Yesterday Jefito sent me an e-mail that basically said “You have to hear this.” What was it? It was a new CD from Paul Young. Some may remember him from the 80s and 90s when he had a few, um, milquetoast hits like “Every Time You Go Away,” and covers like “Oh Girl,” and “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.”
But before he started cranking up the dung machine full time, he had a pretty good song that came out in 1983 entitled “Come Back and Stay” — which had some moderate success in the U.S. His follow up, a cover of Joe Gibbs’ “Love of the Common People,” was very early 80s, but Paul seemed to be riding a kind of UB40 vibe with a synth-reggae sound. Both songs were good, and it seemed like Paul would do alright as a mullet-headed new wave pop act. But then came his mega-hit “Every Time You Go Away,” and, well, the crap just kept coming.
I didn’t think Paul could top is slide into Adult Contemporary purgatory, but now I think he’s finally done it. He’s not only off the AC map, he’s now treading into Rod Stewart territory by thinking he can sing swing numbers. But these aren’t standards he’s doing. Nope. He’s decided to take some of his favorite pop, rock, and rap songs and do them swing style.
Still with me? Okay, get ready for Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” Vegas style (Download HERE). Now that you’ve come back from throwing up, let’s get ready to rumble with that Don Henley cooker, “The Boys of Summer” (Download HERE).
After listening to the whole CD (Yeah, I have a strong stomach), I wrote back to Jefito and told him that I thought Paul Young had done some amusing covers after listening to the first song. After the second song, I was getting annoyed. By the finale (“White Christmas”) I just felt sorry for him.
And I’m sorry to put you through this. Still love me? 😉
–PK
J
November 13, 2006 at 7:26 amI still love you, but maybe that’s partially due to no speakers on my computer upstairs. 😉 The Boys of Summer was pretty painful yesterday…
Py Korry
November 13, 2006 at 7:34 amIt was painful. I just wonder where this CD will be a hit.
Beenzzz (Bean)
November 13, 2006 at 7:39 amAm……that sounds horrible! I liked Paul Young back in 1985. Is he trying to be a really lame Tom Jones? Tom Jones is lame….so….YIKES!
Gina
November 13, 2006 at 8:12 amI really, really liked “Come Back and Stay” and I think he was much bigger in the UK than he ever was here, right?
I can’t listen to these right now, but I am dreading it.
Of course I still love you. Just don’t put on any more GNR and I can forgive almost anything… 😉
jefito
November 13, 2006 at 8:18 amI wish I could tell you how this happens. After half an hour of trying to find anything at all about this album on Google that isn’t written in another language, I’ve given up. It appears to be a spiritual sequel to Paul Anka’s “Rock Swings” album from a few years ago, and it seems to be charting in other countries, but that’s all I can figure out.
And it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. They at least went to the trouble of extensively re-arranging the majority of the songs, and Young’s phrasing is empathic/affectionate more often than corny.
And for the folks at home: Py actually included two of the less ridiculous covers. The album also includes Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart,” and others…
Lalapunci
November 13, 2006 at 9:43 amPaul Young’s voice reminds me of Kermit the Frog singing or the lead singer from Canned Heat. Thanks for the review of the album. BTW I do enjoy the Rod Stewart albums but Rod doesn’t sing them as well as the orignal artists. Nat King Cole is still my favorite male singer.
Py Korry
November 13, 2006 at 9:56 amYeah, Paul Young was a bigger deal in the UK, but I can’t imagine this stuff is going to help him with his fan base — which is aging, but do they really want to hear these songs sung in a swing style?
I can’t speak to the phrasing, Jefito, but you’re right about Hungry Heart and Lose Yourself. Both were horrid!
Since we play a lot of Paul Young’s AC hits at the radio station (i.e., Every Time You Go Away and Oh Girl), I usually sing along in full blow Kermit voice to annoy my co-workers. And yes, it works like a charm every time! 🙂
C-Lo
November 13, 2006 at 10:45 amThat made me gag.
It’s like a bad Vegas show where you continually keep looking at your watch wondering how many more songs until you can get back to the bar.
lalunas
November 13, 2006 at 11:05 amYes, What’s not to love….
