b. Patricia Ann Cole, 3rd October 1946, Watts District, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
P.P. Arnold was born into a family of gospel singers and married at the age of 15, having two children (a son called Kevin, and a daughter called Debbie).
Pat Arnold look her singing seriously from a very early age.
Her first professional engagement was as a backing singer with Bobby Day of 'Rockin' Robin' fame.
Pat took on various jobs until the early 1960's (by day she was working as a clerk/typist at a clothing firm, whilst working part time at an egg factory), when Maxine Smith, an ex-girlfriend of her brother, contacted her with an offer.
Maxine, and her friend Gloria Scott, had managed to arrange an audition for three girls to replace the original Ikettes.
The Iketees were the ensemble whom provided the accompaniment for the Ike and Tina Turner Revue.
Pat was invited by Ike & Tina Turner to be one of the Ikettes, and toured with them across the States (including a tour with The Rolling Stones in 1966).
Her husband disapproved of the arrangement, and subsequently Pat left him and placed her children into the care of her parents.
While on tour in London, Mick Jagger persuaded Pat to stay in London and record for the Immediate label (run by Stones manager Andrew Loog-Oldham).
Pat then left the Turner group and remained in London in order to establish a solo career.
the first lady - 1967 / kafunta - 1970
Andrew, Mick and Mike Hurst produced Pat's debut album 'The First Lady of Immediate' (released in 1967), which featured her debut U K single 'The First Cut Is The Deepest' (U.K. Top 20), written by Cat Stevens.
Pat's second album 'Kafunta' was produced, in parts, by Steve Marriott and Loog Oldham.
Her first backing band, The Blue Jays, were, previously, the backing band for the American soul singer Ronnie Jones.
the time has come - 1967 / (if you think you're) groovy - 1968
Other U.K. hits on Immediate were 'The Time Has Come' (Top 50, released in 1967), '(If You Think) You're Groovy' (Top 50, released in 1968), and 'Angel In The Morning' (Top 30, released in 1968), following which Pat formed The Nice and toured Europe.
After the collapse of Immediate in the late 1960s, Pat signed a production contract with the Robert Stigwood Organisation and released two singles on the Polydor Records label.
In 1969, she also joined the cast of the play 'Catch My Soul' (appearing onstage with P.J. Proby).
She then formed a new backing band and she contributed session musician backing vocals to many notable U.K. sessions (including the Nick Drake song 'Poor Boy').
Pat also toured with Eric Clapton, who also produced a number of unreleased sessions with her.
She later married Fuzzy Samuels (of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), and they had a son.
The pair returned to Los Angeles, however, her marriage to Fuzzy Samuels ended and then, tragically, her daughter Debbie was killed in a car accident.
Following her daughter's death, Pat withdrew from public life until 1978.
She then formed a new band called Inner Circle, although the group did not progress artistically.
By 1981, whilst waiting for Johnny 'Guitar' Watson to produce some tracks on her, Pat had relocated to Hollywood, and took on acting roles in 'Fame' and 'Knot's Landing'.
She returned to England in December 1982, and began working with the British reggae band Steel Pulse on their 'Earth Crisis' set.
By 1984, Pat had returned to the stage in the cast of the musical 'Starlight Express' as Belle the Sleeping Car.
Signing to 10 Records (via Virgin) in 1984 she was first asked by Boy George to sing lead on a song he had written for the movie 'Electric Dreams'.
a little pain - 1985 / dreamin - 1986
Following a car accident, in 1985, she teamed up with Dexter Wansel and worked with Carl and Steve from Loose Ends on her debut 10 Records solo single, 'A Little Pain'.
Pat recorded a single with the group Pressure Point, in 1986, entitled 'Dreamin', the song was well received amongst Soul fans in the U.K.
Leaving 10 Records she returned to the charts as lead vocalist on 'Burn It Up', a U.K. Top 20 release on the Rhythm King label for The Beatmasters.
Following this The Beatmasters produced her next solo release 'Dynamite'.
In 1991 Pat appeared in an episode of 'Boon' with the actor Clarke Peters.
Pat also made several television appearances, including 'Later with Jools Holland' and she toured with Ocean Colour Scene in 1997-98.
She also recorded vocals for the 2000 album, 'Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants' by the rock group Oasis.
angel of the morning - 1967 / five in the afternoon - 2007
In 2007, Pat released her first recorded work for several years, entitled 'Five In The Afternoon'.
The album was co-performed with The Blow Monkeys singer Dr. Robert.
Albums:
The First Lady of Immediate (Immediate Records 1967)
Angel (Immediate Records 1967)
Kafunta (Immediate Records 1970)
with dr robert
Five In The Afternoon (Phantom Sound & Vision 2007)
