Photo by Dan Folley

By Paul Freeman [August 2016 Interview]

Ageless. At 70, Glasgow-born, Marin-based vocalist Davey Pattinson continues to fuel the sizzling rock of Gamma. His new Gamma lineup attains the level of dynamism that crowds have come to expect. And audiences respond enthusiastically to the re-formed band’s performances.

Growing up in Scotland, Pattison was influenced by Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, who later became a friend. But it was attending a Little Richard show, at age 12, that inspired Pattison to become a performer. He began in the tough local bar scene.

He was working with Matthew Fisher (Procol Harum) and Fisher sent a tape of Pattison’s vocals to guitar sensation Ronnie Montrose. Bill Graham called, inviting Pattison to fly to California to join the new Montrose group - Gamma.

Pattison already had a notebook with lyrics to such future Gamma hits as “Thunder and Lightning,” “Razor King” and “Voyager.” Montrose set them to chord changes and Pattison honed melody lines.

In the Gamma sets these days, Pattison also includes a couple of songs from his days with Robin Trower. He sang with Trower’s band, on and off, from 1986 to 2012.

In 2004, he joined guitarist Michael Schenker for two albums under the monicker The Schenker Pattison Summit. These "Endless Jam" recordings also featured legendary musicians Tim Bogert (bass) and Aynsley Dunbar (drums).

With Pattison’s voice still remarkably strong and effective, his new version of Gamma may soon be recording a live CD and DVD.

POP CULTURE CLASSICS:
The current sets, is that almost all Gamma songs? Or do you draw from other phases of your career?

DAVEY PATTISON:
I would say about 85 percent or more is Gamma. Because I sang with Robin Trower for so many years, I’ve got to pay attention to that. Because, if I don’t, people complain. So I do a couple of Trower songs in there, too.

PCC:
Gamma’s current lineup, does it have its own personality, or is it dedicated to recreating the dynamic sounds of the band’s past?

PATTISON:
Well, yes and no. It has a sort of personality, to a certain extent. But obviously, the people who come to see us know these song so well, if you deviate too much from it, you can see them go, “Why the hell are they playing it like that? That wasn’t on the record.” So it’s probably 90 percent true to the original recordings. But I do encourage them to spread their wings a little bit.

PCC:
Is that similar, in your approach, vocally? Do you feel you have to stick pretty spot-on to the originals?

PATTISON:
Oh, no, to be quite honest with you, I probably never sing them the same way twice [chuckles]. That’s just not my approach, really.

PCC:
From your perspective, what are the elements of the band’s music that have give it such lasting power?

Gamma, left to right: Brad Barth - Keyboards, Tommy Merry - Guitar, Davey Pattison - Vocals, Van Spragins - Bass, Don Buch - Drums Photo by Dan Folley

PATTISON:
Well, I’d like to think just really good songs that made an impression then and are still making an impression now. Actually, what started this was Ronnie’s memorial show. Myself and some of the original guys got back together and played about half a dozen songs at that thing and the reception we got, it blew my mind. So I thought, “Okay, there’s obviously people out there who want to listen to this stuff.” So that’s why I started putting it together.

PCC:
With the intensity of your vocals, how have you kept your voice in such great shape over the years?

PATTISON:
Well [laughs], I don’t smoke, for a start. I quit smoking some years ago. And that definitely helps a lot. And I just kinda do it. I don’t even think about it. I just do it.

PCC:
There’s such a dramatic aspect to the power of your voice, is that something you cultivated over the years?

PATTISON:
No, I’ve always kind of been the same way. I only know how to approach it one way. And that’s head-on. I very seldom deviate from the blues. Everything I sing, to me, is derived from the blues. That’s always been my approach.

PCC:
So growing up, you listened to a lot of iconic american blues singers?

PATTISON:
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters. John Lee Hooker. Yeah.

PCC:
And what was it that grabbed you about the blues?

PATTISON:
I could understand the feeling that these people got. But I became quite good friends, actually, with John Lee Hooker at one point. We had a conversation one day and he said to me, “You know, Davey, white people really shouldn’t sing the blues.” And I completely agree with that, because they don’t really know what it’s about. We can sing the notes, play the notes, but trying to convey that feeling is a whole different ballgame. I try [laughs]. I’ve tried.

