Everything Must Change For Paul Young

During the second half of ‘84, Paul Young began to regain use of his strained vocal cords, and entered the studio to begin work on his sophomore album, once more with producer Laurie Latham at the controls. In terms of the remaining support personnel, there had been some changes over the preceding year. Key players, Ian Kewley, Mike Pinder and Pino Palladino were still on board, but guitarist Steve Bolton was replaced by Johnny Turnbull, and keyboardist Matt Irving also joined. The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts decided they could become even wealthier by pursuing their own career, and were replaced by a trio of well respected session vocalists, George Chandler, Jimmy Chambers, and Tony Jackson.

Though nearly a year had passed since his last incursion into the charts as a solo artist, Paul Young’s career exploded back into life with the explosively superlative ‘I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down’, a rousing take on the Earl Randle penned R&B song, originally a US#111 hit for Ann Peebles in 1973. Young no doubt attacked the song’s vocals, but even accounting for that, their was a rawness that hinted at some of his recent voice/throat problems. ‘I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down’ tore through the opposition to peak at #9 on the British charts, late in ‘84, and shortly after constructed a firm place at #25 in Australia (on first release it missed the U.S. charts). As ‘I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down’ was sitting pretty on the charts, Paul Young was invited to participate in the now legendary Band Aid recording project, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ rocketed to #1 in time for the festive season, and in so doing signed off on its place in popular music folklore. It was indicative of Young’s place on the music scene that he was performing alongside the likes of Sting, Simon Le Bon, and Bono.

With his comeback single a top ten hit, and his name attached to one of the biggest chart toppers in history, Paul Young had bounced back in style. Despite his prolonged absence from vocal duties during 1984, Young once more scored a gong at the Brit Awards, when he took out ‘Best Male Vocalist’ in February of ‘85. Around that time the second single from his forthcoming album matched the chart performance of its predecessor on the U.K. charts. ‘Everything Must Change’ was a lyrically poignant, sweetly soulful song, that revealed Paul Young the song writer as a class act. Though ‘Everything Must Change’, in this instance history repeated itself as Young scored his second consecutive UK#9 (OZ#27). The track also highlighted the sublime vocal harmonies of Young’s new backing singers (Chandler, Chambers, and Jackson). ‘Everything Must Change’ was (and is) my favourite Paul Young song, for its richness, substance, and impeccable delivery. However, Young’s next single was to prove even more popular with the general populace, particularly Stateside.

The duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates had already worn the tag of accomplished proponents of 80s era ‘blue-eyed’ soul, and had notched up over a dozen U.S. top ten singles in the process (including no fewer than six #1 hits). Their 1980 album, ‘Voices’, proved to be one of the biggest selling of their career (US#17/OZ#19), and yielded the major hits ‘Kiss On My List’ (US#1/UK#8/OZ#13), ‘You Make My Dreams’ (US#5/OZ#40), and, ironically enough, a cover of their own, with the Righteous Brothers’ hit ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (US#12/UK#33). Paul Young wasn’t in the habit of covering previous big hits, but rather took delight in searching out hidden treasures, and serving up his own interpretation. The Hall and Oates’ ‘Voices’ album also contained a gospel/soul style song titled ‘Every Time You Go Away’. Young heard the hit potential within the song, and his intuition was spot on. The lushly produced ‘Every Time You Go Away’ greeted the British charts during March of ‘85, going on to peak at #4 (OZ#20), and once more benefited from the brilliant bass work of Pino Palladino, and even an electric sitar in the mix. Whilst the previous two singles had initially failed to attract attention in the U.S., ‘Every Time You Go Away’ slid seductively into the American charts during May, and by July had risen to top spot, replacing Duran Duran’s ‘A View To A Kill’ in the process. ‘Every Time You Go Away’ hit #1 in the States just two weeks after Paul Young made a triumphant appearance at London’s Live Aid concert, sharing the stage with Alison Moyet (see previous post). By summer’s end, Paul Young had taken the, not insignificant, step of hitting the tour road again, presumably with a case of throat lozenges on board the tour bus. Young hit the stage in New York during August, and to the thrill of the crowd, belted out ‘Every Time You Go Away’ alongside the Daryl Hall. It was the ultimate seal of approval from the song’s composer.

