Back in the 1980s, Paul Young made hits that took him everywhere. Next month, he’ll be in Malaysia, one country he hasn’t visited. He tells SHUIB TAIB about then and now.

THE ’80s was marked by big hair, mullets, colourful outfits, chunky jewellery, carrot-cut pants, puffy sleeves, shoulder pads, high-cut sneakers, leggings and leg warmers — and also great music and evergreen songs.

For British singer Paul Young, who made hits like Everytime You Go Away and Wherever I Lay My Hat, the era was the highlight of his career.

“Before I was famous, I was with two other groups. I did a lot of touring and learnt how to enjoy being on the road. When I started to get hits as Paul Young, I enjoyed going on tours although there were people who found it very difficult.

“The best part of the ’80s was having hits that took me around the world. In fact, I’ve been to almost every country in Europe. Malaysia is one of the few countries that I haven’t been to and I’m looking forward to it,” said Young in a recent telephone interview from London.
“What! You live in a tree? Yeah, I can live in a tree,” Young offered jokingly.

One of many British music icons of the ’80s, Young will perform at the Here & Now Tour 2008: The Best of ’80s concert at the Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands, on March 21 and March 22.

Young will be joined in the concert by his peers Bananarama (I Heard A Rumour), Howard Jones (What Is Love), Johnny Hates Jazz (Turn Back The Clock) and Limahl (Never Ending Story).

What made him agree to perform? “The first time I was asked, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it because I knew it would just be the songs of the ’80s. But I really enjoyed the first show so when asked again after that, I said yes, I’d like to do some more. I did a trip to Australia and now I’m doing shows throughout this year also,” he said.

His songs are still played on the radio occasionally, and many wonder what the singer has been up to since his glory days. “I’ve always made records and the last record I made was last year. If I haven’t been making records, I’ve been touring really. As well as doing songs, I have another group, Los Pacaminos. So when I’m not doing Paul Young tours, I do shows with Los Pacaminos in England,” said Paul adding that he would sing Everytime You Go Away and his ’90s hit, Sensa Una Donna which he collaborated on with Italian singer, Zucchero.

Young is confident that the audience will enjoy the classics. “I still find some younger people in the audience when I play. I think ’80s music has lasted very well. The artistes of those days sounded very individual. Well, my music has changed over the years too. I think it’s impossible not to change.

“I went by lots of music and I listen to music by lots of different artistes so because of the things I hear, the sound of my music changes. Back in the ’80s I used a lot of modern instruments like the latest drum machines and synthesisers.

“Maybe about 10 years ago I made a couple of albums where I started to get back to just the basics, more guitar than keyboard. I think music now is that kind of way and not so much computer-driven drum machine. Having said that, I still enjoy performing those old hits, they’re good fun.

“I love Amy Winehouse. I think she has a very individual voice. But in R&B;, apart from Christina Aguilera and Mary J. Blige, I can’t recognise a lot of other voices. I’m also listening to a lot of salsa music and music from South America. Because of Los Pacaminos, I’ve had an interest in Mexican, Cuban, Colombian, Dominican and Argentinian music,” explained Young who cited performing on the Band Aid album (to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia), the worldwide Live Aid charity concert, as well as the Nelson Mandela tribute concert as highlights of his career.

What is it about ’80s music that makes it so loved, even now? “I think, in general, ’80s music had an obsession with glamour. When you listen to the music, it feels like more of a celebration of its time. People sound like they’re having a good time and they love to dress up as well.

“The thing is, if you’re going to have a party and a lot of fun, you should have an ’80s party so people can dress up. A ’90s party is a lot harder. That’s why people look back on the ’80s with fondness. It was a little bit outrageous, a little bit stupid but it was a lot of fun,” said Young who sees Culture Club and club music that came out of America as the definitive ’80s sound.

Young also observed that since the ’80s, there hasn’t been a major star. “The last worldwide star was Prince. The way music is now, I find a lot of artistes sound the same. They sing the same. Probably the best thing, looking back at the ’80s, is when Culture Club released its records, you knew it was Boy George because he had a very individual style. So did I and Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet). But now when I listen to a lot of records, I’m not sure who they are,” he said.

Having separated from his wife, where does he lay his hat down these days and how does he spend his free time?

“I am in North London and live very close to my family whom I see almost every day. I have an apartment and at the moment, I’m sharing it with a pet lizard that belongs to my daughter Layla, called Sedona. (He has three children, daughters Levi, 21, and Layla, 14, and son Grady-Cole, 12.)

“My hobbies till recently have been collecting old vehicles. I’ve got an old motorcycle, a 1971 Harley Davidson and a 1964 American truck. I spend time learning how I can restore them. I don’t do it myself but that’s my hobby. The rest is mostly writing songs and touring. Recently I did a reality show where I went and worked in the kitchen in a programme called Hell’s Kitchen,” said Young.

He explained that because of the things he has gone through in life, he has also evolved.

“I didn’t write many songs in the beginning and only started to write more later. Where I’ve changed as an artiste is having more control over the songs that I do. The lyrics are often more about me or things I’ve experienced or of other people that I know. Being married and having children ... that would have changed my perspective too,” said Young adding that physically, only his hair has remained unchanged. “I’ve still got some mullet. It’s kind of the same, not so tall.”

Asked if fans still swarm him after all these years, Young said, “I used to get one or two crazy fans. One would travel from Holland only to stay outside my house. I don’t get that now and no, I don’t miss it!”

Young hopes that fans in Malaysia will enjoy his performance. “I hope to see lots of people remembering the songs and the words. That I would like to see. Hopefully we all have some good fun together.”

Tickets are RM200, RM300, RM400, RM500 and RM680 (March 21) and RM220, RM330, RM450, RM560 and RM780 (March 23). Visit www.genting.com.my or call 03-2718-1118.