PCC:
Did you play in bar bands in Glasgow?

PATTISON:
Oh, yeah. I’ve been playing music since I was 12. I was taken by a family member to my very first rock ’n’ roll show. I was 12 years old. And Little Richard was on the bill. And I saw what he was doing and, of course, I didn’t understand what he was doing at all, but I remember saying to myself, “I don’t know what he’s doing, but I want to do that. Whatever that is, I want to do that.” And that’s what started me out. I still believe, to this day, that Little Richard is the true king of rock ’n’ roll, myself. But that’s probably debatable.

PCC:
In that tough Glasgow bar band scene, how much did that shape your rock ’n’ roll style and attitude?

PATTISON:
When I started, everybody was doing pretty much the same thing. Everybody was doing blues songs and R&B songs. A lot of really good singers came out of Glasgow in those years. But everybody was doing pretty much the same thing. We all latched onto that black music.

PCC:
Didn’t you have to be kind of tough to survive in that scene?

PATTISON:
Glasgow, I’ve got a saying about it [laughs] - Glasgow’s not for the squeamish. I don’t know if you’ve ever been there. I just came back. I was over there for nine weeks. It’s changed a little bit, but there’s still a definite toughness to it.

Now that I’ve been in America all these years, Glasgow reminds me a lot of Detroit, middle-class, real people, down-to-Earth, no bullshit, no crap. They tell you what’s on their minds… and that’s to be admired.

PCC:
So coming over here in the late 70s to Northern California, was that a culture shock?

PATTISON:
Oh, that would be putting it mildly. I was completely like a fish out of water for actually some years after first coming over there. It took me maybe two or three years to figure out the culture and what was going on, why it was going on. Yeah, it took me quite a while.

In actual fact, I’m telling you I went back to Scotland and I kinda felt the same way over there. I kinda felt like I was a little bit like a fish out of water, going back to Scotland, because I’ve been here this long. As far as I’m concerned, I’m an American with a funny accent. Yeah, I do love the United States.

PCC:
When you came over, did you realize this opportunity with Gamma was going to be a life-changer?

PATTISON:
Oh, yeah, pretty much. The biggest gig I’d played up to that point was probably the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow, where I opened the show for Alex Harvey. And I knew what to expect, when I got here. It didn’t make it any easier, because you go from playing bars and night clubs and stuff. As I say, the Glasgow Apollo was the biggest one. And you come over here and you’re playing to 20,000 people a night. It’s a whole different thing.

Plus the fact, up until I joined Gamma, I always played guitar, albeit rhythm guitar. I never considered myself a guitar player, but I always had a guitar around my neck. All of a sudden I don’t. It’s like uh-oh [laughs]. That’s a whole different thing, as well. So it took a bit of learning.

PCC:
It’s like having your security blanket taken away.

PATTISON:
That’s exactly right. So it took me a while to figure that out. Plus those big stages, you can’t just, as I figured out, you can’t just stand still on a huge stage with 20,000 people out there, because if you do, nobody sees you. So you’ve got to move around a little bit. And I found that a little difficult, too, because I’d never done that. I think I’ve gotten okay at it.

PCC:
How much input did Bill Graham have into the band’s early career?

PATTISON:
Well, I think he just kinda took us under his wing. We opened shows for some of the biggest tours in the world at the time, because of Bill Graham’s clout in the business. We opened for AC/DC in the “Back In Black” tour. We did Foreigner, both in America and in Europe. We opened for Carlos [Santana] quite often, because he was managed by Bill, too. The music business has never been the same, since Bill Graham’s passing, I don’t think.

PCC:
What were your impressions of him?

PATTISON:
My impressions of Bill? I thought he fabulous. He made me feel really well at home. I got on very well with him. I wouldn’t call him my friend, because I didn’t see him in that way, but he was very kind to me. In fact, when I first come out here, I was still married at the time, no longer, unfortunately. And my then wife had difficult settling into the lifestyle here. So Bill bought us tickets back to Scotland. So after a couple of weeks of that, she realized what she had in California [laughs] and I never heard any more about that. But yeah, Bill was great.

