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| Patrick Cowley's first success released by Fusion Records. |
............Patrick Cowley :page 3
MENERGY ! ... THE FIRST HIT !
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| Patrick Cowley's first success released by Fusion Records. |
In 1978 Patrick recorded an 16 minute long extended Remix version of the song " I Feel Love" performed by Donna Summer . Later, in 1981 , this Megamix was released by Casablanca Records. The Original 1977 version, which was composed by Giorgio Moroder , lasted 8 minutes . This work also would be a great success, specially among DJ's of whole world over.
His first great hit was single 'Menergy ', reaching the top of the charts at the end of October of 1981 as well as 'I Wanna Take You Home '. These first productions by Patrick were released at Fusion Records , but with Marty Blecman as associate producer, and later in the Megatone's first album.
'Teen Planet ', the only song released with Patrick's original voice and 'Sea Hunt' were also released. To compose the latter one, Patrick was inspired on the TV series with the same name, starring by Lloyd Bridges (whom he admired) , Jo-Carol Block played some keyboards and sang the mermaid call vocals.
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| Patrick's friends : Frank's brother, Frank Loverde, Michael Finden, Linda Imperial and Don Miley. |
Another first hit released on Fusion Records was 'I Got A Line On You', Patrick Cowley's new version of the song that was performed by Randy California in the year of 1969. He aslo met Frank Loverde at The City Disco, for whom he composed the song "Die Hard Lover", which was released by Moby Dick Records, which in turn would have another version performed by Linda Imperial.
The new sound would later be known as Hi-NRG, and it would be the standard of “dance” music in the following years on dance floors all over the world.
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| Original painting of 'Megatron Man' (Mister X), created by Dean Motter. |
Under the auspices of his partner Marty Blecman, he wrote the successful dance single 'Megatron Man' that opened the doors to the album of the same name, released on March, 1982. Editing, recording and mixing of this album were done at night.The sessions began at around ten PM and ended byl four o'clock in the morning.
This
singular success called the attention of an important dance music producer
from New York, Audrey Josephs.
THE PATRICK COWLEY SINGERS
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| Jo-Carol Block (today Davidson, sadly deccesead in 2003) one of Patrick Cowley's talented voices. |
As an
independent producer, Patrick Cowley counted on exellent singers Lauren Carter , Jo-Carol Block
and Carol McMackin.
Jo-Carol, born on May 13th , 1956 ,had moved to San Francisco a couple of years
before and was 25 at the time she met Patrick.
Lauren , Carol and herself were singing in a 6 person jazz acapella group called 'Acapella Gold' with 3 guys. One of them was Michael Finden, who used to be in Sylvester's band playing B3 organ.
Michael Finden brought the 3 of the girls to Patrick's studio and the 4 of them sang on 'Menergy', then the 3 of the girls sang all of the songs after that on the 'Megatron Man' album. After Patrick's dead, Jo-Carol y Lauren would be known as 'Jo-Lo'. They really wanted to be like 'Hall and Oates' since they were both songwriters as well as keyboard players and vocalists.
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| 1982 : 'The Patrick Cowley Singers' : Carol McMacken, Lauren Carter and Jo-Carol Block. |
Patrick loved their singing , he'd light up a joint, they'd have a few hits and then ...sing, sing. Although Patrick had ideas, he counted on them to come up with the harmonies and give him vocal ideas.
They also sang with Patrick at the Automatt Studio during 'Mind Warp' production.
"Singing at the Automatt was great...very profesional studio. Back in those
days you had to sing everything !
There were no computers to fix things or copy parts. You had to get it
perfect and it took time. We loved singing there and being in the studio. "
(JO-CAROL BLOCK)
PATRICK COWLEY' S PROFILE
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| Patrick's legendary image on Megatone Records. |
He looked handsome and youthful. He was rather short and blonde, he always
wore a moustache and sometimes, a light
beard. He liked to wear leather
motorcycle jacket, jeans and white running shoes. He was quite interested in observing
people, and proving his sociability. Engaging, with a born instinct for
leadership, while also being very rebellious. He never bragged, although he
would very offhandedly tell some very outrageous stories, but not to show how wild
he was, but because there was something funny in the story itself.
Patrick never had a long term love relationship with a person; there was always someone special in his life, but it was usually with music in mind that a relationship would grow.
"He was a
very quiet man. He was actually
a
very dedicated and creative workaholic but when he was stricken by inspiration,
he quite often ended up exhausted. He was a sweet, talented,
unassuming person who was driven by music; very dedicated and very prolific.
He
really didn't have much of a social life. He loved music , and the world's music,
he loved the many percussive sounds that were out there but Americans couldn't hear.
His life was practically music and 'baths' only. That´s probably how he got sick.
He
constantly was in the studio all day long and he'd get out real late when there wasn't
much to do." (FRANK LOVERDE
)
PATRICK AND PAUL PARKER
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| Friends
to be friends ! : Patrick
Cowley and Paul Parker. 31 and 28 years old, just before they worked on 'Right On Target' and 'Lift Off'. |
Patrick Cowley lived in The Castro, the area in San Francisco that developed into Gay Mecca. He met Paul Marion Parker through a mutual friend. Paul had two demo songs that a friend, another songwriter, had composed, and Patrick invited him to come over to his studio to try singing a few songs he had finished, and they became close friends immediately.
Paul , born in 1952 in San Francisco, was working as a furniture moving man, truck driver, and several other jobs. He had been in a small band previously, but had quit by the time he met Patrick. They both dreamed of being a songwriter/singer team together. As many musicians, theyl wore short hair, moustaches, jeans, work boots, and t-shirts, not really to dress the same, but because they were the cheapest and most comfortable clothes available at the time. They went to Army-Navy Surplus stores for almost everything .This look would later become known as the Clone look in England and Europe.
"Patrick was fun. He was funny and never too serious. At the time he was very into his Masculine Music trip. We often talked of doing these great gay records about hanging around in deep dark places doing these nasty and wonderful things." (SYLVESTER)
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| Paul Parker in action in 1982. |
But from the songs that Patrick Cowley composed and produced , the one that undoubtedly left a fire mark in Paul Parker's career was 'Right On Target' , which reached the top of ' Billboard’s Disco charts', on july 31, 1982, remaining there for two weeks, only five months after he did it with 'Megatron Man'.
" Patrick
had already created the track for 'Right On Target', and the basic chorus and
words for the written verse.
We had somewhat grown apart
at this
time, as I had moved across town and gotten a steady job. I had already
given up on the whole idea of singing.
However Patrick told me to drop by and just
sing, and to use a blues style just like some of the black singers had done
when he had worked with them. So I adlibbed for several hours.
A
few weeks later, I performed the song at a local bar during the disco night. I realized that night how 'Right On Target' should be completed, and went
to Patrick's studio to sing again." (PAUL
PARKER )
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| Paul Parker singing 'Right On Target' at The Saint. (New York 1982) |
The final singing was already made. This song was actually one of the first ones to be completed, even before 'Menergy', 'Wanna Take You Home', and some others. It gave Patrick and Paul a clue of how to actually write a song and complete the lyrics and the melody.
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| Old times : Jo-Carol Block, Lauren Carter and Paul Parker singing in San Francisco. |
Most of their songs before 'Right On Target' had been demo material only, but never saw the light of day.
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