Various Artists (Beatles Related)

Various Artists - The Soul Of Lennon & McCartney - 1995 - Dino Entertainment

Great collection of Lennon & McCartney classics covered by Motown artists. Some of these covers are not very well known, e.g the covers by Cissy Houston, Gwen Guthrie, Maxine Brown, and The Five Stairsteps. These Liverpudlian lads had talent to burn. John Lennon & Paul McCartney's songs have been interpreted by thousands of artists in every conceivable music genre. Here are 18 soul covers of John and Paul's songs and no matter how many times these songs are heard, they never fail to impress. The songs are from numerous sources, so SQ varies. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 117 Mb]

TRACKS

A1 Let It Be - Aretha Franklin
A2 Hey Jude - Wilson Pickett
A3 Long And Winding Road - Cissy Houston
A4 Come Together - Ike & Tina Turner
A5 In My Life - Richie Havens
A6 Yesterday - P.P. Arnold
A7 I Want You (She's So Heavy) - Sarah Vaughan
A8 Can't Buy Me Love - Ella Fitzgerald
A9 Ticket To Ride - Gwen Guthrie

B1 Day Tripper - Otis Redding
B2 Got To Get Into My Life - Earth, Wind & Fire
B3 We Can Work It Out - Maxine Brown
B4 And I Love Her - The Detroit Emeralds
B5 Lady Madonna - Booker T. & The M.G.s
B6 Dear Prudence - The Five Stairsteps
B7 A Hard Day's Night - Dionne Warwick
B8 Fool On The Hill - The Impressions
B9 Get Back - Al Green

All songs composed by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Boz Scaggs

Boz Scaggs - Fade Into Light - 1996 - Virgin (Japan)

Fade into Light is a stellar album. It features unplugged and redone performances from Scaggs' classic Some Change, Silk Degrees, and Middle Man, as well as some new tunes. The unplugged tunes include readings of "Dirty Lowdown" and "Simone." "Harbor Lights" is changed significantly as well, in that the disco riff in its ending has been replaced by smooth jazz. "Sierra" is a remarkable redo that gives the tune a completely different feel. "Just Go" has Scaggs playing almost everything on the track, and it is one of his most nakedly emotional performances committed to tape. The sheer brokenness in his voice reveals a depth and dimension in the performance that takes the listener deep into the lyric. It is followed by a sultry, nocturnal read of "Love T.K.O." that reveals his deep authority, allowing the lyric to speak through him, not because of him. There is an authority here that allows the vast emotion in the song to be read through the spirit of acceptance, and it all lies in his nuance and phrasing. It's so inspired, offering a view of the many sides of Scaggs as a singer, that Fade into Light is a must for anyone even remotely interested in Boz Scaggs. © Thom Jurek © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/r447517 [REVIEW REFERS TO BONUS TRACK EDITION]

Brilliant Pop/R&B melodies often tinged with jazz and blues overtones. This album includes acoustic versions of earlier material. This album was also re-issued in 2005. I have some doubt as to whether the tracks on this album are from the original Japanese Virgin 1996 CD issue. Can anybody provide a definitive musicians list for this album. Some of the tracks may have been reworked or re-mixed for the later 2005 CD issue, e.g The sax on this album sounds more like Tom Scott than Norbert Stachel. Perhaps both musicians played? Also it is not easy to pinpoint Dean Parks' guitar contribution, not to mention Robben Ford. Any help appreciated. Regardless of these queries, it's a great album from one of the greats of blue eyed soul. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 129 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Lowdown - Unplugged - Boz Scaggs, David Paich
2. Some Things Happen - Boz Scaggs, Marcus Miller
3. Just Go - Boz Scaggs
4. Fade Into Light - Boz Scaggs
5. Harbor Lights - Unplugged - Boz Scaggs
6. Lost It - Valley Version - Boz Scaggs
7. Time - Boz Scaggs
8. Sierra - Boz Scaggs
9. We're All Alone - Unplugged - Boz Scaggs
10. Simone - Unplugged - Boz Scaggs, David Foster
11. I'll Be The One - Remix - Boz Scaggs

MUSICIANS [Not definitive]

Boz Scaggs - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Robben Ford - Guitar
Fred Tackett - Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Dean Parks - Acoustic Guitar
Nathan East, James "Hutch" Hutchinson, Dave Carpenter, Roscoe Beck, Neil Stubenhaus - Bass
Jai Winding, Kevin Bents - Piano
Greg Phillinganes - Electric Piano
Michael Omartian, Michael Rodriguez - Keyboards
Randy Kerber - Keyboards, Piano
Booker T. Jones, William McLeish Smith - Organ
Jim Keltner - Drums
Ricky Fataar, Curt Bisquera - Drums, Percussion
Tom Scott, Norbert Stachel - Saxophone
Lisa Frazier, Kathy Merrick - Background Vocals

BIO (WIKI)

