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.

Silent Talking Heads Find A New Voice

Following ‘Naked’ it was time for the band to put their clothes back on and once more explore life beyond Talking Heads. With the incessant chatter of the band having died down, Jerry Harrison set about writing and recording his second album, this time having found God as his new backing band, well, Casual Gods at any rate. Harrison no doubt had read the writing on the wall, in respect of Talking Heads’ immediate prospects, and approached the ‘Casual Gods’ (US#78/OZ#18) album with a degree of freedom. The album oozed with slick funk rhythms and infectious melodic hooks. Harrison handled production, vocals, guitar, and keyboards, but in addition to former touring Talking Heads, Adrian Belew, Nona Hendryx, and Bernie Worrell, guest guitarist Chris Spedding and Robbie McIntosh played a lick or two. Harrison stepped up to the plate on all counts, and the album’s lead out single ‘Rev It Up’ was a brilliant serving of funk laden pop-rock. For some inexplicable reason though, ‘Rev It Up’ only managed to redline on the Australian charts (#3). The menacingly moody ‘Man With A Gun’ also hit a target down under (#16), whilst remaining a largely undiscovered gem elsewhere. Two years later, Harrison resurfaced with the 1990 album ‘Walk On Water’, a less ornately mixed, straight up pop-rock offering. Harrison even threw in a couple of heartfelt ballads, but the stand out track, and single, was ‘Flying Under Radar’ (OZ#100). Sadly, the rapid fire, funk-guitar driven song flew so low it barely registered a blip. I’ll never understand just why brilliant tracks such as ‘Flying Under Radar’ remain so strangely surreptitious. Throughout the 90s and beyond, Jerry Harrison focussed most of his creative energies as a producer for other artists, and has helmed albums from Crash Test Dummies, Live, the Verve Pipe, Fine Young Cannibals (on ‘Raw & the Cooked’), and No Doubt.

The same year that Talking Heads released their swansong album, ‘Naked’, David Byrne devoted a good deal more time on outside projects. He wrote the score to the Jonathan Demme comedy ‘Married To The Mob’, and in partnership with Cong Su and the acclaimed Ryuichi Sakamoto, he composed the soundtrack to the Bernardo Bertolucci epic ‘The Last Emperor’ (and won an Academy Award in the process) - I’m assuming he finally found a tailor made suit to fit him for the award ceremony. The enigmatic artist had also formed his own recording label, Luaka Bop, as an avenue into the U.S. market, not only for his own work, but that of artists from Brazil, Cuba (not accessible since 1961), and Asia. Byrne’s commitment to musical diversity also extended to signing British avant-garde dance act A.R. Kane, and Los Angeles rock band Geggy Tah. In 1989, Byrne released his first solo album proper, with the Latin rhythm inspired ‘Rei Momo’ (US#71/UK#52/OZ#86), produced by Steve Lillywhite and featuring a stellar support cast of well respected Latin musicians. He followed that up with directorial duties on the documentary ‘The House Of Life’.

Byrne’s next two albums, 1992’s ‘Uh-Oh’ (UK#26/OZ#78), and 1994’s ‘David Byrne’ (UK#44), veered back to a more direct, rock-edged approach, but failed to capture the attention of former Talking Heads’ devotees. He closed out the 90s with the nothing more than ‘Feelings’ (1997), which attempted to squeeze even more radically diverse ingredients into the musical melange. 2001’s ‘Look Into The Eyeball’ featured a cast of thousands, and possessed a more consistent treatment of its still diverse musical styles (I especially like the playful ‘Like Humans Do’). Byrne has only released one further solo album since, 2004’s ‘Grown Backwards’, but in 2008 he reunited with former Talking Heads’ producer Brian Eno, on the album release ‘Everything That Happens Will Happen Today’. But though his solo recordings may have been few and far between over the last decade, David Byrne has been no less prolific in his creative output. He has continued to write and produce for film, television, other artists, written and directed for the stage and screen, staged exhibitions of his photography and visual performance art, toured and lectured, and continued to oversee operations in his record company.

Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth resumed duties with Tom Tom Club during 1988, following a stint in the production booth for Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers (see previous post). Keyboardist Gary Pozner, and guitarist Mark Roule, were added to create a more stripped down, but stable line-up, both for in-studio, and tour duties. Once more the resultant album, ‘Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom’ (US#114), featured an eclectic mix of song styles, which included a cover of the Velvet Underground’s ‘Femme Fatale’. On board for that song were Lou Reed, David Byrne, and Jerry Harrison. The chemistry must have still been there, at least with Harrison, because in 1990 the Tom Tom Club toured the U.S., sharing a bill with Harrison’s band Casual Gods, Deborah Harry of Blondie, and the Ramones (that would have been quite a show). In 1992, Tom Tom Club returned to the studio to record their fourth album, ‘Dark Sneak Love Action’, which contained more than its share of sunshine and ecstasy, including a track by that title, and a buoyant take on Hot Chocolate’s ‘You Sexy Thing’ (see previous posts). Around the same time, Weymouth and Frantz produced the Happy Mondays’ album ‘Yes Please!’, and over time both continued production work for the likes of Angelfish (Shirley Manson’s pre-Garbage band), Mad Happy, and Supergrass.

For a few years, Frantz and Weymouth took a deliberate break from work with one another, but by 1996 they had agreed, with Jerry Harrison, to attempt a reformation of Talking Heads. There was just one problem, and a pretty major one at that, David Byrne wanted no part of it. The remaining trio decided to press ahead with a new album, under the name The Heads. Law suits were threatened, but eventually the project came to fruition via the album ‘No Talking Just Head’ - pun most definitely intended. With Byrne out of the picture, the trio invited a number of pop-rock luminaries to provide lyrics and guest vocals for the venture. Among those on board were Debbie Harry, Michael Hutchence, Richard Hell, Andy Partridge, Maria McKee, Ed Kowalczyk, and Shaun Rider (who guested on the single ‘Don’t Take My Kindness For Weakness - UK#60). For all the novelty of such a varied line-up of guest vocalists, the album lacked the depth of the Talking Heads proper. 2000 saw Tom Tom Club reopen its doors with the album ‘The Good, The Bad, And The Funky’. A diverse array of musical flavours resided within, though laced throughout with Tom Tom Club’s penchant for up-beat dance pop, and funky rhythms. Over the next couple of years, Frantz and Weymouth took Tom Tom Club on the road, and though in more recent times the ‘band’ has kept a low key profile, they still hit the stage from time to time, never failing to entertain fans, old and new alike.

In March of 2002, David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison, reunited on stage to commemorate the induction of Talking Heads into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - but the reunion proved to be a one off only.

Talking Heads Can't Stop The Chart Chatter

Talking Heads proved to be one of the most popular and influential acts to emerge from the U.S. East Coast post-punk movement of the mid 70s. Over the decade stretching from the late 70s through late 80s, David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison, melded together their individually disparate styles and influences to form an appealingly synergetic whole, that proved consistently difficult to compartmentalise, stylistically at least. But though the band’s individual voices each managed to find their own pathway of expression within the group, as with most vehicles, Talking Heads became identified with a primary driving force, in this case, its enigmatic front man David Byrne. Over time, each of the Talking Heads’ quartet looked to engage in conversation beyond the boundaries of the group, including Byrne himself. 1981 appears to be the year that those extracurricular excursions in musical discourse began to solidify, in the form of recording projects undertaken by the band’s members, which, though distinct from traditional Talking Heads’ discussion, would further inform the band’s rhetoric throughout the remainder of its tenure, and act as a springboard for each member‘s individual career.

