There are singers in rock that sometimes are under the radar iconic, Paul Carrack is one of those men.
There is no way you are a rock fan and have not heard Pauls’ voice, but being that he was never the focal point of any group that he’s been in you may not have known who it was that you were listening to. Today is Paul Carrack’s birthday and it’s high time that you get to know the legend.
"The Man with the Golden Voice", as the BBC proclaimed him, hit the scene in the 70s as the frontman for the British band Ace, with the hit single “How Long”, which hit number 3 on the Billboard charts. The song was the band’s only hit and when the group lost its’ steam, Carrack ended up playing keyboard in Roxy Music, when the band reunited in 78.
Carrack went solo in 1980, but his debut flopped, which led him to find a place in the art rock band Squeeze, when he replaced Jools Holland at keyboard. The move shot Squeeze to international success when Carrack sang the alternative classic “Tempted”. The song made them MTV darlings and gained them Squeeze biggest commercial success, but like so many times before, Carrack found his way out of the band, as he moved on to another solo stint, studio work, and the band Noise.
Paul again would be called on, by an established star when, Mike Rutherford of Genesis, asked Paul to be a part of his new group Mike And The Mechanics. Paul instantly gave the band hits with their prog pop classic “Silent Running” and their pop hit “All I Need Is A Miracle”, which would chart high and lead to successful tours in the US and Europe. When Rutherford took time off from The Mechanics to go back to Genesis, Carrack went solo again, but this time he finally found success as a solo artist with his hit “Don’t Shed A Tear”, which hit the top 10.
Paul would score his biggest hit back with The Mechanics, however as the band’s “The Living Years” went straight to number one to close out the 80’s as one of the most recognizable voices in pop music, during the rise of MTV in the decade. Carrack would continue to have consistent work into the 90’s and through the 2000’s, in various super groups, and singing on hit movie soundtracks, as well as his own solo work and touring. Paul Carrack is a singer blessed with a golden voice that Phil Collins himself said “he could sing the phone directory”.
Happy Birthday Paul you’re everyone’s favorite singer’s, favorite singer!