Boz Scaggs (born William Royce Scaggs, 8 June 1944, Canton, Ohio) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 Hits in the United States along with the #2 album Silk Degrees. Scaggs continued to release and record in the 1980s and 1990s, and still tours into the 2000s. Scaggs was born William Royce Scaggs in Canton, Ohio, the son of a traveling salesman. The family moved to Oklahoma, then to Plano, at that time a Texas farm town just north of Dallas. He attended a Dallas private school, St. Mark's, where a schoolmate gave him the nickname "Bosley". Soon, he was just plain Boz. After learning guitar at the age of 12, he met Steve Miller at St. Mark's. In 1959, he became the vocalist for Miller's band, The Marksmen. The pair later attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison together, playing in blues bands like The Ardells and The Fabulous Knight Trains. Leaving school, Scaggs briefly joined the burgeoning rhythm and blues scene in London. After singing in bands such as The Wigs and Mother Earth, he traveled to Sweden as a solo performer, and in 1965 recorded his solo debut album, Boz, which was not a commercial success. Scaggs also had a brief stint with the band The Other Side with fellow American Jack Downing and Brit Mac MacLeod. Returning to the U.S., Scaggs promptly headed for the booming psychedelic music center of San Francisco in 1967. Linking up with Steve Miller again, he appeared on the Steve Miller Band's first two albums, Children of the Future and Sailor, which received good reviews from music critics. After being spotted by Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, Scaggs secured a solo contract with Atlantic Records in 1968. Despite good reviews, his sole Atlantic album, featuring the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and slide guitarist Duane Allman, achieved lukewarm sales, as did follow-up albums on Columbia Records. (His Atlantic album was deleted and replaced with the exact same cover and tracks, but it was given a new catalog number and it was completely remixed in Los Angeles in 1977. This new remix brought Duane Allman's guitar up to the front, but it greatly altered the original feeling. On the track "Finding Her", the volume fades down real low for the last minute, an obvious mixing error by engineer Craymore Stevens. The original has never been available on CD.) In 1976, he linked up with session musicians who would later form Toto and recorded his smash album Silk Degrees. The album reached number 2 on the U.S. charts and number 1 in a number of countries across the world, spawning three hit singles: "Lowdown", "Lido Shuffle", and "What Can I Say", as well as the MOR standard "We're All Alone", later covered by Rita Coolidge and Frankie Valli. A sellout world tour followed, but his follow-up album, the 1977 Down Two Then Left, did not fare as well commercially as Silk Degrees. The 1980 album Middle Man spawned two top 20 hits, "Breakdown Dead Ahead" and "Jojo," and Scaggs enjoyed two more hits in 1980-81 ("Look What You've Done to Me" from the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, and "Miss Sun" from a greatest hits set, both U.S. #14 hits). But Scaggs' lengthy hiatus from the music industry (his next LP, Other Roads, wouldn't appear until 1988) slowed his chart career down dramatically. "Heart of Mine" in 1988, from Other Roads, was Scaggs' final top 40 hit but was a major adult contemporary success. Scaggs continued to record and tour sporadically throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and for a time was semi-retired from the music industry. He opened the San Francisco nightclub, Slim's, in 1988, and remains a co-owner as of 2008. After Other Roads, Scaggs took another hiatus and then came back with Some Change in 1994. He released Come On Home, an album of blues, and My Time, an anthology in the late 1990s. He garnered good reviews with Dig although the CD, which was released on September 11, 2001, was lost in the post-9/11 melée. In May 2003, Scaggs released But Beautiful, a collection of jazz standards that debuted at number 1 on the jazz charts. He tours each summer, has a loyal cadre of fans, remains hugely popular in Japan, and released a DVD and a live CD in 2004. Other releases followed. In 2008, Scaggs began an expanded tour, and is scheduled to appear across the country from spring through fall. Scaggs and his wife grow grapes in California's Napa County and have produced their own wine.

Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack - Beautiful World - 1997 - Ark 21 Records

For various reasons "Beautiful World" was poorly promoted and made none of the impact of his previous "Blue Views" album release. "Beautiful World" is another outstanding album from the master of British adult contemporary pop-soul, and HR by A.O.O.F.C. 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 disapppoints. 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". http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:72Qr_NAe7YcJ:www.amazon.co.uk/Old-Borrowed-Blue-Paul-Carrack/dp/B000WTNCVI+paul+carrack+groovin+credits&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie This article says a lot about Paul Carrack. Not a household name, but one of the greatest British vocalists, songwriters, and musicians ever born. 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. If Paul Rodgers is "The Voice", then Paul Carrack is the "other voice". Two of his best albums are "Blue Views" and "Suburban Voodoo". Search this blog for other Paul Carrack releases

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 The Way I'm Feeling Tonight - Paul Carrack, Graham Gouldman 4:40
2 Time to Let Go - Paul Carrack 5:16
3 Beautiful World - Paul Carrack, T-Bone Wolk 5:31
4 Perfect Love - Paul Carrack 4:08
5 You Give Me Something - Paul Carrack 4:04
6 Satisfied - Paul Carrack, Toby Chapman 4:19
7 Close to Me - Paul Carrack 5:05
8 It Goes Without Saying - Paul Carrack, Chuck Cannon, Maia Sharp 4:59
9 If You'd Ever Needed Someone - Paul Carrack, Mark Hudson, Armand Sabal-Lecco, Greg Wells 4:46
10 Some Kinda Love - Paul Carrack, Mark Hudson, Armand Sabal-Lecco, Greg Wells 3:43

N.B: Album later released with two bonus tracks, "Into The Mystic" & "Warm And Tender Love"

MUSICIANS

Paul Carrack - Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Vocals
Tim Renwick - Guitar
Dave Bronze - Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background)
Toby Chapman - Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Gary Wallis - Drums
Mark Feltham - Harmonica
Paul "Tubbs" Williams, Beverley Skeete, Tessa Niles, Claudia Fontaine, Tommy Blaize - Vocals (Background)