By the time its members ventured beyond the four walls of the group, Talking Heads had already notched up a swag of critically lauded, and commercially lucrative records. Their music transcended stylistic boundaries to incorporate, and seamlessly blend, a myriad of styles, from funk, R&B, classical minimalism, rock, dance, and world music elements. Their eccentrically toned debut set ‘Talking Heads ‘77’ (UK#60/US#97), which featured the quirky and punchy ‘Psycho Killer’, announced to the world that here was a band that resided firmly outside the square. 1978’s ‘More Songs About Buildings and Food’ (UK#21/US#29/OZ#46) marked the beginning of a four year association with synth-guru producer Brian Eno, one that would see the band further push the frontiers of stylistic experimentalism. Eclectic became a term readily associated with the Talking Heads brand during that period, and a cover of Al Green’s classic ‘Take Me To The River’ (US#26) notched up the ‘post-punk’ quartet’s first hit single. The more darkly toned ‘Fear Of Music’ (UK#33/US#21/OZ#35) followed in ‘79, but the album also introduced a rich, intricately woven tapestry of African and Arabian music styles into the formula. But it was Talking Heads’ fourth album, ‘Remain In Light’ (UK#21/US#19/OZ#25), which was released in October of 1980, that elevated the band’s profile into a wider sphere of public consciousness. The album spawned the mercurial single ‘Once In A Lifetime’ (UK#14/OZ#23), which was the first song from Talking Heads that really grabbed my attention. Yet another world tour followed over the course of late ‘80/early ‘81, featuring a newly expanded live line-up of the band, including keyboardist Bernie Worrell, guitarist Adrian Belew, bassist Busta Cherry Jones, percussionist Steven Scales, and backing vocalists Nona Hendryx and Dolette McDonald. Talking Heads had firmly established themselves as one of the biggest live drawcards on the planet, and their popularity as a recording act had ascended to new heights. But after five years on the road, and in studio together, the quartet decided it was time for an extended break.

Singer/guitarist David Byrne, he of the awkwardly tailored attire, had been the first to take several tentative steps into solo project terrain. Byrne was impassioned to explore further the areas of electronica, and world music influences. He continued to collaborate with Brian Eno to extend the work already begun via the ‘Fear Of Music’ album. The result surfaced in 1981 as ‘My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts’, a musical collage of electronica and world music styles, acknowledged as a groundbreaking foray into marrying the worlds of Western popular music and traditional ‘third world’ styles. He followed this project up with a soundtrack score for the Broadway production, ‘The Catherine Wheel’. He also found time during his short sabbatical from the band, to produce the EP ‘Mesopotamia’ for the B-52s.

Keyboardist/guitarist Jerry Harrison launched himself into recording his debut solo album, released in October of ‘81 as ‘The Red And The Black’. Neither album, nor the associated single, ‘Things Fall Apart’, struck gold, but the album (recorded with several touring Talking Heads) revealed the consummate writer/performer who had perhaps been overshadowed somewhat by David Byrnes’ monolithic musical persona. There were echoes of the Talking Heads sound, but Harrison established his own distinct brew of lyrical/musical eclecticism.

Talking Heads’ bassist Tina Weymouth joined her partner, and Talking Heads’ drummer, Chris Frantz, in kick starting their own studio project under the moniker of Tom Tom Club. The ‘band’ was a lighter, breezier, more sunny-side up approach to music than had been the case on most of the Talking Heads work. Like Harrison, the couple recruited the studio assistance of a number of regular touring Talking Heads to round out the in-studio ensemble. The resultant album was the highly danceable and feel good self titled set ‘Tom Tom Club’ (US#23/OZ#51/UK#78), which achieved platinum status in the U.S. (something Talking Heads as a collective had yet to accomplish at that point). Elements of reggae, dance, funk, even formative hip-hop, were added to the melting pot, and resulted in an engaging and electrifying mix. The singles ‘Genius Of Love’ (US#31), ‘Wordy Rappinghood’ (all hail the typewriter - UK#7/OZ#44), and ‘Under The Boardwalk’ (UK#22), provided a stylistic template for many artists to follow, and of the extracurricular projects undertaken by the Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club incited the most conversation.

By early ‘83, Talking Heads were ready to resume talking, and work on their next album marked the beginning of the band’s post-Eno period. A live album, ‘The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads’ (UK#22/US#31/OZ#41), had provided a necessary stop gap, but fans eagerly awaited some new studio fare. The dialogue resumed in earnest via 1983’s ‘Speaking In Tongues’ (US#15/UK#21/OZ#15), an album that still boasted invigorating rhythmic nuances, but contained within a tighter, more engaging melodic structure. The energy of tracks such as the classic ‘Burning Down The House’ (US#9/OZ#94), and the lyrically mischievous ‘Girlfriend Is Better’ burst forth into every fibre of your being. Whilst ‘Speaking In Tongues’ was still talking up a storm on the charts, Weymouth and Frantz decided to sneak away and record another Tom Tom Club album. Released in August ‘83, ‘Close To The Bone’ (US#73) didn’t break much new ground in relation to its predecessor, but then again it didn’t give any ground either, serving up another appetizing banquet of vibrant music.

