Patti Jo - (Patti Jo + Barry Smith ?) - Merged Topic

[Sebastian]

Yipee!

Just done my first ever upload to refosoul and it seems to work.

A clip of Patti Jo "This is the price" Scepter (1975/6).

Thanks for the upload, Steve! Very interesting to hear.

[Funky Si]

Yipee!

Just done my first ever upload to refosoul and it seems to work.

A clip of Patti Jo "This is the price" Scepter (1975/6). As I said a nice Invictus / crossovery feel to this one. Not as funky as MMBIY but See what ya think.

I have played it at Yarmouth a few times but not recently

Steve

Thanks Steve

A budget-busting global 25% increase in the number of Patti Jo tracks out there - fantastic news!

If it is Sceptre 1975/6, and given that its not a Curtis Mayfield production, then I wonder if this is actually a later session? Is there anything you can add about where the disc came from?

Cheers

Si

[Funky Si]

Title: Curtis Mayfield - Aint No Love Lost - Curtom

added by Funky Si on 24 Jun 2010 in the soul-clips refosoul category

artist: curtis mayfield

title: aint no love lost

label: curtom

label extra: no info entered

audio/video: audio

info posted:

From the 1974 album "Got To Find A Way"

link to reofosoul clip info page

[Steve G]

Thanks Steve

A budget-busting global 25% increase in the number of Patti Jo tracks out there - fantastic news!

If it is Sceptre 1975/6, and given that its not a Curtis Mayfield production, then I wonder if this is actually a later session? Is there anything you can add about where the disc came from?

Cheers

Si

Recorded 31/8/75

I am sure Mayfield was long gone from her world by then......Steve

[Guest BIG H]

Thanks for sharing that Steve

[nsoul2]

Thanks for sharing that Steve

Thanks from me also, to all the contributors to this , I thought there was the just a couple of tracks and no information on Patti Jo.

Exemplary thread.

Packing for Brid now

Thanks guys

[Roburt]

Patti Jo & Barry Smith both started out in the music biz in Miami.

They met when both still young & teamed up;

thus Patti Jo + Barry Smith = P. J. Smith & Co.

.. P.J. = Patti Jo ... Smith = Barry Smith ... & Co. = their backing band.

............. that part of the story I understand quite well ............

I also know that Patti Jo landed a part in the Broadway play 'Purlie' & so moved up to New York.

.............................. SO HOW COME .......

it seemed to be Barry Smith that recorded in New York, while Patti Jo teamed up with Curtis Mayfield

............ anyone know how that came about ??

Edited August 14, 2012 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Before she teamed up with Barry Smith, Patti Jo had been a member of Jesse Ferguson's Gospel Jazz Singers ....

... this outfit had later changed their name to Jesse Lee Ferguson & the Outer Limits.

[boba]

I played patti jo the other day and was wondering who she was, I know / knew nothing about her. Thanks for the info.

[Steve G]

I posted an article about her on here, it should be in the archives. It was a feature she did in 'Black Stars' and Bob - pix of her in Chicago

Roburt must admit that "Swinger" dating bar caption you've posted doesn't like the sort of place to take yer missus What year is the Barry Smith article please?

Edited August 15, 2012 by Steve G

[nsoul2]

It was June 2010 in Look at your box. Lots of info on Patti Jo. See if I can restart it as dont know how to merge it .

[Ady Croasdell]

From a previous interview I had her down as being from Nashville and returning there to record a CD in the mid 90s!

[nsoul2]

Info on Patti Jo to add to current thread

[Ady Croasdell]

And from the Patti interview Steve posted I'd say I'm 100% wrong on the first bit, but have it on good authority that she was in Nashville in the 90s.

[Roburt]

Steve, the article I included in my 'montage' is dated July 71 ......... from Evening News, Newburgh, NY ....

https://news.google.c...pg=5126,4935112

There's other very similar ones from around the same time. An article was featured in the Robesonian (July 25th, 71) and in the San Mateo Times (Aug 3rd, 71) .......

