. He came up to the house, had a look around at what 
              I had, took some stuff away with him, and came up with what I really think is a 
              brilliant concept. I first met Colin twenty odd years ago. He was the guy 
              designing tee shirts at Winterland Productions which was owned by  "Gamma" 
              manager Bill Graham. Colin Birdesye designed tee shirts for pretty much every 
              act that Bill Graham Presents was promoting tour wise. They probably made 
              millions of dollars from his work, he got a basic salary!!!!!   Welcome to rock and 
              roll!!!!!

Steve:    Is this newest collection of material a continuation of your first cd, 
                'Mississippi Nights'?  Were these songs already in progress, or did the songs 
                come about during a different point in time?

Davey:  I can't say that it's a continuation Steve. Some of it was written about three 
              years ago when I wasn't feeling too good about myself. "Life" for me has come 
              a long way since John and I started putting this all together. Some of it came 
              afterwards. The songs that came from the time I was having big problems, 
              were shelved, because I wasn't sure if I wanted that amount of pain exposed 
              to the whole world. However, I could not simply ignore what I considered to be 
              good songs because things had got better for me. A good song is a good 
              song.  Simply put, I needed to get all of that stuff out of my system, but still 
             retain a semblance of being in control of myself.  As I have said earlier, I was not 
             planning on doing another album, but I kept writing anyway, 'cos hey, that's what 
              I do!!!  So to answer your question I would say that the songs took a while 
              to develop. 
 

On writing the songs 

When Davey was first working on this cd,  he sent me a tape of some very rough versions of the songs. Guitar, drum machine, piano..  very raw.  He asked for an opinion. After listening to the songs a number of times, I wrote Davey and told him what I got out of listening to them... where  I felt he was going.  A unique situation for someone to critique a friend's music, knowing them outside the music business.  His response to me  (not knowing at the time, that it might be used in this interview but now, with his consent) was very interesting... an insight into what goes on when Davey is writing....

""Thank you so much for the kind words, and yes, you are right, this album is very much, my story. I didn't write all of the songs, but I have chosen the ones written by others, to try to convey something to the people who will listen to this eventually. I started out with my own songs, and found others that "said" what I wanted to say,  in the hope of giving people a glimpse of who I am. To me Steve, music HAS to be passionate and above all, honest.  If that means "wearing ones heart on ones sleeve", then that is fine by me.  God knows, I am not the only person on this planet to have been hurt, so the hope is that many people will be able to relate to these songs in a kind of therapeutic way.  I am well aware that on this album,  and the last one too come to that, I have put myself out on the "washing line" for the world to inspect,  with a lot of the songs I either write or record, and to be honest with you,  I am quite willing to share both happiness and sadness with people, 'cos at the end of the day, that is what music is supposed to be,  a vehicle for the soul to express itself. This all may sound somewhat "pompous" or "pretentious",  but to me the pompous and pretentious ones are the ones who DON'T let you see into their hearts!  That is what I loved about my tenure with Robin, there was always honesty and passion.  Every single night we played for those people, they got ALL we had to give them. I miss it to this day."" 
            (note: this was written to me months before Davey and Robin started to talk about 
                        working together again)

Steve:   For the few songs you record on this cd that were written by others,  how did 
               you choose from the many acquired?

Davey:  First of all, I was friends with the people who wrote these songs, so they kind 
              of knew what I was after. I was an admirer of Joe New and his songs. He has 
              written for John Mellencamp, Levon Helm (who I worked with on one of Pete 
              Sears' songs for "The Long Haul album) Kiki Dee, and Asleep at the Wheel, 
              and many others, so Joe is an already established writer. 
           Valerie Lawrence, wrote "I'm the Only One" at a song writing class she was taking 
              where she was asked to write a love song that did not contain the word "love". 
             Valere had worked on an album produced by Bonnie Hayes. Bonnie is herself 
               an accomplished writer having written for Bonnie Raitt amongst others. 
              Again, John and I did a version of it years ago, so the songs I decided to do 
              were kinda on a "wish list" if you know what I mean.

Steve:  Have you found that your personal stability has gone say, in tandem with your 
              most creative period?

Davey:   Well, what I have found myself doing, and I didn't even realize I was doing it at 
               the time, I was actually going through a process of self examination, taking 
               a very close look at how I was living my life. For years and years I think I was 
               so deeply involved in what I was doing musically, there was little or no room for 
               anything else. I was completely one dimensional. Music completely took up 
               every waking hour. So it is in reality, my "personal instability" that has inspired 
               my most creative periods. I am now trying hard to live a life that includes more 
               than just music. It is hard to explain Steve. I would sit watching TV for 
               instance, something would come into my head, and for the next few day's I 
               wouldn't say  a word to anyone around me. I would get so focused on an idea 
               for a song that nothing else mattered. Not exactly conducive to a stable 
               relationship!!!!

Pam Torres:   Well when Davey is on a roll as far  as writing is concerned, it really consumes  

               him Steve. It is almost  as if he is  in another world really.  He is so focused... almost  to                        FR ustration at times 
                      (for me I mean).  Luckily I realize where he is at, and leave him be.

Steve:  Do you ever set aside a particular time to work on material, or is it always more 
             of the inspirational moment when you feel the desire to write?

Davey:  No I can't work like that. I usually get into writing immediately after a gig. I will 
              come home having thought of something,  and in the past, stay up all night if I 
              have to, to get it started.  However, as I have said, I am trying to stop doing 
              that!!  There is more to life than rock and roll. Can't believe I just said that!!!!!!

Steve:  If you were to put a music video out from this release, what song would you 
              want to do?  Why?  And what would it look like?  (I think I know the answer to 
              this one already :o) )

Davey: I don't think I would do one mate!!!  My songs would not have the required 
             number of naked, nubile young ladies gyrating around in it, and I don't own an 
             oversize Niki suit with optional over the top jewelry, or wear a hat backwards. 
             This is just my opinion, but music video to me has been the ruination of the art 
             of making music. Record companies these day's are not too concerned about 
             the actual music itself, they are thinking about what kind of video they can get 
             out of a song. 
             I have only ever made one actual video for MTV, and thankfully not too many 
             people saw the damn thing, 'cos it was one of the most embarrassing day's of 
             my life!!  It was a song called, "Turn the volume Up", from, "In the Line of Fire". 
             (wrong choice, but that's only my opinion. "Sea of Love" would have been my 
             choice).  They had us on this "raft" thing on the canal area in Venice California, 
             being pushed along by this geezer with a long pole. Robin and I kept looking at 
             one another and bursting out laughing, I guess we were wondering what the hell 
             we were doing there in the first place, 'cos this is NOT what we do!!!!! No 
             disrespect to anyone, but I really think Robin and I were both uncomfortable 
             with the whole thing. During the shoot, Keith Reid kept running up to me and 
             telling me that it didn't look as though I was even singing. Well the problem was 
             that I can't for the life of me "Lip Sync".  I can't sing the  same thing twice, 'cos 
             I can't ever remember what I sang the first time, so I guess it was looking all out 
             of sync !!!. The poor director didn't say much to me about it, but I could tell by 
             the look on his face that he wasn't too thrilled with my efforts. Once again, I 
             miserably failed the audition!. It was a day I wont forget in a long time. 
             Hopefully, never to be repeated. 
  
 

The Songs

            Married To The Blues 
       Written by Joe New - John Rewind

Steve:   This song really talks about the drive that all musicians or artists seem to 
               have..... that no matter what else is in front of them, it is the music that is 
               foremost on their minds and in their hearts. When Sue (my wife) read my 
               thoughts on this song, she said she got something completely different from it. 
               When you first heard this tune, what did it say to you?

Davey:   "Married to the Blues" is one of Joe's songs, and I think John had a hand in it 
               too. What I got from it was kind of what I was saying earlier about music getting 
               a hold of you to the point where nothing else matters. Once it gets in your 
               blood, it completely takes over ones life. Well it did me anyway. John and I 
               actually did a version of this song years ago just for fun, so it had been around 
               us for a while. 
                                                       Wish

Written by Davey Pattison - John Rewind

Steve:   This is a very pretty song.  I found myself humming this song a lot.

Davey:  I think "Wish" is the best song I have ever written myself. As I say, I don't really 
              consider myself a "real" songwriter, but even if I say so myself, I am proud of 
              that one. 
                                            I'm The Only One 
                                                    written by Valerie Lawrence

 Steve: This song is very powerful,  very emotional.

Davey:    I was at John's house a few years ago and he was flipping through some songs 
                he had been recording and I heard "I'm the Only One," and immediately fell 
                completely in love with it. I think it is probably my favorite song on this album. 
                The first time I heard this song I just knew I had  to do it. I had no choice!!! 
                If someone like Celine Dion or Whitney Houston did this song it would be a 
               huge hit in my opinion. I would love to see that happen 'cos Valerie deserves 
               the credit for writing a beautiful and very moving piece of music. 
                Sadly Valerie passed away a few months ago, but she did hear my version of 
                her song and I know she was very happy with the results.  God Bless Her.

