Pat Aulton’s History

 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Just to bring the last 35 years into perspective and I am aware that you have all had your successes; This greying Irish lad has had mine in my own way.

 

As some of you may  remember Ivan Dayman whisked me away from the Clefs and Barrie did a sterling job as my replacement: The Norwood Ballroom with Neville Dunn’s Planets, The Hi-Marks plus a couple of other bands were my day to day work until Ivan decided to invade Melbourne. So I relocated and worked at Town Hall dances some being Preston, Canterbury, Ballarat and Bendigo.

 

Then Ivan decided to invade Brisbane. So I became the emcee and singer with three bands working Cloudland Ballroom and during the day - I was also the cleaner.

Then, one day Ivan, Nat Kipner and I decided to form Sunshine Records. Normie Rowe was our first artist but we didn't know what a producer was so I did it anyway in Bill Armstrong’s Studio which was then at St Kilda later Albert Park.

 

Tweed Harris was about to fire me as a rhythm guitar player until I convinced him that I was a better singer than the bass player. So career one was singing, career two was MC and singer at many venues and career three was record producer.

 

From there we took Normie on the road where I was back stage announcer and opening act on all the tours, the likes of (Roy Orbison, Gene Pitney and Bobby Rydell etc).

Ivan then decided that we should have an office at Festival Records in Sydney. We were on a roll until Ivan faced some financial difficulties and Sunshine was absorbed by Festival. They took my car and furniture and I was out of work until Fred Marks, who ran Festival gave me the job of Artists and Repertoire producer. The engineer in my department was a nine to five man so I gave him to Joe Halford - rebuilt the studio to four track (so lucky) and taught myself engineering as they built it over a two week period: During this time I was asked by Festival to put all of the vocals on a backing track that was recorded for another vocalist, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, I went to work and this recording was released under the name of the Love Machine. This recording had great success on the charts.

Career number four!! One day, having arranged and sung for The Executives a call came from the agency that handled Qantas, Asking, if I would write and sing a commercial for them. I wrote it and Carol King and I sang it - I believe I did twelve parts. A new door opens!! I finally resigned, very amicably from Festival and set up my Jingle business in about 1970/1. Eight years of Coca Cola did not do my reputation any harm apart from the many others that I wrote. Wheetbix***Mitsubishi I also had the pleasure of engaging Barrie to perform a couple of jingles I wrote and sang harmonies with him, Jim Beam***Maxwell House.

 

Career number 5: So life went on until 1976 when I got a phone call from New York. - "Hey man we love your stuff."   To cut a long story short I finished up working as a composer/writer and serious session singer in New York for two years. Very profitable but very wearing I was bringing two children up on my own and to be fair to them I came home in 1978 and returned to Jingles, which with my added kudos from New York gave me a good living. Being over 60 has now slowed down the work. So with out any further ramblings, here I am beautifully ensconced in Noosa and have been for 11 years.

 

My career number six is that I am now the flavour of the month as a vocal coach. The last five yards for all those who aspire to become an entertainer, I teach singing and stage presentation.

Career number seven is in my computer which is a book - not about me but a carefully crafted Mills and Boone with a twist.

 

Always the romantic:

 

 

I would love to hear from one and all in your own time and to recall
the great memories I have in this tiny Irish brain,

My love and best wishes to you all,
Himself.

Pat Aulton

 

Phone: (07) 5474 5288

Email: patrick2@westnet.com.au