David Paton
Encyclopedia
David Paton is a Scottish
bass
and guitar
player, most notably with three different band
s: Pilot
, The Alan Parsons Project
, and Camel
. He has also worked as a solo
artist, session musician
, and sometime vocalist. He wrote and sang on Pilot's two big hits: "January
" and "Magic
".
Paton was also a member of an early version of the Bay City Rollers
.
He grew up in the south-eastern suburb of Gilmerton
in Edinburgh
, where he attended Liberton High School
.
In the 1980s, Paton was known for his work with Elton John
in studio albums and touring around the world. Other credits include bass guitar and backing vocals for several records
by Fish
, and, in the late 1990s, several album
s by Rick Wakeman
. In 1984, he was a member of Keats
.
His first solo album was released in 1991, titled Passions Cry, and second album No Ties No Strings was released in 2003. No Ties No Strings was a re-recording of his never released album from 1980.
Paton also appeared solo
in the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert
series in Australia
, between August and September 2007, as a performer and musical director. He also sang a duet entitled "All of My Days" with the Scottish singer-songwriter
, Kenny Herbert.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
player, most notably with three different band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
s: Pilot
Pilot (band)
Pilot was a pop rock musical group, formed during 1973 in Edinburgh, Scotland by the former Bay City Rollers members, David Paton and Billy Lyall.-Career:...
, The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project was a British progressive rock band, active between 1975 and 1990, consisting of singer Eric Woolfson and keyboardist Alan Parsons surrounded by a varying number of session musicians....
, and Camel
Camel (band)
Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in 1971. An important group in the Canterbury scene, they have been releasing studio and live recordings steadily, with considerable success, since their formation.-1970s:...
. He has also worked as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist, session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, and sometime vocalist. He wrote and sang on Pilot's two big hits: "January
January (Pilot song)
"January" is a pop rock song recorded by the Scottish rock band Pilot. Written by David Paton and produced by Alan Parsons, "January" was the sole number one single in the UK for Pilot, ironically spending all of its three week chart run at the top in February 1975. It also charted in the United...
" and "Magic
Magic (Pilot song)
"Magic" is a popular song from 1974, and was the first hit single for the Scottish band Pilot. It was written by Pilot's Dave Paton.It charted most successfully in Canada, where it reached #1, topping the RPM national singles chart on July 19, 1975, and received a gold certification...
".
Paton was also a member of an early version of the Bay City Rollers
Bay City Rollers
The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop band who were most popular in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at...
.
He grew up in the south-eastern suburb of Gilmerton
Gilmerton, Edinburgh
Gilmerton is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south-west of Danderhall. Its name derives from a combination of - from which we have the first, Gilmer, element - and ....
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, where he attended Liberton High School
Liberton High School
Liberton High School is a secondary school in Gilmerton, in the south of Edinburgh, Scotland. The head teacher is Donald J. Macdonald.The school currently has about 750 students studying...
.
In the 1980s, Paton was known for his work with Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
in studio albums and touring around the world. Other credits include bass guitar and backing vocals for several records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
by Fish
Fish (singer)
Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, is a Scottish progressive rock singer, lyricist and occasional actor, best known as the former lead singer of Marillion.-Biography:...
, and, in the late 1990s, several album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s by Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
. In 1984, he was a member of Keats
Keats (band)
Keats was a short-lived British band which produced one eponymous album in 1984. It was an Alan Parsons Project offshoot. Its members were Colin Blunstone , Ian Bairnson , Pete Bardens , David Paton and Stuart Elliott .-Track listing:...
.
His first solo album was released in 1991, titled Passions Cry, and second album No Ties No Strings was released in 2003. No Ties No Strings was a re-recording of his never released album from 1980.
Paton also appeared solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
in the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
series in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, between August and September 2007, as a performer and musical director. He also sang a duet entitled "All of My Days" with the Scottish singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, Kenny Herbert.