PCC:
What impressed you most about Ronnie Montrose?

PATTISON:
Ronnie was all business, when I first met him. I came over him and I had a lot of lyrics in a notebook. We just sat and went through those. The way I remember it, the first song we wrote together was “Thunder and Lightning.” And then I had written the lyrics to “Razor King,” “Voyager,” all before I came here. So there was no problem putting an album together. It just actually all kind of fell into place, when Ronnie and I were writing together. It wasn’t much of a problem, really, coming up with material.

PCC:
Was there an equal amount of chemistry, personality-wise, as well as creatively?

PATTISON:
Ah, no. Personality-wise… we eventually became friends. He wasn’t always easy to work with. I think that’s well known. Sammy [Hagar] in particular would tell you that, as I’m sure you know. But, no, I had no problems with Ronnie in those days. We worked together very well. And I learned from him.

He taught me a lot about, as I say, a big stage. I actually think it was a mutual appreciation society, because he liked what I did and I liked what he did. When it came to the songwriting, I would come up with the lyrics most of the time, and the melody line. Ronnie would play the chords and I’d build up melody around that. So yeah, it was good.

PCC:
So he would give you tips on the showmanship aspect?

PATTISON:
Well, he taught me a lot of that, because I’m not Rod Stewart or Sammy Hagar, when it comes to that [laughs]. I’m still not great at it. I consider myself a pretty serious musician. I was more interested in the music than any kind of image.

PCC:
What was it about his playing that was so special?

PATTISON:
Oh, well, he was a fabulous guitar player. I mean, the solos that he played on some of those Gamma songs are just fabulous. The solo on “Razor King” is unbelievable. “Voyager,” as well. “Voyager,” when we recorded that, that whole song was done in one take. That song was recorded live in the studio. There were no overdubs whatsoever put on that. And the solo he come up with, well, it was stunning.

So the guy I’ve got now, Tommy Merry, he pays close attention to it, because, if you don’t, the audience knows the songs so well, if you deviate too much, they don’t like that. [Chuckles] It’s taken me a while to learn that.

PCC:
And then, teaming up with Robin Trower, you’ve had a strong relationship with him over many years.

PATTISON:
Yeah, on and off from ’86 until 2012, something like that. On and off, all those years. I enjoyed that. That worked very well, I thought, because, as I say, my whole approach to whatever I’m singin’ is from the blues. So when I was working with Robin, that approach gelled very well with what he was doing.

PCC:
And what is the magic of his playing?

PATTISON:
There’s a lot of depth to what he does. A lot of depth. A lot of soul. A lot of emotion. I think he’s one of the best guitar players in the world, myself.

PCC:
And working with Michael Schenker, what was that experience like?

PATTISON:
That was Mike Varney from Shrapnel Records, who I’m sure you know. I’ve been friends with Mike for many years. I’d done a few things for him here and there. And he called me up and asked me if I’d be interested in doing an album with Michael. I said, “Sure,” because Michael’s a great guitar player. And it was all cover songs. And when I found that out, I kinda went, “Ooh, I have to think about that one,” because, if I’m doing someone else’s music, I’m not going to do it the way they do it. I’m going do it the way I would approach it… as much as I can anyway. So it was an interesting experience. I enjoyed those records. They were a lot of fun to make.

PCC:
When a great guitarist and great vocalist team up, do you find that they spur one another on to loftier heights, when everything’s working right?

PATTISON:
Well, I think that was certainly Mike Varney’s way of looking at it - put the two of them together and see what happens. Plus we had Aynsley Dunbar on drums, who’s an old friend of mine. And on the second one, we had Tim Bogert on bass. So these guys know what they’re doing. Sometimes it was difficult, because they were recording these songs in the keys that the original artist had sung them. And that didn’t make it easy for me [laughs]. I had to duck and dive occasionally. And that’s kinda where my penchant for changing things up a little bit came in handy.