As ‘Every Time You Go Away’ was on its chart ascent, Young’s sophomore album finally hit stores in April of ‘85. ‘The Secret Of Association’ proved less than covert, as it bolted to #1 on the British charts on its debut (OZ#6). Aside from the first three hit singles, the album reasserted Paul Young’s willingness to interpret a wide range of song material. Everything from Tom Waits’ ‘Soldier’s Things’, to Billy Bragg’s ‘Man In The Iron Mask’ underwent the Paul Young brand of soulful vocal treatment, whilst another Kewley/Young original, ‘Tomb Of Memories’, became the album’s fourth hit single (UK#16/OZ#44). On the back of his first U.S. #1, the singles ‘I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down’ (US#13), and ‘Everything Must Change’ (US#56), were both re-released Stateside to a considerably more favourable reception, and the album ‘The Secret Of Association’ peaked at #19.

With his voice having survived his latest world tour, Paul Young returned to the recording studio during the latter half of 1986. The first single to emerge from the sessions was ‘Wonderland’, a song originally recorded by Betsy Cook. Young’s version was dripping with languid atmosphere, and glided serenely to #24 on the British charts (OZ#51). The single’s B-side was the title track from Paul Young’s third studio album, ‘Between Two Fires’ (UK#4/OZ#40/US#77). This time around producer Hugh Padgham, joined Young himself, and long time collaborator Ian Kewley (known affectionately as Rev), whilst Young and Kewley co-wrote eight of the ten tracks. The album was recorded principally in Milan, Italy, and during the period Young was in the country he struck up a friendship with Italian blues singer Bucchero (but more on that in a paragraph or two). The album ‘Between Two Fires’ represented a slight departure from Young’s earlier soul-infused material. The soul was still there, but contained within a slicker, edgier package, as evidenced in the follow up single, ‘Some People’ (UK#56/OZ#79/US#65), not to be confused with Cliff Richard hit. Single #3 ‘Why Does A Man Have To Be So Strong’ fared even less favourably (UK#63), and by early 1987 questions were being asked of Paul Young’s future direction (possibly by the man himself).

Young’s answer to himself must have been to take an extended sabbatical from being a pop star, to focus on family life, and on resting his vulnerable vocal cords. Public performances were few and far between over the ensuing eighteen months, with Young’s seclusion broken by an appearance at Wembley for the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Concert in June of ‘88, at which he performed a cover of Crowded House’s ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’. But ever mindful of the shifting music-scape, Paul Young returned in 1990 with a fresh approach to his recording craft. That fresh approach still dipped into the rich waters of popular music history for inspiration. Young’s ‘comeback’ single was a cover of the 1968 David and Jonathan hit, ‘Softly Whispering I Love You’. I’ll put my hand up and say that I was never a fan of the song, in its original form, or in Young’s, albeit heartfelt, version (UK#21). The track was the lead out single to Paul Young’s fourth studio album, ‘Other Voices’, released in June of 1990 (with not a Hall and Oates cover between the covers). Young had assembled an impressive array of talent, both on the production and performance side. Bob Clearmountain handled mixing duties, whilst no fewer than four producers helmed the project, including Nile Rodgers and Peter Wolf. The guest player roster boasted Stevie Wonder (on harmonica), Chaka Khan, and Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Musically, ‘Other Voices’ included an eclectic array of source material, as evidenced by the guitar driven rocker ‘A Little Bit Of Love’ (a cover of the 1972 Free hit), juxtaposed in the track listing against Young’s second U.S. top ten hit, ‘Oh Girl’. In 1972, the Chi-Lites had taken ‘Oh Girl’ to #1 on the U.S. charts, and eighteen years later Paul Young’s version performed almost as well. The silky smooth track, produced by Pete Wingfield, exemplified Young as the consummate soul/R&B vocalist, and returned some lustre to his fading career sheen (US#8/UK#25). Sales for the ‘Other Voices’ album were excellent in Britain (#4), but despite the success of the single ‘Oh Girl’, Stateside returns were disappointing (#142). The Warne Livesey produced song ‘Heaven Can Wait’ was bouncy enough but failed to scale any heavenly heights on the charts (UK#71), whilst ‘Calling You’ (UK#57) was an inauspicious start to 1991 for Paul Young - but better was to come.

