Pat Travers

Patrick Henry Travers(born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who began his recording career in the mid-1970s.

Pat Travers
Travers performing in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Patrick Henry Travers
Born	(1954-04-12)April 12, 1954 Toronto,Ontario, Canada
Genres	Hard rock blues rock
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Guitar vocals keyboards
Years active	1970–present
Labels	Polydor Lemon Cleopatra
Website	pattravers.com

Early life

Travers was born and raised inToronto.Soon after picking up the guitar at age 12, he sawJimi Hendrixperform inOttawa.Travers began playing in bands early in his teens; his first bands were the Music Machine (not to be confused withthe Californian psychedelic/garage band of the same name), Red Hot, and Merge, which played in clubs in theQuebecarea.

Career

Early career

While performing with Merge, he was noticed by rock artistRonnie Hawkins,who invited Travers to perform with him. In his early twenties, Travers moved to London and signed a recording contract with thePolydorlabel.His self-titled debut album was released in 1976 and featured bassistPeter "Mars" Cowling,who would become a mainstay in Travers' band for several years.An appearance on the German TV showRockpalastin November 1976 was later released on CD+DVD under the titleLive at Rockpalastin 2017. This performance showcases an early version of Travers' band featuring Cowling and drummerNicko McBrain.

Rise to popularity

During 1977, Travers added a second guitarist to his band, changed drummers twice including usingClive Edwards,and by the timeHeat in the Streetwas released in 1978 had put together thePat Travers Band.This grouping featured Travers on vocals and guitar,Pat Thrallon guitar, Cowling on bass, andTommy Aldridgeon drums and percussion.The band toured heavily, also supportingRushon theirDrive til You Dietour in support ofA Farewell to Kings.

The guitar Travers most often appeared with on stage and on album covers in the band's early years was a 1964/65 model double cutaway, doublehumbuckerpick-up Gibson Melody Maker. The band's next release was a live album entitledLive! Go for What You Know,which charted in the Top 40 in the United States and included the tune "Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)" (originally recorded byLittle Walter,credited to Stan Lewis), which climbed even higher on the charts, entering the Top 20. "Snortin' Whiskey"was a major American radio hit from 1980'sCrash and Burn.

After an appearance before 35,000 people at theReading Music Festivalin England, both Thrall and Aldridge announced they were leaving the band to pursue other projects.Travers and Cowling teamed up with drummerSandy Gennaroand releasedRadio Activethat same year. A co-headlining tour withRainbowfollowed, and the two bands performed in major arenas across North America. Although the tour was Travers' most successful road outing, theRadio Activealbum barely made it into the Top 40, reaching only number 37.

It was very different from Travers' previous work, with more emphasis on keyboards than heavy guitars. Disappointed with the lack of sales,Polydordropped Travers from their roster, and he in turn sued the record company on grounds that he was under contract with them to record more material. He won the lawsuit, and was able to releaseBlack Pearlin 1982.

This release also featured more mainstream music rather than the hard-driving rock Travers had recorded earlier, and included the hit single "I La La La Love You", featured prominently on mainstream Top 40 and album oriented rock stations, and in the 1983 filmValley Girl.Hot Shotwas Travers' last major label release of original music, and was a return to a harder-edge style of rock than his previous two albums had been. One of Travers' best-recorded projects, it went basically unnoticed and is best remembered for the single "Killer". It was during this time that Travers also releasedJust Another Killer Day,a 30-minute home video featuring music fromHot Shotthat was asci-fitype short story about sexy alien women searching for information on music here on earth. In 1984, Travers was again supporting Rush.Alex Lifesonis one of Travers' many admirers.

Before the release ofHot Shot,longtime bassist Cowling left the band, and Travers would work with several different bassists including Cliff Jordan and Donni Hughes until Cowling's return in 1989.Jerry Riggs,who had joined the Pat Travers Band in 1983, helped Travers create a guitar team that fans considered difficult to rival.AfterHot Shot's release in 1984,Polydormade plans to issue a greatest hits package, and then ended their relationship with Travers.

The latter half of the 1980s were quite gruelling for Travers. Having entered the decade at the top of the music game, he found himself in 1986 without a record contract and being forced to earn a living once again playing nightclubs and touring constantly. By 1990, he had gained a deal with a small European label and releasedSchool of Hard Knocks.The project was completely ignored by radio. A full-length concert video,Boom Boom – Live at the Diamond Club 1990,was shot in Toronto, to be released on CD asBoom Boomnext year, but Travers was still not able to return to the success he had ten years earlier, working only on indie labels, as with Lemon Recordings.

