Paul Korda
Encyclopedia
Paul Korda is an English songwriter, singer, musician, and actor. He has been writing and performing music since the 1960s. His songs have been covered by myriad artists, such as Roger Daltrey
, Dave Edmunds
, Frankie Valli
, and Love Sculpture
.
, Hungary and Academia La Scala in Milan
. Tibor played saxophone on jazz great Coleman Hawkins
' tour of the East, which was the first jazz tour to take place in Asia. Korda's British mother, Shirley Green—who worked under the stage name Shirley Lenner—was a vocalist and actress. She starred in the wartime film musical Those Kids From Town (1942) and also sang with band leaders Joe Loss
, George Elrick
, and Stéphane Grappelli
.
Tibor and Shirley met while working as entertainers in Singapore. Tibor, who had been interned during the Japanese invasion of Java while playing at the Hilton Hotel there, was performing at Raffles Hotel while Shirley, who had spent the latter part of World War II entertaining British troops, was singing at Princes Restaurant nearby.
Paul's British grandparents had also been professional singers, songwriters and musicians. In the 1890s, his grandmother Florence Wright worked in a market stall in Edinburgh, Scotland, singing songs penned by Chappell Music founder Lawrence Wright to help sell his sheet music. Florence and her husband, pianist Tommy Lenner, took their thirteen children on tour with them as angels at the beginning of the Vaudeville
era.
Shirley Lenner's sisters were well-known singers in Britain: Judy Shirley hosted 'Monday Night At Seven' for the BBC during World War II, and Anne Lenner sang with celebrated American composer Carole Gibbons.
At thirteen Paul won a scholarship to Victoria College on the Isle of Jersey in the Channel Islands
. It was on Jersey
that he joined the Intruders, a local band, even though boarders were forbidden to go to nightclubs, and began writing songs.
Paul applied for a place at Harrow Technical College, near London, to study photography at age fifteen. He was accepted at the college, based not on his academic results, but on the quality of his photographs. While studying photography, Paul ran Harrow Technical College's Folk Club, and was spotted by the manager of Bluesology, a band formed by Elton John
and Rod Stewart
. The manager soon took Paul to meet Beatles publisher Stephen James and introduced him to Elton John (still called Reg).
and Cat Stevens
. Cat Stevens and Paul became close friends and in between recording sessions would often check out the London nightlife together.
In 1967 Paul was signed as a songwriter to Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham
's Immediate Records
publishing company and went on to write for Mick Jagger
protégé P.P. Arnold for her single, "The Time Has Come." The song made the U.K. charts, and the Italian version "Se Perdo Te," recorded by Patty Pravo
, reached #18 in Italy. Unfortunately, Paul, like so many Immediate artists, wasn't paid, and being a minor, repudiated his contract after the managing director took Paul's new 12-string guitar and gave it to another songwriter.
That same year Paul formed his first professional band and gave his opening night at the 7 1⁄2 Club in London to Jimi Hendrix
so that Hendrix could showcase to the English music business. Jimi expressed his gratitude for the chance and referred to the Afro-wearing Paul as his "soul brother."
After suffering the shock of his mother's accidental death, he was offered a production job by EMI Records and produced Yes
's Jon Anderson
's first recordings Paul's production rhythm section included the Small Faces' Ronnie Lane
, Ian McClagan and Kenney Jones
on drums.
: 'The American Tribal Love/Rock Musical' in London to assist his career. Andy was hired, as was Paul, who was also asked to audition and offered the part of Paul. The musical opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London on September 27, 1968 and continued for 1,998 performances. The run at the Shaftesbury ended when the theatre's roof collapsed in July 1973.
' band Love Sculpture
. Paul then focused on local social issues, in particular the plight of Britain's Old Age Pensioners, who were struggling to survive on their government pensions. He penned "Give Us the Right to Live", rehearsed, and recorded the song with twenty pensioners, the eldest of whom was over 80 years old. When the song was released by Famous Records, Paul and the pensioners opened the Trade Union Congress at London's Royal Albert Hall
.
