Also known as Youngy Occupation Musician Years active 1976–2000 | Name Paul Young Instruments Vocals | |
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Associated acts Mike + The Mechanics, Sad Café Music groups Mike + The Mechanics (1985 – 2000), Sad Café (1976 – 1990), The Toggery Five (1964 – 1966) Albums Beggar on a Beach of Gold, Hits, Word of Mouth, Mike + The Mechanics, Living Years | ||
Paul Young (17 June 1947 – 15 July 2000) was an English singer and songwriter. He achieved success in the bands Sad Café and Mike + The Mechanics.
Contents
Life and career
Young was born on 17 June 1947 in the Wythenshawe district of Manchester, England. Young initially came to prominence as the frontman of 1970s rock band Sad Café, with whom he achieved multiple UK Top 40 and US Billboard Hot 100 hits. He formed Sad Café in 1976, and recorded with them until 1989. He later enjoyed greater chart success sharing lead vocal duties with Paul Carrack in Mike + The Mechanics, the pop-rock band formed in 1985 by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford.
In that band, Young would play various instruments as required, and serve as de facto frontman during live performances. During his career, he provided lead vocals on several chart hits, including Sad Café's "Every Day Hurts" and "My Oh My", and Mike + The Mechanics' "All I Need Is a Miracle", "Word of Mouth", "Taken In" and "Nobody's Perfect". He was brought into Mike + the Mechanics on the recommendation of producer/songwriter Christopher Neil and Neil's manager. Young's power and range lent themselves to the band's heavier songs.
Vocal style
Young possessed a wide vocal range, often utilising fifth octave head voice notes, and a voice characterised as "rich". His early style has been likened to that of Mick Jagger; in the early 1980s, he began to explore a more "emotive" style.
Death
On 15 July 2000, having no symptoms, Paul Young had a sudden heart attack at around 6.30pm at his home on Hale Road, Hale, Altrincham. An autopsy revealed that Young had no previous heart condition. His body was cremated on 22 July 2000. In 2011, a new album was released, Chronicles, compiled from unfinished material recovered from his home studio, and containing a new single, "Your Shoes", written by Paul Young and Mike Rutherford. A plaque can be found outside his home on Hale Road, Cheshire.
Paying tribute, Rutherford said of Young, "He had a fantastic voice, one of the best rock voices of his generation...a complete natural." Former Marillion vocalist and 1980s chart peer Fish described him as "one of the finest frontmen and singers from the history of the British music scene", who exhibited "immense personality, glowing charisma and outrageous positivism".
Discography
Paul Young
Mike + The Mechanics
Sad Café
Albums
† US version of the first two albums
The Young Brothers
Young & Renshaw
Songs
The Living Years Living Years · 1988
All I Need Is a Miracle Mike + The Mechanics · 1985
Over My Shoulder Beggar on a Beach of Gold · 1995