ABOUT PAUL CARRACK

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, allmusic.com

MORE ABOUT PAUL CARRACK

After years spent bringing a little soul to artists as diverse as Mike & The Mechanics, Nick Lowe, and Squeeze, singer's singer Paul Carrack makes his most persuasive play so far with the release of his stunning new album Satisfy My Soul. Recorded with minimal outside assistance at his Hertfordshire home studio, the album represents a quantum leap beyond Paul's previous work, showcasing his songwriting abilities and allowing his natural soul qualities to shine through with a new clarity and power. In the past, he's often tended to let others mould and direct his considerable talents, but Satisfy My Soul serves to re-establish Paul Carrack as a major solo artist, with both the vision and the capabilities to take control of his own career, and the musical instinct to know which direction it should take. A lot of people are going to be pleasantly surprised by this latest chapter in the life of one of pop music's most distinctive voices. Paul was first bitten by the music bug as a small child back in his native Sheffield, where he would bash away at a home-made drumkit up in his parents' attic, playing along with an old wind-up gramophone. By the time he reached his teens, the Mersey Boom was in full swing, and the young Carrack proceeded to swindle his way into a series of local bands, learning to play the organ and following the gig circuit to Germany, where he underwent the obligatory Hamburg nightclub baptism, as pioneered by such as The Beatles. In the early '70s, his progressive rock outfit Warm Dust released a few albums, but it was only when his pub-rock band Ace had a huge global hit with his song How Long that Paul's career really started to take off. Immediately, the band was catapulted from the British college circuit into huge American arenas, as How Long soared into the US singles chart, eventually reaching #1. When Ace broke up toward the end of the '70s, Paul found himself wrong-footed by the punk-rock boom, but secured some session work, playing on albums by Frankie Miller and Roxy Music, and touring with Roxy, an experience which gave him a taste for the big time. Paul's 1980 solo debut, Nightbird, failed to establish him as an artist in his own right, so he continued playing sessions, biding his time, and honing his talents as a musician and songwriter. As the '80s proceeded, Paul reached a rapprochement with the new-wave scene, playing on albums by The Undertones, The Smiths, and The Pretenders, and joining Squeeze for their masterwork East Side Story, helping redefine the group's profile with his soulful vocal on the hit single Tempted. After leaving Squeeze, obstensibly to pursue a solo career, he hooked up with Nick Lowe, an association which, though resolutely out of step with public taste and radio formats, would nevertheless generate five albums for Lowe and another for Paul, 1982's Suburban Voodoo. Though largely ignored in the UK, the album was a critical success in the US, where it was cited as one of Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 20 Albums of the Year. I Need You, a Carrack composition lifted from the album, provided him with another US Top 40 hit, and was subsequently covered by Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville. The biggest break in Carrack's career came in 1985 when he was invited to contribute vocals to a solo album being recorded by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford. Despite the apparent differences in their musical styles, the very first track Paul sang on, Silent Running, became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Encouraged by such instant success, Mike & The Mechanics developed into more of a group, touring America extensively and securing a string of hit albums and singles over the next decade. Before they could produce a follow-up album, however, Paul found time to sing and play on Roger Waters' Radio KAOS album and record another solo album of his own, 1987's One Good Reason, scoring another couple of hits through the title track and Don't Shed a Tear, which again broke into the US Top Ten, staying on Billboard's Hot 100 for nearly half a year. Even better was to come when Mike & The Mechanics resumed recording. Sung by Paul, the title-track of their second LP The Living Years was a huge worldwide hit, peaking at number one in America, and hoisting the band to megastar status. Further touring was followed by another Carrack solo album, 1989's Groove Approved, whose standout track - the Motown-flavoured Carrack / Lowe composition Battlefield - was later covered by Diana Ross. The following year, Paul was co-opted to perform at Roger Waters' grandiose presentation of The Wall in Berlin, where he sang Hey You in front of over 250,000 people. A third Mike & The Mechanics album, 1991's Word of Mouth, saw Carrack's creative input increasing, with four songwriting credits; and also donated a performance of Ain't That Peculiar recorded with Paul Shaffer's house band on Late Night with David Letterman to Nobody's Child, a charity album for Romanian orphans. Between tours again, in 1993 Paul busied himself with Spin 1ne 2wo, a classic rock covers collaboration with Rupert Hine, Tony Levin, and Steve Ferrone, and rejoined Squeeze for their Some Fantastic Place album. The next year was spent touring the world with Squeeze, working on an ultimately abortive band project with Don Felder, Timothy Schmidt, and Joe Walsh of The Eagles (which nevertheless garnered Paul an award for the most played song in America that year, when the reformed Eagles covered Love Will Keep us Alive, a song he co-wrote with Peter Vale and Jim Capaldi), and recording another Mike & The Mechanics album, Beggar on A Beach of Gold. This contained another couple of Carrack co-compositions, including his collaboration with Mike Rutherford, the hit single Over my Shoulder, which revived the band's flagging fortunes in the UK and Europe, paving the way for a subsequent Greatest Hits compilation. Paul's fifth solo album, Blue Views, appeared in 1995, and despite problems occasioned by the collapse of the record label, it was still highly successful in Europe, earning him a gold disc in Spain. When it was finally released a couple of years later in America on another label, the single For Once in Our Lives became a Top Five hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, cementing Carrack's growing reputation as a singer-songwriter of class and distinction. He was also developing a parallel reputation as an able and accomplished sideman to the stars, playing keyboards on albums by Eric Clapton, BB King, Simply Red, Mark Knopfler and Elton John, and being invited by Elton to play on Something About the Way You Look Tonight, which, as the B-side of "Candle in the Wind '97," is officially the biggest-selling single ever. Unfortunately, a management change at EMI resulted in his next album, Beautiful World failing to get the promotional push it deserved, and a bitterly dissillusioned Paul elected to take matters more into his own hands. After years spent biding his time, contributing to other musicians' projects and allowing outside producers to impose their designs on his material, it was a long overdue move, and one which reflected Paul's growing belief in himself as a singer-songwriter. Accordingly, he recorded his new album, "Satisfy My Soul" at his home studio, relying on his own musical instincts and playing everything himself, with the exception of the sax parts (which are by Steve Beighton), some backing vocals (by Lindsay Dracass) and some of the drum parts (by Ian Thomas or Paul's old chum Andy Newmark, the former Sly & The Family Stone sticksman.) Steeped in the classic and funk sounds of the '60s and '70s, but with an ear firmly trained on the future, Satisfy My Soul is clearly a labour of love, and features some of Carrack's most accomplished songwriting, with three tracks being co-written by Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford. Carrack's journey to make a record that truly does satisfy his soul has come full circle. "I've been doing this a long time, and I've often made it quite difficult for myself, one way or another, but I'm at the point now where I just want to enjoy my musicality, and I have the technical resources and the stability to be able to follow my instincts more confidently. Alot of the time, I've gone against my own instincts, but I'm not fighting them any more, I'm doing what comes naturally now. I'll be happy just to reach the people who already like what I do, but who knows, by making a more personal record, I might reach more people anyway." Satisfy My Soul brings Carrack to Compass Records, also the American home to other British popsters Robbie McIntosh, Hamish Stuart, Eddi Reader, Boo Hewerdine and Clive Gregson. © 2003-2008 Compass Records. All Rights Reserved

Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack - Twenty-One Good Reasons: The Paul Carrack Collection - 1994 - Chrysalis

A nifty idea for a compilation, Twenty-One Good Reasons: The Paul Carrack Collection gathers not only Carrack's solo hits, but all the major songs by other artists on which he sang lead: Ace's Top Five smash "How Long," Squeeze's new wave classic "Tempted," Mike + the Mechanics' "Silent Running" and the number one ballad "The Living Years," and two duets with country singer Carlene Carter from her 1981 album Blue Nun. As such, it's the definitive overview of Carrack's career. If you're a somewhat anonymous journeyman, you don't stick around as long as Carrack has, or participate in so many different projects, without demonstrating your versatility. Carrack shows himself to be comfortable with bright, bouncy pop, post-new wave roots rock, smooth adult contemporary, and sentimental ballads. But his true forte is the sort of blue-eyed soul that became popular in the post-Hall & Oates era. His clear, soulful pipes are already in evidence on the four selections culled from his tenure with Ace, which bridges into the Squeeze and Carter songs, and then into 12 selections culled from his solo albums. There are a couple of fine Nick Lowe co-writes in "I Live on a Battlefield" and the early hit "I Need You," plus a fine cover of Jackie DeShannon's folk-rock classic "When You Walk in the Room." The high point is Carrack's terrific 1988 Top Ten hit "Don't Shed a Tear," a catchy, modern blue-eyed soul track that fit comfortably into Top 40, adult contemporary, and mainstream rock radio, and even landed him some MTV airplay. Even if Carrack's production is far more synthetic than one usually associates with the term "soul," he proves himself quite a solid stylist over the course of this surprisingly ingratiating collection. © Steve Huey © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:djfwxqlgldse

