Paul Young: Elguapo, hit musician, and Super-Chef
A fun evening is in store when Paul Young (Wherever I Lay My Hat) changes tack and brings his tex-mex sound to Merseyside.
Paul, who found fame in the 80s with hits including Come Back and Stay, and Every Time I Go Away loves playing with his Mexican combo Los Pacaminos, with whom he’s been touring for the last 17 years.
His latest gig locally takes place at Crosby Civic Hall for one night only on August 28.
Paul enjoys an eclectic life, part Paul Young where he enjoys solo concerts, part tex-mex musician with Los Pacaminos and part chef. He reached the finals of Celebrity Masterchef in 2006 and also took part in Hell’s Kitchen. He now indulges his love of cajan food when he guest cooks from time to time in other people’s kitchens.
As he told Clickliverpool: “I have been lucky enough to tour all over the world and wherever I go I eat the local food. I love learning how the locals live and always get the local promoter to put together a CD of local music. This way I can share what I learn with others. I enjoy passing on my knowledge of both food and music. Other people might not have been as lucky as me to experience all these different ways of life. I like to be open to new challengers. I am still learning, still writing and recording.”
And to prove he is not ‘just Paul Young – singer’ this week alone he has cooked for 75 people at the 02 Arena, shot a video, done a spot for the Here and Now Show, and took the Paul Young Show to Scarborough! Not one to stand still!
And in between he plays with Los Pacaminos as Elguapo. Seventeen years ago he got together a group of friends, all great musicians in their own right, and created the band. “It’s like a hobby. We just really enjoy playing together when we are not doing other things. We fit in gigs when we can.”
“They are all fantastic musicians,” Paul told Click. “Jamie Moses, an American, is au fait with Mexican music and is a great player. He has backed Paul McCartney and played with Keith Richards as well as the Pretenders and Brian May.” Melvin Duffy one of the UK’s premier pedal steel players is a well known session musician and has backed stars like Robbie Williams and Leo Sayer
Other members of the band are Matt Irving (accordion, vocals) who has played with Manfred Mann, Jools Holland and Chris Rea, Mark Pinder (drums) a well known backing player with Paul himself as well as supporting Alison Moyet, Steve Greetham (bass and vocals) who has played with Joan Armatrading and Drew Barfield (vocals and songwriter).
“We have great fun playing the gigs. I am not the only singer so get to do backing vocals, something I’ve not been able to do before. We get a ‘Tequila babe’ from the audience up on stage, we all drink the tequilas and then nominate her as the night’s Tequila babe. The sounds we play are up-tempo country sounds but with more humour and ballads. They are not the usual mournful country lyrics but more upbeat, more fun. We take traditional tex-mex sounds and ‘translate’ them into music that a British audience enjoys and understands. We interpret the music for the sound of western ears. Everyone seems to enjoy it. It’s like rock’n’roll and country with a Mexican flavour,” he said.
However, if any fans want him to sing Paul Young hits they are in for a big disappointment. This is totally different from his other shows – which he still does. But when playing with Los Pacaminos it’s strictly Mexican vibes.
“Many fans come along and really enjoy this new sound. They go away having learnt more about the music and I enjoy being able to bring them to it,” he said.
Young was born in Luton, Bedfordshire and now lives in north London with wife Stacey and his three children, Levi (23), Layla (15) and Grady Cole (14).
Young's biggest worldwide hit was in 1985 with a version of Daryl Hall's Every Time You Go Away. The song reached no.1 on the U.S. pop charts, and he performed it during the London segment of the Live Aid concert.
In 1993, Young was freed from his contract with the CBS/Sony Records label, and he has released fewer solo albums since then.
But he is busier than ever! He was wanting to spend more time with his young family, especially during the school summer holidays, but this has been thwarted by so many calls on his time, either as Paul Young, a superchef or Elguapo in Los Pacaminos. And 'Elguapo'? Well it means 'good looking' - a good choice of moniker!
If you want to catch Paul and Los Pacaminos at Crosby Civic Hall on August 28 log on to www.seftonarts.co.uk .Tickets are £14, concessions £12.
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