The friendship that Paul Young had established with Zucchero back in 1986, reaped a harvest in studio during 1991, when they recorded a duet titled ‘Senza Una Donna (Without A Woman)’. The song was actually credited to Zucchero featuring Paul Young, and the two artist’s talents melded seamlessly to yield a consummately seductive slice of sultry R&B. Produced by Corrado Rustici, ‘Senza Una Donna (Without A Woman)’ returned Paul Young to the British top ten for the first time since 1985, peaking at #4 following its March debut (OZ#48), and going top ten across Europe. In August ‘91, Young released the single ‘Both Sides Now’ (US#74), recorded with Irish group Clannad, apparently during a snow storm in Dublin (though hopefully indoors). The track was recorded for inclusion on the soundtrack for the Blake Edwards’ comedy ‘Switch’, but also featured on the track listing for Paul Young’s first official ‘best of’ album, titled ‘From Time To Time - The Singles Collection’ - the album debuted at #1 on the British charts (OZ#6) confirming Young still had commercial appeal. It featured the usual suspects from Young’s earlier works, in addition to four new tracks, the aforementioned single releases, along with the vibrant R&B number ‘I’m Only Foolin’ Myself’, and a newly recorded version of the Crowded House classic ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ (produced by Dan Hartman). Young had originally performed the song at the Mandela Tribute concert back in ‘88, but his re-recorded version climbed to #20 on the British charts late in ‘91.

Over late ‘91, and into ‘92, Paul Young kept lozenge manufacturers in the black with another world tour, and along the way he made an appearance at the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert at Wembley Stadium, at which he performed ‘Radio Ga Ga’ with the surviving members of Queen. Shortly after, Young’s name returned to the US. Charts (for the final time to date) with a first class cover of ‘What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted’ (US#22), originally a hit for Jimmy Ruffin back in 1966 (and brilliantly covered by Dave Stewart and Colin Blunstone in 1981). The track was lifted from the soundtrack to the film ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’, but Young was already busy compiling a different list of ingredients for his next album.

Once more Paul Young assembled an impressive roster of players for his next project (including Mark Isham, Jeff Porcaro, Billy Preston, Benmont Tench - of The Heartbreakers, and none other than Kathleen Turner), and this time producer Don Was was…is…were…,no it is was, on board to helm the in studio proceedings. Young was open in his desire to continue bridging the gap between the classic music of yesteryear and the cutting edge music of the present. It was an ambitious project, but one that Young embraced with relish. With the lead out single, ‘Now I Know What Made Otis Blue’, Young spanned music styles seamlessly, and scored a British #14. The smooth soul/rock aroma permeated throughout the song’s source album, ‘The Crossing’ (UK#27), released in October of ‘93. Brimming with finely crafted horn and string arrangements, the album’s positive energy was encapsulated in the follow up singles, ‘Hope In A Hopeless World’ (UK#42), and ‘It Will Be You’ (UK#34).

The release of ‘The Crossing’ had fulfilled Young’s contractual obligations with CBS (Sony), with artist and label choosing to part company. As mentioned, a brief reunion took place between Young and his former Q-Tips bandmates in 1993, but aside from releasing a low key album of soul/blues covers titled ‘Reflections’ (UK#64) late in 1994, the singer entered another extended period of seclusion from the music scene. In part family commitments were the lure, but his voice was also badly in need of an prolonged break. During this period, Young took the first tentative steps toward establishing an informal Tex-Mex style band called Los Pacaminos. A guest spot on a 1995 Vangelis album, and some infrequent festival appearances across Europe, represented the extent of Paul Young’s public work, but behind the scenes he was once more thinking ahead to a new album. He worked with singer/ songwriter Drew Barfield to pen the songs that would comprise a good portion of his 1997 self titled album (UK#39). Released on the East/West label, the album’s style was informed strongly by a Nashville country hue, and the lead out single, ‘I Wish You Love’, represented Paul Young’s final foray (to date) into the pop single charts (UK#33).