                                    Gypsy Woman Got The Blues

                                         Written by Joe New

Davey: I had never heard this song until Joe came down to the studio and played it to 
            me. I loved it right away as it reminded me of when I was a little boy. I used to love 
             those old movies with the likes of a young Burt Lancaster or Anthony Quinn. 
             (I still do!!!) I can just picture Rita Hayward as a gypsy woman who has the 
             blues.  John I think, did a really great job putting this track together.  

​

Pictures 
Written by Davey Pattison - Pam Torres 
The chorus goes; 
"I got a picture of Jimi's daddy and me 
Another one with ol' John Lee 
Sometimes I wonder 
what became of me"

​

Steve:  A very reflective song and being the title track, is very descriptive of what 
              this cd is all about.  I remember looking through your web page for the first 
              time and looking at some of the pictures, like the one with Al Hendrix and 
              John Lee Hooker and you knew that these moments were personally very 
              important to you.

Davey:   "Pictures" as I have said, was inspired by Shelly Hunter. It took me a long time 
               to finish the damn thing, 'cos there was a lot I wanted to say, but just couldn't 
               get it all "out"!  My whole life I wanted to come to America, record albums in 
              L.A. etc. etc. When I first arrived in the U.S, the first Gamma album was to be 
              done there, so I was in 7th heaven at the thought. I was down there for a couple 
               of months, and I have to say, that although I met many very nice people, I had a 
               difficult time dealing with the L.A scene.

Steve:    ... this song is not only about the story of your "dream" of making it in 
               America, but how things are not always as they seem.

Davey:   "Pictures" is my sister Joy's favorite song from this album. To me it  was just a 
               wee walk down Memory Lane thinking about all the expectations I had about 
               living and working in the U.S. I had no expectations or desire really to be a 
               "rock star", in fact I wasn't really interested in that at all, and my position on it 
               hasn't changed at all. I just wanted to play music with people who knew more 
               about American Music than I did, and hopefully get better at what I do, but it 
               didn't really work out that way 'cos I knew a lot more about the blues than they 
               did!!!!  They had gotten it all from Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. 
               I knew all about Muddy, Wolf, John Lee, Ray Charles etc. etc., and was 
              surprised to see that they hadn't gone to the "source"  When I first arrived here 
               I was like a fish out of water. 20,000 seat gigs, signing autographs, radio 
              interviews, the press. People wanting to have a picture taken with me and all that 
             bullshit really kind of bowled me over. I was grateful for the guy's in Gamma 'cos 
              they saw I wasn't very comfortable with any of it. I'm just a wee guy from the 
              slums of Glasgow, and sure, you can take me out of Glasgow, but you can't 
              take Glasgow out of me.

Steve:  You were friends with John Lee Hooker and he was with you on Pete Sears' 
              cd,  "The Long Haul".   When you look back at the pictures of when you 
              first met, do you remember what you were thinking  meeting such an icon of 
              the blues?

Davey:  Well I could not say I was a "friend" really. Actually I first met him in Montreal 
              when on the road with Robin. We were checking in to the hotel and John was 
              too. I think Robin introduced me to him, and I sat and chatted with him for a 
              bit. John as I later found out, just loved the ladies, and had some young blonde 
              girl hanging on his arm!!!! To be honest, I was in awe of this man!!!!  I have been 
              listening to his music all my life, and he was definitely one of my hero's. I think 
              Dave (Bronze) and I went along to catch a bit of John's show before going on 
             to our gig. He lived here in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I would run into him 
              from time to time, and I really enjoyed our conversations. He was such a nice, 
              humble man, and I think he was really bemused by the success he had late in his 
            life. He would sit there and grin at all these people running around waiting on him 
             hand and foot, making sure everything was to his liking, 'cos he told me one night 
             that he had spent 50 years playing what he called the "chitlin' circuit". To 
             actually be on an album with him with Pete's, "Long Haul",  was one of the 
              highlights of my life.

Steve:   There is also references to your time with Robin and Ronnie Montrose in 
               the lyrics.....

Davey:  I'm referring to the years on the road here. I have been so very fortunate to 
              have been given the opportunity to be recording and touring with some of 
              the best musicians in the world. The lyrics of "Pictures" you are referring to 
              are...              "Down the road with the Voyager, 
                          and over the Bridge of Sighs a few times or more" 
             Just memories really.

​

                                                     Judas 
                                                 Written by Davey Pattison

Steve:   Well this one pretty much speaks for itself.  This was probably the most angry 
               song you have ever written.  You got hurt and were lashing out.

Davey:  Not so angry anymore Steve, because I have moved on with my life, but at 
              the time of writing this song, the word "angry" or "hurt" could not have come 
              close to describing my feelings.  "Judas" was one of those songs that I HAD 
              to sing 'cos it was the only way for me to vent!!

Steve:  What is the sound that sounds like a didjeridoo from the Australian 
              outback?  What a wild sound!  Who came up with that?

Davey: That is exactly what it is.  I don't know if either of us were spelling this right, 
            but it is a didgeridoo. I have just been informed by the lovely Pam that this is the 
             correct spelling. It is of course an Australian Aborigine instrument and a 'sound' 
             I have been just dying to use for many years now. So dark, so venomous!! 
            Perfect for "Judas".  It turned out that the guy who owned the studio that John 
             was mixing this album at, had these instruments in every key!!!  My thanks to 
             Randy Rood.

Steve:  Who were the back-up singers? They did an excellent job.

Davey:   On "Judas" there was Loralee Christensen, and my old pal Mike Duke doing 
               the "gospel choir" Mike used to play keyboards for Delbert McClinton, and 
               believe me, is a great singer in his own right. Loralee is just fabulous, comes in, 
               hears the song, and asks how many harmonies we want !!!  I first met her years 
               ago when I was doing vocals for commercials. Loralee is someone who is so 
               talented, and certainly deserves a solo career.

​

Waitin' As fast As I  Can 
Written by Davey Pattison - John Rewind

Steve:  This was a "last minute" addition to the cd.

Davey:   We kind of thought that the album could use another "up" song. John had 
               the music, and I came up with lyrics with a bit of help from Pam. Steve was 
               unavailable at the time, so John played all the guitar parts, and did a good job 
               on slide I think.

​

                            Born To The House Of Blues 
                                     Written by Pam Torres - John Rewind

Steve:  The vocals on this have some incredible mixing being done with the voice 
              being distorted in spots...... I love this...

Davey:   "Born to the house of blues" was actually written by John and my girlfriend 
               Pam.  She sent me this email, telling me she was "doodling" around with some 
               lyrics. I flipped out when I read what she had written, 'cos she had never written 
               a song in her life!!  Basically what she is saying here is that one doesn't have to 
               be a black man from Mississippi to sing the blues.  I'm not sure I entirely agree 
               with that sentiment, but it sure made for a great song. Pam actually disagrees 
               with my thinking here, but the concept of a white guy singing blues songs 
               doesn't really ring "true" to me, and regardless of what might be said in print, 
               black musicians are not too thrilled with white people playing and singing 
               THEIR  music. They will "suffer quietly" to get exposure for themselves by 
               playing with famous white musicians, but I don't think they enjoy the experience 
               too much. Just my personal opinion. However, there is a fabulous quote on 
               the sleeve of this album from Rufus Thomas. He said in 1973, "It ain't where 
               ya come from, it's what you is where you at"!!! 
               So perhaps I am wrong and there is hope for me yet!!! 
               The mixing you refer to came by way of me overamping the microphone during 
               the recording of the vocals. We were going to redo the vocals, but John and 
               Randy really liked the "performance", so they came up with this idea of running 
              the distorted parts of the vocal through a guitar amp, thus giving the impression 
               of that old vocal sound on a lot of early blues records.

Pam:   On that song Davey and I were actually working on another song and he 
           wrote something and I added to it, but it didn't fit the song at all.  So I got on 
           a roll with it and then emailed what I came up with to Davey who in turn emailed 
           it to Rewind. They liked it and asked if I could add some more, so I did.

​

                                              Hollywood 
                                           Written by Davey Pattison

Steve:    This is one of my favorite songs on the cd.  You told me a funny story 
                about how this song came about.  Please share it again.

Davey:   "Hollywood" is just me poking a little fun at that whole  "Sunset Blvd." thing. 
               I was doing some work down there with Anysley Dunbar and we were going out 
               for dinner when we ran into Keith Emerson who was a pal of Aynsley's. We 
               went to this place called the Rainbow Room on Sunset, and as I have said 
               earlier, I have always shied away from these kinds of places, but we went 
               anyway. Now I have been in a few "meat market's" in my time mate, but 
               NOTHING compares to this joint!!!  As long as you are famous that is!!!! 
               Stunningly beautiful women walking in circles trying to catch the eye of 
               someone they think is famous. I thought it was hilarious!!