Cherry
November 13, 2006 at 11:20 amIf I can just get the originals out of my head, I might be able to accept these as very dreary and thin swing songs…but I don’t think I can.
jefitoblog
November 13, 2006 at 1:15 pm[…] If you want to know why, just head over to Py Korry’s place and see/hear what I did to him this weekend. […]
Eric Grubbs
November 13, 2006 at 2:06 pmAs if the last Paul Anka was enough in this genre.
Banstyle69
November 13, 2006 at 2:47 pm“Enter Sandman” sounds less like a Metallica cover and more like Pat Boone’s version with different phrasing and slowed down a touch.
Py Korry
November 13, 2006 at 2:53 pmTry not to get the originals out of your head Cherry! If you do, you’ll be humming the swing versions and, well, that’s a sign of the end of the world.
Eric and Banstyle69: Thanks for visiting! This does remind me of that Pat Boone CD that came out years ago — which was painful, too.
johnny
November 13, 2006 at 4:12 pmTo quote Charlie Brown:
AAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!
Joe
November 13, 2006 at 5:41 pmSeems like Ricahrd Cheese would have cornered the market on swinging the non-swing songs. Oh, Paul Young’s serious? Oh, OK.
Jason
November 14, 2006 at 7:15 amPaul Young is a no-talent hack.
Ducky the Loon
November 14, 2006 at 8:25 am*Twitches in pain*
Don’t worry, I don’t blame you. I blame Jeff. I followed his link over here and now I may very well spend the rest of the day curled in the fetal position. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but I will most definitely do that if they start playing this at my favorite bookstore all day like they do that Rod Stewart junk. I went in there to browse and I ended up fleeing for my life…or at least my sanity!
Do I still love you? I don’t know; I just met you! Trying to sweep a girl off her feet, eh? Best not to rush these things. I bet I will, though…Jeff likes you, and you *do* have an awfully cute butt. That being said, you’ll probably just end up breaking my heart…you BASTARD, how could you!?? *Sobs*
Seriously, though, nothing is more sob-worthy than “Enter Sandman”…and I don’t want to listen to the rest of the CD to find out if I’m wrong! *Snerk*
Banstyle69
November 14, 2006 at 12:02 pmPy – I like to put the Pat Boone cd on as background music at social events/dinner parties and see how long it takes before someone says “What the #&@! are we listening to?”
Stephen in England
November 14, 2006 at 2:25 pmPaul Young USED to be great – he was the lead singer of a proper bar-room soul band called the Q-Tips who gigged hard and always put on a great show. A friend of mine was their tour manager so I went to see them loads of times in the early 80s. They covered soul classics as well as performing their own stuff. Always a good night.
Then they split up and – it is rumoured – cash changed hands to make sure Paul’s 2nd or 3rd release in the UK (Marvin Gaye’s “Where ever I lay my hat”) was a huge hit. The rest is history. And now this.
Py Korry
November 14, 2006 at 2:40 pmBanstyle69: At least Pat Boone got some play when “Crazy Train” was featured in Ozzy’s reality show. That put a few $$$ in the bank. But I hear ya on messing with your friends at parties.
Ducky the Loon: You certainly live up to your name! That was some crazy (and funny) stuff you wrote.
Stephen in England: Like I said, Paul had a some good songs early on, but it’s just went downhill after that first CD.
And Jason…You’ll have to cover one of Paul’s covers when you play “covers night” at a covers bar somewhere in East Orange, NJ for calling him a “no-talent hack.” 😉
Heidi
November 14, 2006 at 8:18 pmi have to say, i can’t wait to get to work to hear this little sashay…
Ml
November 15, 2006 at 6:44 amYou can’t do this every again, Py…it made a whole lotta people sick 😉
MsMamma
November 15, 2006 at 12:03 pmOkay, all I can say is I thought this was the MDA telethon circa 1975. Everyone is smoking on TV and you can smell the booze through the speakers, baby.
Py Korry
November 15, 2006 at 3:03 pmSorry about that Ml…But it had to be done.
You can smell the booze MsM, and unfortunately it’s the cheap stuff!
FelixP
November 16, 2006 at 8:54 amI suspect that much of his album sales today are bass players who wish to hear the incredible fretless stylings of Pino Palladino all over the Secret of Association album.
Matt
November 20, 2006 at 11:04 pmOne of my favorite parts of the Live Aid DVD is when some poor misguided souls bust out a HUGE “Paul Young” banner during his mini-set. I’m sure the folks there with the U2 flags brag about ’em to this day, but not so much this one…