Soon after bringing public attention to the pensioners' issue, Paul formed, sang for, and wrote songs for the 12-piece British rock-fusion band Dada, in which he shared vocals with Elkie Brooks
(Elaine Bookbinder) and Jimmy Chambers on their only album, Dada, for Atlantic Records
in 1970. Due to factionalism Paul quit the band and was replaced that year by singer Robert Palmer.
Paul then decided to go solo, and formed a band to play at London's famed musicians' hangout, the Speakeasy Club. This core of musicians -— that went on to play on Paul's debut album, Passing Stranger (released 1971 on MAM Records) -- consisted of Onnie McIntyre and Allan Gorrie (Average White Band) and guitarists Chris Spedding
and Andy Roberts
. Passing Stranger also featured a dynamic trio of vocalists in African-American soul singer Doris Troy, Nanette Newman and Madeline Bell
, who at the time were doing back-up vocals for the Rolling Stones.
Cat Stevens
and Paul became close friends, both being signed to producer Mike Hurst. Steve (Steven Georgiou), as he was known then, loaned his Mercedes to Paul for Paul’s wedding, and his brother David was Paul’s best man. In between recording sessions Steve and Paul would often check out the London nightlife together.
Paul went on to successfully place his songs with other artists. In 1971 Paul's song "Walk the World Away" was recorded by reggae artist Teddy Brown. The French version "L'Amour C'est Ca, L'Amour C'est Toi" coupled with "C'est Ma Priere" was recorded by Mike Brant
and remained at #1 in France for six months.
In 1974 Paul wrote, sang and played piano on three songs ("Feeling," "Hearts Right," and "World Over") for Who
front man Roger Daltrey
's second solo album Ride a Rock Horse
(1975) which reached the Top 20 in the U.S. and U.K. Paul's successful collaboration with Daltrey
continued two years later when he wrote and played piano on "Written on the Wind" (#46 in the U.K.) for Daltrey's 1977 solo album One of the Boys
, recorded at the Who's Ramport Studios.
In an effort to reach a wider audience, Paul flew to New York City to look for work. Along with Daryl Pettiford and Nic Potter (whom Paul flew over from Britain) he performed a week long engagement at The Other End and was written up in Variety. He moved his family to Los Angeles
in 1977, where he recorded his second solo album Dancing in the Aisles, co-produced by Spencer Davis for Janus Records, and recorded at the renowned Village Recorder. Dancing in the Aisles reached #4 in Billboard magazine's National Radio Adds chart the week following its release, due in large part to heavy airplay of "Manhattan" in New York. Paul then performed at Los Angeles' Roxy Theatre with a 12-piece band, and Bruce Springsteen, who came to the show, displayed his enthusiasm by dancing in the audience during the set. Before promotion of the album could be completed, Janus Records filed for bankruptcy.
To overcome the problem of losing his record deal to corporate bankruptcy, Paul came up with "Out of Gas," that was rush-released by RCA Records, at the beginning of the gas shortages in the U.S. The song was later featured in the documentary series The History of America, presented by veteran American television news reporter Ted Koppel
.
Paul's keyboard player David Kaffinetti (Rare Bird) and drummer R.J. Parnell (Crazy World of Arthur Brown) were chosen as band members for Rob Reiner's cult classic mockumentary movie This Is Spinal Tap
, which led to Paul making a brief appearance as a rockstar/partygoer in the film.
In the early '80s Paul opened the Central Jam Night, during which acclaimed musicians such as Phil Collins
and Mitch Mitchell
joined him onstage. He performed with guitarists John Goodsall
(Brand X) and Mike Miller (Geno Vanelli, Chick Corea), keyboardist J. Peter Robinson (Phil Collins), drummers Steve Chapman
(Poco), Ric Parnell and keyboardists David Kaf , Merry Stewart (Nina Hagen
) and bass player Lou Castro, and percussionist Malando Gassama (Al Jarreau).
In the mid '80s Paul recorded an unreleased album with Talking Heads
engineer, Jane's Addiction
, and Mick Jagger
producer, Dave Jerdan. He also received first prize at the Japan Expo for his space song "Living in the Sky," subsequently recorded with fusion guitar virtuoso Allan Holdsworth
. Paul went on to sing background vocals on Holdsworth's 1985 Grammy-nominated album Road Games
(also featuring Jack Bruce
), and co-wrote and sang "In the Mystery" for Holdsworth's follow-up indie hit album Metal Fatigue
. Written and recorded in 24 hours, it was released and being played on KROQ-FM
in Los Angeles three weeks later.
