egroj world: Johnnie Pate • At the Blue Note

Monday, February 26, 2024

Johnnie Pate • At the Blue Note

Biography
by Ed Hogan
Arranger/producer Johnny Pate is an important figure in Chicago soul as well as pop/R&B music. Pate's name appears in the credits of classic hits by Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions and acts on OKeh Records. He also arranged for numerous Chicago R&B labels of the '60s, including Nike Records (the Daylighters' "Cool Breeze," the Dolphins), Erman, as well as for New York-based Roulette Records (the Gifts' "It's Uncle Willie," "Treat Her Right," "Girl I Love You").

Born in Chicago Heights, IL, in 1923, Pate learned to play piano and tuba as a child. Later while serving in the Army, he picked up the bass and learned arranging. He had stints with Coleridge Davis and Stuff Smith in the '40s. During the '50s, he was the resident arranger for the in-house band of Club Delisa. Recording for Federal as the Johnny Pate Quintet, the bandleader/arranger/bassist had a hit with "Swinging Shepherd Blues," which hit number 17 R&B on Billboard's charts in spring 1958. In the early '60s, OKeh Records producer/A&R director Carl Davis (Walter Jackson, Major Lance, Ted Taylor, the Opals) wanted a unique sound and enlisted Pate to write arrangements for the label.

Pate and Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions first teamed in January 1963 recording the ethereal ballad "Sad Sad Girl and Boy," which mid-charted in Cashbox magazine's charts. The next single, the rousing "It's All Right," parked at number one R&B for two weeks and hit number four pop in fall 1963; it was followed by "Talking About My Baby," "I'm So Proud," "Keep on Pushing." The Keep on Pushing LP peaked at number eight pop in fall 1964. Pate produced and recorded most of their hits at Murray Allen's legendary Universal Recording Studios in Chicago.

The success of the Impressions led ABC-Paramount, the label that the group was signed with, to open a Chicago office on 14th and Michigan and appoint Pate as A&R director in 1964. One of the acts he signed, the Marvelows, had hits with "I Do" (number seven R&B) and "In the Morning." "I Do" was written by group members Melvin Mason, Johnny Paden, Frank Paden, Willie Stephenson, and Jesse Smith. The song was a number 24 pop hit for the J. Geils Band in fall 1982. Other acts signed to ABC-Paramount through the Chicago branch were the Trends, the Kittens, and former VeeJay Records star Betty Everett ("Nothing I Wouldn't Do").

The Impressions' hits continued: "You Must Believe," the double-sided "Amen" -- spotlighted in the 1965 Sidney Poitier movie Lillies of the Field -- b/w "Long Long Winter," the double-sided hit "People Get Ready" (number three R&B) b/w "I've Been Trying," "Women's Got Soul" (number nine R&B), "Meeting Over Yonder," the double-sided hit "I Need You" b/w "Never Could You Be," "You Been Cheatin'," the Motown-ish "Can't Satisfy," "You Always Hurt Me," "You Got Me Runnin'," "I Can't Stay Away From You," "We're a Winner" (number one R&B) -- the group's manager Eddie Thomas' wife Audrey Thomas can be heard saying "all right now, sock it to me baby" -- "We're Rollin' on (Part 1)," and the splendid "I Love and I Lost" (number nine R&B).

In 1968, Pate began doing arrangements for Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label (the label's slogan was "Were a Winner"), whose roster included Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions and the Five Stairsteps. Pate left the label in 1972 and worked on numerous recordings including the classic 1978 quiet storm forerunner LP Words and Music by TV/movie/stage actress Lonette McKee (Malcolm X, Which Way Is Up, Sparkle) on Warner Bros.

Johnny Pate's talents are displayed on releases by Curtis Mayfield, B.B. King, Phyllis Hyman, Peabo Bryson, Wes Montgomery, Walter Jackson, Stan Getz, Gene Chandler, Gil Scott-Heron, Joe Williams, Sam Cooke, the Staple Singers, Jimmy Smith, Jerry Butler, Shirley Horn, Phil Wood, the Bee Gees, Bill Doggett, James Moody, Kenny Burrell, Earl Bostic, Muddy Waters, and the compilations Mission Accomplished, Too: More Themes and The Best of Shaft.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-pate-mn0000210868/biography

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Biografía
por Ed Hogan
El arreglista y productor Johnny Pate es una figura importante en la música soul de Chicago, así como en la música pop/R&B. El nombre de Pate aparece en los créditos de éxitos clásicos de Curtis Mayfield y los Impressions y actúa en OKeh Records. También hizo arreglos para numerosos sellos de R&B de Chicago de los años 60, incluyendo Nike Records ("Cool Breeze" de los Daylighters, los Dolphins), Erman, así como para Roulette Records con sede en Nueva York ("It's Uncle Willie", "Treat Her Right", "Girl I Love You").

