Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons

Subject: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: GUEST,Dave H
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 05:50 PM

Slightly weird one here.
Just been enjoying the re-released 2nd and 3rd BBC series of M&W fron the late 60's/ early 70's (sorry to our US mudcatter brethren, this will mean nothing) and while cringeing at the weekly appearence of Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen,I had completely forgotten that there was also a weekly appearence by a vaguely folky (Cod Oirish, Joni Mitchell's Clouds, 49th st bridge song etc) group called The Patersons. There must have been a conflagration in the dressing room after the show as the crimplene waistcoat/bri-nylon shirt static discharged. (Can I say conflagration??? .............No...... "conflagration". [He's looking it up]).
Even Mrs H, who was a M&W addict at the time (and still has the short, fat, hairy legs) can't remember them. Anyone know anything about them? Why did they get a spot on the most succesful telly programme of the day, watched by about half the entire UK population. WHat happened to them???

Any clues?

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 09:47 PM

I was a huge M&W fan but I don't remember the Patersons. Oy - what is wrong with Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.........I liked them

She who does not have short fat hairy legs.!!!!!

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 10:03 PM

I like Kenny Ball as well! And Acker Bilk. I suspect they are to Jazz what the Spinners are to folk!

But, no, I don't remember the Pattersons either:-(

Dave.

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 05:32 AM

Both bands great live. You have to do anodyne things on TV, as it appeals to the lowest common denominator.
Don't remember, and can't find out, anything about the Patersons, although I vaguely remember a 'poor man's Seekers' group from that time.
Giok

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 07:19 AM

My favourites were Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson, who performed an explosive 'Johnny One Note' on a very early M&W show that has been stuck in my brain ever since. Saw it on a repeat back in 2000 and it was just as good as I remembered it...

Did Scott Walker really perform Amsterdam on the M&W show? Or did I just dream that?

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 07:48 AM

Try this Couldn't find Johnny One Note.....BUT.
G.

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 08:58 AM

Thanks for that, Giok; I had a rake around You Tube earlier on and found a choice Shirley Bassey rendering of Johnny One Note from 1968 - enjoyable for sure but not quite in the same league as PC & TJ somehow...

And as for Amsterdam - try this!

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 09:26 AM

Funnily enough I sat and went through all the Jaques Brel stuff on You Tube about 4 days ago. I love his songs, and his singing of them. He was one of those fairly rare singer songwriters who was also the best deliverer of his own songs.
Giok

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 09:28 AM

Come on,Catspaw, 'fess up!


RtS
(do you still have the Crimplene waistcoat [vest]?)

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 09:49 AM

A quick look at Google & Allmusic guide only comes up with a US current gospel group (Pattersons with two Ts).

RtS

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Splott Man
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 10:52 AM

There was a thriving cabaret circuit at the time, with most large towns having a club or two. Consequently there were a fair number of Seekers/Settlers/Springfields type groups on the circuit cashing in (in the nicest possible sense) on the popularity of such groups. Often these guys wouldn't bother with recording their material, having a reasonable enough living working live.
M & W or their agent may have known them from their own forays onto the circuit.
You may find something on them in old copies of The Stage newspaper.

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: andrewq
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 11:06 AM

Wikipedia has this:

The Pattersons were an Irish folk band from County Donegal during the 1960s and 1970s. Originally consisting of Billy, Ronnie, Christine and Dorothy, they became a trio in 1964 when Dorothy left. The group released 5 LPs and achieved international recognition in the 70s, but are today best remembered for their frequent appearances on the Morecambe & Wise show, totalling 13 in all.

Christine Patterson married Dr. Michael O'Dowd (Retired Gynacologist and Pediatrician, Portiuncla Hospital) in the mid 70's and they have four children, Katie, Clare, Michael and David. They lived in Ballinasloe, County Galway for a number of years, but now reside in the beautiful picturesque village of Barna, County Galway.

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: GUEST,DaveH
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 06:12 PM

Splendid! Thanks andrewq, Ah kent Mudcat wouldnae let me down.......definitely single T in Paterson in the credits, mind.
DaveH.
PS TRUBRIT and Dave P, sorry, Kenny Ball was Gawdawful too! Very bad trumpet player/singer, but fairly decent (if MU-bog standard) sidemen.

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 10:52 PM

Well - possibly - I am far from an expert!!!!! But I did like them and I liked Acker Bilk too -- (Stranger on the Shore was wonderful -- I remember the infamous Christmas I wanted to buy it for my dad and my mother discouraged me -- turned out he had bought it for me)....and I like Chris Barber too.......oh well, we all have our deep and dark secrets!

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Scotus
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 09:06 PM

Chris Barber was (and still is) streets ahead of any of the other British 'trad jazz' outfits of the day. I saw his big band in Blackburn a couple of years ago and was blown away (almost literally)!

Jack

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: alison
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 10:00 PM

yep, they were Irish, my Dad used to have an LP "The Patterson's again"

very like the Seekers.

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: GUEST,Maurice
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 04:22 PM

Ronnie Patterson was (maybe still is) a floor manager with RTE (the Irish TV station)

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: GUEST,zaritots
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 05:56 AM

the pattersons were a lovely family band from the 60s/70s. warm talented siblings from donegal.
i loved their music growing up...

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Jeanie
Date: 03 Mar 12 - 06:41 AM

I've just been watching some of those wonderful old M&W shows, too. Apart from seeing Eric & Ernie, isn't it great to see all that fashionable crimplene clothing !

Like others here, I started wondering what had happened to The Pattersons, what they looked like now and so on. A Google search brought me to this thread (which I'd missed at the time), AND, much more importanly, I found this Youtube clip of The Pattersons as they are now, on what is billed as their last live performance in June 2011: The Pattersons - June 2011

Looking and sounding exactly the same as 40+ years ago (....apart from the boys' grey hair, that is...)

- jeanie

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 03 Mar 12 - 08:39 AM

Did you know that Crimplene was named for the river Crimple, which runs near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, where the fabric was manufactured.
A couple of days back we were at the Harogate Theatre to see the show Time Gentlemen Please. There were leaflets advertising a double bill of Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk with their respective bands.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Jeanie
Date: 03 Mar 12 - 10:43 AM

I didn't know about the origin of the name Crimplene, Geoff.   What I did discover last year was that in the 1930s Courtaulds proudly brought out a synthetic fabric which they called: Courgette !

- jeanie

Subject: RE: Morecambe and Wise, 69/70: The Patersons
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 03 Mar 12 - 11:29 AM

According to Youtube (and would they lie to us?) Billy Bragg has recorded with the Pattersons ("There is power in a union" specifically). If it's the same Pattersons, that's one of the weirdest bits of degrees-of-separation trivia I've seen in a while.