Pam Nestor (born 28 April 1948) is a former singer and lyricist who was active in the entertainment industry during the 1970s.
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Pam Nestor was born in Berbice, Guyana, on 28 April 1948, and came to England in 1961. She auditioned for the musical Hair in 1969 and landed a part in it. Joan Armatrading also obtained a part in the musical, and the two became friends and started writing songs together shortly afterwards, eventually recording some demo tapes, which were touted around the clubs and studios of the time. The tapes were so popular that the duo signed with London's indie Cube label in 1972, and released a collaborative album in the same year.
The album, Whatever's for Us, represented their first recorded work. It was produced by Gus Dudgeon and recorded at Château d'Hérouville studios (then called Strawberry studios), in the Oise valley, near Paris; Trident Studios London; and Marquee Studios London; and released in 1972 by Cube Records (HIFLY 12).
The album featured fourteen songs, eleven of which were co-written by Pam Nestor. One of them, "Visionary Mountains", was later released by Manfred Mann's Earth Band on the album Nightingales & Bombers in 1975. The track "Alice" was released as a single later in the same year, with "All The King's Gardens" as its B-side.
Nestor appears on Whatever’s for Us as a collaborator in a role similar to Bernie Taupin. Her song writing is concerned with social issues – for example the tracks: "My Family", "Alice", and "Gave It A Try"; and also with love, for example the tracks: "Whatever's For Us", "It Could Have Been Better", "Mister Remember Me". She does not play or sing on the album.
The label were not convinced that Nestor had star quality, and considered Armatrading to be the more likely star material and therefore released the album as a ‘Joan Armatrading’ record, and the front cover credited it to her alone. This caused friction between the two writers, and contributed to the breakup of the duo. The decision was also responsible for causing a rift between Armatrading and Cube Records.
The album drew critical acclaim but sold few copies and was not a commercial success.
Armatrading and Nestor released a second single in late summer 1973, this time with two songs not from the album: "Lonely Lady" and "Together In Words And Music". (Cube Records, 7" single, BUG-31). Both tracks were produced by Gus Dudgeon and were later added to the Whatever's For Us album as bonus tracks on the 2001 Metro remaster. Pam Nestor is also credited with co-writing two songs from Armatrading’s 1975 album Back To the Night, the songs "Dry Land" and "Come When You Need Me", both of which have since featured on many compilations of Armatrading's songs.
She is also thought to be co-writer of one or more of thirteen songs by the Neville Brothers, quoted[1] as being written by: Timothy Garagan, Pam Nestor, Arthur Neville, Robert Quinn and Robert Richmond. ("Bad Scene", "Confraction", "Crazy Wandering Fool", "Don't Tell Lies", "Heartbreak Woman", "Hometown Girl", "I'm Left Alone", "Instrumental," "Love Needs A Keeper", "Out Of Your Life", "Piece Of Mind", "Shine Light Shine" and "Walk In The Sunshine".)
In 1977, Pam Nestor was associated with the reggae band Merger, at the time fronted by the reggae artist Barry Ford. Merger recorded a definitive reggae album Exiles Ina Babylon on the Sun Star Label, which was released in 1977. Merger played the title track, "Exiles Ina Babylon" on an edition of The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977, and Pam Nestor appeared with them as a backing singer. She is credited on the album notes as providing backing vocals and percussion. The band released one more album before breaking up. Exiles Ina Babylon was re-released as a CD in 2009 by Makasound, the independent French reggae label, with the album notes again crediting Pam Nestor.
In 1979 Pam Nestor released a single: "Hiding & Seeking (No More)". After leaving the band Merger, Barry Ford went to Jamaica, where he teamed up with Dennis Brown to produce "Hiding & Seeking (No More)" for Nestor.[2] The single was released on the Tempus Records label.
There is no record of "Hiding & Seeking (No More)" having been a commercial success, and little is known of Nestor from that date. She has kept a low profile and seems to have left the music business entirely.
In 2000, she was one of an organising team for a three-day conference at Birkbeck College, University of London, entitled The Black Gaze.[3]