​

                                            Just Who You Are 
                                                    Written By Davey Pattison

 Steve:   The lyrics go;    ... and there's' a song to sing 
                                           about most everything, 
                                           And the good ones always seem to break your heart, 
                                           So at the end of the day 
                                           get on your knees and pray 
                                           Thank the Lord for being just who you are.

 Davey:  "Just who you are" was one of the first songs I wrote for this album. It kind of 
               refers to my one time "obsession" with music, and the price one pays for taking 
               things too much for granted. It also say's of course that one should be grateful 
               for what one receives. I really like this one, and Jim Rothermel gave it that 
               "Drown in my own tears" vibe with that wonderful sax solo.

​

Mr. Henpecked 
Written by John Rewind

 Steve:    A real  tongue in cheek song written about a guy who wants to play music 
                 but the misses won't let him!

Davey:   This is the Rewind I know and love at his cynical best!!! He played me this 
               song back when I first met him in the mid eighties, and we have recorded it a 
               few times now. John has a really cool cynical sense of humor, and can always 
               be relied upon to come up with a humorous anecdote to every problem facing 
              mankind. Funny as hell. I think every musician out there will know at least ONE 
               guy who has a wife or girlfriend who is not happy that their significant other is 
               playing in a band. It was also very cool to have Ziggy play drums on this one. 
               The Meters were one of my favorite bands. Now you asked earlier about a 
               video?  Now what a video could be made out of THIS song!!!!

​

                  John Lee, Jimmy Reed, And Mississippi Fred 
                    Written by Joe New - John Rewind

Davey:   It's really a "tip of the hat" to all the guy's who were such an influence on me 
               when I was young. John plays a really cool raunchy rhythm guitar part on this 
               that really reminds me of Otis Rush a bit.

​

Blues At My Window 
Written by Jack Benedetto 
(a friend and former guitar student of John Rewind's)

Davey:   "Blues at my Window" to me is a San Francisco Bay song. The boats out on 
               the Bay etc. If I had my choice with this one, Pete (Sears) and I would have 
               done it "live" someplace. I think the atmosphere of a smoky little bar, people 
               talking, glasses clinking etc. would have been just perfect for it. It is a "back 
              porch" kind of thing with just two guys sitting around, having a beer, and playing 
               some songs together. Pete and I had a lot of fun with that one.

                                       Wild Mountain Thyme 
                   Arrangement by Steve Canali - Davey Pattison

Steve:  Here' a real Scottish ballad for ya....

Davey:   "Wild Mountain Thyme" is a song I have known all my life of course. I wanted 
               to put a "twist" on it though by having Steve (Canali) play slide guitar on it, 
               and I'm sincerely hoping my ancestors are not too unhappy with me for doing 
               that to a song that is at least 300 years old!!!!  I now call it "Scottish Blues!!!! 
               I also really wanted to do a song for my dear Aunt Nell who is now in her 80's. 
               I played it to her last time I was over there and got very emotional when I saw 
               tears in her eyes as she sat listening to it. It is a song of "farewell" so seemed 
               an appropriate way to end the album with.

The Musicians

​

Steve:  I want to thank you for putting me in touch with some of the band members. 
              Besides collaborating with these very impressive musicians, there was an 
              amazing sense of friendship between you all and a willingness to help as much 
              as possible.  A great bunch of guys!  It was such a treat for me to talk to most 
              of these guys on the phone.

Davey:   The absolute best!!  There is nothing I wouldn't do for any of these guy's. 
              We all find ourselves in the same boat really.   Pete, Dale, Steve, Jimmy, David 
             Hayes all played for little or no money. By way of thanks, I have sung on Pete's, 
               and a couple of songs on something Dale is putting together right now. It's the 
               only way to get anything done. I will  sing for any of those guys for free at any 
               time. I was talking to Robin the other day on the phone, and I was saying I kind 
               of felt like one of those musicians who played with the big bands of the 40's 
               and 50's. Everything is going along just fine, then all of a sudden along comes 
               Presley, and I am out of work overnight!!  This is the way it seems to be for all 
               of the people who played on this album, and so many of my friends. Perhaps 
               we are  just a bunch of dinosaurs who have had our "day' in the sun", and 
               perhaps we should just move over for the next breed, but it is nevertheless 
               frustrating, because I think we all feel that we still have a lot to offer.  It is 
               tragic that so many fine musicians who have spent their lives trying to be the 
               best they can be, find themselves trying to compete in a business that has 
               seemingly no need for talented people any longer. 


 

  Steve Canali plays slide guitar on this cd. Steve also played on Davey's first solo release

                          Mississippi Nights.   He has played with Gregg Allman and  also The Doobie Brothers.

Dale Ockerman plays keyboards and was with the Doobie Brothers for eight years, 
                           Quicksilver Messenger Service, Zigaboo Modeliste, Bill Champlin, 
                           Rita Coolidge, and Jerry Miller.  

John Rewind (Hoodoo Rhythm Devils) who co-wrote a number of tunes also  plays guitar and

                           produced this cd and Davey's first release.  
                           John owns Rear Window Studios

Pete Sears, keyboards. Davey has played with Pete on "The Long Haul".  
                        Played with the likes of Hot Tuna, Jefferson Starship, Rod Stewart,  
                         Quicksilver Messenger Service to name a few. 

  Jimmy Sanchez handles the  drums and played with Dr. John and appeared with Davey on 

                        Pete Sears' "The Long Haul"

  David Hayes, bass guitar. Played with Van Morrison, Southside Johnny and the Ashbury Jukes,

                        Jesse Colin Young, Country Joe McDonald - to name a few. I  
                         unfortunately didn't get a hold of David.

​

Steve:  Dale, you're currently working on your own solo album and Davey has helped 
              out on it. When do you hope to release this cd?

Dale:    This year, hopefully. It's finance, not romance. I'm doing this myself, so any gig 
             or session bumps the calendar when it comes to my stuff.  I have all the songs 
             written, and performances by Davey, of course, drummer Zigaboo Modeliste 
             of the Meters, and Moby Grape lead guitarist Jerry Miller, in the can. It 
              smokes! 
             Sounds kinda blues, funk, rock, gospel, acid-jazz etc. Memphis/New Orleans/ 
             Detroit/San Fran, geographically speaking, 70's direction and instrumentation.

​

Steve:  I look forward to it's release. Please let us know when it's available as I know 
              there will be a number of people interested in hearing it.

Dale:    I will.

​

Steve:  Steve, your slide playing is awesome.  Where did you develop your style?

Steve Canali :  I started out in the '70s learning Duane Allman licks, then into more 
                           traditional delta i.e. Elmore James style. That seems to be the basic 
                           style that anyone starts out with. I really took a turn though when I 
                           started listening to Ry Cooder. I've never had a lesson in my life, so I 
                           approached the whole open tuning thing by ear. Playing slide in an open 
                           tuning, doesn't mean you can't use all kinds of fingering.  I re-learned 
                           every chord I knew, even minors, in an open E tuning.  My style sort of 
                           evolved from my two favorite guitarists- Ry Cooder and Jeff Beck.

​

Steve:   What type of guitar are you using on this cd and what do you use as a slide?

Steve Canali:   I use a Fender "custom shop" Strat. tuned in Emostly, but use my Les 
                          Paul for all the open D tuning. I also use A Dobro Model 36, and a 
                          guitar I had made by Paul Chandler-something like a Less Paul Jr. I use 
                          several different slides, a small "Earnie ball" for fast stuff, and a huge 
                          brass concave that Dunlop gave me, for infinite sustain. I usually capo 
                          in any key. I'm not tuned in, and for that I like the ones made by Kaiser.

​

Steve:   You have been friends with Davey for a number of years now and to quote 
               Davey from our first interview regarding you.... 
               "He (Steve) is the kind of guy who I can sit down with an acoustic guitar, 
               play him something I am working on, and he just knows exactly what I'm aiming 
               for.  He is fabulous, and also a great guy. " 
              While talking with each of you by phone, I found it  amusing that you both 
               had similar comments about each other.... that you sincerely enjoy 
               making/playing music together.  How long have you known Davey and how did 
               you meet?

Steve Canali:  I met Davey in a small pub in Calif.. Saw his name on the marquee 
                          and didn't think it could be the same Davey Pattison that was my all time 
                          favorite singer. I went in and couldn't believe it was him, playing solo.  I 
                          asked if I could sit in, and he said , in a 'what the hell' kind of way, 
                          "Sure Mate". 
                         Slide guitar doesn't fit with everything, but the way Davey sings, I knew I 
                          could fit in and around what he was singing, to compliment and back up 
                          what he was doing.  Well, It came off great!  He asked if I'd come up and 
                          record that weekend, with his twelve piece band "Big Muddy". I went in 
                          cold and did Mississippi Nights, and after the session Davey asked me 
                          to play with the band, starting Tues., three nights later. There were no 
                          tapes or anything, just had to wing it. That gig lasted five years and was 
                          the most fun I've ever had playing.