On the back of their biggest selling album to date, Talking Heads embarked on a mammoth world tour, dubbed ‘Stop Making Sense’, and captured on film by director Jonathan Demme. The resultant concert film hit mainstream cinemas in late ‘84 (a rare feat in any day and age), and quickly assumed cult status among fans of the band, and general music fans alike. The sight of the bespectacled David Byrne's jittery, convulsing dance style on stage, in a bizarrely oversized suit, became one of the iconic images of the 80s. Whilst the film proved popular in cinemas, the associated live soundtrack album, ‘Stop Making Sense’ (US#41/UK#37/OZ#9), spent a marathon stint on pop charts (including 77 weeks on the Australian charts) - it was also the first Talking Heads CD that I purchased. The band was about to reach its commercial peak via the release of the 1985 album, ‘Little Creatures’ (UK#10/US#20/OZ#2). The album was Talking Heads’ most stripped down, straight forward pop offering to date. Though more accessible on the surface, ‘Little Creatures’ still offered a generous dose of quirky lyrical fare from Byrne. Some observed that it was a more mature, even coming of age album, for a quartet all now well into their 30s. A track such as ‘Stay Up Late’, offered an acerbic lyrical commentary on parenting, something the newly married Weymouth and Frantz could relate to themselves. Though more overtly pop in nature, there was no dearth in quality of song writing and delivery - these were accomplished and highly savvy pop performers. The singles ‘The Lady Don’t Mind’ (OZ#24), ‘And She Was’ (OZ#10/UK#17), and ‘Road To Nowhere’ (UK#6/OZ#16), ensured Talking Heads were a constant in chart chatter throughout 1985. The Cajun-flavoured ‘Road To Nowhere’ was backed by a brilliantly innovative video clip - it was a golden age for the medium - and a golden age for Talking Heads, but like all great historical ages, it couldn’t last forever.

During the period ‘85 through ‘86, David Byrne was a high revving creative machine, with involvement across both music and cinematic spectrums. In 1985 he wrote the score and recorded an accompanying soundtrack album for ‘Music For The Knee Plays’. In 1986 he wrote, directed, and starred in the motion picture ‘True Stories’, a comically quirky insight into the curious, sometimes eccentric, underbelly of small-town American life. An accompanying soundtrack album was released, on which Byrne contributed two songs, augmented by other artists. The release of the official ‘True Stories’ soundtrack album actually followed a few months after the release of the next Talking Heads album, also titled ‘True Stories’. It’s arguable that by the time the album was recorded, the band were already beginning to splinter, and it’s also possible part of the reason was Byrne’s burgeoning profile apart from the band. Although he incurred his fair share of detractors (who often levelled charges of colonial misappropriation against him), in 1986 the cover of Time Magazine hailed David Byrne as ‘Rock’s Renaissance Man’. The ‘True Stories’ album was well received by fans (US#17/OZ#2/UK#7), and spawned the catchy single ‘Wild Wild Life’ (OZ#13/UK#43/US#25), which was backed by yet another inventive promo video.

Byrne wasn’t the only Talking Head to engage in dialogue beyond the band, with Jerry Harrison embarking on production duties with artists such as the Bodeans and Violent Femmes. Harrison also began work on writing, and recording his own album, as had Frantz and Weymouth under the Tom Tom Club banner. But the quartet assembled in the studio during late ‘87 to break the silence one last time for Talking Heads. The resultant album, ‘Naked’ (OZ#2/UK#3/US#19), hit stores in early ‘88, and marked a reengagement with some of the polyrhythmic territory explored on ‘Remain In Light’. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the album infused a multitude of ‘world music’ styles, most notably Latin rhythms and instrumentation (which Byrne in particular had become enamoured with). Whilst most ‘swansong’ albums reflect a tired, bitter environment most oft associated with a band’s disintegration, ‘Naked’ retained a tone of freshness and vitality that prompts the question “what if” in respect of the post ‘Naked’ possibilities for Talking Heads. In late ‘91, David Byrne stated in an interview with the L.A. Times, that Talking Heads were no more, something he hadn’t bothered to tell the other three at the time. A month later, Frantz, Weymouth, and Harrison, released their own statement expressing their disappointment at the band’s demise - but no one was really surprised.