Pam Wilkie
It was a freezing cold night on 19th November 1947 as Pam perched on the pillion seat of Ian Powrie’s two-stroke motorbike chugging along to the village of Forgandenny. Pam had taken the seven-pence bus journey out the Glasgow Road from Perth to meet Ian on his motorbike at the Forteviot road end for the short journey to play at the re-opening of the newly refurbished Forgandenny Hall. This is Pam’s earliest recollection of playing with the celebrated Ian Powrie Band, and the start of her love affair with Scottish music. Now aged 82, Pam was born and brought up in Perth, where she still lives in Bridgend. From her lounge window you can see one of the finest views of Perth overlooking the old River Tay Bridge up to the North Inch, and onwards towards the hills of the Sma’ Glen. Idyllic stuff, and I wonder if Pam’s innovative harmonies and sympathetic accompanying skills have been inspired by living amid such harmonious surroundings.
What makes Pam so special and revered among musicians in Scotland? It all seems to come so naturally to Pam, but her innate talent to suss out the best harmonies, passing notes/suspensions, progressions and modulations, along with her amazingly sympathetic accompaniment skills certainly singles her out. I find this a little bit surprising, bearing in mind when Pam was young and moving in music circles, the accent was on simplicity of harmonies, particularly with Scottish dance bands. However, Pam with her early basic musical teaching, transcended the practice of simple and sparse harmonies to become nothing short of a legend in the Scottish music scene.
Pam was taught to play piano by a Miss Pratt in Perth back in the 1930s. In these early years, she no doubt revealed outstanding potential, but she was taught only the basics of the piano and theory by her music teacher. With her natural talent, similar to the many brilliant self-taught musicians in Shetland, Pam very soon discovered a whole new world of harmony on the keyboard.
Pam’s first foray into the male-dominated world of the band scene happened immediately after the war, when she joined a small dance band which gigged in and around Perth. This arrangement only lasted a couple of years and the band was led by Bob MacKay. Pam reflects cheerfully on one particular member of the band who shall remain nameless, but with nicknames being the order of these days, the trumpeter was affectionately known as ‘Spittie Pate’! No need to wonder why!
At barely twenty years of age, Pam joined The Ian Powrie Band and, along with Dave Barclay on double bass and Arthur Easson on drums, formed one of the finest rhythm sections of any Scottish dance band. When Ian emigrated to Australia in 1966, Jimmy Blue assumed control of the band and Pam continued with the rhythm section which by then had become the trademark of the Powrie/Blue sound. Her era with Ian Powrie covered many trips abroad, and many television appearances, particularly with The White Heather Show in the late 50s and into the 60s along with show host Andy Stewart and so many other well-known celebrities.
Later in 1968 and into the 70s Pam played with other top bands such as Jim Johnstone and The John Ellis Highland Country Band, and there are countless recordings still available with Pam’s familiar sound in the rhythm sections of these bands. Pam’s husband Ally, who played drums, also joined Pam and together they played for some seven years with The John Ellis Band until 1982.
Despite the advancing years, Pam’s keyboard skills remain undiminished, and she is still playing with a small group at Crieff Hydro. Her skills over the years have been somewhat hidden within rhythm sections of bands, along with her accompanying of vocalists and instrumentalists, and many people are unaware of her talents as a solo performer. I thought it important that Pam should leave a legacy of her extraordinary talent, and a CD has just been released which does just that. Playing such favourites as A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, Autumn Leaves and Embraceable You, along with her lovely accompaniments to several tracks including slow airs on fiddle, this recording will be enjoyed and thoroughly appreciated by lovers of good music and exquisite harmony.
As mentioned earlier, Pam’s musical skills remain unabridged with age, and neither has her sense of humour! She humorously recalls that she was never recompensed to the tune of seven-pence for the bus journey to Forteviot road end in November 1947. Pam has been playing for a staggering seventy years, although she will admit to having a stagger only over the past couple of years or so!
What makes Pam so special and revered among musicians in Scotland? It all seems to come so naturally to Pam, but her innate talent to suss out the best harmonies, passing notes/suspensions, progressions and modulations, along with her amazingly sympathetic accompaniment skills certainly singles her out. I find this a little bit surprising, bearing in mind when Pam was young and moving in music circles, the accent was on simplicity of harmonies, particularly with Scottish dance bands. However, Pam with her early basic musical teaching, transcended the practice of simple and sparse harmonies to become nothing short of a legend in the Scottish music scene.
Pam was taught to play piano by a Miss Pratt in Perth back in the 1930s. In these early years, she no doubt revealed outstanding potential, but she was taught only the basics of the piano and theory by her music teacher. With her natural talent, similar to the many brilliant self-taught musicians in Shetland, Pam very soon discovered a whole new world of harmony on the keyboard.
Pam’s first foray into the male-dominated world of the band scene happened immediately after the war, when she joined a small dance band which gigged in and around Perth. This arrangement only lasted a couple of years and the band was led by Bob MacKay. Pam reflects cheerfully on one particular member of the band who shall remain nameless, but with nicknames being the order of these days, the trumpeter was affectionately known as ‘Spittie Pate’! No need to wonder why!
At barely twenty years of age, Pam joined The Ian Powrie Band and, along with Dave Barclay on double bass and Arthur Easson on drums, formed one of the finest rhythm sections of any Scottish dance band. When Ian emigrated to Australia in 1966, Jimmy Blue assumed control of the band and Pam continued with the rhythm section which by then had become the trademark of the Powrie/Blue sound. Her era with Ian Powrie covered many trips abroad, and many television appearances, particularly with The White Heather Show in the late 50s and into the 60s along with show host Andy Stewart and so many other well-known celebrities.
Later in 1968 and into the 70s Pam played with other top bands such as Jim Johnstone and The John Ellis Highland Country Band, and there are countless recordings still available with Pam’s familiar sound in the rhythm sections of these bands. Pam’s husband Ally, who played drums, also joined Pam and together they played for some seven years with The John Ellis Band until 1982.
Despite the advancing years, Pam’s keyboard skills remain undiminished, and she is still playing with a small group at Crieff Hydro. Her skills over the years have been somewhat hidden within rhythm sections of bands, along with her accompanying of vocalists and instrumentalists, and many people are unaware of her talents as a solo performer. I thought it important that Pam should leave a legacy of her extraordinary talent, and a CD has just been released which does just that. Playing such favourites as A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, Autumn Leaves and Embraceable You, along with her lovely accompaniments to several tracks including slow airs on fiddle, this recording will be enjoyed and thoroughly appreciated by lovers of good music and exquisite harmony.
As mentioned earlier, Pam’s musical skills remain unabridged with age, and neither has her sense of humour! She humorously recalls that she was never recompensed to the tune of seven-pence for the bus journey to Forteviot road end in November 1947. Pam has been playing for a staggering seventy years, although she will admit to having a stagger only over the past couple of years or so!