Patrick Olive
Patrick Olive | |
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| Birth name | Patrick Augustus Olive |
| Born | 22 March 1947 Grenada |
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| Instrument(s) |
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| Years active | 1968–present |
| Member of | Hot Chocolate |
Patrick Augustus Olive (born 22 March 1947) is a Grenadian musician. He is best known for being a member of Hot Chocolate. He was originally the percussionist from 1968 to 1975, before switching to bass guitar. Currently, Olive is the only member in the band who has been in Hot Chocolate since its inception in 1968.
Early life[edit]
Patrick Augustus Olive was born in Grenada in 1947. He moved to England at some point in his life, and growing up sang in a choir.[1]
Career[edit]
In 1968, Olive became a founding member of Hot Chocolate as percussionist, with Errol Brown, Tony Wilson, Franklyn De Allie, and Jim King as "The Hot Chocolate Band".[2] Producer Mickie Most shortened their name to "The Hot Chocolate" then eventually "Hot Chocolate". Their first single was a cover of John Lennon's song "Give Peace a Chance". Brown wanted to change some of the lyrics to the song, but was legally unable to unless permission was granted from Lennon. After sending a demo to him, to showed gratitude to the bands interpretation, and allowed them to record it.[3] With the help of record producer Mickie Most, began releasing tracks that became hits, such as "Love Is Life", "Emma", "You Could Have Been a Lady" (a US and Canadian hit for April Wine).
Their biggest selling hits include "You Sexy Thing", a UK number two which also made the top 10 in three decades and reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100—the song also featured in the popular British comedy film The Full Monty (1997)—"So You Win Again", topped the UK Charts, "Every 1's a Winner", reached number six in the US, "It Started with a Kiss", UK top five, and "Emma", charted at number three in the UK and number 8 in the US. In 2004, Brown received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.[4] The band became the only group, and one of just three acts, that had a hit in every year of the 1970s in the UK charts (the other two being Elvis Presley and Diana Ross).[5][6]
From its inception in 1968 to 1975, Olive had been a percussionist for the group, but following Wilson's departure to go solo, Patrick took over on bass guitar. Olive is left handed, and plays the bass accordingly.[7] He has remained bass player ever since. The first hit song by the band that Olive is credited with playing the bass guitar on is "You Sexy Thing". According to an interview with Olive, he said: "As a young boy I always sang in the choir and my part was the bass part. I could always figure out a bass line which was going boom, boom, boom in my head. Even though Tony Wilson was playing the bass guitar at the time I would always be telling him what to play. After a while Errol (Brown) said to me, you seem to be coming up with all of the bass lines and riffs so why don’t you play the bass instead of Tony. I came up with the bass line in both Brother Louie and Emma and that came to me simply because I always sang the bass lines in the choir."[1]
After a six-year hiatus, Olive, with original members Harvey Hinsley and Tony Connor reformed the band, and are still active as of 2024. Olive is the only member in the band who has been in Hot Chocolate since its inception in 1968 as of 1992. The Hot Chocolate website claims that Olive does most of the interviews and promotions for the band.[8] Olive's favourite Hot Chocolate song is "Changing World".[1]
Influences[edit]
As a child/teenager, Patrick listened to "all of the stars; Sam Cooke, Sly and The Family Stone, and Nat King Cole. I love Country and Western, but I was never a Rock and Roll fan. I love Country and Western, Blues, anything with nice lyrics and is melodically nice. I love Pat Boone, Brook Benton, all of those sort of guys. Then there are the big boys, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Wilson Pickett and all those guys."[1] Sly and The Family Stone have been stated as being one of Olive's biggest influences, and he admires their song "Stand!".[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "INTERVIEW: Patrick Olive | Welcome to UK Music Reviews". Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "B". web.archive.org. 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "Errol Brown: A Fondent Farewell". web.archive.org. 2023-10-15. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "Radiohead And The Darkness Triumph At Ivor Novello Awards". NME. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ Roberts, David (2001). British Hit Singles (14th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 47. ISBN 0-85156-156-X.
- ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 184. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
- ^ "Left Handed Edition". absolutelyunderstandguitar.com. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "Patrick Olive - Hot Chocolate". web.archive.org. 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2024-05-18.