The Patron Saints - The Latimer Sessions (1971)

When The Patron Saints released our homegrown album Fohhoh Bohob (Patron Saint PSCD-101) in the summer of 1969, we had no idea that it would become legendary, long considered to be one of the most sought-after independently released albums ever produced and still going strong into its fourth decade. Over the years, fans and collectors alike have asked for more Patron Saint material, and so in 1999, on the 30th anniversary of Bohobs birth, Proto Bohob (Patron Saint PSCD-104), a CD collection of prototype versions and demos of the songs from the original LP was released. But the Patron Saint story doesnt end there, not by a long shot...

In early 1971, The Patron Saints line-up included me (guitar, bass, vocals), John Doerschuk (guitar, piano, vocals), Kirk Foster (bass, guitar, vocals), Joe Ivins (drums, vocals) and Jon Tuttle (guitar, piano, vocals). When Jon left the group unexpectedly in April, the remaining Saints were forced to soldier on as a foursome.

We were getting that old recording itch again...we had new songs that we wanted to get down on tape, so we started to search for a place to record. A band friend, Lynn Latimer, offered her familys basement to us...we could even move their piano down from the living room. It was too good to be true...her parents were even into it! We brought in our musical equipment, put up blankets for soundproofing, set up mikes...I think we envisioned this as Fohhoh Bohob: The Sequel. Friends, like Lynn, Dan Reiner and Jackie Fornerod provided much needed muscle, time and support. We had better decks and mixers than before, and we felt confident that we could produce something marketable this time around, since nothing seemed to be happening with our then almost two-year-old LP.

At the end of April 1971, after countless hours of work, we finished creating our new masterpiece. Most of the songs were new, but we also re-recorded versions of Flower, Do You Think About Me?, White Light and Andrea, all of which appeared originally on Fohhoh Bohob. The last song we recorded, Golden Richard, even had Lynn and Jackie singing backup, the first female voices to appear officially on a Patron Saints recording. We werent sure what to do with our finished product, but we knew it was definitely useful as a demonstration tape to bring around to record companies.

The Latimer sessions allowed us to gel as a band. We played a lot of jobs that summer and continued into 1972, when we disbanded; I dont think anyone quite remembers how and/or why.

This CD compilation contains all of the songs from the Latimer sessions, plus a number of bonus goodies. Kirks lovely Love Is A Game appears here for the first time. Early versions of Spring Forth and Goodbye, recorded sometime in late 1970, are next; in Saint history, they are the only recordings made with me, John, Kirk, Joe and Jon as a five-man band. Six rare live cuts follow, recorded between July and September of 1971. Finally, weve included two tracks from our 1973 reunion session, a remake of Doin It All Myself and the never-before-recorded Aprils Fool.

After 30 years, I find myself looking back at these recordings with a mixture of nostalgia, wonder, bemusement and pride. Once again, a group of determined kids sequestered themselves away in a small room and, using modest consumer-based recording equipment, managed to come up with music that has apparently withstood the test of time. Pretty cool.

Eric Bergman, July, 2000