Paul Hardcastle
Paul Louis Hardcastle is a British composer, musician, producer, songwriter, radio presenter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his song "19", which went to number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1985.
Paul Louis Hardcastle | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Paul Louis Hardcastle |
| Born | 10 December 1957[1] |
| Origin | Kensington,[1] London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Synthpop, freestyle, electronica, ambient, electro house, breakstep, smooth jazz |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments | Synthesizer, keyboards, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussion, programming |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels | Chrysalis, Motown, V2, Profile |
| Associated acts | Direct Drive, First Light, Dance Aid, Carol Kenyon, Helen Rogers, Jaki Graham |
| Website | paulhardcastle |
Early life
Born in Kensington in London on 10 December 1957, he is the son of Joyce (née Everett, 1930–1991) and Louis Hardcastle (1915–2000).[1]
Career
Hardcastle began his career in 1982 while working with session vocalist Derek Green under the name First Light. They achieved some minor success in the UK charts, but the project was abandoned after two years and Hardcastle pursued a solo career.[2]
He achieved some success with his early singles, including the 1984 electro-funk/freestyle/instrumental track, "Rain Forest", which along with the track "Sound Chaser", reached number two on the dance chart.[3] "Rain Forest" also hit number five on the soul chart and number fifty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100.[4]
Hardcastle is best known for the 1985 single "19", which went to No. 1 in the UK (for five weeks), as well as several other countries worldwide. It also reached number 15 in the U.S. Pop chart and number 1 in the U.S. Dance and Club charts. The song received the Ivor Novello Award for Best-selling single of 1985.[5] The follow-up single to "19" was "Just for Money", which reached No. 19 in the UK. It also charted in several other European countries.[6]
In 1986, Hardcastle released a remix to "One Wish" by Hiroshima.[7] In the same year, Hardcastle's "The Wizard" was adopted as the theme tune for the BBC's Top of the Pops weekly chart show. The theme tune was used from 3 April 1986 to 26 September 1991.
The song "Don't Waste My Time", became Hardcastle's second UK top ten in March 1986. It featured singer Carol Kenyon, a backing vocalist of Heaven 17.
In 1989, Hardcastle resumed working on First Light, collaborating with vocalist Kevin Henry, whom he had worked with on previous recordings.[8]
Since the 1990s, Hardcastle has recorded several synth jazz albums, alternating releases under the pseudonyms Kiss the Sky (with Jaki Graham) and The Jazzmasters, as well as under his real name Paul Hardcastle.[9]
Personal life
Hardcastle married Dolores Baker in 1985,[10] and they have three children, including Maxine (born April 1986) and Paul Jr. (born August 1990). Their son Ritchie Max Hardcastle (born 1997)[11] is Chairman of the Romford Young Conservatives.[12]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Daybreak (by 1st Light) | Metronome (division of London Records) |
| 1985 | Zero One (with Universal Funk) | Bluebird/10 Records, EMI Music [13] |
| 1985 | Rainforest | Profile Records |
| 1985 | Paul Hardcastle | Chrysalis Records |
| 1988 | No Winners | Chrysalis Records |
| 1989 | Sound Syndicate [a.k.a. Are You Ready...] | AJK Music, K-Tel International |
| 1991 | The Wizard | Chrysalis Records |
| 1993 | Time for Love | Fast Forward Records; Victor (Japan) [14] |
| 1994 | Feel the Breeze | Victor (Japan) |
| 1996 | Look to the Future | Victor (Japan) |
| 1996 | Star of the Story | Victor (Japan) |
| 1997 | First Light | Connoisseur Collection |
| 2009 | Zer01 | Hardcastle Music |
| 2012 | Perceptions of Pacha VIII (remixed by Nacho Marco) | Pacha Recordings |
| 2012 | 19 Below Zero | Hardcastle Music, Universal Music |
| 2014 | Moovin & Groovin | Trippin 'N' Rythmn Records |
Smooth jazz albums
Hardcastle series
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Hardcastle | JVC; Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 1996 | Hardcastle II | JVC; Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2002 | Hardcastle III | Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2005 | Hardcastle 4 | Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2008 | Hardcastle 5 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2011 | Hardcastle VI | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2013 | Hardcastle VII | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2018 | Hardcastle VIII | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
Jazzmasters series
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Jazzmasters | Fast Forward Records; JVC; Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 1995 | The Jazzmasters II | JVC; Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 1999 | The Jazzmasters III | Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2004 | The Jazzmasters 4 | Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2006 | Jazzmasters V | Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2010 | Jazzmasters VI [15] | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2014 | Jazzmasters VII | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
Chill Lounge series
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Chill Lounge, Volume 1 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2013 | The Chill Lounge, Volume 2 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2015 | The Chill Lounge, Volume 3 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
Kiss the Sky with Paul Hardcastle & Jaki Graham
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Kiss the Sky | Victor (Japan); Motown Records |
| 1994 | Millennium Skyway [a.k.a. Kiss the Sky II] | Victor (Japan); JVC; Hardcastle Records |
Transcontinental with Paul Hardcastle & Ryan Farish
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Transcontinental (6-song EP) | Rytone Entertainment |
Compilations
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Definitive Paul Hardcastle | Connoisseur Collection |
| 1996 | The Very Best (The Gold Collection) | EMI Music |
| 1997 | P.H. (Paul Hardcastle Works) | Victor (Japan) |
