Pat Wilson

Infobox Person
name = Pat Wilson


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birth_name = Patricia Mary ?
birth_date = birth date and age|1948|06|11
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death_date =
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other_names = Mummy Cool
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employer = "Go-Set"
occupation = Journalist, singer
spouse = Ross Wilson (1969- c. 1989)
partner =
children = Daniel Wilson
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website =
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Pat Wilson (born Patricia Marycite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Pat+Wilson+(2) |title=Pat Wilson |publisher=Discogs |accessdate=2008-05-17 ] ? , 11 June 1948) is an Australian singer and journalist. Wilson wrote for "Go-Set", a 1960s and 1970s music magazine, under the pen-name "Mummy Cool" during 1971-1972.cite web |url=http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/whatwas.html |title="What was "Go-Set"?" |publisher=Pop Archives |last=Turnbull |first=Jeffrey |accessdate=2008-05-17 ] Usually regarded as a one hit wonder, Wilson released several singles in the early 1980s including the hit single "Bop Girl". The song was written by her then husband Ross Wilsoncite web |url=http://www.apra.com.au/site/public/searchworksresult.stm?worktitle=BOP%20GIRL&switchdet=Y |title=Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) |publisher=APRA |accessdate=2008-05-17 ] of the bands Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock, and its style and lyrics satirised 1980s fashion and pop music.

Biography

Early years

Wilson first saw Ross Wilson perform, in his band The Pink Finks in about 1965, when she was sixteen, they met when he was working for the Department of Supply.cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/talkingheads/txt/s1972085.htm |title=Ross Wilson interview on "Talking Heads" with Peter Thompson |publisher=ABC |date=2007-07-09 |accessdate=2008-05-15 ] Ross left Australia for England to become a member of Procession in 1969, Pat joined him there and they were married and returned to Australia.

Ross Wilson and three bandmates formed Daddy Cool in 1970 and toured Australia, during early 1971 they performed at the Myponga Festival in South Australia.cite web |url=http://www.milesago.com/Artists/daddycool.htm |title=Daddy Cool |publisher=Milesago |accessdate=2008-05-08 ] cite web |title=Australian Rock Database entry for Daddy Cool |url=http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/d/daddycool.html?k |publisher=Magnus Holmgren |accessdate=2008-05-06 ] Concert footage of their performance of "Eagle Rock" shows a pregnant Pat in the front row. Their son, Daniel was born when "Eagle Rock" reached #1 on the National singles charts.cite book |title=Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 |format=doc |last=Kent |first=David |authorlink= David Kent|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6 |accessdate=2008-05-07] At about this time, she started writing her column for "Go-Set" taking over an advice column called "Dear Lesley Pixie" and using the pen-name "Mummy Cool".

In 1975, Wilson appeared briefly on Australian band Skyhooks' second album "Ego is not a Dirty Word" on the title track.cite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/release/973230 |title="Ego is not a Dirty Word" |publisher=Discogs |accessdate=2008-05-17 ] She plays finger cymbals, the album was produced by Ross Wilson.

"Bop Girl"

In 1983, Ross Wilson wrote "Bop Girl" for Pat to perform, it became a #2 hit; Ross also provided backing vocals and appeared in its music video. The single released on WEA Records became one of the highest selling singles of 1983, and achieved airplay in various parts of the world, including the United States. Subsequent singles failed to repeat this success.

The "Bop Girl" music video is notable for containing the screen debut of 15 year old Nicole Kidman playing the role of a young "bop girl". Chosen by director Gillian Armstrong, songwriter Wilson recalled that Kidman was to represent "an up and coming starlet with a bright future". Kidman herself insisted that the video be used for both a BBC documentary about her career, and also in an American Cinematheque tribute, with the result that the video returned to Australian music video playlists in 2004.

A follow-up EP called "Strong Love" was released in 1984 also on WEA Records.cite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/release/785838 |title="Strong Love" |publisher=Discgos |accessdate=2008-05-17 ]

Personal life

Wilson was married to musician Ross Wilson for twenty years according to her brief account on ABC-TV's "Talking Heads" on 9 July 2007, where Peter Thompson interviewed Ross Wilson. They have a son Daniel born in 1971.

Discography

ingles

* "Bop Girl" / "Tacky" (1983, WEA Records) [cite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/release/860390 |title="Bop Girl" |publisher=Discogs |accessdate=2008-05-17 ]

Albums

* "Strong Love" (EP, 1984 WEA Records)
** "Bop Girl" / "Strong Love" / "Bop Girl Goes Surfin'" / "Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop" / "Killer Bees"

Personnel

* Pat Wilson — vocals
* James Black — backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass on "Strong Love" and "Killer Bees"
* Ricky Fataar — backing vocals, drums, percussion, co-producer
* Mark Moffatt —guitar, co-producer
* Daniel Wilson — other (Bee attack)
* Ross Wilson — backing vocals (co-lead on "Strong Love"), guitar, co-producer

* Joe Creighton — bass guitar on "Bop Girl" and "Bop Girl Goes Surfin'"
* Simon Gyllies — bass guitar on "Bop Girl"
* J. J. Hackett — drums on "Killer Bees"
* Chris Haigh — bass on "Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop"
* M. Holden — fiddle on "Bop Girl"

References