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. This is a great compilation album, as it arguably includes the great Paul Carrack's strongest songs from his career. The album includes the classic songs, How Long", "Tempted", and "Silent Running". Four of the tracks are from the Ace period, two tracks with Carlene Carter, one track with Squeeze, and two tracks with Mike & The Mechanics. Paul wrote or co-wrote 12 of the 21 tracks. Besides the three classics already mentioned, there are other highlights including covers of Edwin Starr's "Oh How Happy" with Carlene Carter, Graham Lyle & Billy Livsey's "Button Off My Shirt", and Jackie DeShannon's "When You Walk in the Room". Not a dud track on this album from one of Britain's greatest pop/soul vocalists. The album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Search this blog for other Paul Carrack releases

TRACKS / COMPOSERS / ARTISTS

1 How Long - Paul Carrack (With Ace)
2 The Real Feeling - Paul Carrack (With Ace)
3 No Future In Your Eyes - Paul Carrack (With Ace)
4 You're All That I Need - Paul Carrack (With Ace)
5 Tempted - Chris Difford/Glenn Tilbrook (With Squeeze)
6 Do Me Lover - Carlene Carter/James Eller/Nick Lowe (With Carlene Carter)
7 Oh How Happy - Edwin Starr (With Carlene Carter)
8 The Rumour - Paul Carrack
9 I Need You - Martin Belmont/Paul Carrack/Nick Lowe
10 Always Better With You - Paul Carrack
11 A Little Unkind - Paul Carrack
12 One Good Reason - Paul Carrack/Chris Difford
13 Don't Shed a Tear - Friedman, R./Eddie Schwartz
14 Button Off My Shirt - Billy Livsey/Graham Lyle
15 When You Walk in the Room - Jackie DeShannon
16 I Live by the Groove - Paul Carrack/Eddie Schwartz
17 Only My Heart Can Tell - Paul Carrack/T-Bone Wolk
18 Battlefield - Paul Carrack/Nick Lowe
19 Loveless - Paul Carrack/T-Bone Wolk
20 Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground) - B.A. Robertson/Mike Rutherford (With Mike & The Mechanics)
21 The Living Years - B.A. Robertson/Mike Rutherford (With Mike & The Mechanics)

MUSICIANS

Paul Carrack - Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Backing Vocals, Piano, Drums, Horn, Organ (Hammond), Handclapping, Vibraphone
T-Bone Wolk - Synthesizer, Guitar (Acoustic), Mandolin, Guitar (Bass), Guitar (Electric), Handclapping
Winston Delandro, Neil Hubbard, Huw Gower, Tim Renwick, Alan Murphy, Billy Bremner, Martin Belmont - Guitar
Phil Harris - Guitar, Vocals
Rusty Young - Guitar (Steel)
Vinnie Zouma - Guitar (Rhythm)
Robbie McIntosh - Guitar (Electric)
Mike Campbell - Guitar, Guitar (12 String)
Alan "Bam" King - Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
John Woodhead - Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
Chris Difford - Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
James Eller - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Carlene Carter - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Nick Lowe, Alan Spenner, Kuma Harada - Bass
John Bentley - Bass, Guitar (Bass), Vocals (bckgr)
Mike Rutherford - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Terry "Tex" Comer - Bass, Vocals
Ed Roynesdal, Paul "Wix" Wickens, Adrian Lee, Sal Gallina, Ian Wherry, B.A Robertson, Derek Austin - Keyboards
Gilson Lavis, Peter Van Hooke, Bobby Irwin, Richard Bailey, Jimmy Bralower, Jeff Seopardie, Andy Newmark - Drums
Fran Byrne - Percussion, Drums
Sammy Figueroa, Tom Lord, Neville Murray, Frank Ricotti, Martin Ditcham, Luis Jardim - Percussion
Mickey Curry - Cymbals, Drums
John Earle, Ray Beavis, Dick Morrisey - Saxophone
Bobby Keys - Tenor Sax
Trevor Lawrence - Tenor Sax, Trombone
Jim Price, Steve Madaio - Trumpet
Mel Collins, Guy Barker, Malcolm Griffiths, Martin Drover, Bud Beadle, Chris Hughes, Mick Eve - Horn
Bob Loveday - Violin
Del Newman - Strings
Paul Young - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
John Kirby, Glenn Tilbrook, Dyan Birch, Noel McCalla, Alan "Bam" King, Big Al Downing, Ginny Clee, Bette Bright - Vocals
Alan Carvell, Elvis Costello, Linda Taylor, Jackie Rawe, Joe Lynn Turner, Bernard Fowler, Curtis King, Daryl Hall, Christopher Neil - Vocals (bckgr)
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, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/paul-carrack

Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer - Rhythm & Blues - 1999 - Eagle Records

The late Robert Palmer is mainly remembered for his great eighties albums like "Pride", and "Heavy Nova". "Rhythm & Blues" is regarded as one of his"weaker" albums. This late nineties album was a commercial failure. There is nothing here to compare with the "power pop" of "Addicted to Love", "Hyperactive" or "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On". But even if the album is not strong on the pop rock side, there are still some very good "soul" reggae, and funk elements on the album. "Let's Get It On 99" is a great cover of the Marvin Gaye soul classic, and Robert's vocals are great. The album definitely lacks the cohesiveness, panache, power, eclectic mix of musical styles and sophistication of some of his earlier albums, but songs like the late Lowell George's "Twenty Million Things", and Robert's own "Stone Cold" are great songs and compensate for some of the album's failings. Little Feat's Bill Payne also plays on the album. Listen to Robert Palmer's "Woke Up Laughing", and "Riptide" albums, and check out some of his earlier work like Vinegar Joe's "Six Star Gypsies" album on which he played with Elkie Brooks, and Keef Hartley. His "Some People Can Do What They Like" album is @ ROBPALM/SPCDWTL N.B: Some UK & Canadian releases contain the track "Tennis", posted here. Other releases of this album exclude this track and include the Palmer penned "Dance for Me" which can also be found on Robert Palmer's "Pride" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 True Love - Sharon O'Neill/Robert Palmer 4:19
2 No Problem - Robert Palmer 3:35
3 I Choose You - Willie Hutch/Robert Palmer 4:18
4 Stone Cold - Robert Palmer 4:28
5 Sex Appeal - Robert Palmer 4:34
6 Work To Make It Work 99 - Robert Palmer 3:33
7 All The Will In The World - Robert Palmer 4:57
8 You're Not The Only One - Robert Palmer 3:39
9 Mr. Wise Guy - Robert Palmer 3:32
10 Let's Get It On 99 - Marvin Gaye/Robert Palmer/Edward Townsend 4:09
11 Tennis - Robert Palmer 4:12
12 Twenty Million Things - Lowell George/Levy, J. 3:07

Personnel: -

Robert Palmer (vocals, various instruments); Mary Ambrose (vocals, strings); Sharon O'Neill, David Grant, The Big Sound (vocals); Mauro Spina, James Palmer (percussion); Alan Mansfield, Bertram Engel, Ken Taylor, Pascal Kravetz, Carl Carlton, Bill Payne.

