Paul Young

One of Britain's finest white soul singers, Paul Young struck gold in 1983 with his emotive cover of Marvin Gaye's Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home), which topped the UK charts for three weeks, and was his first of 14 British Top 40 singles. Young had previously charted in 1978 with the novelty single Toast, as a member of Streetband. When they split up the following year he formed soul band Q-Tips, who toured incessantly and became a hugely popular live act without getting any hits. When Q-Tips disbanded in 1982, Young signed to CBS as a solo act, releasing two singles, Iron Out The Rough Spots and Love Of The Common People before Wherever I Lay My Hat turned him into a superstar. Other hits followed - including Come Back And Stay and a re-release of Love Of The Common People - as the album No Parlez was certified platinum. His next album The Secret Of Association established him in the US, getting a Number 1 there with a cover of Daryl Hall's Everytime You Go Away. Young was also the first voice on Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas but his career dipped after he suffered throat problems. He later formed Tex-Mex band Los Pacaminos.

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