Over the next couple of years Young worked further with Los Pacaminos, and during 1999 he undertook a tour of smaller venues across the U.K. The shows were in an ‘unplugged’ style, with Young accompanied only by backing musician Matt Irving. The Tex-Mex outfit Los Pacaminos then released their eponymous debut album in 2002. Around the same period, Paul Young added his name to the list of 80s greats doing the rounds on the hugely popular revival tour circuit. During 2005, he performed on the same bill as fellow 80s legends Tony Hadley (of Spandau Ballet), ABC, and Go West (see previous posts). In October of 2006, Paul Young released his first solo studio set in almost a decade. ‘Rock Swings: On The Wild Side Of Swing’ comprised cover versions of classic hits, performed in a classic swing music style. The likes of ‘Tainted Love’, ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘Hungry Heart’, ‘The Jean Genie’, and ‘Walk On The Wild Side’, all got the Paul Young treatment - that’s an album I’ll have to track down. Initially, ‘Rock Swings’ only received a release in Germany, but has filtered through to other markets since. Over the last few years Paul Young has continued to perform from time to time on the revival tour scene, and his earlier back catalogue has been remastered and released in an extended CD format, including a 25th anniversary edition of ‘No Parlez’. At time of writing there are no definite plans for a studio album of new material any time soon.

A Former Q-Tip Lays His Hat At #1

During the early to mid 80s, several of the solo male vocal acts to strike it big on the charts had already done the hard yards fronting well known bands. Feargal Sharkey had surfaced from the Undertones, Pete Shelley had made a buzz fronting Buzzcocks, both Rick Springfield and Darryl Cotton had belted out a rockified ‘Eleanor Rigby’ with Zoot, Jona Lewie emerged from the stone age Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs, Lionel Richie found he was truly better off sans Commodores, Adrian Gurvitz had his first shot to prominence with The Gun, Ray Parker Jr. had tuned into hitsville via Raydio, Billy Idol emerged with lip curled from Generation X, John Foxx continued an exploration of cutting edge electronica that had begun with Ultravox, the Genesis of Peter Gabriel evolved into fully fledged solo superstardom, and a singer by the name of Paul Young struck a formula for commercial success that had largely eluded him during his tenure with the eight piece soul band Q-Tips.

By way of clarification - the Paul Young who is the focus of this post is not the late vocalist Paul Young of Sad Café and Mike & the Mechanics (his career will be looked at a little more closely in a future post, via a career retrospective of fellow ‘Mechanic’ Paul Carrack). A very young Paul Young was born in the township of Luton, in Bedfordshire, England, in early 1956. By age 14, he had taken up the piano, but soon began learning the bass. His father had worked in the local Vauxhall automotive factory, and at age sixteen Paul Young followed suit. But music ran thicker than motor oil in his veins, and in his free time Young began playing with local bands, the first of which was an outfit called Kat Kool & The Kool Kats. By 1978 he’d joined an outfit called Streetband, whose line-up also featured guitarist John Gifford, drummer Vince Chaulk, guitarist Roger Kelly, and bassist Mick Pearl. Streetband were apparently an eclectic hybrid of heavy metal and R&B/soul, and aside from vocals, Young’s duties within the band covered bass, keyboards, and occasional harmonica playing (perhaps contributing to his unofficial moniker of ‘Mighty Paul’). Streetband were signed to the small time label Logo Records, and recorded the single ‘Hold On’ - or at least that was the intended A-side. Radio DJs had other ideas though, and quickly became enamoured with the single’s B-side, the ‘throwaway’ novelty track ‘Toast’. The single was flipped to buttered toast side up, and soon Streetband had a UK#18 hit in late ‘78. The runaway success of their novelty B-side proved more of a hindrance to the band’s career, because essentially Streetband had aspirations to be a serious music band, and had been lumped with the novelty act tag. A handful of singles followed over the ensuing year, including ‘Love Sign’ and ‘One More Step’, but neither singles, nor the accompanying ‘Dilemma’ or ‘London’ albums (which featured contributions from Chas Jankel and Jools Holland), provided the same commercial appeal as the band’s original slice of ‘Toast’.