BIO (Wikipedia)

Robert Allen Palmer (January 19, 1949 - September 26, 2003), born in Batley, Yorkshire, England, was a British singer. He was known for his soulful voice and the eclectic mix of musical styles on his albums, combining soul, jazz, rock, blues, and even yodelling. The son of a British serviceman stationed in Malta, Palmer moved with his family to Scarborough, Yorkshire in 1959. Influenced as a child by blues, soul, and jazz music on American Forces Radio, Robert Palmer joined his first band, Mandrake Paddle Steamer, at the age of 15 while still an art student at Scarborough Technical College. His first major break came with the departure of singer Jess Roden from the band The Alan Bown Set in 1969, after which Palmer was invited to London to sing on their single "Gypsy Girl". The vocals for the album The Alan Bown!, originally recorded by Roden (and released in the US that way), were re-recorded by Palmer after the success of the single. In 1970, Palmer joined the 12-piece jazz-rock fusion band Dada, which featured singer Elkie Brooks. The band lasted a year, after which Brooks and Palmer formed the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful rhythm and blues group, Vinegar Joe; Palmer sang and played rhythm guitar. Signed to the Island Records label, they released three albums: Vinegar Joe (1972), Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies (1972), and Six Star General (1973). On the basis of his youthful looks, strong stage presence, and soulful voice, Island Records signed Palmer to a solo deal. His first solo album Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1974, was heavily influenced by the music of Little Feat and the funk fusion of The Meters who acted as backing band along with producer/guitarist Lowell George of Little Feat. His first single was a cover of Little Feat's "Sailin' Shoes". Although moderately successful in the UK, both the album and single reached the Top 100 in the US. Subsequently relocating from London to New York City with his wife, Palmer released Pressure Drop in 1976 (featuring famed Motown bassist James Jamerson). An album infused with his interests in reggae and rock music, it was noted for its cover art of a nude girl on a balcony rather than any commercially successful songs. He toured with Little Feat to promote that album. However, with the failure of the follow-up Some People Can Do What They Like, Palmer decided to move to the Bahamas; after that, his "expatriate lifestyle" was likely to receive more coverage than his music in British newspapers. In 1978, he released Double Fun, a collection of Caribbean-influenced rock, which reached the Top 50 on the US Billboard magazine charts and scored a Top 20 single with the Andy Fraser-penned "Every Kinda People". Palmer's next album was an artistic departure, concentrating on a rockier direction. Secrets produced his second Top 20 single with Moon Martin's "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)". The 1980s saw Palmer reach the peak of his commercial success. The album Clues, produced by Gary Numan, generated hits on both sides of the Atlantic, first with the radio-friendly single "Johnny and Mary" and then "Looking for Clues". Catchy videos matching the synth pop stylings of New Wave gave him much needed exposure to a younger audience. The success was repeated with the 1982 EP release of Some Guys Have All the Luck. In 1985, Palmer joined drummer Tony Thompson and Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor and bass player John Taylor to form the band Power Station. Their eponymous album reached the Top 20 in the UK and the US and spawned two hit singles with "Some Like It Hot" and the T. Rex cover "Get It On". (The video of "Some Like It Hot" featured model Caroline Cossey.) Palmer performed live with the band only once that year, on Saturday Night Live; the band toured with singer Michael Des Barres when Palmer bowed out at the last moment to go back into the studio to further his newly revitalized solo career. Palmer recorded the album Riptide (1986), which featured the Number 1 single "Addicted to Love". The single was accompanied by a memorable and much parodied music video, directed by Terence Donovan, in which Palmer is surrounded by a bevy of near-identically clad, heavily made-up female "musicians". The singles "Hyperactive" and "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" also performed well. In 1987, he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for his song "Addicted to Love". Palmer was approached by Little Feat to replace Lowell George as they prepared their 1987 reunion, but had to decline for contractual reasons. In 1987, Palmer moved to Lugano, Switzerland and set up his own recording studio. Producing Heavy Nova in 1988, Palmer again returned to experimenting, this time with bossa nova rhythms, heavy rock, and white soul balladeering. He repeated his previous success with "Addicted to Love" with the video of "Simply Irresistible", again Palmer with a troupe of female "musicians". The ballad "She Makes My Day" also proved to be a hit. In 1989, he won a second Grammy for "Simply Irresistible". Rolling Stone magazine voted Palmer the best-dressed rock star for 1990. Palmer collaborated with UB40 for his next album, Don't Explain. Released in 1990, it featured the Bob Dylan-penned Top 10 single "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" and the Top 20 "Mercy Mercy Me". Throughout the 1990s, Palmer ventured further into diverse material. The 1992 album Ridin' High was a tribute to the Tin Pan Alley era. In 1995, Palmer reunited with other members of The Power Station to record a second album. Bassist John Taylor eventually backed out of the project (due to personal problems), to be replaced by Chic member Bernard Edwards. Palmer and the rest of the band completed the album Living In Fear (released in 1996), and had just begun touring when Edwards died of pneumonia. The next few years saw more touring and more compilations; the next release of new material, Rhythm and Blues (1999) contained a mixture of Little Feat influenced songs, rock, and pop. His final release, Drive (2003), was critically hailed as his grittiest and most heartfelt album of his career. Inspired by a previous collaboration with Carl Carlton on a Robert Johnson tribute album, Drive featured covers of fifteen blues standards, plus the original track "Lucky". Palmer, who made his home in Lugano, Switzerland for the past 15 years, died in Paris France of a heart attack at the age of 54. He is interred at the cemetery in Lugano.