| 1997 | Cover to Cover: A Musical Autobiography | JVC; Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records [18] |
| 2000 | Jazzmasters: The Greatest Hits | Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2003 | The Very Best of Paul Hardcastle 1983–2003 | Jazz FM Records |
| 2004 | Jazzmasters: The Smooth Cuts | Hardcastle Records; Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records [19] |
| 2009 | Paul Hardcastle: The Collection | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records [20] |
| 2011 | Desire: The Ultimate Seductive Album | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records [21] |
| 2013 | Electrofied 80s: Essential Paul Hardcastle | Music Club Deluxe (division of Demon Records) |
| 2015 | 19: The 30th Anniversary Mixes | Nusic Sounds, Caroline International |
| 2016 | The History of Paul Hardcastle 1984–2016 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
Singles
| Title[22] | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
US |
US Dance |
US Jazz |
IRE |
SWI |
NOR |
GER |
NLD |
SWE |
ATR |
ITL |
FR |
NZ | |||
| "You're the One for Me – Daybreak – A.M." | 1984 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Daybreak |
| "Guilty" | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Eat Your Heart Out" | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rain Forest | |
| "King Tut" | 42 | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Rain Forest" | 1985 | 41 | 57 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "19" | 1 | 15 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 1 | Paul Hardcastle | |
| "19 (German Version)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Just for Money" | 19 | — | — | — | 15 | 27 | — | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Don't Waste My Time" | 1986 | 8 | — | 31 | — | 15 | 9 | — | 15 | 12 | — | — | — | — | 20 | |
| "Foolin' Yourself" | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Definitive Paul Hardcastle | |
| "The Wizard" | 15 | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Walk in the Night" | 1988 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | No Winners |
| "40 Years" | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Are You Ready" | 1989 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sound Syndicate |
| "Galaxy of Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Serene" | 2005 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hardcastle IV |
| "Rain Forest" / "What's Going On" | 2011 | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hardcastle VI |
| "Easy Come, Easy Go" | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "No Stress (At All)" | 2013 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hardcastle VII |
| "Easy Street" | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Echoes Rising" | 2016 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The History of Paul Hardcastle |
| "Cut Loose" | 2018 | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hardcastle VIII |
| "Amber Skies" | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Happy Go Lucky" | 2019 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Dancing Galaxies" | 2020 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Unreleased promotional tracks
This is a list of several unreleased tracks that were made by Paul Hardcastle that were originally intended to have been used to promote the Lego Bionicle toyline in 2001.
These tracks were originally meant to have been included with the Bionicle Power Pack CD package that was later released in the same year.
| Title | Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bionic Age (also referred to as the Bionicle Age) | 2001 | Extreme Global Hardcore | Warner Chappell Music (division of Warner Music Group) |
| Killing Machines (also known as the original full version of The Bionicle Music track that was cut following the final release of the CD & later uses in commercials for the toyline) | 2001 | Extreme Global Hardcore | Warner Chappell Music (division of Warner Music Group) |
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- List of 1980s one-hit wonders in the United States
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of Euro disco artists
- List of smooth jazz performers
- List of synthpop artists
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
References
- "Birth of Paul Louis Hardcastle", England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2005
- First Light Biography and Discography. Discogs.com. Retrieved 24 January 2020
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 117.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 244.
- NUA - Paul Hardcastle Biography Retrieved 24 January 2020
- "Paul Hardcastle", UK Chart Information. Retrieved 4 November 2017
- Chin, Brian (10 May 1986). "Dance Trax" (PDF). pp. 39–40. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
- You Had It All (1989) Retrieved 24 January 2020
- "Biography by Steve Huey". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
- "Marriage of Paul Louis Hardcastle and Dolores Baker"], England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916–2005
- "Ritchie Max Hardcastle"], England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2005
- "Ritchie Hardcastle, 19, chairman of Young Conservatives Romford". Business Insider. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- "Zero One – Paul Hardcastle – Releases – AllMusic".
- "Time for Love". Amazon.co.uk.
- "The holidays are coming and so is Jazzmasters 6 – Paul Hardcastle". Chatterboxworldwide's Blog. 8 December 2009. Archived from the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- "Paul Hardcastle – Biography & History – AllMusic".
- "Transcontinental - EP by Paul Hardcastle & Ryan Farish". Music.apple.com. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- "Cover to Cover – Paul Hardcastle – Releases – AllMusic".
- "Jazzmasters: the Smooth Cuts – Paul Hardcastle – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic".
- "The Collection - Paul Hardcastle | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
- "Desire – Paul Hardcastle – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic".
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 243. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
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