In 1988 Paul returned to London, where he opened a club in Highgate Village. Paul booked his friend, British guitarist Snowy White
(Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy, Roger Waters) as headliner, and formed the support band with Malcolm Duncan on saxophone (Average White Band), Nic Potter (Van der Graaf Generator
) on bass, and some singers from the Eurythmics
. Shortly afterward Paul supported Snowy at one of the last shows at the original Marquee Club in London.
Paul went on to Orlando, Florida, where he opened Major Music Records. Finding there were "too many sharks on land there," he returned to Los Angeles in the early '90s and wrote and arranged "Run for your Life" for Frankie Valli
and the Four Seasons' Hope and Glory album.
In 1994, shortly after obtaining custody of his sons, Paul dedicated his time and energy to volunteering to help low-income inner city children. He began teaching music to children at a community center in East Los Angeles, encouraging them to develop an outlet for their frustrations through spontaneous musical creativity. To promote the cause, Paul began working with the choir of his sons' former school, the 32nd Street / USC Magnet School for the Performing Arts. They recorded "Beyond the Darkness," hoping to raise money through sales of the CD to finance music education. The project was aided by A&M Records
founder Herb Alpert
, who arranged for the recording to be produced at A&M Studio A in Hollywood, where Michael Jackson's "We are the World" was recorded in 1984. Phil Collins' keyboardist J. Peter Robinson arranged the music and seven-time Emmy award-winning director, Linda Yellan, directed the video for the song, with the children in charge of wardrobe, make up and acting. Due to the lack of high-profile rock stars involved, and royalties going to the Los Angeles School Districts Magnet Program, promotion was limited by the lack of business interest.
Paul was personally affected by the events of 9/11, because he had turned down a reservation on the doomed flight out of Boston that morning, returning from London on September 10, choosing an earlier direct flight to Los Angeles instead. He witnessed the 9/11 events the next morning and decided to drive to Vancouver Island Canada, to collect his thoughts. While staying in Vancouver he began developing the concept of a musical, Coming To, a kind of modern day Hair, about the country's psychological aftermath in the months following 9/11 and the collective need for awakening. He also composed many of the songs for his next album Not For Robots.
Shortly after recording Not For Robots, Paul went to work as the Governor's dignitary in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
, for the first two weeks of production. On the last day of filming Paul came up with the idea for his song, "Pirates of the Caribbean." Paul added the song as a bonus track on Not for Robots. In August 2003 the song reached #1 in the U.K. MP3 Europop chart and #6 in the UK MP3 Pop chart, for internet downloads.
In 2003 Paul worked with Peter Mullen and John C. Riley on the George Clooney
/Steven Soderbergh production, Criminal. In 2004 he played a museum director in the Woody Harrelson
/ Pierce Brosnan
movie After the Sunset. His most recent movie appearances have been as Pierre Fuquette in an opening scene with Steve Martin
in The Pink Panther and another turn as the Governor Swann's dignitary in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
. He has also appeared in My Name is Earl
.
"Smile If You Want To" (Korda-Andrews) "Making Love to Him" (Korda-Andrews) Tim Andrews & Paul Korda, Parlophone R5714, 1968. Production: Paul Korda.
"Angel Face" (Korda-Andrews)/"Waiter Get Me A Drink" (Korda-Andrews) Tim Andrews & Paul Korda, Parlophone R5746, 1968. Production: Paul Korda.
"How Many More Hearts Must Be Broken" (Korda-Andrews) "Discovery" (Korda-Andrews) Tim Andrews & Paul Korda, Parlophone R 5769, 1969. Production: Paul Korda
"Seagull (the West coast oil tragedy)" (Korda) "Night of the Next Day" (Korda) Paul Korda, Parlophone R5778, 1970. Production: Paul Korda.
"Between the Road" (Korda)/"English Country Garden" (Korda) Paul Korda, MAM1971, 1971. Production: Paul Korda & Vic Smith.