Daryl Hall

Daryl Hall - Can't Stop Dreaming - 1996 - BMG International

A great sophisticated jazz pop/soul/R&B album from one of the greatest artists ever to emerge from the Philly scene. Listen to Daryl's "Soul Alone" album, Hall & Oates masterful "Marigold Sky", and John Oates' "1000 Miles Of Life" album. N.B: "Can't Stop Dreaming" was reissued in 2003 with "Something About You" omitted

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 - Can't Stop Dreaming (Daryl Hall, Walter Afanasieff, Dan Shea & Alan Gorrie)
2 - Let Me Be The One (Daryl Hall, Melvin Ragin & Alan Gorrie)
3 - Something About You (EXCLUSIVE) (Daryl Hall, David Bellochio & Sara Allen)
4 - Cab Driver (Daryl Hall, Alan Gorrie & Louis Brown)
5 - Never Let Me Go (Daryl Hall, Arthur Baker & Alan Gorrie)
6 - Holding Out For Love (Daryl Hall & Alan Gorrie)
7 - Justify (Daryl Hall & Louis Brown)
8 - What's In Your World (Daryl Hall, Louis Brown, Scott Parker & Alan Gorrie)
9 - Hold On To Me (Daryl Hall, Walter Afanasieff, Alan Gorrie & Sara Allen)
10 - She's Gone (Daryl Hall & John Oates)
11 - All By Myself (Daryl Hall & Alan Gorrie)
12 - Fools Rush In (Daryl Hall, David Bellochio & Alan Gorrie)

MUSICIANS

Daryl Hall : Keyboards, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Ray Fuller, Alan Gorrie, Dann Huff, Paul Livant, Craig Ross, Wah Wah Watson : Guitar
Bob Mayo : Guitar (Acoustic)
Jack Daley, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk RIP : Bass
Dan Shea : Piano
David Bellochio : Drums, Keyboards
Jerry Krenach, Steve Wolf : Drums
Peter Moshay : Percussion
Andy Snitzer, Roger Ball : Saxophone
Sandy B, Klyde Jones, Alexis England : Vocals (Background)

BIO

Musician, known for being part of the 70s and 80s duo, Hall & Oates. John Oates and Daryl Hall combined their talents to produce such hits as "Maneater," "Rich Girl" and "No Can Do." A musician from Philadelphia, Daryl Hall attended Temple University where he met future partner John Oates. They played together for a short time in the late 60s, until John Oates decided to transfer schools. Daryl Hall did not let this discourage his musical career though and he began playing with the rock group Gulliver. The band produced one album on the Elektra label before disbanding. Daryl Hall then became a back-up musician. Upon John Oates return to Philadelphia in 1972, the two got back together and formed the band Hall & Oates. Hall & Oates performed folk rock tunes, most of which placed on the musical charts. Tommy Mottola became the group's manager and got them a contract on the Atlantic record label. Tommy Mottola was also responsible for signing Mariah Carey to the Atlantic label in the 80s. The group's first album, Whole Oates, was released in 1972. The duet changed their style on their 1974 War Babies album to a harder rock sound but based on the success of the album the two disregarded the sound and went back to pop-rock. Hall & Oates left Philadelphia for New York in 1976. They signed with RCA and produced their first Top 10 hit, "Sara Smile," in 1976. The group achieved their first hit single "Rich Girl" with the 1976 album Bigger Than the Both of Us. It was this recording that led Hall & Oates to achieve the success and fame they enjoy today. Before continuing to record more albums and hits, the two decided to refine their sound in the late 70s. Their songs began to sound more like rock, with more guitar solos. It wasn't until 1980 that Hall & Oates produced another successful album. The album, Voices, rendered such hits as "You Lost That Lovin' Feeling," "Kiss On My List" and "You Make My Dreams." The 80s saw Hall & Oates producing many albums including Private Eyes and H2O which became a double platinum success for the duo. Because of all their chart-topping hits, by 1984 Hall & Oates became the most chart-topping duo in history, topping the folk 60s popular duo, the Everly Brothers. Their 1984 album, Big Bam Boom sold more than two million copies and produced four hit singles. Hall & Oates received the American Music Award for favorite pop group, also in 1984. Despite the outrageous success of the band, Hall & Oates disbanded. Both Daryl Hall and John Oates pursued solo careers only to reunite in 1988 for the album Ooh Yeah! In the 90s Hall & Oates maintain a low image. The duo tours and in 1997 produced Marigold Sky, an album which has been just as successful as their first album. © Kim Summers © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:a9fixqu5ld6e~T1

BIO (WIKI)