Jimmy Sanchez:  I have know Davey about 5 years?  We met through our good friend 
                              Pete Sears, who put together a group to perform at a benefit.  It 
                              included Davey, Peter Rowan, Lorin Rowan, Bobby Vega and myself. 
                              It was magical!

​

Steve:   From my first interview with Davey, when I asked about Dale, Davey said, 
               " (Canali) had been playing shows with the Doobie Brothers and introduced 
               me to keyboard player Dale Ockerman who had been with the Doobies for 
               about ten years. Again I found "common ground" with someone who just 
               "knew" where I was trying to  go with my songs."

Dale Ockerman:  I first met Davey when I was Music Director, and playing Piano and 
                              Hammond Organ for the South Bay Blues awards in San Jose, 
                              CA. 
                              I was backing up James Cotton, Gregg Allman, Albert Collins and 
                              all these greats, when they bring on this Davey guy to sing "Rock Me, 
                              Baby", and he just about floored me. I says to myself, "not bad for a 
                              white man, who the f**k is this?" Later, I realized that he was the same 
                              guy who sang on Trower and Montrose stuff that I dug. Davey's 
                              the real deal, one word out of his mouth and I go "uh-huh"!  Steve 
                              Canali and I had played together for many moons, (Doobie Brothers) 
                              and were always looking for that type of  vocalist, a soulful pub belter 
                              who could rock, with finesse. So later Steve started gigging with 
                              Davey, and they wanted me to also, but I lived too far away, and 
                              couldn't afford the commute! So, when they started recording 
                              Davey's first solo album, they called me in, as well as this present one, 
                              and I said, "No money, just sing on my album when I'm ready, to which 
                              he consented.  To me that's worth a million bucks!  I've got 2 great 
                              performances out of him so far, and if I can squeeze a couple more, I'll 
                              be in bliss.

Pete Sears:   I first met Davey in the late eighties when we played a few shows together 
                        with Kevin Russell on guitar. It was great to play with such a soulful singer 
                        and songwriter as Davey, and we've been good friends ever since, playing 
                        together on and off over the years. Davey sang on my last album, "The 
                        Long Haul" which is sold through Tower Records and Border books, 
                        and has just been released in Europe".

​

 Steve:    Working with Davey.... what is the most endearing quality about him?

Steve Canali:   Well, Davey and I are more than band mates, We both went through 
                           the hardest times of our lives together. The most endearing thing about 
                           Davey is - with a voice like he has, he still has a great capacity for being 
                           a humble average guy, who'll sit down and have a beer with anyone.

Jimmy Sanchez:   Endearing about Davey.... his soulful voice and song writing.

Dale Ockerman:   I love Davey's vocal style, it's a true reflection of the real man inside 
                               the skin, something few singers can hope to attain. He reminds me of 
                               a "golden era of R & B" vocalist, he could sing with Stevie Wonder, 
                               the Temptations or the Beatles, and make 'em all sound better. 
                               Beyond that, I'd have to praise his gardening skills!

Pete Sears:  Davey has a great, dry sense of humor and we've had some good laughs 
                       on the road, hanging out with blues guitarist, Rich Kirch, who played with 
                       John Lee Hooker for many years. I admire Davey for not being afraid to 
                       speak his mind to your face, and he's not the sort of person to stab you 
                       in the back. Something that happens all too often in this business".

​

Steve:          .... and the most frustrating?  :o)

Steve Canali: The most frustrating thing about Davey?  I guess it's that as lazy 
                         as he is, and as much beer that he can put away, he should weigh in at 
                         around 300 LBS., but he still looks great!  Seriously, I guess the most 
                         frustrating thing for me is that, except for recording, we're not playing 
                         together.

Jimmy Sanchez:   Annoying and frustrating - his smoking!

Dale Ockerman: He does have the most annoying habit of dressing up like Benito 
                             Mussolini, and demanding motorcycle escorts to all his sessions. But 
                             genius such as his, affords such indulgences. And I remember one time 
                             at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills when we were bored, so we 
                             had these Bunnies.... oh, never mind, let's keep it PG rated.

Pete Sears:  When he lights up and stands there with a pint in his hand, it reminds me 
                       of my British roots. Sometimes when I look at Davey, I'd give anything 
                       for a pint and a fag and the special brand of camaraderie that goes along 
                       with it. I still have a pint now and again, but I gave up smoking many years 
                       ago. I understand Davey's trying to give up smoking now. I don't envy 
                       him, it's hard. By the way, I think Davey's finally forgiven me for being 
                       English. Well, he's working on it anyway".

     

Steve:   If you were just having a good time and playing with Davey, no studio pressures 
               etc. and you could do any tune ever written, what song would you want him to 
               do?

Steve Canali:  What song would I have Davey do? It would have to be something by 
                          Ray Charles, anything. Actually, Joan Osborne does a tune called 
                          "Spider Web", sort of a tribute to Ray. I think Davey could do a great 
                           job with it.

Jimmy Sanchez:    Any soulful ballad.

Dale Ockerman:   "Bitter Wind" by Moby Grape, written by Bob Mosely. Or maybe 
                               "Where can a man go from here" by Johnnie Taylor w/the stax band.

Pete Sears:   "Mandy" by Barry Manilow.......  just a dumb joke Davey.  Seriously, 
                        I love the way he sings, "Whiter Shade Of Ale, I mean Pale". But then 
                        there are so many songs he sings well. Any soul or blues song would do". 


My initial introduction to the name, John Rewind came from my first interview with Davey,

then he was mentioned in numerous chats with "Funky Paul".  His name came up again in

my interview with Dave Bronze and showed up in a quote made by Robin Trower about

"his good friend" John Rewind in the Dan Muise book.  So when I first talked with John, I felt

like I had known him for a long time.  It was funny really, because I was a bit nervous

(and told him so) finally talking with him as his was a name that always seemed to come up,

especially when talking about guitarists.  In the RTB circle,  John not only has a reputation of

being a superb guitarist,  he's also known for being a genuinely nice man, which I quickly

discovered during our conversations. 
Besides contributing his guitar playing skills, John also produced and wrote or co-wrote five of the songs on this cd. 

Steve:   You seem to know everyone!  Can you tell us a bit about your background.

John:   I don't know why you would be nervous. I'm just another guitar music junky. 
             Well, I grew up in Kansas City and started playing drums at 9 years old after 
             seeing "Cubby" on the Mouseketeers. I just knew I had to have a flattop 
             haircut and play the drums. Between him and the drummer on Lawrence Welk. 
             I took drum lessons from a guy named Bill Zickos  for about 4 years (He 
             invented the clear drums back in the '70's).  I played in a Drum & Bugle Corp., 
             you know marching and such,  played in a jazz group with some college guys, 
             did "Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich" type drum "battles" with this other 13 year 
             old kid and performed on the "Whizzo the Clown" TV show in KC.  Man,  I 
             haven't even thought about this stuff in 40 years!  I can't believe it, but I was 
             a gigging musician as a little kid. Now Davey will understand when he says "gig", 
             why I groan.  When I was going on 14 years old, some guy drove a car over my 
             right foot, so there went my bass drum action. While I was healing with a cast on 
             for a couple of months, I bought a Silvertone guitar from an infamous KC 
             character named Roger Calkins for $5 (Roger Calkins & the Silvertones). My 
             older brother was 18 and had all these cool Blues & Rock 'n Roll records.  So, 
             when he would go out, I'd sneak in his room and sit for hours listen to Muddy 
             Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry etc... and figure 
             out licks. Then I would go to the "Sock Hop" and "Berry's Barn" , the local 
             dance joints and watch the Silvertone's guitar player,  Frank Plas play all night. 
           Those were my guitar lessons, listening and watching. I would just go into a trance 
             when I heard blues guitar and had to learn how to play it. Then a few of my 
             classmates and I formed The Knights and made some local KC area 45's when 
             I was 16. Then onto college, where I started to play with a singer named Glenn 
             Walters, who did a cd a couple of years ago with Tower of Power and lots of 
             national TV ads. We played off and on for years in a band called The Zoo, 
             with a record out in St. Louis, and were in a band during the '70's with another 
             singer-songwriter named Joe Crane called the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils. That 
             was my first taste of  the "big time".  Hah!  We opened all over the US and 
             Canada for the Doobie Bros., Steely Dan,  Chuck Berry, Mott the Hoople 
             etc... and played on the first Pointer Sisters record. Some of our songs were 
             covered by Johnny Winter, the Chambers Bros., and Commander Cody. 
             After the Hoodoos, I did session work for Country Joe McDonald, Rodger 
             Collins and other noted SF Bay Area characters, working on sessions with 
             Steve Miller and Ike Turner. That's when I started to like the "other side of 
             the glass" better and got into producing. 
             I produced the Dynatones after they quit being Charley Musselwhite's back- 
             up band, Roy Loney and the Phantom Movers (from the Flamin' Groovies), 
             and lots of other locals like Spys, The Impostors, The Trouble Boys etc... 
             you know the "The" era. Then I did Holly Stanton, who went from a guitar 
             student of mine to being on "Solid Gold" with a hit in a few months. That's 
             when I knew the studio was my stompin' grounds.  Now I'm producing about 5 
            projects at the same time, everything from a alt-rock group called The Beautiful 
             Losers from Tokyo, to a ukulele cd with Steven Strauss from the SF Bay 
             Area. I've got a little online cd company at: www.rearwindowmusic.com.