"More Than A Friend" (Korda)/"Alone Together" (Korda) Paul Korda, Janus 277, 1979. Production: Spencer Davis & Paul Korda.
"Out of Gas" (Korda)/"To be Born Again" (Korda) Paul Korda, RCA 11645. Production: Paul Korda.
"Pirates of the Caribbean" mp3, 2003.
DADA Atlantic Records, 1970. (Paul: Vocals)
PASSING STRANGER Paul Korda MAM Records (Paul Korda: Main Performer, Songs, Vocals). Produced by Paul Korda & Vic Smith.
DANCING IN THE AISLES Paul Korda Janus Records, 1979. (Paul Korda: Main Performer, Vocals). Producers: Spencer Davis & Paul Korda.
BEYOND THE DARKNESS Paul Korda & the 32ndStreet / USC Children's Choir, 1994, (Paul Korda: Vocal)
Holiday greetings CD to benefit the Magnet School program for the Performing arts. Production: Paul Korda
NOT FOR ROBOTS Paul Korda, OnLineRecordWorld.com, 2003 (Paul Korda: songwriting, instruments, production, album artwork).
SEEDS Paul Korda, 2008, (Paul Korda: songwriter, arrangements, keyboards, vocals, artwork)
EARLY YEARS Paul Korda, 2009, (Paul Korda: songs, arrangements, keyboards, vocals).
IN THE KEY OF SEE Paul Korda, 2009, (Paul Korda: piano, keyboards, vocals).
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, Dave Edmunds
Dave Edmunds
David 'Dave' Edmunds is a Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer. Although he is primarily associated with Pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s style rock and roll.-Early bands:As a teenager Edmunds first...
, Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
, and Love Sculpture
Love Sculpture
Love Sculpture were a Welsh blues-rock band of the late 1960s, led by Dave Edmunds , plus bassist John Williams - stage name John David and drummer Rob 'Congo' Jones .-Career:Love...
.
Family background
Korda was born into a creative family of entertainers, professional singers, songwriters, and accomplished musicians. His father, Hungarian-born Tibor Kunstler, was a violinist and former student of the Franz Liszt Conservatory of Music in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary and Academia La Scala in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. Tibor played saxophone on jazz great Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Randolph Hawkins was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hawkins was one of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn"...
' tour of the East, which was the first jazz tour to take place in Asia. Korda's British mother, Shirley Green—who worked under the stage name Shirley Lenner—was a vocalist and actress. She starred in the wartime film musical Those Kids From Town (1942) and also sang with band leaders Joe Loss
Joe Loss
Joshua Alexander "Joe" Loss LVO OBE was a British musician and founder of the Joe Loss Orchestra.-Life:Loss was born in Spitalfields, London, the youngest of four children. His parents, Israel and Ada Loss, were Russian Jews and first cousins. His father was a cabinet-maker who had an office...
, George Elrick
George Elrick
George Elrick , was a British musician, impresario and radio presenter, known as 'The Smiling Voice of Radio' and probably best known for presenting the popular record request show Housewives' Choice during the 1950s and 1960s.George Elrick was born in Aberdeen in 1903...
, and Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
.
Tibor and Shirley met while working as entertainers in Singapore. Tibor, who had been interned during the Japanese invasion of Java while playing at the Hilton Hotel there, was performing at Raffles Hotel while Shirley, who had spent the latter part of World War II entertaining British troops, was singing at Princes Restaurant nearby.
Paul's British grandparents had also been professional singers, songwriters and musicians. In the 1890s, his grandmother Florence Wright worked in a market stall in Edinburgh, Scotland, singing songs penned by Chappell Music founder Lawrence Wright to help sell his sheet music. Florence and her husband, pianist Tommy Lenner, took their thirteen children on tour with them as angels at the beginning of the Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
era.
Shirley Lenner's sisters were well-known singers in Britain: Judy Shirley hosted 'Monday Night At Seven' for the BBC during World War II, and Anne Lenner sang with celebrated American composer Carole Gibbons.
Formative Years
Due to his parents' work commitments and divorce, Paul was sent to boarding school at age five and a half upon returning to England. He continued to be away at school for much of his childhood. He took classical piano lessons, prompted by his father's classical education, while his mother arranged for him to take lessons from a contemporary piano player. At the age of nine wrote his first musical.At thirteen Paul won a scholarship to Victoria College on the Isle of Jersey in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. It was on Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
that he joined the Intruders, a local band, even though boarders were forbidden to go to nightclubs, and began writing songs.