1990s: Return to form

Shortly after, Travers signed a deal with U.S.-based Blues Bureau International Records, a company formed by producerMike Varney.Travers' first recording for the label wasBlues Tracks,released in 1992.Several more releases on the BBI label followed during the 1990s. In 1993, Travers parted company with both Jerry Riggs and Peter "Mars" Cowling, and Riggs was briefly replaced by formerFoghatguitarist Erik Cartwright. The relationship was brief, and Travers has worked with a variety of musicians since that time. Travers sang on Boston metal bandExtreme's song "Get the Funk Out"from their 1990 albumPornograffitti.

Decline in popularity

Travers in 2009

Travers has not been able to regain the level of commercial success he once had, despite a large and loyal fan base who call themselves "Hammer Heads". In 2001, Travers was part of the "Voices of Classic Rock"tour and had a minor hit withLeslie Westfrom the bandMountaincalled "Rock Forever". In 2004, Travers started a project with veteran drummerCarmine Appiceand started touring the U.S. Travers recorded cover tunes from bands such asLed Zeppelin,Montrose,Queen,andTrapezeunder the album nameP.T. Power Trio 2,and they toured Europe in November 2006. He has also performed with the bandScrap Metal.

2008 to 2016 featured one of the longest/most consistent line-ups for the Pat Travers Band. Joining Travers was Kirk McKim (2006–2015; guitar/vocals), Sean Shannon (2008–2010; drums), followed by Sandy Gennaro (2010–2016), and Rodney O'Quinn (2007–2016; bass/vocals). The band released the albumFidelisin late 2009. In July 2013, they releasedCan Dovia Frontiers Records, a major label based in Italy.Can Dowas supported by PTB tours of the U.S., the UK, and Europe during the later half of 2013. In January 2015, Frontiers Records releasedLive at the Iridium NYC,recorded in February 2012.

Pat Travers Band members

Pat Thrall,Nicko McBrain,Clive Edwards,Mick Dyche,Tommy Aldridge,Peter "Mars" Cowling,Barry Dunaway,Jerry Riggs,Gunter Nezhoda,Carmine Appice,Michael Shrieve,Aynsley Dunbar,Kirk McKim,Sandy Gennaro,Rodney O'Quinn, Sean Shannon, Frank McDaniel, David LaRue, Eric Fretas, and Rick Navarro are some of the noted musicians who have been members of thePat Travers Bandthrough the years.

As of 2021, the band consists of Travers (guitars, vocals), Alex Petrosky (drums) andDavid Pastorius(bass).

Acclaim

Paul Gilberthas referred to Travers as a "guitar god",andKirk HammettofMetallicahas cited him as one of his favourite guitar players.

In popular culture

"Rage of Travers", the ninth track onThe Mountain Goats' 2017 albumGoths,retells an incident in which Travers—on tour in 1982 or 1983—showed up, guitar in hand and looking to jam, at aBauhausconcert after his own gig ended. The chorus, "Nobody wants to hear the 12-bar blues/from a guy in platform shoes", highlights the speed with which the commercial landscape of rock changed in the early 1980s, especially asMTVpromoted more visually distinctive acts.

In the 2004 movieSideways,the song "Snortin' Whiskey" is playing as Miles tries to recover Jack's wallet.

In the 1983 movieValley Girl,the song "I La La La Love You" is playing when Randy, Julie, Fred and Stacey leave the party and head to Hollywood.

