’80s pop superstar comes to Greenwich
On 30 May, one of the biggest names in music from the 1980s is set to appear at Greenwich Theatre for a unique evening of songs and reminiscence – and reminiscing is something Paul Young is good at.
While described by many as an overnight success, in reality Paul had to work hard, and wait, to get his shot. He was signed by a music industry legend, Muff Winwood, but it wasn’t until his third single, Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) that he broke into the charts – and whilst it went to number one in the UK and Ireland, even that took time.
“We eventually released the song in May 1983” he said. “I was apprehensive for a while because it seemed that it wasn’t going to set the world on fire. It moved at a snail’s pace up the charts, literally shifting by two or three places a week. But gradually it made it into the Top 30, then the Top 20. It was agonising. Each Sunday, we’d listen to the charts to see where we were – and we never knew when our progress was going to end. The last few weeks we were certain it would falter and stop short of the top spot.
“But then – when it happened – I had to pinch myself on a regular basis. The three of us, myself, Ged and Ian were in shock. This is something we realised we’d worked towards all our lives but weren’t sure it would ever happen. And at that moment, when it did, it was all hands-on deck, back into the studio to finish the album.
“Getting to number one is the thing every kid dreams of” he continued. “You want to be a musician, you want to make a living at it, you want to be in the charts. It wasn’t really until that point that I realised I could do it – I could be a singer for a living. When it happened, everything started going crazy. There was press, there were interviews, it went mad.”
Part of that madness, and a part which Paul clearly loved, was getting to mix with some of the biggest stars in the world.
“I met David (Bowie) at Live Aid, that incredible occasion at Wembley in 1985, when the atmosphere had to be experienced to be believed. I was already a fan and loved the Ziggy Stardust album; there was a real aura about the man.
“It’s amazing to meet people like that who have a certain stature – he was a real icon, and yet was always such a lovely man. Anyone who met him always said the same . . . what a good guy.
“It was also at Live Aid that I met Phil Collins for the first time, and then a few years later I did a world tour with Genesis.
“Quite famously, I also got up at the first Prince’s Trust show to duet with George Michael. He’d really wanted to do the show but had got another engagement that same day – but said he’d try to get there to support the cause. He did manage to get there, and we had a conversation. The only thing he knew the words to was Every Time You Go Away, because he really liked that song. I’d already done it once in my set, but we decided to do it again as a duet. He got up and sang it like an absolute pro. A short time after, I was doing Wembley on my tour and he got up to do that again. Great memories.”
Clearly the event at Greenwich in May is going to be a treat for performer and audience alike, not only sharing stripped back versions of some of his best loved hits, but also offering an opportunity to share some of those amazing memories together.
Photo credit: A Way With Media