Whatever happened to Paul Young?


Well, he never left.

His album No Parlez reached the top of the charts in The Netherlands and contained the hits Love Of The Common People, Come Back And Stay & Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home). The follow-up The Secret Of Association and its singles I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down and Everything Must Change was also well-received. After two more albums and a greatest hits-package (including the notable classic Senza Una Donna with Zucchero), he left Sony and signed a new record deal. He hasn't released any albums since 1997's Paul Young (Grammy for Most Original Title), save for an EP with his hobbyband Los Pacaminos. In between, he performed on Live Aid in 1985.

So why did he disappear? Why is he largely ignored (or worse, forgotten) by people of my age?

Granted, he sung too many covers. That may have tampered his career. You can regard him as a 'performer'. But Paul has written songs of his own. Besides, what's wrong with being a performer? Elvis was a performer. René Froger is a performer.

Paul Young's fans (he has bucketloads left) will disagree with me. They'll say he's still as popular as in his heyday. Paul has an official website, with a busy message board.


I'm a fan too. Listen to the aforementioned songs (don't download them) and be amazed. Paul Young's voice is a pleasure to behear (well, you can't behold a voice, can you?) and the songs - although some of them can be considered "too 80's to be good" - are great!



Julian De Backer, 1 August 2006