​

Steve:   How long have you known Davey?

John:  I met Davey in the early '80's and don't even remember who introduced us. I 
            knew immediately when I heard him, this was the voice I'd been looking for.  He 
            was from that Paul Rodgers, Jimmy Dewar,   Frankie Miller, Alex Ligertwood, 
            Delbert McClinton school of blues-rock singing that just nails me. I'd known 
            Jimmy Dewar since 1974, and knew about Davey from him and seeing him in 
            Gamma, but never imagined I would be working with him. We've been bashing 
            out songs for almost 20 years together now, with some big gaps in there when 
            he was first singing with Robin. In fact , I gave Robin our demo, which led to 
            Davey joining the RTB.  Sorta shot myself in the foot, huh?  No, it was a 
            good move, with great results, wouldn't you say?

​

Steve:   So it was actually you who sent Robin a tape of Davey which initiated 
               their working together back in the mid eighties?

John:  No, actually, I handed it to him on his tour bus, if you want to get technical. It 
            was pretty casual. I guess Davey's voice just jumped out at Robin too.

Steve:  What made you think this would be a good match?

​

John:  Robin writes great songs, and I could listen to Davey sing the telephone book! 
            Both very soulful musicians and very passionate about their craft.

Steve:  How do you know Robin?

​

John: I met Robin in 1968 when he was with Procol Harum. Paul Olsen's partner in a 
           poster business was a guitar student of mine in San Francisco and invited me 
           to meet Procol, and jam with them at this big mansion. Well, everybody was stoned 
           out of their minds, and I never did meet Robin. But every time Procol came to 
           SF over the years, I hung out with Gary Brooker and B.J .Wilson a lot, and 
           gradually got to know Robin. I went to London in 1970, and watched them record 
           at the EMI Abbey Road Studios, and even played a snare drum part with 
           Barrie Wilson on one of their tracks. That's where I got my name "Rewind". 
           I actually started to know Robin better after he started the RTB.  Robin's a 
           little more "reserved" than me, you know. I'm one of those obnoxious Americans 
           that tells you their whole life story in 10 minutes, can't you tell?

​

Steve:  Dave Bronze?

John:   Every time Robin was in town I'd go see him, and was just drawn to Dave 
             because of his incredible wit and truly amazing bass playing. Dave eventually 
             moved to the US, and was my neighbor for about a year, I think. Pretty nice 
             having a talent like that living 20 feet from your studio, huh? Dave's playing on 
             one of the tracks on my cd called "Act Your Age", and truly shines playing with 
             Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste from the Funky  Meters. I don't think there's a 
             type of music on earth that Dave couldn't put a perfect bass part to!

​

Steve:  Funky Paul Olsen?

John:   Are we gradually working our way through my rolodex?

​

Steve:  Well I said you seemed to know everybody that is associated with this "family" 
              that my site is on!

John:  Funky Paul. Well, it doesn't seem like I've ever not known Paul Olsen. Wow! Do 
            we have a few hours?  Paul is a rather colorful character, I'm sure you've found 
            that out on your own. Why, Paul has done everything from paint my infamous 
            guitar, "The American Pickle", to living in the house in L.A. that was Delfi 
            Records, where Ritchie  Valens recorded "La Bamba" and "Donna'!  Paul moved 
            from San Francisco to London in 1969, I think. In 1970, I was in desperate need 
           of some fun and showed up as a surprise at Paul's in London for about 3 weeks. 
            I stayed with (Gary) Brooker for a few days too and was in a Ronnie Hawkins 
            "Top of the Pops" film with Paul, met Ringo, Joe Cocker's Grease Band, The 
            Mods and Rockers etc... the whole deal.  Paul is one of the most creative people 
            I've ever known.  His "Bridge of Sighs" cover is a classic, not to mention his giant 
            Monopoly Game paintings that I remember him the most for.  In fact , right now, 
            he's doing a series of videos  that I just supplied some music for. We talk 
            frequently.

          (Please check out Paul's web site at  Olsenart.com he has some amazing stories and artwork. 
                           Also check out Paul's pages on this site at Funky Paul Page )

​

Steve:   You co-produced on Davey's first cd and produced this cd as well,  what is 
               he like when you get him in the studio?

John:  Davey's great. He comes in to sing, and doesn't bring his herbal tea, consult 
            his guru, hang his crystals in the proper Fung Shui position, he just rolls the 
            tape and sings. How refreshing!  Once in a while there's a line that gives us 
            trouble, but mostly it's just him singing.  What a concept! 
            It's a little frustrating once in a while though because he can't speak English. 
            Or, is it us yanks that can't speak?  Sometimes there's a word like "calm " in 
            "Take a Look at Yourself" that comes out "cam" in Scottish. 
            "You've got to cam down"???  Poor lad, he can't help it.

​

Steve:  People have told me how meticulous you are as far as what you want when 
              recording or working on a song.  Davey plays you a song and gives you some 
              basics on what he wants... do you know right away how you are going to 
              approach it or does it take you a while to know where you want to go with it?

John:  I don't think I'm any more meticulous than anybody else, probably less, because 
            I get lazy. I don't even know the name of half the mics out there, like a lot of 
            producers. I just focus on the song and try to wrestle it to the ground. That's 
            the fun part for me, when a song is just coming together and you don't know 
            where it's quite going, making the parts fit. Ask Davey, I'm a real hot rodder. 
            I like it then, once the chord structure and melody click, and about a year later. 
            Then you've forgotten all the details and hear it again for the first time, if you 
            know what I mean. The goal is to write a song that doesn't sound like it was 
            written, it just fits together. The words tell a story, make sense ,maybe even in 
            an abstract way, but are not particularly a documentary, and the chords and 
            melody are comfortable together, no matter what the style of music. 
            "Bridge of Sighs" and "Daydream" are contenders for me.

​

Steve: If you were just having a good time and playing with Davey, no studio pressures 
             etc. and you could do any tune ever written, what song would you want him to 
             do?

John:  Probably "Drown in My Own Tears" by Ray Charles. We're both huge Ray 
            Charles fans. But, then again, no one could ever improve on that one. Maybe 
            "I Believe to My Soul", or "The Night Time is the Right Time", both by Ray 
            Charles. Is there anyone else? I saw him here in Marin last year. He's like 70+ 
            years old and can still knock you out. I hope I can even tune my guitar at that 
            age.

Davey:  I got a good laugh out of the responses from the guy's who played on this 
              album. They are the salt of the earth. It is really a pleasure just to be in their 
              company, never mind having them as a band. I guess they could have said I am 
              a prissy prima donna as a lot of singers are, so they were kind to me with their 
              responses. I tried to make recording this album as easy as possible for them in 
              as much that I trusted them all to do what was right for the tracks. These 
              people are all seasoned professional musicians, so they came in to the studio, 
              and we just let them "do what they do" No bullshit, no ego's. I love them all.

the Music Scene 

As I mentioned at the beginning of the interview, as we were working on it, this was the note Davey sent me when we discussed how we were going to do it...... 
"" There is a distinct possibility that the next interview you do with me will be pretty long (depending of course on what you ask me) as there are quite a few things I would like to talk about. The state of the music business comes to mind!!!  Radio in America etc.  I don't want the interview to come across as everything is rosy simply because I have an album coming out and I have another one with Robin on the way, cos the fact of the matter is that it is almost impossible to record and tour these day's unless one has a huge production with dancers, and as many scantily clad men and women on the stage with you as is humanly possible " "

​

Steve:   What's the importance of music to you personally?

Davey:   As I have mentioned earlier, music at one time was everything to me. I have 
               lived and breathed it most of my life, gotten many a frustration, and sadness, 
               out of my head by singing and writing songs. I have met so many wonderful 
               people because I play music, and worked with many fine musicians, and also 
               gained lifelong friends from it too. However, there is a "price to pay" for 
               that, and God knows I have paid many a due into that "club". It will always be 
               a huge part of me, but these day's I am also trying to have a life away from 
               it. The music business today is making it easier and easier to do just that.