Discography

Travers in 2014

Albums

• 1976Pat Travers
• 1977Makin' Magic
• 1977Putting It Straight
• 1978Heat in the Street
• 1978The Pat Travers You Missed Mini-Album(EP)
• 1979Live! Go for What You Know
• 1980Crash and Burn
• 1981Radio Active
• 1982Black Pearl
• 1984Hot Shot
• 1990School of Hard Knocks
• 1991Boom Boom – Live at the Diamond Club, Toronto(live 1990)
• 1992BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert(live 1977 and 1980; re-released in 2000)
• 1992Blues Tracks
• 1993Just a Touch
• 1994Blues Magnet
• 1995Halfway to Somewhere
• 1996Lookin' Up
• 1997King Biscuit Flower Hour(live 1984)
• 1998Blues Tracks 2
• 2000Don't Feed the Alligators
• 2003Etched in Stone(live 2002; 2-CD)
• 2003P.T. Power Trio(also calledPower Trio)
• 2003From the Front... Live!(live 1984; DVD-Audio)
• 2005PT=MC2
• 2005Boom Boom – Live at the Diamond Club 1990(CD & DVD)
• 2006P.T. Power Trio 2
• 2008Stick with What You Know – Live in Europe(live 2007)
• 2009Black Betty
• 2010Fidelis
• 2012Blues on Fire
• 2013Live at the Bamboo Room(CD & DVD)
• 2013Can Do
• 2014Snortin' Whiskey at the Warfield (Official Bootleg)
• 2015Live at the Iridium NYC
• 2015Retro Rocket
• 2017Live at Rockpalast (1976)
• 2019Swing!
• 2022The Art of Time Travel

Singles released during major label career

• 1976 "Makes No Difference" (promo single to debut album)
• 1976 "Stop and Smile"
• 1977 "Stevie"
• 1977 "Rock & Roll Susie"
• 1977 "Gettin' Betta"
• 1977 "Life in London"
• 1978 "Heat in the Street"
• 1978 "Go All Night"
• 1979 "Boom, Boom (Out Go the Lights) – Live!" (UK single)
• 1980 "Is This Love" (US single)
• 1980 "Snortin' Whiskey"(US single)
• 1980 "Evie" (Netherlandsonly single)
• 1980 "Crash and Burn"
• 1980 "(Your Love) Can't Be Right"
• 1981 "My Life Is on the Line"
• 1981 "New Age Music" (Netherlands only single)
• 1981 "I Can Love You"
• 1982 "I La La La Love You"
• 1982 "Rockin'"
• 1982 "I'd Rather See You Dead"
• 1984 "Women on the Edge of Love"
• 1984 "Killer"

Compilation albums

• 1985Boom Boom...The Best of Pat Travers
• 1990An Anthology, Vol. 1
• 1990An Anthology, Vol. 2
• 1991The Best of Pat Travers
• 1997Best of Blues Plus Live!(studio and 1997 live recordings)
• 200320th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection: The Best of Pat Travers
• 2004Rock Solid: The Essential Collection(Germany)
• 2007Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)
• 20088+8: The Best of '70–'80(live recordings) (Germany)
• 2009Travelin' Blues
• 2015Feelin' Right: The Polydor Albums 1975–1984 (Remastered)

Travers & Appice albums

• 2004It Takes a Lot of Balls
• 2005Live at the House of Blues
• 2005Bazooka
• 2014Live in Europe
• 2016The Balls Album

Guest appearances

• 1977Play Me Out(Glenn Hughes)
• 1983Valley Girl (Soundtrack)
• 1990Pornografitti(Extreme,bridge vocals on Get the Funk Out)
• 1993L.A. Blues Authority, Vol. III: Hats Off to Stevie Ray(various artists)
• 1993L.A. Blues Authority, Vol. IV: Fit for a King(various artists)
• 1993Songs from the Better Blues Bureau(various artists)
• 1993Masters of Metal – Live the 70's Ten Hits(various artists)
• 1994L.A. Blues Authority, Vol. V: Cream of the Crop(various artists)
• 1995Animal Magnetism(Various artists)
• 1997Summerdaze(John Kay & Steppenwolf, Blue Öyster Cult, Foghat, Pat Travers) (live)
• 2001Voices of Classic Rock: Voices for America(various artists)
• 2001Building the Machine(Glenn Hughes)
• 2004Sideways(soundtrack)
• 2006Off The Shelf- Keith Emerson compilation (2 tracks)
• 2009Chris Catena(Discovery)
• 2010Circus Bar(Brian Howe)
• 2012Antiseptic Bloodbath(Tourniquet)
• 2012Six String Soldiers(Frank Hannon)
• 2014Primitive Son(Eli Cook)
• 2024Temple of Blues(Cactus)

External links

• Pat Travers' official website
• Pat TraversatAllMusic
• Bio at CanadianBands.com
• Pat Travers: Groove and Tone – GuitarInternational.com Interview
• Pat Traversdiscography atDiscogs