Mateo Tuesday August 3 1971 Young Singer Wins Plaudits in Musical Purlie Production Patti Jo the female lead of the musical had seen one Broadway show in her life before she went on the way stage herself That show was Purlie She had gone to it after she'd been hired as a replacement for Melba Moore to see how it went Miss Moore had grown restive in a show about black people which isn't militant and left it But Patti Jo says she isn't the militant type She had been in nightclubs starting in rock n roll bars and strip joints including songs from Purlie in her act. In fact it was a newspaper review of a Miami engagement last winter that brought Patti Jo the attention of Purlie producer Philip Rose and got her the job of the sweet young hing discovered in the junior choir by sharp-eyed Rev Purlie victorious When Patti Jo talks about her brief history the themes that recur are determination to be- come a star and saving money to use to further her career She was born in Otter Creek Fla named Patricia Demps with three older ers and three older sisters Both her parents died when she was very young Reared by the est sister Jane McKenzie Patti Jo as she was always called grew up in DeLand Fla then Miami during high school years She went to Florida in Tallahassee determined to get graduating with a major in speech and ma Demps didn't sound a last name to Patti Jo and she couldn't think of er one so when she started singing on weekends while in college she just Patti Jo In Miami performing she met a young singer Barry Smith who gave her some ad- vice see a music teacher get an arranger quit singing hard rock work up an act get a manager all to get better bookings

This one dates from 1st Aug 71 and is from another New York newspaper .....

Edited August 15, 2012 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Steve, if you were asking about the solo show featuring Barry Smith at the Swinger Dating Bar on Miami Beach ....

... that was staged in July 1973 (long after Patti had exited his world I think) ....

I .... THINK ..... Kurtis May & the Gang were a white outfit that were backing him up on the shows (there's still a Kurtis May on the Miami music scene and he looks to have 'aged' as well as most of us .... well, he certainly looks as though he enjoys his food !!) ...

Edited August 15, 2012 by Roburt

[Steve G]

Ok thanks to nsoul2 for posting the old feature and the stuff I dug out earlier - including her old interview - same Patti Jo then.

[Sean Hampsey]

Not read all the small print, but you should know that Patti Jo kept performing and even recording until right up to her death in 2007.

She lived in Spain and toured Europe for about 10 years in the 80's performing with her husband Ed and the Platters.

When Ed had a stroke they returned to the US and Patti became a certified Nurse in order to care for him.

They actually cut two albums together in more recent years. Ed had recovered quite well and they stayed in touch with the music business, up until 2007, when sadly, aged 58, Patti herself suffered a stroke and passed away that night.

Even as late as 2006, Patti was recording and actually cut a version of the classic 'Mockingbird' with our very own Pato Banton!

Sean

Edited August 15, 2012 by Sean Hampsey

[Steve G]

Nice new info.

[Steve G]

In any event have found out that Patti Jo signed with Scepter before being sent to work with Curtis - presumably after she'd been in the Broadway show Purdie. Curtis was under contract to produce material for Scepter at the time...so it seems likely that they placed her with Curtis.

 

***March 2013 -  The above is now confirmed.****

Edited April 5, 2013 by Steve G

[Guest]

Just picked up a copy of volume 2 of the 'Best of New Soul' on Japanese Scepter...and it features Patti Jo...not much additional information about her on the sleeve note, but the incert sheet does feature the lyrics, so at least we're OK for a karaoke session! Did these compilations come out in the US back in the day?

Edited January 14, 2013 by Flynny

[Guest]

...may as well post up a picture of the Barry Smith Shane 45 whilst I'm here...prefer it to Patti Jo's take on it, plus the sound qualoty/production is a whole lot better (spare copy available).

[Steve G]

Hi Flynny,

maybe my brain is losing too many cells but where is patti jo's version of Barry Smith? On the Best of New Soul CD?

Steve

[Guest]

maybe my brain is losing too many cells but where is patti jo's version of Barry Smith? On the Best of New Soul CD?

