Paul Young
Encyclopedia
Paul Antony Young is an English pop musician. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & The Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips
, his following solo success as a solo recording artist turned him into a 1980s teenage pop idol. He was famous for hit singles such as "Love of the Common People
", "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)
", "Come Back and Stay
", "Everytime You Go Away
" and "Oh Girl
". His debut album No Parlez
turned him into a household name. Since the mid-1980s he has had international success, along with his backing band Los Pacaminos.
, Bedfordshire, England. He has an older brother, Mark, and a younger sister, Joanne. As a youth, after school, he played football for the Vauxhall Motors
factory and in his spare time played in several bands as a bass guitarist.
, with the humorous, novelty track "Toast". The single peaked at number 18 in November 1978. In December 1979 the Streetband broke up and Young formed the Q-Tips
, who established their name by playing live but had no hits in the UK, although their single "Letter Song" did enjoy minor success in mainland Europe.
as a solo performer.
By way of tying up some loose contractual ends, Paul Young embarked on the ‘Last Chance To See The Best Live Band In The World Tour’ throughout March and April of ‘82. Though initially billed as Q-Tips, only keyboardist Ian Kewley accompanied Young, and without the surging brass section of Q-Tips, the band had an entirely different dynamic. The Rewind label issued a live set of Q-Tips during this period, ‘Live At Last’, and a decade later the band’s much vaunted BBC sessions were officially released. The famed Q-Tips brass section toured with Adam Ant during his ‘Friend Or Foe’ tour, but aside from a brief 1993 reunion with Paul Young, the Q-Tips brand (of the band variety) came to an end.
Paul Young’s new backing band 'The Royal Family' included keyboardist Kewley, fretless bass player Pino Palladino, guitarist Steve Bolton, drummer Mike Pinder, and backing singers Maz Roberts and Kim Leslie AKA 'The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts'. Helped by the driving sound of Pino Palladino
's fretless bass in his backing band, his first two singles, "Iron Out the Rough Spots" and a cover of "Love of the Common People
", had no success, but the third, a cover of the Marvin Gaye
song "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)
", reached No. 1 in the UK singles chart
for three weeks in the summer of 1983, the first of 14 British Top 40 singles. (The song was included on the soundtrack of the 1992 British comedy film Peter's Friends
.)
Similar success followed all over Europe. In the UK, follow-up single "Come Back and Stay
" reached No. 4, and a re-release of "Love of the Common People" made it to No. 2 and even received radio airplay in the United States (thanks to its soundtrack inclusion in John Hughes's film "Sixteen Candles
"), while his debut album No Parlez
was certified platinum in various countries.
Young's style at the time was a warm, approachable white soul, though he sometimes received playful criticism for his fashion decisions. However, his choice of an Antony Price
leather suit for the cover of No Parlez
proved to be impractical for the concert stage, where his energetic shows dictated more robust clothing.
The year 1984 was a difficult one for Young, as his first heavy promotional and live concert tour of America strained his vocal cords severely, to the extent that he was completely unable to sing for most of the year. He recovered sufficiently to provide a famous lead performance on the opening and closing lines to the Band Aid
single "Do They Know It's Christmas?
"
He returned to the UK Top Ten with a version of Ann Peebles
' "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down". The latter appeared on his second album, ' The Secret of Association
, released in 1985, which secured his future success in the United States, Japan and Australia. The album went to No. 1 in the UK. However, he continued to have occasional voice and throat difficulties. That year, Young scored the biggest worldwide hit of his career with "Everytime You Go Away
", a version of a Daryl Hall
song from a 1980 Hall & Oates album. "Every Time You Go Away" topped the pop charts in the U.S., and was his biggest success in the U.S. He would perform the song during the London segment of the Live Aid
concert.
' "Oh Girl
", which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
He continued to have a successful career, with some highlights such as singing the Crowded House
track "Don't Dream It's Over
" at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
in 1988, producing a popular duet, "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)
," with Italian
blues singer Zucchero
in 1991, and singing "Radio Ga Ga
" with the surviving members of Queen
in 1992, at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
soon after Freddie Mercury died. In 1991, he recorded a duet with Irish group Clannad
for the Blake Edwards
film Switch
, a cover of the Joni Mitchell
song, "Both Sides Now
".
