Pat Wilson

For the drummer in rock band Weezer, see Patrick Wilson (musician).
Pat Wilson
Born Patricia Mary Higgins
(1948-06-11) 11 June 1948
Other names Mummy Cool
Occupation Journalist, singer
Employer Go-Set
Spouse(s) Ross Wilson (1969–1989)
Children Daniel Wilson (b. 1971)

Pat Wilson (born Patricia Mary Higgins;[1] 11 June 1948) is an Australian singer and journalist. Wilson wrote for Go-Set, a 1960s and 1970s pop music newspaper, under the pen-name "Mummy Cool" during 1971–1972.[2] Wilson released several singles in the early 1980s including the hit single "Bop Girl".[2] The song was written by her then husband Ross Wilson[2][3] of the bands Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock.

Biography

Early years

Wilson first saw Ross Wilson perform with his band The Pink Finks in about 1965, when she was sixteen. They met when he was working for the Department of Supply.[4] In 1969, Ross left Australia for England to become a member of Procession. Wilson joined him there; they married and returned to Australia.[4]

Ross and three bandmates formed Daddy Cool in 1970 and toured Australia. In early 1971 they performed at the Myponga Festival in South Australia.[5][6] Concert footage of their performance of "Eagle Rock" shows a pregnant Wilson in the front row (from 1m.43sec, right hand side of the screen).[4] The Wilsons' son Daniel was born just as "Eagle Rock" reached #1 on the National singles charts.[4][7] At about this time, Wilson started writing her column for Go-Set taking over an advice column called "Dear Lesley Pixie" and using the pen-name "Mummy Cool".

In 1975 Wilson appeared on Australian band Skyhooks' second album Ego is not a Dirty Word on the title track, "Ego is not a Dirty Word".[8] She played finger cymbals. Ross produced the album.[8]

"Bop Girl"

In 1983, Ross wrote "Bop Girl" for Wilson to perform, it became a #2 hit in Australia;[7] Ross also provided backing vocals and appeared in its music video. The single released on Warner Music Group[1] became one of the highest selling singles of 1983,[7] and achieved airplay in various parts of the world, including the United States, where the single peaked at #104 on the Billboard pop chart. Subsequent singles failed to repeat this success.

Eric McCusker when interviewed in Juke Magazine, 22 October 1983,[9] was asked whether he could have written something like Bop Girl, he replied:

"No, that's a very Ross Wilson song isn't it? That's been around for about four years. I think Ross did a demo with some guys from the first Mondo line up and we all liked the song but it was obvious it wasn't a Mondo Rock sound. But that's what I say about doing other things aside from Mondo Rock: it's healthy and you don't feel restricted as a result."

The "Bop Girl" music video was the screen debut of 15-year-old Nicole Kidman playing the role of a young "bop girl".[10] Chosen by director Gillian Armstrong, songwriter Ross recalled that Kidman was to represent "an up and coming starlet with a bright future".[4] Kidman herself insisted that the video be used for both a BBC documentary about her career, and also in an American Cinematheque tribute, with the result that the video returned to Australian music video playlists in 2004. The music video was shot in South Coogee.

This song featured on 2012's Being Lara Bingle.

A follow-up EP called Strong Love was released in 1984 also on Warner Music Group.[1][11]

Personal life

Wilson was married to musician Ross Wilson for twenty years according to her brief account on ABC-TV's Talking Heads on 9 July 2007, where Peter Thompson interviewed Ross.[4] They have a son Daniel born in 1971.[4]

Discography

Singles

Albums

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pat Wilson". Discogs. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 Turnbull, Jeffrey. "What was Go-Set?". Pop Archives. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
  3. ↑ ""Bop Girl" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 7 April 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Ross Wilson interview on Talking Heads with Peter Thompson". Talking Heads. ABC. 9 July 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  5. ↑ "Daddy Cool". Milesago. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  6. ↑ "Daddy Cool". Australian Rock Database. Magnus Holmgren. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. 1 2 "Ego is not a Dirty Word". Discogs. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
  9. ↑ Juke Magazine, 22 October 1983
  10. ↑ Hughes, John. "Lost in the '80s: Pat Wilson, "Bop Girl"". popdose.com. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  11. ↑ "Strong Love". Discogs. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
  12. ↑ "Bop Girl". Discogs. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
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