Paul Hardcastle
Encyclopedia
Paul Hardcastle is an English
composer
and musician
, specialising in the synthesizer
.
on several singles
on the Oval record label
by the dance music
groups Direct Drive and First Light, before going solo
.
He achieved some acclaim for his early singles, notably in 1984, the electro-funk/freestyle
/instrumental
track, "Rain Forest", which along with the track, "Sound Chaser" hit number two on the dance chart. "Rain Forest" also hit number five on the soul chart and number fifty-seven on the Hot 100. In 1985, he came to greater prominence with the international hit "19
", a song about America's involvement in the Vietnam War
and the effect it had on the soldiers who served, using sampled dialogue from an American television documentary
about the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by veterans.
Hardcastle enjoyed several further hits in the UK, including "Don't Waste My Time" (with vocals by Carol Kenyon
) (UK #8) and "The Wizard", a UK #15 hit that became the theme tune
for BBC Television
's music chart show Top of the Pops
in the 80's. He also had a hit with "Just For Money", which reached #19 in the UK and featured Bob Hoskins
and Sir Laurence Olivier. Earlier, he had cut a cover version
of D-Train's most influential hit "You're the One For Me", segued with his own compositions "Daybreak" and "A.M." Hardcastle also wrote the theme tune for Saturday Live, a popular entertainment show which ran from 1985-1987.
He also made the hit single "The Voyager", which was used for the BBC One
programme Holiday
. Paul now acknowledges he was behind the "N-N-Nineteen Not Out" track with Rory Bremner
.
After 1986, Hardcastle started to specialise in television soundtrack
s and remixed
work, for artists
as such as Five Star
, Barry White
, Third World
, Sinitta, Johnny Logan
, Hiroshima
and Ian Dury
.
In 1988, Hardcastle released the concept album
, No Winners, which focuses on the potential negative effects of the Cold War
arms race. In 2000, he released Hardcastle III, which included a remake of "Rainforest" and a hit single, "Desire."
Hardcastle has also recorded
several synth jazz
album
s, alternating releases under the artist names Kiss The Sky, The Jazzmasters, and Paul Hardcastle. Working regularly with vocalist Helen Rogers
, Hardcastle has recruited several saxophonist
s including Gary Barnacle
(on the first album), Snake Davis
, Phil Todd and Tony Woods. All these albums have been played on smooth jazz
radio in the United States
, where some of the most played tracks include "Northern Lights", "Lost in Space", "Desire", "Shine", and "Serene". He won the Billboard Smooth Jazz Artist Of The Year award in 2008.
2010's The Jazzmasters VI track "Touch and Go", featuring his son Paul Jr. on saxophone, reached #1 on the US Billboard Jazz songs chart, becoming his tenth number one on the Smooth Jazz chart in total.
His most recent album, Hardcastle VI, released in September 2011, features yet another remake of "Rainforest" -- this time mixed with R&B legend Marvin Gaye
's signature song, "What's Going On
."
Hardcastle is also a Chelsea fan.
The Jazzmasters series
Kiss The Sky series
Complete Chart from 1981 to 2011 can be seen here.... http://www.paulhardcastle.com/charts.html
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, specialising in the synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
.
Discography
In the early 1980s, Hardcastle played the keyboardsKeyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
on several singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on the Oval record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
by the dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
groups Direct Drive and First Light, before going solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
.
He achieved some acclaim for his early singles, notably in 1984, the electro-funk/freestyle
Freestyle music
Freestyle or Latin freestyle, sometimes referred to as Latin hip hop, is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 1980s. Mostly popular during the mid 80s to the early 90s...
/instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
track, "Rain Forest", which along with the track, "Sound Chaser" hit number two on the dance chart. "Rain Forest" also hit number five on the soul chart and number fifty-seven on the Hot 100. In 1985, he came to greater prominence with the international hit "19
19 (song)
"19" is a song by British musician Paul Hardcastle released as the first single from his self-titled third studio album Paul Hardcastle ....
", a song about America's involvement in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and the effect it had on the soldiers who served, using sampled dialogue from an American television documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
about the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by veterans.
Hardcastle enjoyed several further hits in the UK, including "Don't Waste My Time" (with vocals by Carol Kenyon
Carol Kenyon
Carol Kenyon , is a British singer. She was born c. 1959.Although primarily known as a session vocalist on many albums and singles by a variety of prominent artists, as well as in many concerts, Kenyon has also released several singles as a solo artist...
