On this page:

Pato Banton's biography, lyrics and discography.

Biography

196x

  • Patrick Murray was born 1961, in London, England.
  • Patrick moved to Birmingham, England when he was 8.

197x

  • Patrick was a MC in his stepfather's V-Rocket Reggae Sound System.
  • Patrick's stepfather (Lester Daley, a Jamaican DJ) named him "Pato" (Jamaican "wise" owl).
  • Patrick was part of the Crucial Music band.

198x

  • Pato won a talent contest judged by Roger "Ranking" Charlery and Dave Wakeling (of The English Beat). It was there that Pato and Roger became friends.
  • Pato and Roger recorded the song "Pato & Roger A Go Talk" for The Beat's "Special Beat Service" album in 1982.
  • Pato auditioned at Fashion Records. The producers renamed him Pato Banton (a "banton" is a heavy-weight lyricist).
  • Pato recorded the song "Hello Tosh" (produced by Ranking Roger) in 1985. "Hello Tosh" was used on Toshiba's advertising campaign. It was number 3 in the independent reggae charts of the UK.
  • Pato and Private Domain recorded the song "Absolute Perfection". It was number 1 in the music charts of Peru.
  • Pato opened Ziggy Marley's North American tour in 1989.

199x

Wize Up!
  • Pato and David Hinds (of Steel Pulse) recorded the song "Wize Up! (No Compromize)" for Pato's "Wize Up!" album in 1990.
  • Pato and Roger recorded the song "Bubbling Hot" for Pato's "Universal Love" album. "Bubbling Hot" was top 20 in the music charts of the UK.
  • Pato, Ali Campbell and Robin Campbell (of UB40) recorded a cover version of Eddy Grant's song "Baby Come Back" for Pato's "Collections" album in 1994. "Baby Come Back" was number 1 in the music charts of the UK for 4 weeks and top 5 in more than 20 countries.
  • Pato and Sting recorded a remix version of Sting's song "This Cowboy Song". It was top 10 in the music charts of the UK and South America.
  • Pato and Sting recorded a cover version of The Police's song "Spirits In A Material World" for Pato's "Stay Positive" album.

200x

  • Pato recorded the song "Drive-By Shooting" after 2 of his sons were shot accidentally in a drive-by shooting in Birmingham in 2000.
  • Pato's "Life Is A Miracle" album was nominated for the Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2001.
  • Pato and Viv Taylor (of the Community Safety in Handsworth) started the Muzik Links community project in 2001.
  • Pato started the School of Musical Arts and Technology in Birmingham in 2002. "I reached a point where I was fulfilled with my career and considered slowing down. My studio here in Birmingham was next to the local community centre. Every day kids would knock on the door wanting to come in and see what I was doing. I wanted to work with them, to teach them and give them opportunities to make music. It's been an amazing journey. We are tapping into what is inside the students already, bringing it out. We are working with some outstanding talent. It's so rewarding. Music gives them something to focus their energy on."
  • Pato was awarded the BBC's Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to positive change.
  • Pato was awarded the Black Music Award for Lifetime Achievement for his contribution to the British Music Industry.
Ranking Roger, Yaz Alexander & Pato Banton
Ranking Roger, Yaz Alexander & Pato Banton @ The Barfly 2006
By Andy Brouwer

Discography

Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton

Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton

1985
  1. My Opinion
  2. Give Me Oil
  3. King Step
  4. Nuff King Of Dread
  5. Gwarn! (Go On)
  6. Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton
Never Give In

Never Give In

1988
  1. Pato & Roger Come Again
  2. Never Give In
  3. Don't Sniff Coke
  4. Settle Satan
  5. Hello Tosh
  6. Absolute Perfection
  7. Don't Worry
  8. Handsworth Riot
  9. Gwarn!
  10. Too Much War
  11. Pato's Opinion
  12. King Step
Visions Of The World

