Patti Smith, real name Patricia Smith, is an American songwriter best known for being one of the most influential members of the New York punk scene of the mid-1970s.
Her first steps in her artistic career came through meeting the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, whom she met in 1967 and with whom she had a particularly intense relationship.
For a time, she participated in the Blue Öyster Cult adventure, a group for which she sang on several of their songs. Then in 1974 created the Patti Smith Group in the company of Lenny Kaye, Ivan Kral, Jay Dee Daugherty and Richard Sohl. A first title comes out "Hey Joe" released the same year but will go relatively unnoticed.
The following year in 1975 released their first album "Horses", a very punk rock oriented album which was to achieve some success. So was the album "Radio Ethopia" which came out a year later in 1976. But neither of them managed to produce any major hits.
In 1977, the singer suffered a fairly violent fall from the stage, a fall in which several vertebrae were affected and which forced her to rest in order to recover for a while. Paradoxically, it was a very productive rest, since she made a strong comeback in 1978 with the album "Easter", an album that would become the group's biggest commercial success. In particular thanks to the enormous 45 rpm "Because the night", title co-written with a certain Bruce Springsteen (!) and which will undeniably remain as their Masterpiece.
The year 1979 saw the release of the album "Wave", album which did a little worse in terms of sales than its predecessor. Album carried at arm's length by the title "Frederick".
Then nothing for 9 years… the singer devoting herself mainly to her family life.
So back in 1988 with the album "Dream of life" and a winning comeback because the album recorded rather flattering sales scores. In particular thanks to the single "People have the power".
New 8 year old hole until 1996, when the album "Gone Again" was released. And as before, the album is quite well received by the public. Album from which will be extracted mainly the enormous "E-Bow the letter" which she performs with the group R.E.M.
But which will be his last major hit. Everything that will be released subsequently will only have very limited success, except on the albums side where the level of success will be significantly higher...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
Hey Joe 1974
Gloria 1976
Pissing in a river 1976
Pumping (My heart) 1976
Ask the angels 1977
Because the night 1978
Privilege (Set me free) 1978
Frederick 1979
Dancing barefoot 1979
So you want to be a Rock 'n' Roll star 1979
People have the power 1988
Looking for you (I was) 1988
Up there down there 1988
E-Bow the letter 1996
Summer cannibals 1996
Gone again 1996
1959 1997
Last call 1997
One voice 2000
Lo and beholden 2000
Glitter in their eyes 2000
When doves cry 2002
Mother Rose 2003
Jubilee 2004
Cartwheels 2004
Gimme shelter 2007
Within you without you 2007
Pastime paradise 2007
Amerigo 2012
April fool 2012
This is the girl 2012
Clips :
1974 ... a somewhat easy start with this luxury cover of the Leaves' title dating from 1965. A title also taken over by a certain Jimi Hendrix and which will surely remain as the most famous version of all ...
1976...we continue in the luxury cover with this time the cover of a title from Them dating from 1964. A luxury cover which will pay off this time with a first success achieved by the young singer...
1976...the first original title. A first title which will go somewhat unnoticed unfortunately but nothing worrying at this stage in any case...
1976...this one will hardly do better than its predecessor on the Charts side. Afterwards you have to give time to time as they say...
1977...still no takeoff in sight for the young singer in this year 1977. Yet it is not for lack of good will...
1978 ... then THIS title comes ! She signs here quite simply one of the most emblematic titles of the decade and sees her notoriety explode as a result. MAS-TER-FUL !
1978 ... the momentum is now in place and all that remains is to unroll. But things aren't quite going to go as planned ...
1979 ... she signs here all the same a new top hit which allows her to save the essentials at the end of the 1970s. It is especially the 1980s that will pose a problem for her ...
1979 ... we go from one extreme to another. The titles follow one another but are not necessarily alike. This title will not even be classified despite a certain quality ...
1979...a complicated year 1979 for the singer with this last title which will go completely under the radar. Something to worry about all the same...
1988...then a big air hole of 9 years, which is no small thing as they say. Fortunately, the break proved beneficial and she returned in more than evident form. New top hit !
1988...a comeback which is confirmed with this new title. Of course, she hasn't been near the top of the Charts for a long time, but she's hanging on and it's paying off !
1988 ... beautiful year 1988 with 3 titles of certain quality. She will have taken a long time to return to the front of the stage but now that it's done, it is clear that she has not lost any of her talent, it's clear
1996 ... the return to the end of the 1980s was very furtive. She disappears from the radar again for 8 years only to reappear in this year 1996. A reappearance which unfortunately goes unnoticed for the moment ...
1996 ... the providential meeting. Even if she is only figuring on this title, she still participates in a title that will be a real hit this year. It's already that...
1996...times are getting harder and harder with this new title which will go under the radar as they say. Attention danger...
1997...she continues to produce titles but it is clear that this second part of the 90s does not see her at the best of her form...
1997...a little more than 20 years after her debut she arrived at a career crossroads which would be most decisive for the future concerning her...
2000...she will attempt the transition to the next decade but the start of the 2000 decade will not be more favorable to her than the end of the previous decade...
2000...a radical reconsideration must be considered, otherwise the final exit from the road could occur more quickly than expected...
2000...it now remains to be seen whether there will be a sequel to this title and if so with what musical project she intends to return afterwards...
2002...she certainly returns but plays it a little easy with this luxury cover of Prince's flagship title dating from 1984. Good work but which won't bring much more than the original...
2003...there is no major improvement to be expected on the Charts side in terms of Singles but on the albums side however business is picking up spectacularly...
2004...like what you should never give up because we know that in music everything is always possible. The proof with this new opus !
2004...a comeback that delighted the core fans to the highest degree because they seriously began to wonder how it was all going to end...
2007...an adventure that continues with this new opus. A new opus which will work even better than its predecessor...
2007...she was able to resist the weight in the best possible way, it is clear. Even if the competition is far ahead, her current career clearly proves that she can still amaze us...
2007...shows that the decades follow each other but fortunately are not necessarily alike. We are therefore impatiently awaiting the sequel...
2012...each time you have to give her a little time to see her come back but she comes back no matter what. And this to the delight of the core fans once again...
2012...a new opus which shows a certain return to grace with a level of success in the Album Charts that is flattering to say the least...
2012...so last title or not ? As with her everything is always possible, it could well be that we find her later at one time or another...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :