Growing up with an older brother Mark and a younger sister Joanne, Young first went to work at the Vauxhall Motors factory and in his spare time played in several bands as bass guitarist. The first group for which he became lead singer was Kat Kool & The Kool Kats. In the late 1970s he joined the Streetband, who had one Top 20 hit in the UK, with the humorous, novelty track "Toast", reaching No. 18 in November 1978.
In December 1979 the Streetband broke up and Young formed the Q-Tips, who established their name by playing live and supporting The Who on their 1982 tour but had no chart hits in the UK, although their single "Letter Song" did enjoy minor success in mainland Europe.
The Q-Tips went their separate ways in 1982, and Young was signed by CBS Records as a solo performer, uniting the fields of New Wave and Soul. His first two singles, "Iron Out the Rough Spots" and a cover of Nicky Thomas’ "Love of the Common People" had no success, but the third, a cover of the Marvin Gaye B-side "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" was No. 1 in the UK singles chart for three weeks in the summer of 1983, the first of fourteen British Top 40 singles.
Similar success followed all over Europe. In the UK, follow-up single "Come Back and Stay" reached No. 4, and a re-release of "Love of the Common People" made it to No. 2, while his début album No Parlez was certified platinum in various countries.
Young's style at the time was a warm, approachable white soul, though he sometimes received playful criticism for his fashion decisions. However, his choice of an Antony Price leather suit for the cover of No Parlez was impractical for stage, where an energetic show dictated more robust clothing.
1984 was a difficult year for Young, as his first heavy promotional and live concert tour of America affected his vocal cords to the extent that he couldn't sing at all for most of the year. He recovered, however, to famously perform the opening line to the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and his second album, The Secret of Association, secured his future success in the U.S., Japan and Australia. Young's biggest worldwide hit came from this album in 1985 with a version of Daryl Hall & John Oates's album track "Everytime You Go Away". The song reached #1 on the U.S. pop charts.
His third and fourth albums, Between Two Fires, in 1986, and Other Voices, in 1990, were commercial failures (though the latter was a success in the US) but a popular duet, "Senza una donna-Without a Woman", with Italian blues singer Zucchero in 1991 and a corresponding greatest hits album (which also featured duets with Clannad and Joni Mitchell) returned him to success. It also included a new track, 'I’m Only Foolin Myself'. He sung "Radio Ga Ga" with Queen in 1992, at the tribute concert to the recently deceased Freddie Mercury.
In 1992, Paul Young formed Los Pacaminos, a Tex-Max style live band including other top-class musicians such as Jamie Moses and the late Matt Irving. The group have released two albums, with a third scheduled for released in 2024.
In 1993, Young released The Crossing, which produced his first solo Top 20 hit since 'Everytime You Go Away', 'Now I Know What Made Otis Blue'. After this, Young was freed from his contract with CBS. In 1994, he released the covers album Reflections, which was a commercial failure.
He reformed the Q-Tips for a short series of concerts that year in 1993. A year later he suffered significant vocal damage, which has followed him ever since. He contributed to the Vangelis album Voices in 1995. Young sang the British national anthem "God Save the Queen", on the eve of England's Euro '96 semifinal match against Germany.
In 1997, he released his final album to feature original material on EastWest Records. The album featured his final UK Top 40 hit, 'I Wish You Well' and abandoned soul in favour of a more country style somewhat similar to that of Garth Brooks. In 2006 and 2016, he released covers albums, Rock Swings On The Wild Side of Swing and Good Thing, with the former being only released in Germany.
Paul still actively tours solo and with Los Pacaminos and is releasing a new albums both solo and with his group in 2023. He spends his time with his family and following his past time of cooking.
www.paul-young.com/
It Was A Very Good Year
Paul Young Lyrics
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It was a very good year for small town girls
And soft summer nights, we'd hide from the lights
On the village green, when I was seventeen
When I was twenty-one, it was a very good year
It was a very good year for city girls
Who lived up the stair, with all that crazy hair
And it came undone, when I was twenty-one
It was a very good year for blue-blooded girls
Of independent means, we'd ride in limousines
Their chauffeur would drive, when I was thirty-five
But when the days are short in the autumn of the year
I will think my life as vintage wine
From fine old kegs, from the brim to the dregs
Pouring sweet and clear, it was a very good year
Paul Young's It Was A Very Good Year is a nostalgic reflection on the stages of a man's life, told from his perspective at different ages. The first verse begins with the singer reminiscing about small town girls and summer nights when he was just seventeen years old. At this age, the world was full of possibilities for him, and he felt free and invincible. The second verse, which jumps to when the singer was twenty-one, describes a different kind of life. He now lived in the city and was surrounded by wild and stylish women who lived in tall buildings with crazy hair. Here, his youthful exuberance is tempered by the realities of adult life in the city. The third and final verse depicts the singer at age thirty-five, now surrounded by wealth and privilege. He rides in limousines and dates blue-blooded women of independent means. The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the singer contemplating his life as if it were a vintage wine, full of richness and complexity.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was seventeen, it was a very good year
At the age of seventeen, life was great for me
It was a very good year for small town girls
Girls from small towns were attracted to me and it was a great time for us
And soft summer nights, we'd hide from the lights
During warm summer nights, we'd sneak away from the lights to be alone
On the village green, when I was seventeen
We'd find solace on the village green at seventeen
When I was twenty-one, it was a very good year
At the age of twenty-one, life was still great for me
It was a very good year for city girls
Girls from the city attracted me and it was a wonderful experience
Who lived up the stair, with all that crazy hair
I met girls with wild hair who lived in apartments
And it came undone, when I was twenty-one
However, things started to come apart at twenty-one
When I was thirty-five, it was a very good year
By the age of thirty-five, things were once again going great for me
It was a very good year for blue-blooded girls
Daughters of wealthy families impressed me at thirty-five
Of independent means, we'd ride in limousines
They were independent and we'd ride around in limos together
Their chauffeur would drive, when I was thirty-five
Their driver chauffeured us around when I was thirty-five
But when the days are short in the autumn of the year
As I've grown older, there are times when the days seem short in the autumn season
I will think my life as vintage wine
I look back on my life as if it were a fine wine, full of memories and experiences
From fine old kegs, from the brim to the dregs
From the start of my life to where I am now, everything has built up and shaped me as a person
Pouring sweet and clear, it was a very good year
And even with the ups and downs, I am thankful for all the good times, as well as the challenging ones
Contributed by Maria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.