Paul applied for a place at Harrow Technical College, near London, to study photography at age fifteen. He was accepted at the college, based not on his academic results, but on the quality of his photographs. While studying photography, Paul ran Harrow Technical College's Folk Club, and was spotted by the manager of Bluesology, a band formed by Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
. The manager soon took Paul to meet Beatles publisher Stephen James and introduced him to Elton John (still called Reg).
Early career: Songwriting and Production
Paul's first record, "Go on Home," was released on EMI's Columbia label when he was seventeen. At this point in his early career Paul began playing the Soho folk club, Les Cousins, alongside other friends, Sandy DennySandy Denny
Sandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
and Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
. Cat Stevens and Paul became close friends and in between recording sessions would often check out the London nightlife together.
In 1967 Paul was signed as a songwriter to Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham is an English producer, talent manager, impresario and author. He was manager and producer of The Rolling Stones from 1963, and was noted for his flamboyant style.-Biography:...
's Immediate Records
Immediate Records
Immediate Records was a British record label, started in 1965 by The Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham and Tony Calder and concentrating on the London-based blues and R&B scene.-History:...
publishing company and went on to write for Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
protégé P.P. Arnold for her single, "The Time Has Come." The song made the U.K. charts, and the Italian version "Se Perdo Te," recorded by Patty Pravo
Patty Pravo
Patty Pravo is an Italian pop singer whose career has spanned more than four decades. Her first single "Ragazzo triste", released in 1966, was the first pop song aired on Vatican Radio...
, reached #18 in Italy. Unfortunately, Paul, like so many Immediate artists, wasn't paid, and being a minor, repudiated his contract after the managing director took Paul's new 12-string guitar and gave it to another songwriter.
That same year Paul formed his first professional band and gave his opening night at the 7 1⁄2 Club in London to Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
so that Hendrix could showcase to the English music business. Jimi expressed his gratitude for the chance and referred to the Afro-wearing Paul as his "soul brother."
After suffering the shock of his mother's accidental death, he was offered a production job by EMI Records and produced Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
's Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
's first recordings Paul's production rhythm section included the Small Faces' Ronnie Lane
Ronnie Lane
Ronald Frederick "Ronnie" Lane was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands; the Small Faces where he was nicknamed "Plonk", – and, after losing the band's frontman, Faces, with two new...
, Ian McClagan and Kenney Jones
Kenney Jones
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
on drums.
HAIR
Paul signed young American singer Andy Forray and took him to auditions for the musical 'Hair'Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
: 'The American Tribal Love/Rock Musical' in London to assist his career. Andy was hired, as was Paul, who was also asked to audition and offered the part of Paul. The musical opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London on September 27, 1968 and continued for 1,998 performances. The run at the Shaftesbury ended when the theatre's roof collapsed in July 1973.
Solo career
After leaving the cast of Hair, Paul was naturally drawn to activism, starting early in his career with the ecological protest song "Seagull (The West Coast Oil Tragedy),", which he recorded for Parlophone Records (EMI) that was then covered by Dave EdmundsDave Edmunds
David 'Dave' Edmunds is a Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer. Although he is primarily associated with Pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s style rock and roll.-Early bands:As a teenager Edmunds first...
' band Love Sculpture
Love Sculpture
Love Sculpture were a Welsh blues-rock band of the late 1960s, led by Dave Edmunds , plus bassist John Williams - stage name John David and drummer Rob 'Congo' Jones .-Career:Love...
. Paul then focused on local social issues, in particular the plight of Britain's Old Age Pensioners, who were struggling to survive on their government pensions. He penned "Give Us the Right to Live", rehearsed, and recorded the song with twenty pensioners, the eldest of whom was over 80 years old. When the song was released by Famous Records, Paul and the pensioners opened the Trade Union Congress at London's Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
.
