Colin Roy Pattenden (born November 1947,
Farnborough,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, England) is an English
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
ist, chiefly known for his membership of
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band are an English rock band formed by South African musician Manfred Mann (musician), Manfred Mann. Their hits include covers of Bruce Springsteen's "For You (Bruce Springsteen song), For You", "Blinded by the Light" an ...
.
Pattenden was taught guitar but learned to play bass from tuition books, chiefly those of
Carol Kaye
Carol Kaye (née Smith, born March 24, 1935) is an American musician. She is one of the most prolific recorded bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in a career spanning over 50 years.
Kaye began play ...
, the American bassist guru.
Pattenden worked as a
session guitarist
Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
for
Engelbert Humperdinck and
Leapy Lee in the 1960s.
He played in MMEB from its formation in 1971. Pattenden featured on seven Earth Band albums from their debut in 1972 to ''
The Roaring Silence
''The Roaring Silence'' is the seventh studio album by English rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band. It was released on 27 August 1976, by Bronze Records in the UK and by Warner Bros. Records in the US. Like other Earth Band albums, this incl ...
'' in 1976. Pattenden quit MMEB in 1977. In 1978, he teamed up with former MMEB drummer Chris Slade and vocalist
Peter Cox, in the short lived Terra Nova.
He has also played with
Mungo Jerry
Mungo Jerry are a British rock band, formed by Ray Dorset in Ashford, Middlesex in 1970. Experiencing their greatest success in the early 1970s, with a changing lineup always fronted by Ray Dorset, the group's biggest hit was "In the Summertime ...
, The King Earl Boogie Band, The Jackie Lynton Band, and
The Nashville Teens
The Nashville Teens are a British rock band, formed in Surrey in 1962. They are best known for their 1964 hit single " Tobacco Road", a top 10 UK hit and a top 20 hit in the United States.
Early membership
Art Sharp (born Arthur Sharp, 26 May ...
.
[Manfred Mann's Earth Band – Band Members (Colin Pattenden)]
Platform End On-Line
He is currently working as a PR consultant and manages CP Sound Limited an audio system and lighting design and installation company.
References
1947 births
Living people
English rock bass guitarists
Male bass guitarists
Manfred Mann's Earth Band members
People from Farnborough, London
Musicians from Kent
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