Apologies for any confusion...'Make Me Believe In You' (3:39) is on the Japanese Scepter LP vinyl compilation, not 'Hold On To It'.

[John Benson]

Just another addition to this, I believe that Patti's "Make me believe in you" got a release in Holland. Can anyone confirm if it was a release from when the record first came out, or was it a much later release - or even a 'dodgy' release?

[Guest Dave Turner]

Just another addition to this, I believe that Patti's "Make me believe in you" got a release in Holland. Can anyone confirm if it was a release from when the record first came out, or was it a much later release - or even a 'dodgy' release?

image.jpg

 

John, there's a listing for the Dutch in Discogs. Same number as the US issue and 1973

 

https://www.discogs.com/Patti-Jo-Make-Me-Believe-In-You/release/5104023

 

Think it's gen because there's also pic cover of an Independents "Couldn't Hear Nobody Say" which is only 3 number away (again same number as US)

 

https://www.45cat.com/label/scepter-nl

 

If you click on the Pic Sleeve of the Independents you'll get a view of the actual record and I would say Patti Jo would look very similar

Edited January 27, 2014 by Dave Turner

[John Benson]

Cheers Dave, that looks about right.

I picked one up last year but was a bit suspicious about it as it has looked as if it used to have a push out centre.

I haven't come across any like that so wasn't sure about it. The label does look the same as the Independents 45 on 45cat - I forgot they have other countries releases nowadays.

I might get the label scanned some time as I can't say as I've come across one yet.

[John Benson]

Right, I've finally got around to scanning the Dutch 45, as I said earlier, it did have a solid middle at one point, but I didn't realise that until I bought it.     But it'll have to do for the time being, until I finally drop on a cheap US copy.

 

 

[Cover-up]

Been enjoying Patti Jo again, which led me back to this thread. And while trying to find a way to hear Steve's "This Is The Price" acetate - I found a link to this site with Patti Jo releases on Allsun, including aforementioned "This Is The Price": 

https://www.allsunrecords.com/artists/pattijo.html

Does anybody know anything about these?

[Mick Holdsworth]

1 hour ago, cover-up said:

Been enjoying Patti Jo again, which led me back to this thread. And while trying to find a way to hear Steve's "This Is The Price" acetate - I found a link to this site with Patti Jo releases on Allsun, including aforementioned "This Is The Price": 

https://www.allsunrecords.com/artists/pattijo.html

Does anybody know anything about these?

The four tracks they were talking about are releasing are "Hey Mister", "Nonstop (Paradise)", "I'm So Glad" and "The Man I Love".

PDF of all their releases are here,
https://www.allsunrecords.com/images/Releases2017S.pdf

Having said that, the reference to the Matt Lucas forrthcoming release has been on their site for a few years now, and I don't think a single release has emerged.

[Candiman]

On 15/08/2012 at 09:25, Roburt said:

Steve, if you were asking about the solo show featuring Barry Smith at the Swinger Dating Bar on Miami Beach ....

... that was staged in July 1973 (long after Patti had exited his world I think) ....

I .... THINK ..... Kurtis May & the Gang were a white outfit that were backing him up on the shows (there's still a Kurtis May on the Miami music scene and he looks to have 'aged' as well as most of us .... well, he certainly looks as though he enjoys his food !!) ...

My copy of PJ Smith & Co "Hold On To It" has a Miami Tape deadwax date code that equates to April 1976 and I have also found a label scan on the internet (now added to 45cat) with an April 1976 radio station sticker.

So Barry & Patti Jo were still in contact in '76, unless of course the track had been in the can for years and just randomly pulled out for a '76 release (Barry Smith's version of "Hold On To It" was released in 1973).    

[Roburt]

The venue on Miami Beach were Barry Smith (& maybe Patti Jo) appeared live ... it was a classy joint where you went to meet couples who wanted to 'swing' ...

Edited November 17, 2023 by Roburt