Nacido en Chicago Heights, IL, en 1923, Pate aprendió a tocar el piano y la tuba cuando era niño. Más tarde, mientras servía en el ejército, cogió el bajo y aprendió a hacer arreglos. Trabajó con Coleridge Davis y Stuff Smith en los años 40. Durante los años 50, fue el arreglista residente de la banda interna del Club Delisa. Grabando para Federal con el nombre de Johnny Pate Quintet, el director de orquesta, arreglista y bajista tuvo un éxito con "Swinging Shepherd Blues", que alcanzó el número 17 de R&B en las listas de Billboard en la primavera de 1958. A principios de los 60, el productor y director de OKeh Records, Carl Davis (Walter Jackson, Major Lance, Ted Taylor, los Opals), quería un sonido único y contrató a Pate para que escribiera arreglos para el sello.

Pate y Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions se unieron por primera vez en enero de 1963 grabando la etérea balada "Sad Sad Girl and Boy", que llegó a la mitad de las listas de la revista Cashbox. El siguiente sencillo, el entusiasta "It's All Right", se estacionó en el número uno de R&B durante dos semanas y alcanzó el número cuatro de pop en otoño de 1963; le siguieron "Talking About My Baby", "I'm So Proud" y "Keep on Pushing". El LP "Keep on Pushing" alcanzó el número ocho del pop en otoño de 1964. Pate produjo y grabó la mayoría de sus éxitos en los legendarios estudios de grabación Universal de Murray Allen en Chicago.

El éxito de los Impressions llevó a ABC-Paramount, la discográfica con la que el grupo había firmado, a abrir una oficina en Chicago en la 14ª y Michigan y a nombrar a Pate director de A&R en 1964. Uno de los actos que firmó, los Marvelows, tuvo éxitos con "I Do" (número siete de R&B) y "In the Morning". "I Do" fue escrita por los miembros del grupo Melvin Mason, Johnny Paden, Frank Paden, Willie Stephenson y Jesse Smith. La canción fue un éxito pop número 24 para la J. Geils Band en otoño de 1982. Otros grupos contratados por ABC-Paramount a través de la filial de Chicago fueron los Trends, los Kittens y la antigua estrella de VeeJay Records Betty Everett ("Nothing I Wouldn't Do").

Los éxitos de The Impressions continuaron: "You Must Believe", la doble cara "Amen" -- destacada en la película de Sidney Poitier de 1965 Lillies of the Field -- b/w "Long Long Winter", el éxito de doble cara "People Get Ready" (número tres de R&B) b/w "I've Been Trying", "Women's Got Soul" (número nueve de R&B), "Meeting Over Yonder", el éxito de doble cara "I Need You" b/w "Never Could You Be, "You Been Cheatin'", el tema de Motown "Can't Satisfy", "You Always Hurt Me", "You Got Me Runnin'", "I Can't Stay Away From You", "We're a Winner" (número uno de R&B) -se oye a la esposa del manager del grupo, Eddie Thomas, decir "all right now, sock it to me baby"-, "We're Rollin' on (Part 1)" y la espléndida "I Love and I Lost" (número nueve de R&B).

En 1968, Pate comenzó a hacer arreglos para el sello Curtom de Curtis Mayfield (el eslogan del sello era "Were a Winner"), cuya lista incluía a Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions y a los Five Stairsteps. Pate dejó el sello en 1972 y trabajó en numerosas grabaciones, incluyendo el clásico LP precursor de la tormenta silenciosa de 1978, Words and Music, de la actriz de televisión/película/escena Lonette McKee (Malcolm X, Which Way Is Up, Sparkle) en Warner Bros.

El talento de Johnny Pate se muestra en lanzamientos de Curtis Mayfield, B.B. King, Phyllis Hyman, Peabo Bryson, Wes Montgomery, Walter Jackson, Stan Getz, Gene Chandler, Gil Scott-Heron, Joe Williams, Sam Cooke, los Staple Singers, Jimmy Smith, Jerry Butler, Shirley Horn, Phil Wood, los Bee Gees, Bill Doggett, James Moody, Kenny Burrell, Earl Bostic, Muddy Waters, y los recopilatorios Mission Accomplished, Too: More Themes y The Best of Shaft.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-pate-mn0000210868/biography

Tracks:
01. Dancing On The Ceiling
02. What A Difference A Day Made
03. It Might As Well Be Spring
04. Falling In Love With Love
05. All The Time
06. Old Devil Moon
07. I Surrender Dear
08. Yvonne
09. Tea For Two
10. Pennies From Heaven
11. Carmen's Chaser
12. Slaughter On Tenth Avenue

Credits:
Floyd Morris (piano), Wilbur Wynne (guitar), Johnnie Pate (bass), Johnny Whited (drums).
Recorded live at the Blue Note Club, Chicago, January, 1957

Genre: Jazz
Year: 1958
https://www.discogs.com/master/842398-Johnnie-Pate-Johnnie-Pate-At-The-Blue-Note