"Don't Dream It's Over", "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)" and "Both Sides Now" were all featured on his first greatest hits album, From Time To Time - The Singles Collection
, released in 1991. The album included the most prominent hit singles from Young's first four solo albums, the three above-mentioned songs, and a previously unreleased selection called "I'm Only Foolin' Myself". The compilation also went to No. 1 in the UK album charts.
In 1993, Young was freed from his contract with the CBS/Sony Records label, and afterward, released fewer solo albums. He reformed the Q-Tips for a short series of concerts that year. He contributed to the Vangelis
album Voices
in 1995. Young sang the British national anthem, "God Save the Queen
", at Wembley Stadium
before England's
Euro '96 semi-final match against Germany.
group Los Pacaminos, and performing live during '80s revival tours in the UK between 2001 and 2008. In November 2001, when Paul was on the final night of the Here and Now tour, Michael Aspel awarded him his This is Your Life
book. The show went out on BBC One
on 5 December that year.
2006 saw the release of a new album called Rock Swings - On The Wild Side Of Swing.
In September 2006, he appeared in the BBC1 cooking show Celebrity MasterChef, and won his show, allowing him a place in the semi-finals. A year later, he was a contestant on another cooking show, ITV
's Hell's Kitchen.
front man Tony Hadley
. The two toured Australia and New Zealand during October and November 2008.
Young has one outside child Derrick Bone (born January 1973), and a grandson Kaizen Bone (born October 1995)
from Pink Floyd
has mentioned, in an interview to Q Magazine, that he was impressed by Paul Young's usage of laser in his concert, which inspired him to also use similar lighting systems in the A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour.
of English
singer Paul Young
.
Q-Tips (band)
Q-Tips were an English blue-eyed soul and rock band, first formed in 1979 from the remnants of the 1970s rock outfit Streetband. Saddled with the novelty song "Toast", a B-side made successful from incessant airplay by Capital Radio's’s Kenny Everett, and despite two albums, Streetband had failed...
, his following solo success as a solo recording artist turned him into a 1980s teenage pop idol. He was famous for hit singles such as "Love of the Common People
Love of the Common People (song)
"Love of the Common People" is a folk ballad written and composed by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins and first released in January 1967 by The Four Preps...
", "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)
Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)
"Wherever I Lay My Hat " is a song written by Marvin Gaye, Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, and first recorded by Gaye in 1962. Years later, Paul Young's version of the song was a UK No. 1 single for three weeks in July 1983...
", "Come Back and Stay
Come Back and Stay
"Come Back and Stay" is a song that was first recorded in 1981 by its writer Jack Lee. In 1983, singer Paul Young released his version as a single from his album, No Parlez, and it became an international hit....
", "Everytime You Go Away
Everytime You Go Away
"Everytime You Go Away" is a song written by Daryl Hall and covered by Paul Young in 1985 .The original appeared on Hall & Oates's 1980 album, Voices, although it was not released as a single. Hall & Oates also recorded it for their 1985 concert album Live at the Apollo. Young's version hit number...
" and "Oh Girl
Oh Girl
"Oh Girl" is a number-one single recorded by the soul vocal group, The Chi-Lites and released on Brunswick Records in 1972. Included on the group's 1972 album A Lonely Man, "Oh Girl" centers around a relationship on the verge of break-up...
". His debut album No Parlez
No Parlez
No Parlez is the debut solo album by the British singer Paul Young. Released in 1983, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and remained in the UK Top 100 for 119 weeks...
turned him into a household name. Since the mid-1980s he has had international success, along with his backing band Los Pacaminos.
Early Life (1956-1977)
Paul Young was born in LutonLuton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, Bedfordshire, England. He has an older brother, Mark, and a younger sister, Joanne. As a youth, after school, he played football for the Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
factory and in his spare time played in several bands as a bass guitarist.