​

Steve:  What do you think then, is the importance of music socially.

Davey:   I don't know that it has any social relevance any longer. It seems to me that 
               music has gone the way of all business in this day and age.  Meaningless, 
               mindless, soulless drivel coming at you faster than a speeding bloody bullet! 
               Let me try to  explain how I feel about it this way. Rock and roll, blues, soul, 
               any form of "popular" music has ALWAYS been about sex. The sexiness of 
               it used to belong in the art of putting a good song together, in the voice, or in 
               the way an instrument was played. Songs don't seem to matter anymore.  One 
               can simply inject sex into it by putting a video crew together, and making what is 
               more or less a soft porn movie. The "song" itself therefore becomes irrelevant, 
               and goes by the wayside. Hit songs are not made by hearing them on the 
               radio, cos nobody can get ON the radio. Hit songs are now made by MTV 
               and VH1, and at the end of the day,  what does this have to do with music? 
               Does anybody over the age of 12 watch this shit?  Sorry if I am rambling 
               here, but I do get a wee bit upset over this stuff.

​

Steve:    There was a delay in releasing this cd because you were waiting to see if any 
                record companies were interested in distributing it. What was their response?

Davey:  I'm actually laughing at the question Steve!!!  I must say that we only tested 
              the waters with that. Got no response whatsoever!!! No surprise there mate! 
              We knew the major labels were a waste of time, so didn't bother, and 
              Independent labels are dropping like flies because they can't get their artists 
              on the radio. I think the days of the record companies ruling the music 
              business are numbered.

​

Steve:  How frustrating is it for you when you get this reaction... especially given the 
              caliber and quality of the people you were bringing with you to the table?

Davey:   Well frankly, it's not frustrating anymore, it is just par for the course really. 
               I have been making records for thirty years or more, and I could be on the 
               phone to some kid at a label who has no idea who Robin Trower is, let alone 
               Davey Pattison. I really have no faith in the music business anymore. The 
               days of labels having knowledgeable people in charge are long gone I'm afraid.

​

Steve: Why is it people aren't getting the opportunity to actually HEAR these 
             albums?  What is radio and the recording industry thinking by saturating 
             the airwaves with the same stuff.

Davey:  Well the radio stations as far as I can see, are owned by one or two 
              conglomerates, who own 90% of the radio stations in America. For some reason 
              known only to themselves, they are seemingly quite happy to offer the public a 
              never-ending supply of old Led Zepplin, Bad Company, Ozzie Osbourne and 
              the likes. Most musicians of that era are still writing and recording albums, but 
              the stations will not play anything new. I have friends at radio in the Bay Area, 
              who would love to play my music, but the format of the so called "Classic" 
              rock, wont let them do it.

​

Steve:   And.... with the advent of the internet, and the copying of music from numerous 
               sites around the world, where do you think the recording business is heading?

Davey:   Well speaking for myself Steve, I am from the "old school". I only know one 
               way really. Go into the studio with good songs and good musicians, record 
               them well, put it out, get on the radio, and go on the road. That is the way I 
               have done it all my life. The internet is probably the way of the future, but 
               you are really asking the wrong man about that. I have about 60,000 hits on 
               my web site, but that does not translate into 60,000 sales of my music, so who 
               the hell knows where it is going to end up. I just got digital TV, and I can't 
               figure out how to work the bloody remote mate!!  A techno man I am certainly 
               NOT!!!

​

John Rewind:  I just hope that "real music" can get back in circulation, but it's going to 
                          take something like iTunes and the internet, or satellite radio to do it. 
                          Major cd labels and Corporate radio don't have time to listen to a song 
                          anymore, it just has to be what they've decided their demographic wants 
                          in the first few bars of the song. If your over 25, it's like you don't exist. 
                          What other business wants people with the least amount of experience, 
                          and considers something a flop that only sells 500,000 units! And, many 
                          major players, managers, lawyers etc... in the biz don't even want to deal 
                          with the majors. They might have 30 years experience and the guy from 
                          the label just had his first shave! There just like the big car companies. 
                          They just keep trying to out-do last years earnings and keep generating 
                          more and more of exactly the same as a Mercedes, only cheaper, and 
                          wonder why no one is buying them. But then again, we can live our whole 
                          lives and never hear one rap song, or buy a Mercedes clone if we don't 
                          want to.  That's the lure of the internet, to go around the "powers that 
                          be" in any field of commerce. We don't have to buy anything we don't 
                          want, really. Hopefully, the Music Biz will shrink to where it should be, 
                          and all the "manufactured" artists, who are not very good live, or before 
                          the correcting tools, will just go skateboard. Nowadays, you have to be a 
                          million seller to be an opening act. 
                          You have to have experience to get experience!

​

Dale Ockerman:   Yes, that's a nasty subject, on which I have mixed feelings. I miss the 
                               "Electric Ladyland", and "Songs in the Key of Life" type of albums, 
                               where the budgets were unlimited, as was the quality of songs, vibe 
                               and performance, the key elements of quality music. It's supply and 
                               demand, like sausage or kleenex, people buy stuff because they 
                               need/want it, and somebody makes a living at providing it. But, the 
                               Emperor has no clothes, it's all bullshit! To improve the situation, 
                               Artists need to consider their audience, and fans have to not be 
                               brainwashed by a dying behemoth of an industry. They're (The 
                               Industry) going down, and it's ugly. Has to get better before it gets 
                               worse, they say....., and it's bad! 
                               But, let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater, though. Good 
                               cover art, and Artist development should not be overlooked. I know 
                               it was an evil, greedy, bloated industry, but why must I listen to all this 
                               crap? Can't anybody write a good song?  The "Stack of Coasters" 
                               effect at 20$ a pop is ridiculous. 
                               At the same time, if I put every cent I make gigging and producing, 
                               into making a Great CD, it would be a drag if everyone were to just 
                               burn or download free copies, as my health insurance lapses.  It's a 
                               massive ethical problem, on both sides. As John Lennon wrote:, 
                               "You say you've got a real solution, well you know,  we'd all love to 
                               see the plan"..... A good start might be "Just say No" to bullshit, 
                               for both sides, what you tolerate is what you live with.

​

Steve:   Did you happen to watch the Grammies?  I am afraid, after personally 
               struggling through them, for the most part, the caliber of what I call music 
               (I'm not even going to touch on the obvious absence of actual musicians) 
               seems to have gone down hill and that's an understatement.

Davey:  Actually I did watch the Grammies last year for the first time in many years. 
              I gave up watching years ago when M.C. Hammer won for best R&B singer!! 
              That put me off big time! The Grammies, like the whole music business, seem 
              to have gone "corporate". I at one time thought the  Grammies were about 
              honoring people who had achieved some kind of stature in their chosen field 
              of music. It also really amused me that the biggest rap star in the world is a 
              white guy who also received an Oscar!!!!  Go figure THAT one!!!!

​

 Steve:   So...... why do you stay in the business?

Davey:  I laughingly ask myself that question every single day of my life. I guess I'm just 
              a stubborn old bastard. I used to really hate being in a studio, but now I simply 
              love going in there with bits and pieces of a song and trying to make it work. 
              The whole creative process of putting songs together is what it is all about for 
              me now. It's funny that I should make that statement, cos as I say, I used to 
              dread the studio. I always thought that performing to a roomful of people was 
              what it  was all about, and I still love to do that of course, but the process of 
              putting songs together with the right players for a particular song is what keeps 
              it interesting to me. 
  
 

Jimmy Dewar 

​

Steve:  This cd is, as you put it, "humbly dedicated to James Dewar". 
              You told me you wanted to talk a bit about Jimmy. Jimmy was one of your 
              oldest friends, besides the voice, what is it that you remember most about him?

Davey:  What can one say about Jimmy. One of the saddest days of my life was the 
              day Jimmy passed away. Pam and I were on holiday in Glasgow, having a good 
              old time. Brian (Denniston) and I arranged to go to the hospital to see Jimmy. 
              Brian picked me up, and off we went. Having arrived at the hospital, we were 
              ushered into this waiting area where we sat for about 30 minutes, when this 
              very nice man showed up and asked if we were family. I said I was an old friend 
              who had come a long way to see him ( I was thinking at this point that they were 
              not going to let me in to see him).  The guy then told us that Jimmy had passed 
              away five minutes earlier...... I was simply unable to say anything at that point. 
              Brian and I just looked at one another with looks of disbelief. What do I 
              remember about Jimmy?  Well what comes to mind is his caustic Glaswegian 
              sense of humor. His kindness to me for helping me (along with the Big yin 
              Lordan) to get to America, introducing me to Matthew Fisher who produced 
              an album for me that convinced Bill Graham to invite me over here. I could go 
              on and on about Dewar, I really could. I have said it before, and I will always 
              say that James Dewar is the finest white singer I have ever heard. 
             I always wanted to do an Everly Bros. kind of  thing with Jimmy.