By December ‘79, Streetband had disbanded, with Chaulk and Kelly departing the scene. The trio of Paul Young, Mick Pearl, and John Gifford, decided to kick start a new band, with a seriously expanded line-up. Named Q-Tips, in deference to the popular brand of cotton swab, the band’s line-up was augmented by guitarist Dave Lathwell, drummer Baz Watts, organist Ian Kewley, and a four piece brass section of Steve Farr, Richard Blanchard, Stuart Van Blandamer, and Tony Hughes. The band’s express musical manifesto - to play soul music that they loved - could have been a template for ‘The Commitments’. Initially a ten piece, Q-Tips began gigging late in ‘79 at local pubs and clubs (several of which had been regular haunts for the Streetband), briefly under the moniker of The Harrow Horns, and soon built up a fanatical following with their surging renditions of soul classics (the Motown catalogue was frequently raided). Within a few months, Q-Tips released their debut single, ‘S.Y.S.L.J.F.M.’, a cover of a Joe Tex track, more popularly referred to as ‘The Letter Song’, but the single only generated minor interest.

With a relentless touring schedule, splinters began appearing in the band’s ranks, and both Lathwell and Blanchard departed, reducing Q-Tips to an eight piece. John Gifford was also replaced by Garth Watt-Roy, but the changes did nothing to hinder the band’s phenomenal momentum as a live act. Word of mouth is inevitable when playing before packed houses night after night (sometimes twice a night), and Q-Tips were being mentioned in the same breath as Dexys Midnight Runners, as one of the hardest working bands on the scene. Q-Tips’ boisterous brand of soul, and their celebratory approach to their craft, set them firmly apart from that other band of ‘young soul rebels’. It was inevitable that Q-Tips would attract the attention of a record label, or several, and Chrysalis signed the band during 1980. Produced by Bob Sargeant, the band’s eponymous debut album was released to much accompanying buzz, but its appearance on the charts was ephemeral at best, one week at #50. The album contained a mix of soul/Motown covers and original material. The single, a cover of the Miracles’ ‘Tracks Of My Tears’, though a huge hit with live audiences, missed the mark on the charts.

Q-Tips continued to traverse the U.K. and Paul Young continued to develop as a vocalist, and as he later revealed to Billboard Magazine, it was during this period that he “found” his voice. But whilst Young had found his voice, and gained a reputation as one of Britain’s leading exponents of ‘blue eyed soul’, commercial appeal as a recording act remained elusive for Q-Tips. Following the poor reception for their debut set, Chrysalis dumped the band soon after. The smaller Rewind label jumped at the chance to sign one of Britain’s most popular live acts, and released their cover of Nazareth’s ‘Love Hurts’, which again sank without a trace - the same fate late befell the classy single ‘Stay The Way You Are’. During 1981, Q-Tips remained as popular as ever with the punters, but continued a tumultuous love/hate affair with the media. In part the media flack targeted the band for being merely a covers band, but those in the know knew better, as Q-Tips also played a good slab of their own material (penned mostly by Young and organist Ian Kewley), in combination with infusing a selection of American soul classics with their own unique flare and vibrant energy.

But sell out venues aside, the members of Q-Tips no doubt would have felt frustrated at the apparent gulf between their self proclaimed status as ‘the best live band in the world’, and the dearth of interest in their records (Q-Tips performed over 700 shows in less than three years). Support slots for the likes of The Who, Thin Lizzy, Bob Marley, and Average White Band, were eminently well deserved, and even the likes of Steve Winwood, and his brother Muff, rated the band highly. Winwood, of the Muff variety, was head of A&R for CBS Records in Britain, and though a fan of Q-Tips, judged their commercial potential, as a recording act, to be limited. However, Paul Young the solo vocalist was an entirely more lucrative prospect. Winwood signed Young to a solo recording deal late in ‘81, and in early ‘82 Young announced his intent to pursue a career sans Q-Tips. Given the elusive record sales, it was undoubtedly a wise move, though fans of Q-Tips as a live act, doubtless would have seen it otherwise. 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.

As Young continued on the ‘Q-Tips’ farewell jaunt, it became increasingly evident that he needed to reposition himself as the focal point. The shows were soon billed under the banner of ‘Paul Young and The Family’, which soon evolved into ‘Paul Young and The Royal Family’ (by appointment). Paul Young’s rather regal backing band included keyboardist Kewley, fretless bass player extraordinaire Pino Palladino, guitarist Steve Bolton, drummer Mike Pinder, and backing singers Maz Roberts and Kim Leslie AKA the Fabulous Wealthy Tarts. Young was also backed in studio by that line-up, but his debut solo single, a cover of Booker T’s ‘Iron Out The Rough Spots’, released in November 1982, met with the same fate as had his work with Q-Tips. But we’ll call that first solo shot an anomaly - if the first anything can be referred to as such. Young then set to work with producer Laurie Latham (Squeeze, Echo & The Bunnymen, Slapp Happy) to meticulously craft a debut album, befitting his vocal talents.