Early Band Work (1978-81)
The first group for which he became lead singer was Kat Kool & The Kool Kats. In the late 1970s he joined Streetband, who had one Top 20 hit in the UKUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, with the humorous, novelty track "Toast". The single peaked at number 18 in November 1978. In December 1979 the Streetband broke up and Young formed the Q-Tips
Q-Tips (band)
Q-Tips were an English blue-eyed soul and rock band, first formed in 1979 from the remnants of the 1970s rock outfit Streetband. Saddled with the novelty song "Toast", a B-side made successful from incessant airplay by Capital Radio's’s Kenny Everett, and despite two albums, Streetband had failed...
, who established their name by playing live but had no hits in the UK, although their single "Letter Song" did enjoy minor success in mainland Europe.
No Parlez, The Secret of Association and Between Two Fires (1982-89)
The Q-Tips disbanded in 1982, and Young was signed by CBS RecordsCBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
as a solo performer.
By way of tying up some loose contractual ends, Paul Young embarked on the ‘Last Chance To See The Best Live Band In The World Tour’ throughout March and April of ‘82. Though initially billed as Q-Tips, only keyboardist Ian Kewley accompanied Young, and without the surging brass section of Q-Tips, the band had an entirely different dynamic. The Rewind label issued a live set of Q-Tips during this period, ‘Live At Last’, and a decade later the band’s much vaunted BBC sessions were officially released. The famed Q-Tips brass section toured with Adam Ant during his ‘Friend Or Foe’ tour, but aside from a brief 1993 reunion with Paul Young, the Q-Tips brand (of the band variety) came to an end.
Paul Young’s new backing band 'The Royal Family' included keyboardist Kewley, fretless bass player Pino Palladino, guitarist Steve Bolton, drummer Mike Pinder, and backing singers Maz Roberts and Kim Leslie AKA 'The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts'. Helped by the driving sound of Pino Palladino
Pino Palladino
Pino Palladino is a Welsh bass guitarist who gained fame playing primarily rock and roll, blues rock, and rhythm and blues music, although he has been lauded for his ability to play most genres of popular music, including jazz, neo soul, and funk...
's fretless bass in his backing band, his first two singles, "Iron Out the Rough Spots" and a cover of "Love of the Common People
Love of the Common People (song)
"Love of the Common People" is a folk ballad written and composed by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins and first released in January 1967 by The Four Preps...
", had no success, but the third, a cover of the Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
song "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)
Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)
"Wherever I Lay My Hat " is a song written by Marvin Gaye, Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, and first recorded by Gaye in 1962. Years later, Paul Young's version of the song was a UK No. 1 single for three weeks in July 1983...
", reached No. 1 in the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for three weeks in the summer of 1983, the first of 14 British Top 40 singles. (The song was included on the soundtrack of the 1992 British comedy film Peter's Friends
Peter's Friends
Peter's Friends is a 1992 British comedy-drama film written by Rita Rudner and her husband Martin Bergman, and directed and produced by Kenneth Branagh....
.)
Similar success followed all over Europe. In the UK, follow-up single "Come Back and Stay
Come Back and Stay
"Come Back and Stay" is a song that was first recorded in 1981 by its writer Jack Lee. In 1983, singer Paul Young released his version as a single from his album, No Parlez, and it became an international hit....
" reached No. 4, and a re-release of "Love of the Common People" made it to No. 2 and even received radio airplay in the United States (thanks to its soundtrack inclusion in John Hughes's film "Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
"), while his debut album No Parlez
No Parlez
No Parlez is the debut solo album by the British singer Paul Young. Released in 1983, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and remained in the UK Top 100 for 119 weeks...
was certified platinum in various countries.
Young's style at the time was a warm, approachable white soul, though he sometimes received playful criticism for his fashion decisions. However, his choice of an Antony Price
Antony Price
Antony Price is a London fashion designer who is best known for glamorous evening wear and suits, and for the seventies icon of the cap sleeve t-shirt...
leather suit for the cover of No Parlez
No Parlez
No Parlez is the debut solo album by the British singer Paul Young. Released in 1983, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and remained in the UK Top 100 for 119 weeks...
proved to be impractical for the concert stage, where his energetic shows dictated more robust clothing.