Yeah, I had a lot of fun making those two records. They were pretty quick, as far as vocals were concerned. I mean, I didn’t even have a producer. I was in the studio by myself with an engineer. And I kind of produced them. I produced the vocals pretty much myself. I’d do maybe two or three songs a day, which is not normal for me. I like to take my time a bit more than that. But there was a rush to get these albums out. So, yeah, I look back on those days and I enjoyed them. I think those two albums were really good.

PCC:
And generally, is there a sense of competition, between vocalist and guitarist?

PATTISON:
No. I’ve never experienced any of that. Again, we actually never recorded together. The only time I met Michael would be at photo shoots. I guess the basic tracks were done in Las Vegas. And then they’d send the basic tracks up here and I would sing on them. Or Michael would go in play solos and then I would go in and sing ‘em. The only time we ever met was actually at photo shoots. And we’d sit for a few hours and just shoot the shit, basically. And I liked him. I know he’s got a bit of a reputation, but I must admit, I never had any problems with him. Again, he liked what I did and I liked what he did. I think Mike Varney knew that, on a musical level, we’d probably get on just great. And we did.

PCC:
But generally, working with Ronnie or Robin, is there a sense of wanting to top one another?

PATTISON:
No, no. As I say, Robin Trower and I are both influenced by the blues. And at one point, we did get together and recorded an album called “Another Day’s Blues,” which was blues songs. And I thought, actually, for two white guys, it was a really, really, really good record. It’s probably pretty obscure, I would think. But it was really good. So yeah, I’ve never been far away from the blues.

PCC:
Where are you based now?

PATTISON:
I’m in Marin County. I’ve lived in Marin County ever since I arrived in the country. Again, I asked Bill Graham - “Where do I go?” “Marin.” I’ve been here ever since.

PCC:
So what have been the most rewarding and the most challenging aspects of the life in music?

PATTISON:
Well, the music business today has changed dramatically. Actually I don’t like the business side of it. I never did like the business side of it. But it’s gotten worse, if that was possible. I don’t like tribute bands. I see them making more of a living than some of the people who actually recorded the stuff originally. Well, okay, what’s that all about? I don’t understand that, why anybody would be interested in just being a cover band. I just don’t get that. I didn’t become a musician to play other people’s music, although I did start out that way, same as everybody else.

But I’m still in the music business, because people - what they tell me, anyway [laughs] - still want to hear my songs. So that’s why I’m still doing it. I’ve still got a fire for it. Where the heat comes from in our shows? That’s probably the answer, because I still have the fire for it. Most guys my age are long gone [laughs]. So I consider myself quite lucky that I’ve still got the fire and still want to do it.

PCC:
The satisfactions that you get from performing now, are they the same as they always were?

PATTISON:
Yeah, I don’t care… I mean, I’ve played Days On The Green, I’ve played little bars… I’ll give you an example. When I first come over here, I was on the road with Gamma for months on end and we did arenas and theatres and big nightclubs, etc. And I’d come back from that and I’d go play a little place in San Rafael called The Mayflower Inn. And I’d sit there by myself with a little p.a. and an acoustic guitar. And I loved that.

And people would come out and see me and they’d go, “Why the hell are you in here?” And I said, “Because I’m enjoying it.” I certainly wasn’t doing it for the money. I enjoyed it. And it would be a meeting place for all my musician friends. They’d come down and hang out and sit in. It was a lot of fun.

PCC:
Any new recordings on the horizon?

PATTISON:
No, though there’s actually talk of maybe doing a live album. And then a DVD along with that. I did the same kind of thing with Robin, some years ago. It was pretty successful, that. So yeah, there’s talk about that. But as far as new material, I really don’t know about that, because it’s been my experience that people, it takes them a while to get into new music. My experience, especially recently with this version of Gamma, they don’t want to hear anything new. They want to hear the old songs. That’s why they come. So I give it to them.

PCC:
And with all the power and energy still there.

PATTISON:
Well, that’s the hope [laughs]. Long may it continue.

For more of the continuing saga of Davey Pattison and Gamma, visit www.daveypattison.com.