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WetWetWet
Here are the top three musical influences for Marti Pellow. Select one of the links below to fnd out a little more about them:
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Willie Mitchell was born in Ashland, Mississippi on January 3rd 1928 but by the time he was four, his parents, his three brothers and five sisters had moved the forty-five miles to Memphis, Tennesse.
He Formed his first band in 1942 playing trumpet and continued playing in bands throughout his army service, eventually returning to Memphis in 1952 to join Al Jackson Snr’s band. His son, Al Jnr, was later to become the drummer for Booker T & The MG’s.
In 1955, after securing a club residency, Mitchell began to produce early R & B Records, working for a newly-formed label called Hi - the company he was later to become vice-president of. Amongst his early successes were hit singles for Elvis Presley’s bass player Bill Black’s band. From his own Royal Studios, Mitchell began to record his own hits as well as help build the careers of soul stars like Al Green - his most successful musical liaison - Otis Clay and Ann Peebles for Hi as well as acts for other labels including the early recordings by Charles & Inez Foxx and Ike & Tina Turner.
After the collapse of the Hi label, Mitchell was absent from the studio scene for a while but he recently returned to record acts like Lanier * Co and Lyn White for his own Waylo label as well as work with Al Green again through his new deal with A & M. He has also worked with Keith Richards and of course produced and mixed the second WetWetWet album to be released The Memphis Sessions.
Born in Chicago on March 14th 1933 Quincy Jones soon moved to Seattle where he was raised. At the age of 12 he began to study trumpet and to sing in a gospel quartet. His musical studies moved to Beklee College of Music in Boston until he got onto a tour with Lionel Hampton’s band as a trumpeter/arranger. In 1951 Quincy moved to New York where by the mid 50’s he was arranging and recording artists such as Ray Charles, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
As time has moved on Quincy has moved steadily into almost every facet of entertainment playing virtually every role. HE has been a film producer, composer, record producer, artist, TV producer, arranger, instrumentalist etc. etc. He is a master of all his trades and has managed to not only perform these roles with consummate ease but to also give something to each area he has touched.
The magic that is Quincy Jones has covered some forty years and has seen him score many firsts including the first conductor-arranger to record with a Fender bass, the first synthesiser based pop theme song (from the detective show Ironside) and the first black American to be embraced by both the Hollywood establishment and the established record companies. His work with the TV and film industries has helped add jazz and soul to these mediums whilst his record production career has seen many successes including Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad.
Patsy’s early career was wall to wall country music but as her career developed she began to find her forte with slow ballads which were more pop than country.
The hit records did not occur straight away for Patsy. He first recording was in 1956 and was called "Walkin’ After Midnight". Despite the fact that her record company did not release the single initially, she was asked to perform it on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Show, the song made a big impression along with a cover of the Hank Williams classic "Your Cheatin’ Heart" (not released until February 1962). Following her success on the show the record company released "Walkin’ After Midnight" straight away.
Even with the success on the Godfrey Show her next hit "I Fall To Pieces" did not emerge until November 1960, but following it the hits came thick and fast: "Crazy", "She’s Got You", "Leavin’ On Your Mind" to name but a few.
"Crazy" which was one of her biggest hits was recorded shortly after a car accident. Due to the pain in her ribs from the accident she could not reach the high notes and after four hours (a long time in those days) she packed it in and then returned a week later to get the song on the first take.
Following her death Patsy continued to have hits with singles like "Faded Love" and "Sweet Dreams (Of You)". Patsy’s voice was as emotional as they come and she changed the course of country music which her premature death by ushering in a new era of female country music singers.
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