The year 1984 was a difficult one for Young, as his first heavy promotional and live concert tour of America strained his vocal cords severely, to the extent that he was completely unable to sing for most of the year. He recovered sufficiently to provide a famous lead performance on the opening and closing lines to the Band Aid
Band Aid (band)
Band Aid was a charity supergroup featuring British and Irish musicians and recording artists. It was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the Christmas market that year. The single...
single "Do They Know It's Christmas?
Do They Know It's Christmas?
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984....
"
He returned to the UK Top Ten with a version of Ann Peebles
Ann Peebles
Ann Peebles is an African American singer-songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s on the Hi Records label...
' "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down". The latter appeared on his second album, ' The Secret of Association
The Secret of Association
The Secret of Association is the second album by the British singer Paul Young. Released in 1985, it reached number one on the UK album charts and the Top 20 in the US...
, released in 1985, which secured his future success in the United States, Japan and Australia. The album went to No. 1 in the UK. However, he continued to have occasional voice and throat difficulties. That year, Young scored the biggest worldwide hit of his career with "Everytime You Go Away
Everytime You Go Away
"Everytime You Go Away" is a song written by Daryl Hall and covered by Paul Young in 1985 .The original appeared on Hall & Oates's 1980 album, Voices, although it was not released as a single. Hall & Oates also recorded it for their 1985 concert album Live at the Apollo. Young's version hit number...
", a version of a Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall is an American rock, R&B and soul singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates . Hall scored several Billboard chart hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, and is regarded as one of the best blue eyed soul singers...
song from a 1980 Hall & Oates album. "Every Time You Go Away" topped the pop charts in the U.S., and was his biggest success in the U.S. He would perform the song during the London segment of the Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
concert.
Other Voices, The Crossing and Reflections (1990-96)
In 1990, he released a cover of The Chi-LitesThe Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites are a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal quartet from the early 1970s, one of the few from the period not to come from Memphis or Philadelphia...
' "Oh Girl
Oh Girl
"Oh Girl" is a number-one single recorded by the soul vocal group, The Chi-Lites and released on Brunswick Records in 1972. Included on the group's 1972 album A Lonely Man, "Oh Girl" centers around a relationship on the verge of break-up...
", which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
He continued to have a successful career, with some highlights such as singing the Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
track "Don't Dream It's Over
Don't Dream It's Over
-12": Capitol / 12CL 438 United Kingdom :* also available on CD and MC-Personnel:*Neil Finn: Vocals and guitar*Nick Seymour: Bass guitar*Paul Hester: Drums and backing vocals*Mitchell Froom: Keyboards-Release history:- Charts :...
" at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute was a popular-music concert staged on June 11, 1988 at Wembley Stadium, London and broadcast to 67 countries and an audience of 600 million. It was also referred to as Freedomfest, Free Nelson Mandela Concert and Mandela Day...
in 1988, producing a popular duet, "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)
Senza una donna
"Senza una donna" is a 1987 song co-written and performed by Zucchero Fornaciari and rerecorded in 1991 with Paul Young. The song was then released as a single under the title "Senza una donna " which reached #4 in the UK Single Chart and #2 in the German Singles Chart and the French Singles Chart...
," with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
blues singer Zucchero
Zucchero
Adelmo Fornaciari, Commander , more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero /ˈtsukkero/, is an Italian rock singer. His music is largely inspired by gospel, blues and rock music, and alternates between ballads and more rhythmic boogie-like pieces.Zucchero is the...
in 1991, and singing "Radio Ga Ga
Radio Ga Ga
"Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with "I Go Crazy" by Brian May on the original B-side and was included on the album The Works...
" with the surviving members of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
in 1992, at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis and broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the...
soon after Freddie Mercury died. In 1991, he recorded a duet with Irish group Clannad
Clannad
Clannad are an Irish musical group, from Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Their music has been variously described as bordering on folk and folk rock, Irish, Celtic and New Age, often incorporating elements of an even broader spectrum of smooth jazz and Gregorian chant...
for the Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards was an American film director, screenwriter and producer.Edwards' career began in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon turned to writing radio scripts at Columbia Pictures...
film Switch
Switch (film)
Switch is a 1991 comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards. A promiscuous man is murdered by his lovers and reincarnated as a beautiful woman .-Legacy:...
