Paul Young (singer, born 1947)

Paul Young
Also known as Youngy
Born (1947-06-17)17 June 1947
Benchill, Manchester, England
Died 15 July 2000(2000-07-15) (aged 53)
Hale, Altrincham, England
Genres Pop rock, soft rock
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1967–2000
Associated acts Mike + The Mechanics, Sad Café

Paul Young (17 June 1947 – 15 July 2000) was a British singer and songwriter. He achieved success in the bands Sad Café and Mike + The Mechanics.

Life and career

Young was born on 17 June 1947 in the Wythenshawe district[1] of Manchester, England.[2]

After releasing a number of unsuccessful solo singles between 1967 and 1975, Young came to prominence as the frontman of 1970s rock band Sad Café, with whom he achieved multiple UK Top 40 and US Billboard Hot 100 hits.

He formed Sad Café in 1976 and recorded with them until 1989. He enjoyed further chart success sharing lead vocal duties with Paul Carrack in Mike + The Mechanics, the pop-rock band formed in 1985 by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford. In that band, Young would play various instruments as required, and serve as de facto frontman during live performances.

During his career, he provided lead vocals on several chart hits, including Sad Café's "Every Day Hurts" and "My Oh My", and Mike + The Mechanics' "All I Need Is a Miracle", "Word of Mouth", "Taken In" and "Nobody's Perfect". He was brought into Mike + the Mechanics on the recommendation of producer/songwriter Christopher Neil and Neil's manager.[3] Young's power and range lent themselves to the band's heavier songs.

Young also sang the theme to the British children's TV series Avenger Penguins.

Vocal style

Young possessed a wide vocal range, often utilising fifth octave head voice notes, and a voice characterised as "rich".[4] His early style has been likened to that of Mick Jagger;[5] in the early 1980s, he began to explore a more "emotive" style.[6]

Death

On 15 July 2000, having no symptoms, Paul Young had a sudden heart attack at around 6.30pm at his home in Hale, Altrincham, and died shortly afterwards at 53 years old. An autopsy revealed "he had died from a heart attack and that it was not the first."[7] His body was cremated on 22 July 2000.

In 2011, a new album, Chronicles, was released, compiled from unfinished material recovered from his home studio, and containing a new single, "Your Shoes", written by Paul Young and Mike Rutherford. A plaque can be found outside his home on Hale Road, Cheshire.

Paying tribute, Rutherford said of Young, "He had a fantastic voice, one of the best rock voices of his generation...a complete natural."[8]

Former Marillion vocalist and 1980s chart peer Fish described him as "one of the finest frontmen and singers from the history of the British music scene", who exhibited "immense personality, glowing charisma and outrageous positivism".[7]

Discography

Paul Young

  • 2011 Chronicles (2011 album)
  • 2011 "Your Shoes" (2011 single)

Mike + The Mechanics

Sad Café

Albums

Year Album UK Albums Chart[9] US Albums[10]
1977 Fanx Ta Ra
#56
-
1977 Hungry Eyes
-
-
1978 Misplaced Ideals
#50
-
1979 Misplaced Ideals †
-
#94
1979 Façades
#8
#146
1980 Sad Café
#46
#160
1981 Live
#37
-
1981 Olé
#72
-
1985 Politics of Existing
-
-
1989 Whatever it Takes
-
-

† US version of the first two albums

The Young Brothers

  • 1968 I've Always Wanted Love/Mirror, Mirror (single)

Young & Renshaw

  • 1971 "This Is Young & Renshaw" (album)

References

  1. ↑ "Saturday, 15 July 2000: Paul Young". The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches. London, UK: Penguin Group. p. 432. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ Tortorici, Frank (18 July 2000). "Mike + the Mechanics' Paul Young Dies". MTV. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  3. ↑ Neer, Dan (1985). Mike on Mike [interview LP], Atlantic Recording Corporation.
  4. ↑ Orens, Geoff. The Living Years review. AllMusic. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  5. ↑ Boldman, Gina. Misplaced Ideals review. AllMusic. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  6. ↑ DeGagne, Mike. Mike + The Mechanics review. AllMusic. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  7. 1 2 ""Everyday Hurts" Paul Young 1947–2000". The official Fish website. 19 July 2000. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  8. ↑ "Mike + the Mechanics' Paul Young Dies". MTV. 18 July 2000. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 478. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  10. ↑ "Allmusic ((( Sad Café > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))".
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