Daryl Hall (born Daryl Franklin Hohl, October 11, 1946 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania) is an American rock, R&B and soul singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as the founder and half of the music duo Hall & Oates (with music partner/guitarist John Oates), who also served as lead vocalist. Guitarist Robert Fripp, who collaborated with Hall in the late 1970s and early '80s, has written, "Daryl's pipes were a wonder. I have never worked with a more able singer." He currently hosts the web tv series, Live From Daryl's House. Hall has written or co-written 11 Billboard Number One songs, "She's Gone" (with John Oates as covered by Tavares), "Rich Girl", "Kiss On My List" (with Janna Allen), "Private Eyes" (with Sara Allen, Janna Allen & Warren Pash), "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" (with John Oates & Sara Allen), "Say It Isn't So", "Maneater" (with John Oates & Sara Allen), "Out of Touch" (with John Oates), "Everytime You Go Away" (with John Oates - as covered by Paul Young) and "Do It For Love" (with John Oates). Hall also sang lead vocals and has written or co-written 7 more popular Billboard songs that also made it to the Top 10, such as: "Adult Education" (with John Oates & Sara Allen), "Method of Modern Love" (with Janna Allen), "You Make My Dreams" (with John Oates & Sara Allen), "Everything Your Heart Desires", "One on One", "So Close" (with Jon Bon Jovi & Danny Kortchmar) and "Did It in a Minute" (with Sara Allen & Janna Allen). In addition, he also sang lead vocals while covering on another Top 10 hit: "Family Man," a song that was written by Mike Oldfield, a year earlier than its release. Starting his career as a teenager on the streets of Philadelphia, Hall quickly formed creative affiliations with such artists as Smokey Robinson, the Temptations and many other top soul singers of the 1960s. He began his recording career with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, working as both an artist and session musician. This was during and after he attended Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown, where he graduated in 1964, and entered into Temple University, majoring in music, while working as a session artist. In 1967, he met John Oates, also a college student from Temple, and embarked on a 30-odd year creative journey. According to Daryl Hall they met when, "We got in the middle of a fight at a record hop - I have no idea what the fight was about. I guess the Greek letters on one gang's jackets didn't appeal to the other gang. We both beat it out the back and met on the elevator while leaving the place rather quickly." Hall was already a senior, while Oates was a freshman, and both had played it out temporarily, until Oates transferred schools, at only 19. Daryl did not let this discourage his musical career as he worked in a short-lived rock band Gulliver. By 1969, just one year after his dropout from college, Hall went back to concentrating on recording other artists, which led them into signing their very first record contract, early in 1972. Signed to Atlantic by Ahmet Ertegun and managed by Tommy Mottola in the early 1970s, Hall & Oates have sold more albums than any other duo in music history. Their second album, Abandoned Luncheonette, produced by Arif Mardin and released in 1973, yielded the single, "She's Gone", which went to #7 in the U.S. Top 10 on re-release in 1976 after reaching #1 on the R&B charts when it was covered by Tavares. The duo recorded one more album with Atlantic, War Babies (produced by Todd Rundgren), before they were dropped and promptly signed to RCA. During their tenure at RCA the duo catapulted to international superstardom. From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Hall & Oates would score six U.S. #1 singles, including "Rich Girl" (also #1 R&B), "Kiss on My List", "Private Eyes", "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" (also #1 R&B), "Maneater" and "Out of Touch" from their six multi-platinum albums - Bigger Than Both of Us, Voices, Private Eyes, H2O, Rock 'n Soul Part 1 and Big Bam Boom - the last five of which were released consecutively. The era would also produce an additional five U.S. Top 10 singles, "Sara Smile", "One on One", "Family Man," "You Make My Dreams", "Say It Isn't So" and "Method of Modern Love". In addition to his work with Oates, Hall has made music as a solo artist as well as recording with Robert Fripp in the late ‘70s, working on Fripp’s critically praised, Exposure album from 1979. 1977 Fripp produced and performed on Hall's debut solo album, the much-acclaimed Sacred Songs. This album was released 1980. In 1985, Hall participated in the We Are the World session as well as closing the Live Aid show in Philadelphia. He also made an album with Dave Stewart that year, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine. He has recorded such solo works as Soul Alone in 1993 and Can't Stop Dreaming in 1996, both of which were received well internationally. In July 2005, Hall was diagnosed with Lyme Disease causing him to cancel a majority of Hall & Oates' summer tour. The duo released a Christmas album in October 2006 titled Home for Christmas. In 2007, Hall guest starred on the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, portraying an MC of a world music fest. On November 14, 2007, Hall appeared on the Howard Stern Show, discussed his hatred of deer and rabbits, prompted by his career-threatening bout with Lyme Disease, sang acoustic versions of "Sara Smile' and "Rich Girl", and talked about his new monthly performance webcast called "Live from Daryl's House". The webcast has so far featured appearances by KT Tunstall, Eric Hutchinson, and Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy, as well as a holiday special featuring songs from the Hall and Oates release, Home for Christmas. The show recently featured guests Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger of The Doors. Speaking of his reasons for starting the "Live From Daryl's House" webcast, in June 2008 Hall told noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul: "For me it was sort of an obvious thing. I've been touring my whole adult life really, and, you know, you can't be EVERYWHERE! Nor do I WANT to be everywhere at this point! I only like to spend so much time per year on the road. So I thought 'Why don't I just do something where anyone who wants to see me anywhere in the world CAN?! And, instead of doing the artist/audience performance-type thing, I wanted to deconstruct it and make the audience more of a fly-on-the-wall kind of observer... I mean, what I've always done onstage is very natural. I talk to the audience and it's a very sitting-roomy kind of thing. So I just thought I'd basically bring that to the web." On March 12, 2008, Hall played a well-received set with his band at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Hall was slated to sing the National Anthem of the United States before Game 5 of the 2008 World Series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Due to an illness Hall could not appear and Oates filled in for him. In 2009, Hall guest starred on the Independent Film Channel series, Z-Rock (as himself). Hall had a 30-plus year relationship with Sara Allen (the inspiration for the song "Sara Smile"). They were never married nor had any children. Their relationship ended in 2005, and while the reasons for the breakup remain between Hall and Allen, it did come shortly after Allen's younger sister, Jana, succumbed to cancer. Daryl does have one son, Darren, from another relationship. Hall restores and preserves historic homes in both the United States and England. According to the Associated Press, he is the new owner of the 345-year-old John Bray House, in Maine. He also has restored a Georgian-style home in London, England, first built in 1740, one of only 50 houses with direct waterfront access to the River Thames. He is currently restoring two homes, one built in 1771, the other in 1780, both now located on the same property in Dutchess County, New York. After he moved them together, he discovered both homes, by coincidence, were connected to the same family.

Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack - Blue Views - 1995 - IRS Records

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 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. Paul released some average "eightyish" AOR style albums, where the songs were pretty mediocre. Only his great voice made some of these albums listenable. However, on his fifth solo album, Paul Carrack redressed this situation. 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 sound, which is the real sound of Paul Carrack. "Blue Views" is an almost perfect soul-pop album. It may not be his best album, but if you are looking for the contemporary soul side of Paul, then you may like this album which is HR by A.O.O.F.C. The album spawned hits like "Eyes of Blue", "Love Will Keep Us Alive" (co-written with Jim Capaldi and Peter Vale, and recorded by The Eagles), and "For Once In Our Lives". The album posted here is the 1995 I.R.S. Records issue. On other CD editions, the track sequence varies, and some issues contain the bonus tracks, "Over My Shoulder", and "People Get Ready". Check out his "I Know That Name" album @ PAUCAR/IKTNHis great "Satisfy My Soul" album can be found @ PAUCAR/SMS Paul's "Live Tros Muziek Cafe, Amsterdam" is @ PAUCAR/LTMCA and his great "Suburban Voodoo" album is @ PAUCAR/SUBV

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 - Eyes Of Blue (Paul Carrack)
2 - For Once In Our Lives (Paul Carrack & Chris Difford)
3 - No Easy Way Out (Paul Carrack & Rafe Van Hoy)
4 - Oh Oh Oh My My My (Paul Carrack & Will Jennings)
5 - Only A Breath Away (Paul Carrack, Brenda Russell & Mark Cawley)
6 - Nothing More Than A Memory (Paul Carrack)
7 - Somewhere In Your Heart (Paul Carrack & Rafe Van Hoy)
8 - Love Will Keep Us Alive (Paul Carrack, Jim Capaldi & Pete Vale)
9 - Always Have Always Will (Paul Carrack, Brenda Russell & Mark Cawley)
10 - Don't Walk Over Me (Paul Carrack & Chris Difford)
11 - How Long (Paul Carrack)

MUSICIANS

Keyboards, Vocals : Paul Carrack
Guitars : Neil Hubbard, Robbie McIntosh, Tim Renwick
Bass : Pino Palladino, Keith Wilkinson
Keyboards : Rod Argent
Drums : Andy Newmark
Percussion : Martin Ditcham, Louis Jardine, Frank Riccotti
Background Vocals : Lance Ellington, Katie Kissoon & Tessa Niles