, a cover of the Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
song, "Both Sides Now
Both Sides Now (song)
"Both Sides, Now" is a single by Joni Mitchell. Her recording first appeared on the album Clouds, released in 1969. She re-recorded the song in a jazz style for the album of the same name, released in 2000....
".
"Don't Dream It's Over", "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)" and "Both Sides Now" were all featured on his first greatest hits album, From Time To Time - The Singles Collection
From Time to Time - The Singles Collection
From Time To Time - The Singles Collection is a compilation album by the British singer Paul Young. Released in 1991, it was Young's first "greatest hits" collection, compiling tracks from the past decade....
, released in 1991. The album included the most prominent hit singles from Young's first four solo albums, the three above-mentioned songs, and a previously unreleased selection called "I'm Only Foolin' Myself". The compilation also went to No. 1 in the UK album charts.
In 1993, Young was freed from his contract with the CBS/Sony Records label, and afterward, released fewer solo albums. He reformed the Q-Tips for a short series of concerts that year. He contributed to the Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
album Voices
Voices (Vangelis album)
Voices is a 1995 album by Greek electronic composer and artist Vangelis.Its music was used in the soundtrack for the 1998 documentary Deep Seas, Deep Secrets co-produced by The Learning Channel and Discovery Channel, together with music from Vangelis next album, Oceanic.The track "Ask the...
in 1995. Young sang the British national anthem, "God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
", at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
before England's
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
Euro '96 semi-final match against Germany.
Paul Young and Rock Swings - On the Wild Side of Swings (1997-Present)
From there, he was known to divide his time between family, the informal Tex-MexTejano music
Tejano music or Tex-Mex music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas...
group Los Pacaminos, and performing live during '80s revival tours in the UK between 2001 and 2008. In November 2001, when Paul was on the final night of the Here and Now tour, Michael Aspel awarded him his This is Your Life
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards...
book. The show went out on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 5 December that year.
2006 saw the release of a new album called Rock Swings - On The Wild Side Of Swing.
In September 2006, he appeared in the BBC1 cooking show Celebrity MasterChef, and won his show, allowing him a place in the semi-finals. A year later, he was a contestant on another cooking show, ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Hell's Kitchen.
Personal life
Paul met his wife, former model Stacey Smith, on his video for "Come Back and Stay" in 1983. They married while they were living in Los Angeles in November 1987. Together they have three children: daughters Levi (born March 1987), Layla (born August 1994), and son Grady Cole (born January 1996). Young and Smith split in May 2006; however, in March 2009, it was announced that they had reconciled. Young is a close friend of singer and Spandau BalletSpandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet are a British band formed in London in the late 1970s. Initially inspired by, and an integral part of, the New Romantic fashion, their music has featured a mixture of funk, jazz, soul and synthpop. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s, achieving ten Top Ten singles...
front man Tony Hadley
Tony Hadley
Tony Hadley is an English pop singer-songwriter, occasional stage actor and radio presenter who gained celebrity as the lead vocalist for the 1980s band Spandau Ballet.-Early life:...
. The two toured Australia and New Zealand during October and November 2008.
Young has one outside child Derrick Bone (born January 1973), and a grandson Kaizen Bone (born October 1995)
Music Trivia
David GilmourDavid Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
from Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
has mentioned, in an interview to Q Magazine, that he was impressed by Paul Young's usage of laser in his concert, which inspired him to also use similar lighting systems in the A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour.
Discography
The discographyDiscography
Discography is the study and listing of the details concerning sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified musical genres...
of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer Paul Young
Paul Young (singer and guitarist)
Paul Antony Young is an English pop musician. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & The Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, his following solo success as a solo recording artist turned him into a 1980s teenage pop idol...
.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
AUT Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
NZ |
NOR VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Certification Certification Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit... |
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| 1983 | No Parlez No Parlez No Parlez is the debut solo album by the British singer Paul Young. Released in 1983, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and remained in the UK Top 100 for 119 weeks...