Visions Of The World

1989
  1. Third World Country
  2. Bad Man And Woman
  3. Roots, Rock, Reggae
  4. Wishing On A Star
  5. Pressure
  6. Visions Of The World
  7. Ready Me Ready
  8. Jah's Reggae
  9. Pato's Opinion Part 2
  10. Never Give In
Mad Professor Recaptures Pato Banton

Mad Professor Recaptures Pato Banton

1990
  1. Recaptured
  2. Riot
  3. Satan
  4. Mr. Singh
  5. Worries
  6. Live As One
Wize Up! (No Compromize)

Wize Up! (No Compromize)

1990
  1. From Now On
  2. Give A Little Love
  3. Situation Crazy
  4. Wize Up!
  5. Don't Stop The Music
  6. Niceness
  7. I'm Addicted
  8. All Drugs Out
  9. Celebrate (Mandela's Freedom)
  10. Spirits In A Material World
Universal Love

Universal Love

1992
  1. Go Pato
  2. Universal Love
  3. Save Your Soul
  4. Bubbling Hot
  5. United We Stand
  6. Too Many Homeless
  7. Same Old Game
  8. Only Love
  9. Doctors Of Love
  10. War
  11. One World (Not Three)
Collections

Collections

1994
  1. Baby Come Back
  2. Bubbling Hot
  3. Don't Sniff Coke
  4. Tudo De Bom
  5. Wize Up!
  6. One World (Not Three)
  7. Spirits In A Material World
  8. Roots, Rock, Reggae
  9. Gwarn!
  10. Go Pato
  11. Bad Man And Woman
  12. Never Give In
  13. Save Your Soul
  14. All Drugs Out
  15. Pato's Opinion Part 2
Stay Positive

Stay Positive

1996
  1. Now Generation
  2. Groovin'
  3. Stay Positive
  4. Live As One
  5. Sending All My Love
  6. One People
  7. Rwanda
  8. One Love
  9. Ven A Mi Fiesta
  10. Gotta Be A Change
  11. Deeper Than The Surface
  12. Revelation
  13. Spirits In A Material World
Life Is A Miracle

Life Is A Miracle

2000
  1. Legalize It!
  2. Mama Nature
  3. Life Is A Miracle
  4. Are You Ready???
  5. Time Come
  6. Never Too Late
  7. Movin'
  8. Sweet Reggae Music
  9. Good Old Days
  10. X Amount Of Love
  11. United We Stand

Album AKA Time Come.

Positive Vibrations

2006
  1. Good News
  2. One World Is Enough
  3. No Worry Your Mind
  4. Stay Positive
  5. Gwarn
  6. Don't Sniff Coke
  7. Go Pato
  8. Niceness
  9. Now Generation
  10. Handsworth Riot
  11. Never Give In
  12. No Worry Dub [Spears Remix]

Live Albums

Live & Kickin All Over America

Live & Kickin All Over America

1991
  1. Don't Worry
  2. Don't Sniff Coke
  3. Niceness
  4. Too Many Homeless
  5. All Drugs Out
  6. From Now On
  7. Handsworth Riot
  8. Roots, Rock, Reggae
  9. Settle Satan
  10. Gwarn!
  11. Never Give In
Tudo De Bom

Tudo De Bom - Live In Brazil

2000
  1. Now Generation
  2. Bubbling Hot
  3. Gwarn!
  4. Go Pato
  5. Niceness
  6. Jamming
  7. Stay Positive
  8. Groovin'
  9. Tudo De Bom
  10. Baby Come Back
  11. One World Is Enough
  12. Settle Satan
  13. Life Is A Miracle
Live At The Maritime

Live At The Maritime

2001
  1. Revelation
  2. Situation Crazy
  3. Stay Positive
  4. Jamming
  5. One World (Not Three)
  6. Legalize It! (Acapella)
  7. Don't Sniff Coke
  8. My Opinion / What The World Needs Now Is Love