Soon after bringing public attention to the pensioners' issue, Paul formed, sang for, and wrote songs for the 12-piece British rock-fusion band Dada, in which he shared vocals with Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
(Elaine Bookbinder) and Jimmy Chambers on their only album, Dada, for Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 1970. Due to factionalism Paul quit the band and was replaced that year by singer Robert Palmer.
Paul then decided to go solo, and formed a band to play at London's famed musicians' hangout, the Speakeasy Club. This core of musicians -— that went on to play on Paul's debut album, Passing Stranger (released 1971 on MAM Records) -- consisted of Onnie McIntyre and Allan Gorrie (Average White Band) and guitarists Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as...
and Andy Roberts
Andy Roberts (musician)
Andrew "Andy" Roberts is an English musician.He gained a violin scholarship to Felsted School. He then attended Liverpool University. He has played with The Liverpool Scene, Plainsong, The Scaffold, Roy Harper, Chris Spedding, Pink Floyd, Hank Wangford, Kevin Ayers, Vivian Stanshall and Grimms...
. Passing Stranger also featured a dynamic trio of vocalists in African-American soul singer Doris Troy, Nanette Newman and Madeline Bell
Madeline Bell
Madeline Bell is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the United Kingdom during the 1960s, having arrived from the US in the gospel show Black Nativity in 1962, with vocal group The Bradford Singers.-Career:She worked as a session singer, most notably backing for Dusty...
, who at the time were doing back-up vocals for the Rolling Stones.
Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
and Paul became close friends, both being signed to producer Mike Hurst. Steve (Steven Georgiou), as he was known then, loaned his Mercedes to Paul for Paul’s wedding, and his brother David was Paul’s best man. In between recording sessions Steve and Paul would often check out the London nightlife together.
Paul went on to successfully place his songs with other artists. In 1971 Paul's song "Walk the World Away" was recorded by reggae artist Teddy Brown. The French version "L'Amour C'est Ca, L'Amour C'est Toi" coupled with "C'est Ma Priere" was recorded by Mike Brant
Mike Brant
Mike Brant was an Israeli pop star who achieved fame after moving to France. His most successful hit was "Laisse-moi t'aimer"...
and remained at #1 in France for six months.
In 1974 Paul wrote, sang and played piano on three songs ("Feeling," "Hearts Right," and "World Over") for Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
front man Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
's second solo album Ride a Rock Horse
Ride a Rock Horse
Ride a Rock Horse is the second solo album by The Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey. It was first released in 1975. Songs were recorded during Daltrey's filming commitments for Ken Russell's film Lisztomania...
(1975) which reached the Top 20 in the U.S. and U.K. Paul's successful collaboration with Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
continued two years later when he wrote and played piano on "Written on the Wind" (#46 in the U.K.) for Daltrey's 1977 solo album One of the Boys
One of the Boys (Roger Daltrey album)
One of the Boys is the third solo album by The Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey. It was first released in 1977. The sessions were recorded at The Who's Ramport Studios during the winter of 1976 , and Daltrey allowed students from the local Battersea technical school to film them as an educational...
, recorded at the Who's Ramport Studios.
In an effort to reach a wider audience, Paul flew to New York City to look for work. Along with Daryl Pettiford and Nic Potter (whom Paul flew over from Britain) he performed a week long engagement at The Other End and was written up in Variety. He moved his family to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1977, where he recorded his second solo album Dancing in the Aisles, co-produced by Spencer Davis for Janus Records, and recorded at the renowned Village Recorder. Dancing in the Aisles reached #4 in Billboard magazine's National Radio Adds chart the week following its release, due in large part to heavy airplay of "Manhattan" in New York. Paul then performed at Los Angeles' Roxy Theatre with a 12-piece band, and Bruce Springsteen, who came to the show, displayed his enthusiasm by dancing in the audience during the set. Before promotion of the album could be completed, Janus Records filed for bankruptcy.
To overcome the problem of losing his record deal to corporate bankruptcy, Paul came up with "Out of Gas," that was rush-released by RCA Records, at the beginning of the gas shortages in the U.S. The song was later featured in the documentary series The History of America, presented by veteran American television news reporter Ted Koppel
Ted Koppel
Edward James "Ted" Koppel is an English-born American broadcast journalist, best known as the anchor for Nightline from the program's inception in 1980 until his retirement in late 2005. After leaving Nightline, Koppel worked as managing editor for the Discovery Channel before resigning in 2008...
