Comments

Phil McCarthy@ 3:01am 02-11-2012
Ollie was the best guitarist I ever heard, and that includes Clapton or Hendrix. Ollie ALWAYS came up with something to blow you away. He played in bands that included my brother Mike Patto, they were Timebox, Patto, and Boxer. We lost beautiful people as well as great musicians when Mike, and then Ollie left us. R.I.P. both of you wonderful people.
Matt Ruderman@ 1:07am 02-11-2012
Discovered Ollie in the mid-'70s on the June 1, 1974 album. The solo on 'May I' left me stunned. It was like Ollie was walking on a musical trapeze and he could lose his balance at any second - but didn't! I spent the next few years hunting down every album I could find that he played on (at the time there were record stores in Greenwich Village that specialized in hard-to-get import lps) and was lucky to see him when he played in NYC with Ayers. Glad the Archive is around to encourage his followers and that Barry Monks is around as keeper of the flame. Cheers, Baz!
Peri Didaskalou@ 9:45pm 02-10-2012
I've always been a huge fan!
Bud Anderson @ 11:46am 02-10-2012
Thank you so much for providing the Ollie Halsall Tribute site!
Cheers!
- Bud
Zonker@ 11:46am 02-10-2012
I saw Patto when they supported Joe Cocker on his infamous tour of Australia. Incedible playing as a group but the highlight was when Ollie came on to play with Cocker. Apparently some of his band had left and they were a bit short handed. He just blew everybody away. The standout was The Letter when the band is watching Ollie rip into it and wondering how he's gonna pull it off when Ollie turns his back on them to hit the finish. The piano player nearly fell off his stool. Cocker kept on rocking. Great site, thenks for all the hard work.
jonathan mantle @ 11:45am 02-10-2012
Ollie's playing is a total revelation to me - I had heard of him (I'm 57 and play guitar)but never heard him. He seems to have slipped between the tracks of musical history - why is that? Was it that whole messy '70s thing? Best wishes. Jonathan
Barry Oliff @ 11:45am 02-10-2012
Great memories of being with the band, Patto, while they were crashing in a friend's house in N. Finchley, London, occasionally jammed with the band, have lost all the vinyls I had but just bought "Hold your Fire" on cd, and haven't stopped playing it yet: brings back memories of exploring new genres of guitar in the 70s. Will never forget the friendships, and their love of music
Stephen Kent @ 11:42am 02-10-2012
Saw Patto a few times at the Black Swan, Sheffield (AKA "the mucky duck"); big Terry was my mates uncle, so we always knew who had been booked. I remember one gig particularly, with the band doing the seven dwarves routine and displaying their on-the-road etchings. At that gig, Mike Patto introduced a new song, which I remembered as thirteen summers (hold me back). My overiding memories of Patto are of Ollie's playing, the style, the sound and the tone-unforgettable, irreplaceable Picked up the CD of the first album a couple of years ago; what a masterpiece - it took me straight back
Steven Alen @ 11:41am 02-10-2012
Anyone know where I can get a CDR copy of "Roll 'em, Smoke 'em,Put Another Line Out"? I can't even locate one through the vinyl collector sites. Help!
Steve (Fag Ash Lil) @ 11:39am 02-10-2012
At Long last "Our Ollie" has made it into the 100 Greatest Guitarist....ranking at 158, how excited I was to see his name there. Still hear listening, over and over, Ollies' playing is immence ! Thanks.
Ken Wieden @ 11:38am 02-10-2012
First heard "Living in Fear" in 1974. Been an Ollie fan ever since. 36 years & a 1000 listens later Ollies guitar on that album still puts shivers down my spine. Brilliance !
Craig Printup @ 11:38am 02-10-2012
What a wonderful site! I was introduced to Patto by a guitar player friend in 1973 and have been an Ollie fan ever since. You are doing the Lord's work here. Thanks!
Bob@ 11:37am 02-10-2012
Many, many years ago I met in Mallorca a spanish guy who was a drummer. He played in a band with Kevin Ayers, Ollie Halsall and Nico, the legendary keybordplayer of the Velvet Undergound. He invited us for a try-out in a local discoteque. It was incredible !! I'll never forget this......
Dave @ 11:36am 02-10-2012
In 1974 I was a young Roxy Music fan so I went to the Manchester Free Trade Hall to see Kevin Ayers only because Eno was on the bill. I left the concert absolutely amazed by a guy playing a white SG. When playing the June 1 album I still remember back to that Manchester gig, and 35 years later Ollie still remains the best guitarist I ever saw live.
Glyn Jones @ 11:36am 02-10-2012
I used to watch Patto regularly in The Greyhound, Fulham Palace Road in the early 70's. A great band, underrated in their lifetime. Ollie was a brilliant distinctive guitarist.

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