​

Steve:  Your voices would have sounded unbelievable together... and would have 
             definitely brought tears to the eyes.

Davey:  Yeah we used to mess around with a song called "Let It Be Me" at parties 
              or sitting around.

​

Steve:   l get lots of mail and entries in the guestbook from people writing about Jimmy. 
               It's obvious the gift of his voice moved countless numbers of people who 
               will hold his memory close to their hearts for a long, long time.

Davey:    Jimmy used to sing a song called, "Scarlett Ribbons", and I swear to God, 
                every time he sang it, it would bring tears to my eyes. He was a very soulful, 
                spiritual man. His wife Mattie and his family, I know, are very proud of what 
                Jimmy achieved.

 

Bill Lordan

​

 Steve:  You recorded a song for Bill Lordan's band BLX called, 
               "Chamber Of The Heart" as well as a couple of old RT tunes, 
               (Messin' The Blues and King Of The Dance) to include on their newest 
               release as a tribute to Jimmy Dewar.  I loved hearing you sing these songs.

​

Davey:   Thank you. I had serious reservations about covering Trower songs without 
               Robin playing guitar, but I thought Eric did a fine job on those tracks. 
               Also the never ending comparisons to Jimmy were concerning me. I really hate 
               when people compare someone to someone else, I really do. When I first 
               arrived in America, I was getting compared to Paul Rodgers by all the press 
               etc. I, for the life of me,  could not understand where they were getting this 
               stuff. It's like Robin being compared to Jimi Hendrix.  Bullshit!!!

​

Steve:   Those kinds of "comparisons" can really hurt a career.  I am a big Hendrix fan 
               and to be honest, I have never understood that comparison.  If you play a 
               Strat through a Marshall something will sound similar, but I have found that 
               people who say that, have just never really listened to either.  That can be 
               said as well about you and Jimmy . I have read dozens of interviews with 
               Robin and I am shocked by how many times writers bring that up and 
               often wonder how many people read that and it turned them off. 
               On Bill's cd, while you always say you aren't really into "Rock",  let's just say 
               when you do, you can!

Davey:   Well I have always said I am not JUST a rock singer. I have been on pop, 
               rock, country, blues, and soul albums. I have even sung with big bands doing 
               standards. I just like to think I can do a decent job with anything that comes 
               my way. I have never been a big fan of rock music Steve, as I always found it 
               to be lacking in lyrical content, and more importantly, lacking in "heart". That 
               is why I love working with Robin. I guess most people consider him to be a rock 
               guy, but his music has always got "depth" to it, and as a singer, the opportunity 
               is always there with Robin to put ones emotions and heart into the songs.

 

Robin Trower 

​

Steve:  Well, speaking of Robin...... as everyone knows you have just finished recording 
              with him again.  Dave Bronze, Pete Thompson, Robin and yourself.... 
              This is a scenario you and I have had....... oh, a few dozen friendly" 
              discussions about.  :o) 
              The question you know I have to ask is, how surprised  were you when the 
              concept came up while you and Robin were together?

Davey:   Well if it was a surprise, it was a very pleasant one. Brian and I met Robin at 
               a hotel the night before Jimmy's funeral. Frankie (Miller) was there too 
               with his girlfriend Annette. Considering the sad occasion, we had a good 
               laugh. You would have to ask Robin about why he called me really. I think 
               he had a bunch of songs already written, and got to thinking I might be 
               able to do them justice. He likes the fact that I don't come in with a huge ego, 
               and the fact that I am more than willing to listen to his suggestions. He wanted 
               a less "bluesy" approach to the vocals, and I figured that would be a bit of a 
               challenge for me, cos I go straight to the blues with every song I sing really. 
               It turned out that I was worrying needlessly.

​

Steve:  How enjoyable was it to look around the studio and see Pete Dave and Robin 
              standing there?

Davey: It was like "going home" for me really. We were in the same exact rehearsal 
             rooms where we put  the "Passion" album together, and "Take What You 
             Need" too. I can't tell you how comfortable it is for me, or any other singer for 
             that matter, to sing in front of these three guy's. Bronzie is a truly gifted man, 
             he really is. Knows just what and when to play, and comes up with these amazing 
             little "passing notes".  Pete (apart from the fact that he has no knowledge of 
             what time it is in California, and insists on calling me in the wee small hours when 
             we are sleeping) is one of my most favorite people in the world. A teddy 
             bear!!  And one of the best drummers I have ever played with.

​

Steve:  Did it have the feel of stepping back into the late 80's?

Davey: No, not at all. I don't think any one of us thought about this being a "nostalgia" 
             thing. We all know what each other is capable of musically, it was just a matter 
             of putting it all together. The four of us are very comfortable around each 
             other, and the whole process was easy going and relaxed.

​

Steve:   So did Robin ask you to play guitar with him ?  :o)

Davey:   (I'm laughing at the memories of THAT mate!!!) 
               Yes, he toyed with the idea of me playing. (probably not in the studio though). 
               I tell you, that man Trower comes up with this shit that only he calls chords!!!. 
               I play a wee bit Steve, enough to write my own songs, but he comes up with 
               these chords that aren't really chords at all!!!  Just two or three fingered 
               strings, and the rest open. I had no bloody clue!!!!  Let's just say, I failed 
               the audition!!!!!

​

Steve:   To quote a mutual friend, Brian Denniston, 
                "Although he doesn't do much on the solo side of thing's people don't realize just how 
                much feel Davey has on the rhythm side of thing's , he really knows what to play at exactly 
                the right time and is very underestimated as a player. "

              *And as personal suggestion - those of you  who have been fortunate enough 
                to hear Davey "Unplugged" at some of the venues in the San Francisco area will 
                understand why I'm suggesting the following - Davey happened to send me a video of 
                himself performing, among other songs, an acoustic guitar version of, "Bridge Of Sighs" 
                as part of his show.  Derek, Robin, if you read this, here's a thought.  Picture this... The 
                stage is black, a single light shines center stage and there sits Davey with an acoustic 
                guitar and mic. He starts off and does one or two verses solo...  The light fades from 
                Davey and is now shining only on Robin.  He's playing that familiar riff.  By the time 
                Robin has finished this riff, and the words are to come in, the lights expand to 
                include all the musicians who are in place, adding the whole sound.  This would blow the 
                roof off!... Steve

​

Steve:   Now that "Living Out Of Time" has been  released, I'd like to get as many 
               of you together as possible to talk a bit about this reformation, the songs 
               and basically how it felt getting together again after all these years.

Davey:  Okay mate, nae borra!!!! (that is Glaswegian for no problem!!! )

Davey:   Well you can see why I love working with Robin. It is really quite amazing. We 
                share a love for singers from the 40's and 50's. Robin doesn't listen to guitar 
                players, he listens to singers. At the end of the day 

​

Steve:  Do you listen to your own recordings very much... or at all?

Davey:   Not really. It's not that I don't like to hear these albums, it's just that they are 
               now done, finished etc. I am always thinking of, "okay, what's next???"

​

Pam:  When Davey's sister (Joy) was over for a visit I would put on, "If Forever" which 
          is one of our favorites and she would cry every time!  He would go outside though 
          anytime we put his stuff on.

​

Steve:  Why did he go outside?

Pam:   He doesn't like to listen to his own stuff.  I don't know why not, but he doesn't. 
           Which makes it hard for me cos' I can only listen to it either when is is out or on 
           the rare occasion that he doesn't mind.

​

Steve:  In talks I have had with Davey, it is very apparent that his biggest fan is his 
              sister, Joy. I have talked to Joy and wanted to get some thoughts from her 
              about her Big Bree".....

Joy Pattison (On her favorite song) 
               I have thought long and hard about how to answer this, I would say that Pam 
               would be right in saying that I cry when I hear "If Forever". I don't know why, 
               I just do, It's one of those songs that make the hair on the back of my neck 
               stand up. I just love it!. My long time favorite would have to be "Rock Me 
               Baby". Dave would always sing if for me, his words, "this one is for my wee sis", 
               she like's that sexy shit!!!!! I think his words just say it all.

​

Steve:  Have you seen him perform often?  With who?  What was your impression?