ABOUT PAUL CARRACK

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, allmusic.com



MORE ABOUT PAUL CARRACK

After years spent bringing a little soul to artists as diverse as Mike & The Mechanics, Nick Lowe, and Squeeze, singer's singer Paul Carrack makes his most persuasive play so far with the release of his stunning new album Satisfy My Soul. Recorded with minimal outside assistance at his Hertfordshire home studio, the album represents a quantum leap beyond Paul's previous work, showcasing his songwriting abilities and allowing his natural soul qualities to shine through with a new clarity and power. In the past, he's often tended to let others mould and direct his considerable talents, but Satisfy My Soul serves to re-establish Paul Carrack as a major solo artist, with both the vision and the capabilities to take control of his own career, and the musical instinct to know which direction it should take. A lot of people are going to be pleasantly surprised by this latest chapter in the life of one of pop music's most distinctive voices. Paul was first bitten by the music bug as a small child back in his native Sheffield, where he would bash away at a home-made drumkit up in his parents' attic, playing along with an old wind-up gramophone. By the time he reached his teens, the Mersey Boom was in full swing, and the young Carrack proceeded to swindle his way into a series of local bands, learning to play the organ and following the gig circuit to Germany, where he underwent the obligatory Hamburg nightclub baptism, as pioneered by such as The Beatles. In the early '70s, his progressive rock outfit Warm Dust released a few albums, but it was only when his pub-rock band Ace had a huge global hit with his song How Long that Paul's career really started to take off. Immediately, the band was catapulted from the British college circuit into huge American arenas, as How Long soared into the US singles chart, eventually reaching #1. When Ace broke up toward the end of the '70s, Paul found himself wrong-footed by the punk-rock boom, but secured some session work, playing on albums by Frankie Miller and Roxy Music, and touring with Roxy, an experience which gave him a taste for the big time. Paul's 1980 solo debut, Nightbird, failed to establish him as an artist in his own right, so he continued playing sessions, biding his time, and honing his talents as a musician and songwriter. As the '80s proceeded, Paul reached a rapprochement with the new-wave scene, playing on albums by The Undertones, The Smiths, and The Pretenders, and joining Squeeze for their masterwork East Side Story, helping redefine the group's profile with his soulful vocal on the hit single Tempted. After leaving Squeeze, obstensibly to pursue a solo career, he hooked up with Nick Lowe, an association which, though resolutely out of step with public taste and radio formats, would nevertheless generate five albums for Lowe and another for Paul, 1982's Suburban Voodoo. Though largely ignored in the UK, the album was a critical success in the US, where it was cited as one of Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 20 Albums of the Year. I Need You, a Carrack composition lifted from the album, provided him with another US Top 40 hit, and was subsequently covered by Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville. The biggest break in Carrack's career came in 1985 when he was invited to contribute vocals to a solo album being recorded by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford. Despite the apparent differences in their musical styles, the very first track Paul sang on, Silent Running, became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Encouraged by such instant success, Mike & The Mechanics developed into more of a group, touring America extensively and securing a string of hit albums and singles over the next decade. Before they could produce a follow-up album, however, Paul found time to sing and play on Roger Waters' Radio KAOS album and record another solo album of his own, 1987's One Good Reason, scoring another couple of hits through the title track and Don't Shed a Tear, which again broke into the US Top Ten, staying on Billboard's Hot 100 for nearly half a year. Even better was to come when Mike & The Mechanics resumed recording. Sung by Paul, the title-track of their second LP The Living Years was a huge worldwide hit, peaking at number one in America, and hoisting the band to megastar status. Further touring was followed by another Carrack solo album, 1989's Groove Approved, whose standout track - the Motown-flavoured Carrack / Lowe composition Battlefield - was later covered by Diana Ross. The following year, Paul was co-opted to perform at Roger Waters' grandiose presentation of The Wall in Berlin, where he sang Hey You in front of over 250,000 people. A third Mike & The Mechanics album, 1991's Word of Mouth, saw Carrack's creative input increasing, with four songwriting credits; and also donated a performance of Ain't That Peculiar recorded with Paul Shaffer's house band on Late Night with David Letterman to Nobody's Child, a charity album for Romanian orphans. Between tours again, in 1993 Paul busied himself with Spin 1ne 2wo, a classic rock covers collaboration with Rupert Hine, Tony Levin, and Steve Ferrone, and rejoined Squeeze for their Some Fantastic Place album. The next year was spent touring the world with Squeeze, working on an ultimately abortive band project with Don Felder, Timothy Schmidt, and Joe Walsh of The Eagles (which nevertheless garnered Paul an award for the most played song in America that year, when the reformed Eagles covered Love Will Keep us Alive, a song he co-wrote with Peter Vale and Jim Capaldi), and recording another Mike & The Mechanics album, Beggar on A Beach of Gold. This contained another couple of Carrack co-compositions, including his collaboration with Mike Rutherford, the hit single Over my Shoulder, which revived the band's flagging fortunes in the UK and Europe, paving the way for a subsequent Greatest Hits compilation. Paul's fifth solo album, Blue Views, appeared in 1995, and despite problems occasioned by the collapse of the record label, it was still highly successful in Europe, earning him a gold disc in Spain. When it was finally released a couple of years later in America on another label, the single For Once in Our Lives became a Top Five hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, cementing Carrack's growing reputation as a singer-songwriter of class and distinction. He was also developing a parallel reputation as an able and accomplished sideman to the stars, playing keyboards on albums by Eric Clapton, BB King, Simply Red, Mark Knopfler and Elton John, and being invited by Elton to play on Something About the Way You Look Tonight, which, as the B-side of "Candle in the Wind '97," is officially the biggest-selling single ever. Unfortunately, a management change at EMI resulted in his next album, Beautiful World failing to get the promotional push it deserved, and a bitterly dissillusioned Paul elected to take matters more into his own hands. After years spent biding his time, contributing to other musicians' projects and allowing outside producers to impose their designs on his material, it was a long overdue move, and one which reflected Paul's growing belief in himself as a singer-songwriter. Accordingly, he recorded his new album, "Satisfy My Soul" at his home studio, relying on his own musical instincts and playing everything himself, with the exception of the sax parts (which are by Steve Beighton), some backing vocals (by Lindsay Dracass) and some of the drum parts (by Ian Thomas or Paul's old chum Andy Newmark, the former Sly & The Family Stone sticksman.) Steeped in the classic and funk sounds of the '60s and '70s, but with an ear firmly trained on the future, Satisfy My Soul is clearly a labour of love, and features some of Carrack's most accomplished songwriting, with three tracks being co-written by Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford. Carrack's journey to make a record that truly does satisfy his soul has come full circle. "I've been doing this a long time, and I've often made it quite difficult for myself, one way or another, but I'm at the point now where I just want to enjoy my musicality, and I have the technical resources and the stability to be able to follow my instincts more confidently. Alot of the time, I've gone against my own instincts, but I'm not fighting them any more, I'm doing what comes naturally now. I'll be happy just to reach the people who already like what I do, but who knows, by making a more personal record, I might reach more people anyway." Satisfy My Soul brings Carrack to Compass Records, also the American home to other British popsters Robbie McIntosh, Hamish Stuart, Eddi Reader, Boo Hewerdine and Clive Gregson. © 2003-2008 Compass Records. All Rights Reserved