.
Paul's keyboard player David Kaffinetti (Rare Bird) and drummer R.J. Parnell (Crazy World of Arthur Brown) were chosen as band members for Rob Reiner's cult classic mockumentary movie This Is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap is an American 1984 rock musical mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap...
, which led to Paul making a brief appearance as a rockstar/partygoer in the film.
In the early '80s Paul opened the Central Jam Night, during which acclaimed musicians such as Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
and Mitch Mitchell
Mitch Mitchell
John Ronald "Mitch" Mitchell was an English drummer, best known for his work in The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Early life and the Jimi Hendrix Experience:...
joined him onstage. He performed with guitarists John Goodsall
John Goodsall
John Goodsall is a progressive rock & jazz fusion guitarist most noted for his work with Brand X, Atomic Rooster and Fire Merchants.Goodsall was born in Pennsylvania and has lived in Los Angeles, England, Milan and Minnesota. He began playing guitar at age 7...
(Brand X) and Mike Miller (Geno Vanelli, Chick Corea), keyboardist J. Peter Robinson (Phil Collins), drummers Steve Chapman
Steve Chapman
Professor Stephen Kenneth Chapman FRSE FRSC CChem PhD is Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.-Early life:...
(Poco), Ric Parnell and keyboardists David Kaf , Merry Stewart (Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
) and bass player Lou Castro, and percussionist Malando Gassama (Al Jarreau).
In the mid '80s Paul recorded an unreleased album with Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
engineer, Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
, and Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
producer, Dave Jerdan. He also received first prize at the Japan Expo for his space song "Living in the Sky," subsequently recorded with fusion guitar virtuoso Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...
. Paul went on to sing background vocals on Holdsworth's 1985 Grammy-nominated album Road Games
Road Games
Road Games is an EP by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1983 through Warner Bros. Records on vinyl only; a CD edition was reissued through Gnarly Geezer Records in 2001, although to this day Holdsworth claims to have received no royalties from either release...
(also featuring Jack Bruce
Jack Bruce
John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
), and co-wrote and sang "In the Mystery" for Holdsworth's follow-up indie hit album Metal Fatigue
Metal Fatigue (album)
Metal Fatigue is the third studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1985 through Enigma Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Allan Holdsworth – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, engineering, production*Paul Williams – vocals...
. Written and recorded in 24 hours, it was released and being played on KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
in Los Angeles three weeks later.
In 1988 Paul returned to London, where he opened a club in Highgate Village. Paul booked his friend, British guitarist Snowy White
Snowy White
Snowy White is an English guitarist, known for having played with Thin Lizzy and with Pink Floyd and, more recently, for Roger Waters'...
(Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy, Roger Waters) as headliner, and formed the support band with Malcolm Duncan on saxophone (Average White Band), Nic Potter (Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
) on bass, and some singers from the Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
. Shortly afterward Paul supported Snowy at one of the last shows at the original Marquee Club in London.
Paul went on to Orlando, Florida, where he opened Major Music Records. Finding there were "too many sharks on land there," he returned to Los Angeles in the early '90s and wrote and arranged "Run for your Life" for Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
and the Four Seasons' Hope and Glory album.
In 1994, shortly after obtaining custody of his sons, Paul dedicated his time and energy to volunteering to help low-income inner city children. He began teaching music to children at a community center in East Los Angeles, encouraging them to develop an outlet for their frustrations through spontaneous musical creativity. To promote the cause, Paul began working with the choir of his sons' former school, the 32nd Street / USC Magnet School for the Performing Arts. They recorded "Beyond the Darkness," hoping to raise money through sales of the CD to finance music education. The project was aided by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
founder Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert
Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
, who arranged for the recording to be produced at A&M Studio A in Hollywood, where Michael Jackson's "We are the World" was recorded in 1984. Phil Collins' keyboardist J. Peter Robinson arranged the music and seven-time Emmy award-winning director, Linda Yellan, directed the video for the song, with the children in charge of wardrobe, make up and acting. Due to the lack of high-profile rock stars involved, and royalties going to the Los Angeles School Districts Magnet Program, promotion was limited by the lack of business interest.