Officially, the second advance single was ‘Love Of The Common People’, released in February 1983. It had originally been recorded by the Four Preps, then was a reggae-styled #9 hit for Nicky Thomas in 1970, but for the time being Paul Young’s rendition remained unremarkable. As is the case with many talented artists, Young needed that one big breakthrough to make people sit up and take notice. He later revealed in an interview with Music Connection, that one of the factors behind him choosing to record so many covers was his desire to search out and find great songs. With his next single, Paul Young uncovered an obscure gem of a song to cover. In 1963, Marvin Gaye had recorded a track titled ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)’, but the song didn’t surface until 1969, and then only as the B-side to Gaye’s single ‘Too Busy Thinking About My Baby’ (US#4). Actually, it’s not uncommon for an artist to re-record a former B-side and score a hit with it, but in ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)’, Paul Young was about to score the hit that would finally gain him some well overdue, and richly deserved commercial returns. The song debuted on the British charts during June of ‘83, and by July had laid its hat firmly at #1, where it found a home for three weeks. Young’s heartfelt rendition owed something to the brilliant fretless bass work of Pino Palladino, but there was no denying Paul Young’s impassioned vocal style left more than a few people wondering why he hadn’t hit pay dirt previously. ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)’ also introduced Australia to the talents of Paul Young (#9), though the U.S. (#70) would remain aloof for a little longer.

As ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)’ sat atop the British charts, CBS released Paul Young’s debut solo set, ‘No Parlez’. The album boasted a strong, adventurous, though arguably eclectic, selection of pop-soul covers, with two original Kewley/Young compositions included in the mix. The title track borrowed heavily from art rock minimalist Anthony Moore’s ‘Industrial Dreams’, whilst former Slapp Happy bandmate Dagmar Krause contributed vocal overlays to a cover of Joy Division’s iconic ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ - of course the Slapp Happy connection is logical given producer Laurie Latham’s involvement, but it showed that Paul Young was willing to push the envelope. The production was sufficiently lush to absorb you, but allowed room to breath and engage with each track as an individual entity. The follow up single to Young’s break through #1, was the haunting ‘Come Back And Stay’, which not only saw Paul Young come back to the British charts, but stay at #4 during October of ‘83 (OZ#18). Originally recorded by Jack Lee, ‘Come Back And Stay’ also became Young’s first single to breach the U.S. top 40 (#22), early in ‘84 (around the same time Young received the Brit Award for ‘Best New Artist’). Both singles pushed sales of the ‘No Parlez’ album into the pop stratosphere, aided in no small part by sell out U.K. and European concert tours. As ‘No Parlez’ jostled for top spot on the British charts late in ‘83 (with UB40’s ‘Labour Of Love’ and Culture Club’s ‘Colour By Numbers’), ‘Love Of The Common People’ was (predictably) re-released, and second time around received the recognition it deserved. ‘Love Of The Common People’ peaked at #2 on the British charts (held off top spot by the Flying Pickett’s ‘Only You’), #8 in Australia, #1 in both the Netherlands and Ireland, and #45 Stateside.

Following the conclusion of his U.K./European tour duties, Paul Young set his sights on cracking the U.S. market, and arrived Stateside for a live/promotional tour during the first part of ‘84. Though ‘No Parlez’ had reached #1 in Britain, #12 in Australia, and racked up platinum sales across the world, sales in the U.S. were relatively moderate (#79). At the time, Young expressed to Rolling Stone Magazine his disappointment over the poor reception offered by the States to his British #1 album. There proved a downside to Young’s exhaustive efforts to tour and promote his album. He experienced severe vocal strain, and at one point lost the top six notes in his range. The ailment enforced a prolonged break on Young’s career, as he allowed time for his vocal cords to heal. A scheduled Wembley concert with Elton John had to be cancelled, and a planned follow up tour to the U.S. was deferred. But though his primary means of livelihood was temporarily ‘out of order’, Paul Young wasn’t used to sitting idly, and continued to pen new material with song writing partner Ian Kewley, which would go a long way toward comprising his sophomore solo album.