"WARTS AND ALL"
Patto - Live at the Black Swan, Sheffield

Released January, 2000
(copyright 1999, Admiral Records)

FROM THE ARCHIVES OF ADMIRAL HALSEY!

Back in January of 2000, John Halsey released the first official live Patto CD.  "Warts and All" features performances from a 1971 gig at the Black Swan, Sheffield, recorded while the band was busy recording their "Hold Your Fire" album.

It was an unusual gig.  Mike's throat was a bit sore, so Ollie sang more than usual and they pulled out some numbers they hadn't done for a while.  The show was a little rough around the edges, and that is why the CD title and layout of the booklet are as they are.  It captures the only time Ollie ever sang "San Antone" live.  "Let It Rock" includes an incredible guitar solo from Ollie that John says alone should justify the price of the CD!  His solo in "San Antone" is amazing as well.  The complete track listing is below.

John included entertaining liner notes and a bunch of personal photos.  I'm happy to say he included some of the silly, candid photos in his archives.  He even included a picture of a 1971 gig contract from the Van Dyke, courtesy of yours truly.

As the cover indicates, this is a recording from John's personal archives.  Customer feedback has been favorable so far, but before you order, be aware that it is not a studio quality recording and is not for those who demand high-fidelity recordings.  As John says in the liner notes, "This recording was made by myself with a little cassette player with a built-in mike that was put on the side of the stage, and it is far from 'Studio' quality.  Thankfully the vibe of the evening comes across and Ollie's incredible guitar playing was at its height."

As you may expect with a thirty-year-old amateur recording on cassette tape, there are times when the sound is somewhat distorted and there's the odd dropout.  However, it still sounds better than the other (non-BBC) live tapes that have surfaced thus far.  "Warts and All" gives us devoted Patto fans nearly an hour of live Patto recordings to enjoy that would otherwise have sat in the bottom of a box forever.  When you get your copy, I hope you are as glad as I am that John decided to make this available to us!

After nearly two years and many trips to the post office, the Patto Fan Site will no longer be offering Warts and All through the GEMM web site.  Many thanks to all who purchased their copies from the Patto Fan Site.  Hope you're still enjoying them!

The CD is still available by mail from The Castle in England.  You may also still be able to find the CD on-line, as it was made available to dealers through import wholesalers.  Try searching the internet for on-line dealers.  At the time of this writing, the CD was listed on the Charmingly Persistent Productions Neil Innes Web Site, and Amazon.com.  
   

Payment:     

Payment is accepted in British Pounds Sterling only by International Money Order made payable to Admiral Music.  
Cash in British Pounds is also acceptable.
Prices including air mail:  

In Europe, £11.50 GB Sterling
Elsewhere, £12.00 GB Sterling
    

Address:     

The Castle
Castle Street
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
CB3 0AJ
England
      
Please mention that you learned of the CD from this web site!