Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack - Nightbird - 1980 - Vertigo

Baz "Vinyl man", said on amazon.co.uk, "Paul Carrack is undoubtedly one of the greatest underrated talents this country has ever produced. His list of credits is almost endless yet most people haven't a clue who he is. Best seen live - don't hesitate. He only plays in small venues and is constantly touring so you dont have to wait too long before he will be somewhere near. I must have seen him a dozen times in the last 6 ears or so and he never disappoints. Fabulous voice, pianist, guitarist and song writer and all accompanied by some very decent musicians. If you like quality soul, pop and soft rock all mixed up Paul is your man". The guy is a legend. His name may be unfamiliar to many, but his great soulful voice is one of the most recognizable voices in the rock business. He has been a member of several bands including Warm Dust, Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, been a session and touring musician for several others, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well. His distinctive voice shows up on some of his affiliated bands' best-known hits, two of the most memorable being "How Long" with Ace, and "Tempted" with Squeeze. Will Paul ever be forgotten for writing Ace's "How Long"? As a result of this song much of Paul's later work has been largely overlooked. Even on some of Paul's "eightyish" AOR style albums, his great voice made some average songs listenable. On his later albums he abstained from the trendy, '80s style dance orientated pop sound, he was becoming accustomed to, and reverted to a more soulful, adult contemporary, pop soul sound, which is the real sound of Paul Carrack. The great vocalist has always been heavily influenced by '60s and '70s soul and pop music. The underrated pop soul and reggae influenced "Nightbird", Paul Carrack's debut solo album, posted here was not a commercial success, and failed to establish him as a solo artist, but that was no surprise as even nowadays his name is unfamiliar to many people. After the album sank, Paul was offered the job of keyboardist in the rock band Squeeze replacing Jools Holland. He recorded one album with Squeeze in 1981, the great Elvis Costello produced "East Side Story", which included the great "Tempted" hit with Paul singing. Paul didn't compose the song, but along with "How Long" remains one of his many brilliant signature songs. Paul remains one of Britain's greatest pop/soul vocalists. Paul's "Twenty-One Good Reasons" album is @ http://overdoseoffingalcocoa.blogspot.com/2010/09/paul-carrack.html Search this blog for other Paul Carrack releases

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Beauty's Only Skin Deep - N.Whitfield, E.Holland 2:56
2 There's A Good Chance - Carrack 4:19
3 In Love With Me -Alan "Bam" King, K.White 4:38
4 Foregone Conclusion - Carrack 4:25
5 Love Is All It Takes - A.Fraser 4:41
6 Bet You Never Been In Love - Carrack 3:55
7 Where You Going Babe - Carrack 3:56
8 You Belong With Me - Carrack 4:49
9 The Rumour - Carrack 4:13
10 Nightbird - Carrack 4:29

MUSICIANS

Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Backing Vocals - Paul Carrack
Guitar - Neil Hubbard, Tim Renwick, Winston Delandro
Bass - Alan Spenner, Kuma Harada
Drums - Andy Newmark, Jeff Seopardie, Richard Bailey
Percussion - Neville Murray
Horn - Guy Barker, Malcolm Griffiths, Martin Drover, Mel Collins
Backing Vocals - Alan "Bam" King, Dyan Birch, Noel McCalla

BIO

Paul Carrack was pop music's ultimate journeyman. A vocalist and keyboardist who enjoyed considerable success over the course of his lengthy career while in the service of bands ranging from Ace to Squeeze to Mike + the Mechanics, his finest work often came at the expense of his own identity as a performer; indeed, of the many big hits on which the unassuming singer was prominently featured, only one, 1987's "Don't Shed a Tear," bore his own name. Carrack was born April 22, 1951, in Sheffield, England; he joined the pub rock group Ace in 1972, eventually writing and singing their debut single, "How Long." After reaching the Top 20 in the group's native Britain, the record hit the number-three position in the U.S.; however, after subsequent material failed to match the success of "How Long," Ace disbanded in 1977, and Carrack signed on with country artist Frankie Miller. He soon resurfaced in Roxy Music, appearing on the LPs Manifesto and Flesh and Blood before releasing his solo debut, Nightbird, in 1980. Carrack next joined Squeeze, replacing keyboardist Jools Holland; in addition to contributing to the group's 1981 creative pinnacle East Side Story, he also assumed lead vocal duties on the single "Tempted," their best-remembered hit. However, Carrack's stay in Squeeze was brief, and after working with Nick Lowe he again attempted to forge a solo career with the 1982 LP Suburban Voodoo, cracking the U.S. Top 40 with the single "I Need You." A tenure as a sideman with Eric Clapton followed, and in 1985 he joined Genesis' Mike Rutherford in his side project Mike + the Mechanics. Their hits include "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" and "All I Need Is a Miracle." While remaining a rather anonymous figure at home, Carrack achieved a higher level of visibility in America as a result of Mike + the Mechanics' success; subsequently, his third solo album, One Good Reason, proved to be by far his most popular effort to date, with the single "Don't Shed a Tear" reaching the Top Ten. Another tenure with the Mechanics followed, and with the title track of 1988's The Living Years, the group scored their first number-one hit. After the 1989 Carrack solo LP Groove Approved, Mike + the Mechanics issued 1991's Word of Mouth, which failed to repeat the chart performance of its predecessors; by 1993, Carrack was again a member of Squeeze, appearing on the album Some Fantastic Place and also resuming lead chores for a re-recording of "Tempted." However, he was once again back in the Mechanics' fold for 1995's Beggar on a Beach of Gold; the solo Blue Views was issued the next year, followed in 1997 by Beautiful World. Satisfy My Soul was issued in 2000, his first album for Compass Records. © Jason Ankeny © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifrxqw5ldfe~T1