AT the height of the 80s, Paul Young was everywhere.
With his good looks and instantly recognisable voice, he became one of the biggest success stories of the decade, especially after the release of his debut album No Parlez.
Thirty-five years on, he is celebrating that success by performing his debut album in its entirety at the o2 Academy in Glasgow.
“We never really thought before about doing a tour in this way,” explained Paul.
He continued: “ I noticed that ABC and someone else had done it, and my manager suggested it was good idea to do the first album in its entirety.”
His manager might be on to something given the success of the album the first time round. It reached number one in the charts in 1983 where it stayed for five weeks to become a triple platinum selling record. With hits Love of the Common People and Wherever I lay My Hat on the tracklisting, the Glasgow show is bound to be a memorable one for his fans.
“I do love touring,” beamed Paul.
He added: “It was bred into me at the beginning and I still like it. I don’t mind getting on a plane, I mean it is a hassle when you go on holiday with your family and you are trying to sort everything out. But when I am touring, I am only looking after myself.
“Once I am on a tour bus I love it. I love to look out the window and see deserts one minute and awesome scenes the next. It is beautiful.”
The last year has been a tough one for Paul who lost his wife Stacey to brain cancer in January. Former model Stacey was just 52 when she died leaving behind the couple’s children Levi, Layla and Grady. He is now focused on his upcoming tour, which comes to Glasgow on October 13, and it appears the shows will be first time his children will get to see their dad do what he does best.
He said: “They probably will come along to the shows. They have not seen me perform that much because when they were younger, they were too young to remember. Then when they were older, most of my work was abroad in Europe and Australia so they never got to see the concerts. These days it is quite novel for them to come along and see it.”
His kids might not remember much of their father’s career in the early days but they are bound have come across his performance in the iconic Band Aid single Do they Know it’s Christmas?” Paul was one of the many famous voices on the track, written by Scot Midge Ure and Sir Bob Geldof, and the moment is still one he treasures.
He said: “I was lucky to be around in that period of time. It was a one off thing that will probably never happen again because when you redo these things...it is like doing a sequel to a film, the chances of it being as good as the first one are slim.
“I think that the Band Aid record happened at the right time and everyone knew what they were there for. There is something which is left on that record and every time I hear it I still remember what we all felt like doing it and the crisis that was in Ethiopia.”
For many, Paul’s voice stood out in the record. His tone is a rarity in the music business and it is perhaps the biggest reason he continues to be a success three decades on.
He said: “I have discovered sleep is the major healer. It was very difficult to do that in the early years because I was so busy but the best way to keep your voice good is to sleep as much as you can and also exercise.
“Even when I go on holiday, I get in a car at 8am in the morning and I drive around for an hour and sing a concert. I then go back and have breakfast with the kids so I do have to keep it up.”
At 62, Paul shows no signs of slowing down, he has several projects in the pipeline as a solo artist and with his band Los Pacaminos, and it is this passion for the music that allows him to continue to be one of the 80s success stories.
He said: “I think if you have two or three hits then the chances are you won’t be able to maintain a career but I had good old couple of fistfuls of hits. I was lucky enough that happened around the world so I think that gets you off to a good start.”
He added: “Los Pacaminos have recorded a live album which is coming out in November and I have some Paul Young material which I am waiting to work on at the moment, maybe the early part of the year. It is 40 per cent written.
“I am always moving on.”
‘35 Years of No Parlez Tour’ starts in September. For tickets and tour dates, visit https://www.seetickets.com
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