Swervedriver just posted that Pat Collier has died. Bassist for the Vibrators and producer or engineer of many classic albums, most notably Underwater Moonlight and Black Snake Diamond Role.

Goddamn - losing Collier and Martin Phillips on the same day is pretty awful. Thanks for producing one of my desert island discs, Pat, and rest in peace!

Yeah, this one definitely bums me out. The Vibrators' Pure Mania has long been a go-to punk album for me -- one of the most under-appreciated highlights from the "class of '77." His production work with The Soft Boys and Robyn Hitchcock is top-notch, of course, but so is his work with The Sound, Katrina & the Waves, The Darling Buds and The Wonder Stuff. Rest in peace, Pat, and thanks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2024 12:30PM by Delvin.

Forgot about the Wonder Stuff connection! I really loved that first album of theirs, but quickly lost interest in the subsequent ones. Clearly the lads had some great ideas of their own for the first record, but I thank Collier for whatever role he played in marshalling that energy.

He was involved in making Hitchcock’s “element of light”, which has some of my all-time favorite songs. He deserves to be in a peaceful space now.

I never knew the Vibrators or heard of Collier, but "Element of Light" is a gorgeous song and he clearly produced a lot of other stuff I like in the pop vein, from Wonder Stuff to Katrina and the Waves. R.I.P.

Did bunch of stuff with Cockney punkers Snuff, too.