Paul was personally affected by the events of 9/11, because he had turned down a reservation on the doomed flight out of Boston that morning, returning from London on September 10, choosing an earlier direct flight to Los Angeles instead. He witnessed the 9/11 events the next morning and decided to drive to Vancouver Island Canada, to collect his thoughts. While staying in Vancouver he began developing the concept of a musical, Coming To, a kind of modern day Hair, about the country's psychological aftermath in the months following 9/11 and the collective need for awakening. He also composed many of the songs for his next album Not For Robots.
Shortly after recording Not For Robots, Paul went to work as the Governor's dignitary in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 adventure fantasy film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney theme parks. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, for the first two weeks of production. On the last day of filming Paul came up with the idea for his song, "Pirates of the Caribbean." Paul added the song as a bonus track on Not for Robots. In August 2003 the song reached #1 in the U.K. MP3 Europop chart and #6 in the UK MP3 Pop chart, for internet downloads.
In 2003 Paul worked with Peter Mullen and John C. Riley on the George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
/Steven Soderbergh production, Criminal. In 2004 he played a museum director in the Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
/ Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
movie After the Sunset. His most recent movie appearances have been as Pierre Fuquette in an opening scene with Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
in The Pink Panther and another turn as the Governor Swann's dignitary in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 adventure fantasy film and the second film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . It was directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by...
. He has also appeared in My Name is Earl
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...
.
External links
- [ Paul Korda's music]
- Official site
- Paul Korda's acting work at Internet Movie Database
7-inch Singles
"Go On Home" (Korda)/"Just Come Closer to me" (Korda-Spyropolous), Columbia DB7994 Paul Korda, 1966. Production: Mike Smith"Smile If You Want To" (Korda-Andrews) "Making Love to Him" (Korda-Andrews) Tim Andrews & Paul Korda, Parlophone R5714, 1968. Production: Paul Korda.
"Angel Face" (Korda-Andrews)/"Waiter Get Me A Drink" (Korda-Andrews) Tim Andrews & Paul Korda, Parlophone R5746, 1968. Production: Paul Korda.
"How Many More Hearts Must Be Broken" (Korda-Andrews) "Discovery" (Korda-Andrews) Tim Andrews & Paul Korda, Parlophone R 5769, 1969. Production: Paul Korda
"Seagull (the West coast oil tragedy)" (Korda) "Night of the Next Day" (Korda) Paul Korda, Parlophone R5778, 1970. Production: Paul Korda.
"Between the Road" (Korda)/"English Country Garden" (Korda) Paul Korda, MAM1971, 1971. Production: Paul Korda & Vic Smith.
"More Than A Friend" (Korda)/"Alone Together" (Korda) Paul Korda, Janus 277, 1979. Production: Spencer Davis & Paul Korda.
"Out of Gas" (Korda)/"To be Born Again" (Korda) Paul Korda, RCA 11645. Production: Paul Korda.
"Pirates of the Caribbean" mp3, 2003.
Albums/CDs
HAIR Original London Cast LP, Decca Records, 1968. (Paul Korda: Main Performer-Vocals)DADA Atlantic Records, 1970. (Paul: Vocals)
PASSING STRANGER Paul Korda MAM Records (Paul Korda: Main Performer, Songs, Vocals). Produced by Paul Korda & Vic Smith.
DANCING IN THE AISLES Paul Korda Janus Records, 1979. (Paul Korda: Main Performer, Vocals). Producers: Spencer Davis & Paul Korda.
BEYOND THE DARKNESS Paul Korda & the 32ndStreet / USC Children's Choir, 1994, (Paul Korda: Vocal)
Holiday greetings CD to benefit the Magnet School program for the Performing arts. Production: Paul Korda
NOT FOR ROBOTS Paul Korda, OnLineRecordWorld.com, 2003 (Paul Korda: songwriting, instruments, production, album artwork).
SEEDS Paul Korda, 2008, (Paul Korda: songwriter, arrangements, keyboards, vocals, artwork)
EARLY YEARS Paul Korda, 2009, (Paul Korda: songs, arrangements, keyboards, vocals).
IN THE KEY OF SEE Paul Korda, 2009, (Paul Korda: piano, keyboards, vocals).