Pattie was educated at King Street Primary School and Sydney Girls High School. At the age of 11 she commenced singing lessons with Gwen Parsons, who also taught Noeleen Batley - Australia's top female singing artist of the time. They persuaded her to audition for TCN 9's TV teen show Saturday Date hosted by Jimmy Hannan, where she was a hit. She first appeared as a singer on the television series Opportunity Knocks at the age of 13. At age 14 as a third year high school student, she performed weekly at the Bronte Surf Club as lead singer of The Statesmen (with Duncan McGuire, Mark Rigby, Peter Walker, Nev Jade and Peter Maxworthy) and was signed to a recording contract by EMI.
Her first single for the EMI label, was influenced by the surf music craze. Titled "He's My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy", (and backed with Stompin' at Maroubra), the song was released in November 1963 when Pattie was aged 14. It reached number two on the Australian music charts (the number one spot being held by The Beatles' I Want to Hold Your Hand). By 1965 a string of successful singles saw her voted as Australian Female Singer of the Year, and she appeared regularly on television variety programs, including Bandstand. Pattie regularly toured supporting Col Joye and the Joy Boys, with Judy Stone, Sandy Shaw and Cathy Wayne.
In 1966, at the age of 17 and the height of 4' 10", she became both the youngest and the shortest person to entertain troops during the Vietnam War. Performing in Nui Dat, Vietnam, and backed by The Joy Boys, Pattie was performing on stage when Battle of Long Tan began.[1] Although organisers had promised her safety, she was evacuated from the area before the completion of her scheduled performances.[4] In 1994 she received the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal in recognition of her services in support of the Australian Armed Forces in operations in Vietnam.
She subsequently appeared on several TV shows in America, the most notable being the Ed Sullivan show, and during the election campaign of November 1972 she appeared with other entertainers such as Col Joye and Judy Stone in the Labor Party's It's time TV commercial, which also starred Gough Whitlam.
1998 Australia Post stamp commerating "He's my Blonde Headed Stompie Wompie Real Gone Surfer Boy" released 35 years earlier.As Little Pattie entered her twenties, she continued her career moving into the adult entertainment world. She continues to perform on television and in clubs, and became a vocal teacher, notably coaching Nikki Webster before her performance at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. More recently, Amphlett has taught at a number of Sydney high schools, including Burwood Girls High School, St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, Mercy College, Chatswood and Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview.
In 2002 she appeared across Australia in the successful Long Way To The Top rock tour. In 2004, General Peter Cosgrove invited her to be patron of FACE, (Forces Advisory Council on Entertainment), and she was invited to go to Iraq to perform for Christmas 2005 and New Year 2006. She performed at the "Salute to Vietnam Veterans" held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on 19 August 2006.
In addition to her music career, Pattie was a member of the Council for the Australian War Memorial from 1995 until 1998, and received an Order of Australia Medal in 2003 for her services (as National President) to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance and (as vice-president) to Actors' Equity.[7] She has also been on the Federal Executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. In 2000 the Sydney Morning Herald included her on a list of the 'century's most loved faces', and she was included in a 1998 issue of Australian stamps featuring Australian bands.
As mentioned, her first release in 1963 was "He's My Blonde-Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy", written by Joe Halford and Jay Justin (McCarthy)[8] backed with "Stompin' At Maroubra", also written by Halford & Justin.
Later releases not in the "surf genre" included: "Dance Puppet Dance" (1965), "Pushin' A Good Thing Too Far" (1965),[10] and "Little Things Like That" (1967).
In 2001 EMI released a Little Pattie CD - "20 Stompie Wompie Hits", a compilation of her early records.
Dance Puppet Dance
Little Pattie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every girl and boy I know is dancin' but no one's with me
I danced alone dear, unwanted
Every step I take is haunted by your memory
Dance Puppet Dance the dream is ended now
I never stood a chance and my heart can't be mended now
The big romance don't mean a thing
Oh why oh why do you have to do nothing but hurt me
Every time I think of you it hurts me all over again
I cry alone dear unwanted
Bring me back the love I wanted and end all this pain
Dance Puppet Dance the dream is ended now
I never stood a chance and my heart can't be mended now
The big romance don't mean a thing
He had me on a string Dance Puppet Dance
Dance Puppet Dance, Dance Puppet Dance
The lyrics to Little Pattie's song Dance Puppet Dance reflect a feeling of loneliness and heartbreak that comes from being excluded from the dance floor where couples are dancing in a low-lit room. The singer expresses her desire to dance, to be with someone, and to feel wanted, but she is left to dance alone, haunted by memories of her past lover. The title of the song, Dance Puppet Dance, suggests that the singer feels as though she is being manipulated or controlled by her emotions, hence the need to dance.
The lyrics paint a picture of a young girl who is struggling to come to terms with a heartbreak caused by a boy who treated her as his puppet, leading her to believe that there was a chance for a romance that eventually ended up being nothing. The choice of words in this song is simple, but they manage to get the emotions across effectively. The refrain, "Dance Puppet Dance," is repeated throughout the song and serves as a reminder of the singer's lack of control over the situation.
In conclusion, Dance Puppet Dance is a poignant reflection on the pain of unrequited love, told through a simple portrayal of a lonely girl who is dancing alone while everyone else pairs up. The use of the puppet motif adds a layer of complexity to the song, suggesting that the singer feels as though she is being manipulated by her emotions and her past lover.
Line by Line Meaning
All the lights are turned down low the couples are dancin'
The environment is set for dancing, and couples are enjoying that. But the singer is unable to join the fun since they have no partner.
Every girl and boy I know is dancin' but no one's with me
Despite knowing many people present there, nobody is willing to dance with the singer.
I danced alone dear, unwanted
The singer is left to dance alone, feeling unwanted and ignored.
Every step I take is haunted by your memory
The artist is finding it difficult to forget the person they loved and every step reminds them of that person.
Dance Puppet Dance the dream is ended now
The artist is addressing themselves as a puppet being controlled by someone else. And the dream of being loved is now shattered.
I never stood a chance and my heart can't be mended now
The singer never had any chance of being loved, and now it seems impossible to heal the broken heart.
The big romance don't mean a thing
The singer realizes that the big romance they dreamed of was not meant to be, and it does not hold any value anymore.
He had me on a string Dance Puppet Dance
The artist was being manipulated and controlled by the person they loved. And now they ask themselves to keep dancing like a puppet.
Oh why oh why do you have to do nothing but hurt me
The artist is questioning why their lover only caused them pain and suffering instead of giving them love.
Every time I think of you it hurts me all over again
The thought of their lover brings back the pain of heartbreak and causes agony to the artist.
I cry alone dear unwanted
The singer is left to cry alone, feeling unwanted and unloved.
Bring me back the love I wanted and end all this pain
The artist is pleading to be loved again by their ex-lover and to stop the pain that they are experiencing.
Dance Puppet Dance, Dance Puppet Dance
The singer is asking themselves to keep dancing as a puppet to forget their problems and sorrows.
Contributed by Alexandra M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.