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May 2008 Fuzz Swedish rock magazine Fuzz recently published a short Halsall restrospective. Although comprising mostly information they got from this site, the article does include some great new input from both Steve Yorks and Zanna Gregmar. Many thanks to Anders Öhman - not only for spotting it in the first place, but also for translating it into English.
May 2008 It was 20 years ago today . . Well, very nearly. Joerg Reinicke has found a remarkable live recording of Kevin and Ollie in Holland from 1988. It's a complete concert from Club LVC, Leiden, Holland in the Spring of 1988. It's quite remarkable how these things suddenly turn up after almost exactly 20 years. The set includes a rare complete Am I Really Marcel together with and the only known version of Cocaine Blues. Elsewhere, Ollie throws the Superstition riff into Didn't Feel Lonely.
April 2008 Johnny Guitar! Armand Serra recently visited 'Admral' John Halsey to show him Ollie's famous Gibson SG Custom. John happily posed with the instrument which has been lovingly restored by Armand.
March 2008 Rutles DO Get Back! contactmusic.com confirms that the rumoured Rutles reunion did take place at the Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood on Monday 17 March 2008. Following a question-and-answer session, Eric Idle, Neil Innes, John Halsey and Ricky Fataar took to the stage - bizarrely, for the first time ever. "This is the first that a band has reunited before they have actually united in the first place!" quipped Idle. Celebrities present included Andy Summers, Jeff Lynne, Peter Asher and The Simpsons regular Dan Castellaneta A message from Sir Mick Jagger (who appeared in the Rutles 1978 film All You Need Is Cash) said "I can't believe you have decided to recreate your magnificent past. I wish I could be there. If only to laugh!"
March 2008 Record Collector The March 2008 issue actually included The Archive's following response to an earlier article: Barry Winton's excellent evaluation of the Island Records catalogue (RC 346) manages to name-check guitarist Ollie Halsall no less than six times (seven, if he had included the Kevin Ayers' June 1st 1974 contribution). It is surely time for a substantial feature on this extraordinary musician, who played on at least 70 albums between 1970 and his untimely death in 1992. Halsall is often damned with the faint praise 'under-rated' but I would suggest that 'ignored' or 'overlooked' would be more accurate. I am increasingly convinced that some sort of conspiracy exists to maintain the hierarchy of rock guitar guitar and suppress any re-evaluation. It is, perhaps, inconvenient that the finest player we ever had ended his career playing small European clubs with an ageing hippy singer-songwriter. March 2008 Rutles Get Back? The Rutles may be re-uniting to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their cult movie All You Need is Cash. According to contactmusic.com,
This is, of course, stretching credulity a bit, considering that Eric neither played nor sung on the original recordings. Further cold water may be poured on the idea by Admiral John Halsey, who says that "this Rutle is not to keen on spending money on flights transfers hotels etc to see a thirty year old film. "What I am interested in" adds John, "is the Neil Innes and Fatso tour in October"
February 2008
Tempesta! A quite superb [considering it's age] recording of Tempest has surfaced. The concert at The Alcione Theatre, Genoa, Italy, March 1974, courtesy of Joerg Reinicke from Germany, includes a complete set including the elusive Dream Train. There is some deterioration of the original tape but we have fixed the worst of this.
February 2008
Radio Patto Patto are the 'house band' for Eddie Gaines' Egyptian Tomb programme on 10radio Sunday 10 February 2-4pm. You can receive 10Radio on 105.3 FM in the Wiveliscombe|Taunton|Wellington area of Somerset. Otherwise, listen online at www.10Radio.org
January 2008
Treasured Island Barry Winton's excellent evaluation of the Island Records catalogue in the February 2008 issue of Record Collector magazine, manages to namecheck Ollie Halsall no less than six times [and it would have been seven, but for the omission of his spectacular contribution to Kevin Ayers' June 1st 1974 album].
January 2008 Sound and Vision If you haven't visited for some time you may be pleasantly surprised by the wealth of media clips now available. Although video is, of course, near-impossible to find, I shall continue to add audio samples as often as possible. If anyone has a particular favourite, I will be pleased to include it.
January 2008
Grave News: On the case Tomás Graves [no pun intended] - who has the good fortune to reside in Deia - writes "Although knob attrition is one of the lesser known processes of nature, I do have a couple of spare knobs somewhere. It's not the first time one has fallen (or been prised) off." January 2008 Grave News [sorry!] Not the best way to start the new year, but Reijo Lainela from Helsinki has just visited Ollie's memorial stone in the graveyard at Deia and reports that one of the guitar knobs is missing. I only hope this is not vandalism or the work of some sick souvenir hunter. Reijo says "If I only knew this beforehand, I could have taken a replacement and some good glue!" So, if anyone is planning a trip to Mallorca in the near future, please restore the memorial to its former condition [see photo] - Do ask permission beforehand, though. I'll give a prize to anyone who fixes it!
December 2007 New Ayers video Some previously unseen footage of Kevin and Ollie from 1982 in Spain. The concert also features Zanna Gregmar [keys], Miguel Figuerola [drums] and Pere Colom [bass] and four of the songs are available on the Kevin Ayers page. Many thanks to Ian Carpenter for this remarkable video
November 2007
Site maintenance Many days inside the computer with a hammer and a pair of pliers to produce a totally revised 'interface' [as they say]. Loads of new things to find, including remarkable footage of Kevin and Ollie from their very last shows together at the Shaw Theatre, London, April 1992 November 2007
Abbots Langley The new album of previously unreleased recordings by Ollie Halsall is now set for release on 14 January 2008 by Market Square Records [MSMCD 145] but is available online NOW! The material, which includes nine Halsall originals, dates from a 1980 colaboration with drummer John Halsey and is completed by some very unusual extra recordings. Full details here
October 2007 All that glisters . . [Beat Club DVD] This from Roger Houdaille: "So, I just got in a copy of that Progressive Times Vol. 4 1970/71, which is nothing more than a fancy packaged bootleg. What's worst is they used the exact same source as my copy of the Patto clip!, which means, either it came from my trading (which hasn't been many at all) or this release is related to the guy I got the copy from . . . who does have virtually every Beat Club performance. The menus are also very basic, and the label called Orange DVD is based in Switzerland. The packaging was real nice though . . . sure had me fooled!" Well, there you go. And I'm seething about it because I believe the bootleggers had the damn nerve to complain about the YouTube version and have it removed. Unbelievable. Anyway it's back up again and you can still watch it here
October 2007 Abbots Langley A new album of previously unreleased recordings by Ollie Halsall is finally set for release shortly by Market Square Records [MSMCD 145]. The material, which includes nine Halsall originals, dates from a 1980 colaboration with drummer John Halsey and is completed by some very unusual extra recordings. Email here for latest details and availability. October 2007 Tempest I was kindly sent what I assumed to be three and a half minutes of missing guitar from the intro to Living In Fear [Tempest, Teatro Nuovo, Torini, 1974]. Having laboriously cobbled this onto the existing track, I then realised that it was merely a clip 7 minutes into the original recording [doh!] Never mind. It's slightly better quality than I had, so here is a quite remarkable compilation of solo guitar [minus some rather irritating monophonic synthesiser] |
August 2007 15 Love Erik Amkoff has kindly contributed a remarkable recording of the Pattos at the Royal Tennis Courts[!], Stocholm, from February 1972. The gig was one of the dates of on a tour supporting Ten Years After - Alvin Lee had the unenviable task of trying to follow that every night! Not only did Erik mange to capture the event on his portable cassette player, but his friend, Anders Öhman took a couple of photos and has documented the event
August 2007 Beat Club Progressive Times Vol.4 1970 DVD, £13.00 (Orange - 28204) Having been removed from YouTube, this Patto performance is now available on DVD. Rather a lot to pay for one appalling video, but it does comprise one of only two items of footage remaining. Appears to be NTSC only, unfortunately. Thanks to Roger Houdaille and Chris Dupre who, unlike me, must actually read the Freak Emporium emails!
August 2007 Duffy Power US Ollie-freak, John McCarthy has kindly brought to our attention a previously unknown session by Ollie with 60's rock 'n roll star, Duffy Power. The album, Just Say Blue [1995] comprises recordings from the 1966-67 and a shelved LP recorded with Rod Argent in the early 1970s. Although Ollie plays on only one of the later tracks [Lawdy Miss Clawdy] this, nevertheless, represents an valuable addition to the antholliegy.
July 2007 Callejones Well, it's been a long time but, at last, something new. Juan Javier Martínez, drummer with Spanish group Callejones has kindly contributed his own 'recording diary of the sessions Ollie produced and played on, for their 1991 album, Al Pie Del Cañón.