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1 | 4 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 79 |
British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : 3× Platinum |
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| 1985 | The Secret of Association The Secret of Association The Secret of Association is the second album by the British singer Paul Young. Released in 1985, it reached number one on the UK album charts and the Top 20 in the US... |
1 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 19 |
British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : 2× Platinum |
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| 1986 | Between Two Fires
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4 | — | — | 63 | 12 | 39 | — | 19 | 27 | 77 |
British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : Platinum |
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| 1990 | Other Voices Other Voices (Paul Young album) Other Voices is the fourth album by the British singer Paul Young. Released in June 1990, the album peaked at #4 on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry for UK sales in excess of 100,000 copies.... |
4 | — | — | — | 49 | 39 | — | 40 | — | 142 |
British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : Gold |
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| 1993 | The Crossing
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27 | — | — | 82 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1994 | Reflections
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64 | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1997 | Paul Young
East West Records East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:... |
39 | — | — | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2006 | Rock Swings – On the Wild Side of Swing
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| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released | |||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||
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| UK |
AUS |
DK |
FRA |
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NL |
NZ |
NOR |
SWE |
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Certification Certification Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit... |
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| 1991 | From Time to Time – The Singles Collection
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1 | 6 | — | 4 | 32 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | — |
British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : 3× Platinum |
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| 1993 | Love Hurts
Q-Tips (band) Q-Tips were an English blue-eyed soul and rock band, first formed in 1979 from the remnants of the 1970s rock outfit Streetband. Saddled with the novelty song "Toast", a B-side made successful from incessant airplay by Capital Radio's’s Kenny Everett, and despite two albums, Streetband had failed... |
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| 1995 | Best Ballads
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| 1996 | Love Songs
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93 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1999 | Simply the Best
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| 2000 | Best of Paul Young
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— | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2001 | Love Will Tear Us Apart
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| 2002 | Greatest Hits
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— | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2003 | Super Hits
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| The Essential
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| 2007 | Collections
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| 2008 | Hit Collection
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| Wherever I Leave My Hat: The Best of Paul Young
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| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released | |||||||||||||||
Live albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||
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| 1984 | Come Back... Live
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| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released | |||||||||||||||
Other albums
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| 2002 | Los Pacaminos
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| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released | |||||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
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| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
AUT Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
IRE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
NL |
NZ |
NOR VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US A.C. |
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| 1982 | "Iron Out the Rough Spots" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | No Parlez |
| "Love Of The Common People" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) "Wherever I Lay My Hat " is a song written by Marvin Gaye, Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, and first recorded by Gaye in 1962. Years later, Paul Young's version of the song was a UK No. 1 single for three weeks in July 1983... " |
1 | — | — | 19 | 1 | 48 | 4 | — | 8 | — | 70 | — | |
| "Come Back and Stay Come Back and Stay "Come Back and Stay" is a song that was first recorded in 1981 by its writer Jack Lee. In 1983, singer Paul Young released his version as a single from his album, No Parlez, and it became an international hit.... " |
4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 22 | — | ||
| "Love of the Common People" [re-release] | 2 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 10 | — | — | 3 | 45 | — | ||
| 1984 | "Love Will Tear Us Apart Love Will Tear Us Apart "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by the British post-punk band Joy Division. It was written in August and September 1979, and debuted when the band supported Buzzcocks on their UK tour in September and October 1979. It is one of the few songs in which singer Ian Curtis played guitar... " |
— | — | — | 40 | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" | 9 | — | — | 37 | 8 | 17 | 18 | 9 | 14 | — | — | — | The Secret of Association | |