Joy Pattison:  I have seen Dave perform with many people over the years. In the early 
                        days. there would be Jimmy Dewar, Frankie Miller, Alex Harvey, Stone 
                        the Crow's with Maggie Bell, and many more. I remember they would meet 
                        up after a gig, in a place called the Picasso, where they would have a few 
                        beers and discuss music. I frequently went with Dave to a lot of his gigs, 
                        but was never allowed to go to the "Picasso. I always did wonder what 
                        happened there!!" 
                         The first time I went to San Francisco, Dave had joined Gamma by this 
                       time.  I arrived in time to see Gamma perform in the Cow Palace, ZZ Top 
                       were also on the bill.  "God I thought all my birthdays had come at the one 
                        time".  To say I was impressed, is an understatement. It was truly amazing 
                        to stand behind the stage and look out at all the people, there were 
                        thousands !!!!!  It was also very exciting back stage. I was so proud 
                        watching my Big Bree singing in this huge arena, he appeared to be so 
                        confident and of course his voice was just as wonderful as I had 
                        remembered.

​

Steve:   As his sister, and looking at his stage and web presence, do you find it funny 
               how popular he is and how much has been written about him?

Joy Pattison:  The answer to that would be no. I have, over the years, got kind of used 
                         to it. I also have a look at his web site and know how popular he is. I do 
                         tease him from time to time as to how he will go down  in history

.

Steve:   I'm sure you have heard the "Pictures" cd. What do you think?

Joy Pattison:  "Pictures".... I love it!  Dave, sent me a rough copy ( I had pestered him 
                        until I got one). The morning it arrived I was just leaving for work, I had no 
                        time to listen at home so I played it in the car, It was amazing, I cried when I 
                        heard "Pictures" my favorite song from this album ..... it was just my Big 
                        Bree.!!!!  Its a really good album, I hope somebody will take the time just 
                        to listen to it. I could go on and on, we are talking about my favorite 
                        subject.

​

Steve:  I have heard that  just like in the case of most actors not wanting to watch 
              themselves on screen, most musicians really don't like to listen to themselves. 
              Where do you fit in with this statistic?

Davey:  Speaking for myself, I don't listen much to my old albums. Once it is done, I'm 
              looking at what is coming next. Pam occasionally pulls them out, but I tend to 
              disappear when she does. Not for any particular reason, but I'll hear something 
              that I wish I could do over again. There is one song in particular that I wish I 
              could "have back" A song on "Take What You Need" called "Over You" that 
              I feel could have been better from a vocal standpoint.

​

Steve: That subject has come up a lot in other forums. As fans, we have always 
             had a hard time understanding why artists can be so critical of the work they 
             have done when we, the listener, can hear it every day and enjoy it every time.

Davey:    Well go figure. I have had a lot of mail from people who tell me that "Over 
                You" is their favorite vocal song of all time!!!!!!  I guess it's like "beauty being 
                in the eye of the beholder."

 Steve:  On the inside liner it says thanks "to Pam Torres for showing me that there is 
              indeed light at the end of a long dark tunnel"

​

Steve:  So to answer the question you pose to yourself in the song, "Pictures", 
              you ask, "what became of me" ? 
              Do you like where you are now?   What has become of you?

Davey:  Ronnie Montrose told me a while back when we were putting the Gamma 4 
              album together that Denny (Carmassi) had called him up before we started 
              that album and asked "Can Davey still sing?"  I hadn't seen Denny in a long 
              time before we got together to do that album, so he was quite right to ask the 
              question. He too was about to give a lot of time and energy to the project 
              after all. When Ronnie told him, "better than ever", Denny said to him, "I wonder 
              why Davey isn't rich?"  So to answer your question Steve, I would have to say 
              yes and no to that. Also that there are fabulous singers in this world who have 
              never ever been given the chance to "make a mark" at all, and people like Bobby 
             Bland who have been on the road for 60 years. To my knowledge, Bobby 
             Bland has ONE gold record to his name!  He's probably recorded hundreds 
             of albums in his time, and has had ONE album that was really successful. So I 
             am not in so bad a state over it really. When I start to feel sorry for myself, I 
             think of John Lee, and his years on the "chitlin' circuit". It could be a lot worse 
             mate!!!!  I'm still singin'!!!!! I have been Davey Pattison for a long time now, and 
             although I would be the first guy to tell you that I could use a few "adjustments", 
             I am quite happy with who I am.

​

Steve:  If you could be anywhere in the world right now... where would you be?  Why?

Davey:  Oh you are hitting me "where I live" with that one Stephen"!!!!! 
              If I had my absolute choice, I would be in "The Rig" in Glasgow (my sister's wee 
              "local" pub) with my two daughters, Pam, Patrick, the bloody monster that is 
              "Rayna" and Joy. My nieces Jennifer, Paula, and Anne, my lifelong mates, 
             Willie Stewart, Bill Sampson, and of course Brian Denniston. (one must always 
              have a guitar player handy!!!  They sometimes have uses you know..... a 
              Canadian guitar player named Shail would have  a ball in Glasgow you know!!!) 
              The Egan clan, and my dear old aunt Nell whom I adore. I do get very homesick 
             on occasion, and I really thought about moving back to the U.K a few years 
              ago, but I also love where I live, and I have been away from Scotland for 25 
              years now. As the song say's, 'too many years' I guess. In California, I don't 
              go out very often, if at all, so If I am not working, you will find me sitting by the 
              pool having a few beers, and trying in complete vain to get a sun tan!!!! 
              It's like the music business. I will die trying!!!!!

​

Steve:   Well Davey, we find ourselves once again at the end of another interview and 
               I want to thank you for sharing your thoughts and your continued and 
               refreshing honesty, openness and above all, for your friendship.

Davey:   Thank you Steve, it has been my pleasure to do this with you. I sincerely hope 
               I have not painted a picture of doom and gloom with this interview, because 
               that was certainly not my intent. However, people must realize that they are 
               on the verge of losing many artists that I know they love, respect, and admire. 
               It is absolutely appalling to me that someone of the stature of Robin Trower, 
               has, like myself, announced on the net, that "Living out of Time" may be his 
               last album. "Pictures" may well be my last album too. I guess it is simply up 
               to the fans to decide whether these albums are worthy of their support. I 
               would like to thank the people from all over the world who supported my 
               efforts by buying my last album "Mississippi Nights", and I can only hope for 
               their continued support with "Pictures". People who download music for free, 
               or burn copies for their friends, are only contributing to the demise of "real" 
               music. I thank everyone who takes the time to read this, I thank Steve Shail 
               for taking the time to put it all together, and I thank all the great musicians 
               that gave me their time, talent, and energy to put "Pictures" together.

                                                   "Keep on Rockin'"!!! God Bless. 

 
 

While I had the opportunity, during my interviews with some of the great musicians who      worked with Davey on his cd, I thought it might be interesting to get a small glimpse into their personal taste in music during a certain situation and ask each of them who or what they themselves liked to listen to. 
I asked them all this one question: 


 "If you were to make a five song cd for your vehicle, and it was the only music you could listen to on a long drive ...... what would they be? "

Steve Canali:  Impossible! It would be different every day. But if I had to choose by 
                          artist, I'm sure it would be made up of mostly Sonny Landreth & 
                          Ry Cooder, Bobby King & Terry Evans.

Dale Ockerman:  This would change daily, or hourly. Right now, I'd say "Catfish 
                               Blues" Muddy Waters, "Wind Cries Mary" Jimi Hendrix, "A 
                               Whiter shade of Pale" Procol Harum, "Come Back, baby" Ray 
                               Charles, and Barabagagal" Donovan w/Jeff Beck group. Having 
                               heard that, there'd be another thousand songs I'd want to hear!

John Rewind:    Wow! What are you, Barbara Walters? Only five. I'll just pick five 
                            before I change my mind. How about "Hey Pocky Way" by the Funky 
                            Meters, "Low Commotion" by Ry Cooder, "You Don't Love Me" by 
                            Bo Diddley, "Final Peace" by Jeff Beck, and "Heart's Desire" by 
                            Lee Roy Parnell. That would work. But don't ask me five minutes from 
                            now, they'll be different.

Pete Sears:   I think I'd rather listen to early British "Goon Show" radio shows, and 
                        perhaps some classic "Monty Python". Music tends to make me drowsy 
                        driving on a long road trip. 

  While the title or topic of my web site is Robin Trower, it's not just about one person. It's about the music, the sound, not just the sound of a guitar...but the TOTAL sound, guitars, bass,drums and vocals, all of them together, weaving through the songs, each doing what they need to do, at the right moment, to give you the TOTAL sound. 
    When I think of Robin Trower ,I think of Jimmy Dewar, Bill Lordan, Reg Isidore, Dave Bronze, Pete Thompson and a few others. 
    When you think of songs like "Caroline"," Passion", "No Time", "Take What You Need", "Sea Of Love" you think of the vocal talents of Davey Pattison. 
    The versitility and power of his voice on "Love Attack" or  "Tear It Up" to the soulful tenderness of "If Forever" or "Over You" (IMHO two of the best vocal pieces I have ever heard) you could easily make a case to count him among the top vocalists out there.

bottom of page