July 2007 Otway The inimitable John Otway reads an extract from his autobiography :o)
March 2007 Tattoo for Patto Swedish guitarist and serious Ollie-freak Kee Marcello, of Easy Action and Europe, plays a heartfelt and convincing tribute with a recording entitled Tattoo for Patto
March 2007 Carl Berry All accepted theories concerning the origins of Rock & Roll are effectively overturned by this 1945 [yes, 1945!] recording by Louis Jordan [and his Timpani 5]. The intro features Carl Hogan playing THE guitar riff 10 years before Mr Berry March 2007 Mainstream Machine A very interesting insight into the Bohemiam world of Deia, Mallorca in the late 80's is given by Mike Shefrin's account of the jazz combo, Mainstream Machine
March 2007 Rick Nielsen Armand Serra has kindly sent a remarkable photo of none other than Cheap Trick guitarist and long-time Ollie-freak Rick Nielsen with the rennovated 'Blue Traff' guitar
March 2007 Ollievision John Cale's OGWT performance of Dying on The Vine was shown as part of a BBC4 production New York Rock at the The BBC. If anyone managed to record this, please get in touch, because it would be good to upgrade our our ancient VHS transcription March 2007 Ollie and Ali Rutles musical director and arranger John Altman has kindly contributed some stories about Ollie and an account of a truly remarkable gig
March 2007 Blue Traff Armand Serra's quest for The Holy Grail has finally been realised by his discovery and rennovation of what is almost certanly Ollie's most famous guitar
March 2007 Piper 2000 Francesco Malfatti recalls Patto's memorable appearance at The Piper 2000 club in Viareggio, Italy in July 1972
March 2007 Petition If you are a UK resident, please spare, literally, a few seconds to sign Dominic Cronin's online petition against the absurd situation now threatening live music. February 2007 Unsung Hero US Guitar Player magazine includes the following entry in a list of 101 Gutar Greats an Unsung Heroes: Although Halsall's most famous work is on the ultimate Beatles send-up, The Rutles, the British underground legend was also capable of expansive improvisations, unparalleled musicality, and blinding technique. “His playing on the first two Patto albums is it,” says XTC's Andy Partridge of Halsall's early '70s fusion outfit. “His solos would explode into the ionosphere like a John Coltrane improvisation.”
February 2007 Warts & All John Halsey's superb recording of Patto LIVE at The Black Swan, Sheffield in 1971, is available again through this site. This is the ONLY live Patto album and, in The Admiral's own words "The solo on Let It Rock alone is worth the purchase price!" Full details here
January 2007 Sausages! "While the pie was in the oven, we went back to the studio to complete the painting" Part two of Bernie Holland's recollections covers various dinner menus and the creation of a painting - 'La Vogheur Lough''
January 2007 Caves A limited edition of the album, which has been completely sold out for some time, is now available again - with revamped artwork. Full details here
January 2007 Under the Blossom The full extent of Ollie's involvement with Tempest is revealed in this excerpt from David Wells' album sleeve notes
January 2007 The Patto & Timebox Fan Site Our 'sister' site in the US now has a new address: www.pattofan.com January 2007 Paris Amazingly, a couple more photos of Patto - This time from Paris in 1972, courtesy of Armand Serra. They were taken at the time of the remarkable French TV session which featured Bernie Holland on bass in place of the indisposed Clive Griffiths. January 2007 Stockholm A couple of remarkably rare photos of Patto in Sweden, 1972, kindly contributed by Anders Öhman - who also gives a fascinating account of the impact the band had there.
January 2007 PhoneTuner It is a little-known fact that the UK ringtone [i.e the one you hear in your earpiece - NOT the one the phone makes] and engaged signal are pitched to G. This, of course, provides a cheap and widely accessible tuning device :-) Thanks to Adam Croft for this invaluable tip. January 2007 Tom's First Hit! January 2007 Guitar Player US Guitar Player magazine February 2007 issue [cover picture: Tommy Bolin] features '101 forgotten greats & unsung heroes' [Page 83] - which includes the following brief acknowledgment of Ollie Halsall: Although Halsall's most famous work is on the ultimate Beatles send-up, The Rutles, the British underground legend was also capable of expansive improvisations, unparalleled musicality and blinding technique. "His playing on the first two Patto albums is IT," says XTC's Andy Partridge of Halsall's early '70s fusion outfit". His solos would explode into the ionosphere like a John Coltrane improvisation."
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