Pat, I'm sure most people will remember you as a member of the famous trio The Techniques, but before that you were in a band called The Sherdians. What kind of music did you guys used to perform back then and where did you perform?
Pat Kelly: "We used to do American rhythm and blues music, copying people like Curtis Mayfield, The Drifters, The Platters and so on. In those days we played in places like the Carib Theater and the Ward Theater, most of which have disappeared."
You joined The Techniques after Slim Smith left. How exactly did that come about?
Pat Kelly: "Well, when Winston Riley, the founder of the band asked me to join, I quickly accepted. The first song we did together was 'You Don't Care', a tune by Curtis Mayfield (called 'You Want Me Back' in Mayfield's version, red.), which went straight to number one. And from there I never looked back."
A lot of the tunes you recorded in those days were done for a man who needs little introduction; I'm talking about Duke Reid of course. How do you remember him?
Pat Kelly: "Duke was a very cute, astute and humble man. If you didn't know him he could be perceived as a somewhat aggressive character, but in reality he was a gentle lion."
It wasn't Duke Reid however who got you involved in the music business, but a schoolmate that would also go on to become a famous producer: Bunny 'Striker' Lee. Apparently at the beginning of your career you weren't really working as a singer.
Pat Kelly: "No, I was training as an electronic engineer, which later became my profession and up till today is still something I'm very fond of. I kind of underestimated the impact I made when I started singing, so my career had really switched direction before I really knew what was happening. I have my own studio though and I'm trying to pass on my skills to the next generation."
You scored your biggest hits during the rocksteady era, an all too brief period in Jamaican musical history. How would you describe that music to someone who's never heard the term rocksteady before?
Pat Kelly: "Ska, rocksteady and reggae are very similar; one is just slower or faster than the other. In my opinion that is really the only difference."
Over the years you've worked with a lot of important producers; we already mentioned Bunny Lee and Duke Reid, but there were also Phil Pratt, Lee Perry and so on. Who is the one you remember most fondly?
Pat Kelly: "Well, that has to be Bunny Lee, because, as you said, he was the one who introduced me to the music business and I also greatly enjoyed working with Duke Reid. At Treasure Isle you had the chance to work with great musicians like Tommy McCook, Don Drummond, Ernest Ranglin and so on."
With all the versions that have been done over the years, people are forgetting that it was you who did that original version of 'Queen Majesty' all those years ago. How did that tune come about and what was it about Curtis Mayfield that so many reggae artists cite him as their inspiration?
Pat Kelly: "Somehow his music fits perfectly on a reggae or rocksteady rhythm. In Jamaica we were especially fond of the slower tunes he produced, while in the United States there was a definite preference for the more up-tempo stuff. 'Queen Majesty' was a Curtis Mayfield tune (originally called 'Minstrel And Queen', red.) that was played a lot by the Jamaican sound systems in those days. We picked up on the vibe and decided to do our own version. What sets that song apart is the rhythm and of course, because of the subject, you're immediately addressing the female part of your audience. (laughs)"