| "Everything Must Change" | 9 | — | — | 28 | 6 | 23 | 42 | — | — | — | 56 | — | ||
| 1985 | "Everytime You Go Away Everytime You Go Away "Everytime You Go Away" is a song written by Daryl Hall and covered by Paul Young in 1985 .The original appeared on Hall & Oates's 1980 album, Voices, although it was not released as a single. Hall & Oates also recorded it for their 1985 concert album Live at the Apollo. Young's version hit number... " |
4 | — | 16 | 40 | 2 | 16 | 14 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | |
| "Tomb of Memories" | 16 | — | — | — | 6 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" [re-release] | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | ||
| "Bite the Hand That Feeds" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "Wonderland" | 24 | — | — | — | 4 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Between Two Fires |
| "Some People" | 56 | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | 65 | — | ||
| 1987 | "Why Does a Man Have to Be Strong?" | 63 | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | "Softly Whispering I Love You" | 21 | — | — | — | 16 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Other Voices |
| "Oh Girl Oh Girl "Oh Girl" is a number-one single recorded by the soul vocal group, The Chi-Lites and released on Brunswick Records in 1972. Included on the group's 1972 album A Lonely Man, "Oh Girl" centers around a relationship on the verge of break-up... " |
25 | — | — | — | 20 | 73 | 41 | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||
| "Heaven Can Wait" | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991 | "Calling You Calling You "Calling You" is an Academy Award nominated song from the Bagdad Café movie. Originally, it was recorded by Jevetta Steele. Bob Telson who wrote the song also recorded his version. Both appeared on the movie soundtrack in 1987.- Céline Dion version :... " |
57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Senza una donna (Without a Woman) Senza una donna "Senza una donna" is a 1987 song co-written and performed by Zucchero Fornaciari and rerecorded in 1991 with Paul Young. The song was then released as a single under the title "Senza una donna " which reached #4 in the UK Single Chart and #2 in the German Singles Chart and the French Singles Chart... " (with Zucchero Zucchero Adelmo Fornaciari, Commander , more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero /ˈtsukkero/, is an Italian rock singer. His music is largely inspired by gospel, blues and rock music, and alternates between ballads and more rhythmic boogie-like pieces.Zucchero is the... ) |
4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 23 | From Time to Time – The Singles Collection | |
| "Both Sides Now" (with Clannad Clannad Clannad are an Irish musical group, from Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Their music has been variously described as bordering on folk and folk rock, Irish, Celtic and New Age, often incorporating elements of an even broader spectrum of smooth jazz and Gregorian chant... ) |
74 | — | — | — | 3 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Don't Dream It's Over" (with Paul Carrack Paul Carrack Paul Carrack is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Carrack has been a member of several bands including Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, been a session and touring musician for several others including Nick Lowe, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well... ) |
20 | — | 27 | 71 | 13 | 67 | — | 6 | 25 | — | — | — | ||
| "Come On In" (with Masayuki Suzuki Masayuki Suzuki Masayuki Suzuki is a Japanese singer best known as a former member of Rats & Star... ) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | From Time to Time – The Singles Collection [Japanese version] | |
| 1992 | "I'm Only Foolin' Myself" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | From Time to Time – The Singles Collection |
| "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted What Becomes of the Brokenhearted "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" is a hit single recorded by Jimmy Ruffin and released on Motown Records' Soul label in the summer of 1966. It is a ballad, with lead singer Jimmy Ruffin recalling the pain that befalls the brokenhearted, and their struggle to overcome their sadness so that they... " |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 46 | — | — | — | 22 | 1 | Fried Green Tomatoes Fried Green Tomatoes (film) Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 comedy-drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was released in the UK under the novel's full title. Directed by Jon Avnet and written by Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski, it stars Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy,... Soundtrack |
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| 1993 | "Now I Know What Made Otis Blue" | 14 | — | 16 | 51 | — | 36 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | The Crossing |
| "Hope in a Hopeless World" | 42 | — | — | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994 | "It Will Be You" | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "That's How Heartaches Are Made" | 118 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Reflections | |
| "Until You Come Back To Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995 | "Grazing In the Grass" | 144 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1997 | "I Wish You Love" | 33 | — | — | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Paul Young |
| "Ball and Chain" | — | — | — | 92 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Tularosa" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Make Someone Happy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010 | "Come Back" (with Chicane Chicane (recording artist) Chicane is a British electronic dance music act, and the guise of British musician, composer, songwriter and record producer, Nicholas Bracegirdle.... ) |
151 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Giants Giants (album) Giants is the fourth studio album by British electronic dance music artist Chicane. It was released in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2010. The album's first official single, "Middledistancerunner", featuring the vocals of Adam Young was released on the same day... (Chicane album) |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released. | ||||||||||||||