) (UK #8) and "The Wizard", a UK #15 hit that became the theme tune
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's music chart show Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
in the 80's. He also had a hit with "Just For Money", which reached #19 in the UK and featured Bob Hoskins
Bob Hoskins
Robert William "Bob" Hoskins, Jr. is an English actor known for playing Cockney rough diamonds, psychopaths and gangsters, in films such as The Long Good Friday , and Mona Lisa , and lighter roles in family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook .- Early life :Hoskins was born in Bury St...
and Sir Laurence Olivier. Earlier, he had cut a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of D-Train's most influential hit "You're the One For Me", segued with his own compositions "Daybreak" and "A.M." Hardcastle also wrote the theme tune for Saturday Live, a popular entertainment show which ran from 1985-1987.
He also made the hit single "The Voyager", which was used for the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
programme Holiday
Holiday (TV series)
Holiday was a long-running UK television programme on BBC One, and was the oldest travel review show on UK television. It was aired on the channel from 1969 until 2007.-Overview:...
. Paul now acknowledges he was behind the "N-N-Nineteen Not Out" track with Rory Bremner
Rory Bremner
Roderick "Rory" Keith Ogilvy Bremner, FKC is a Scottish impressionist, playwright and comedian, noted for his work in political satire...
.
After 1986, Hardcastle started to specialise in television soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s and remixed
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
work, for artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
as such as Five Star
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
, Barry White
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
, Third World
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
, Sinitta, Johnny Logan
Johnny Logan (singer)
Johnny Logan , is an Australian-born Irish singer and composer. He is regarded as "Mister Eurovision", having participated in the Eurovision Song Contest many times since the 1970s, and, since 1992, has been the most successful artist in Eurovision history.Logan has won the international contest on...
, Hiroshima
Hiroshima (band)
Hiroshima is an American jazz fusion/smooth jazz band formed in 1974 by Sansei Japanese American Dan Kuramoto , Peter Hata , June Kuramoto , Johnny Mori , Dave Iwataki and Danny Yamamoto...
and Ian Dury
Ian Dury
Ian Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, lyricist, bandleader and actor who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and New Wave era of rock music...
.
In 1988, Hardcastle released the concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, No Winners, which focuses on the potential negative effects of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
arms race. In 2000, he released Hardcastle III, which included a remake of "Rainforest" and a hit single, "Desire."
Hardcastle has also recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
several synth jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, alternating releases under the artist names Kiss The Sky, The Jazzmasters, and Paul Hardcastle. Working regularly with vocalist Helen Rogers
Helen Rogers
Helen Rogers began singing in 1978 with One Stop Music, an independent South London label specialising in reggae music. After joining Brit funk band Direct Drive as lead vocalist in 1982, Rogers entered the Black Echoes Top 20 with "In The Middle of Spring" and "Pass The Paper" respectively.In...
, Hardcastle has recruited several saxophonist
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s including Gary Barnacle
Gary Barnacle
Gary Barnacle is a saxophonist/flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer and producer, primarily noted for session work, live work Gary Barnacle (born 1959, Dover, England) is a saxophonist/flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer and producer, primarily noted for session work, live work...
(on the first album), Snake Davis
Snake Davis
Snake Davis is a session musician who has played with some of the worlds biggest artists. In the 1980s he fronted York band Zoot and the Roots....
, Phil Todd and Tony Woods. All these albums have been played on smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
radio in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where some of the most played tracks include "Northern Lights", "Lost in Space", "Desire", "Shine", and "Serene". He won the Billboard Smooth Jazz Artist Of The Year award in 2008.
2010's The Jazzmasters VI track "Touch and Go", featuring his son Paul Jr. on saxophone, reached #1 on the US Billboard Jazz songs chart, becoming his tenth number one on the Smooth Jazz chart in total.
His most recent album, Hardcastle VI, released in September 2011, features yet another remake of "Rainforest" -- this time mixed with R&B legend Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's signature song, "What's Going On
What's Going On
What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released May 21, 1971, on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records...
."
Personal life
Hardcastle is married to Dolores Baker, and they have three children: Maxine (born April 1986), Paul Jr. (born August 1990), and Ritchie (born May 1997).Hardcastle is also a Chelsea fan.
Albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1984 | Daybreak |
| 1985 | Zero One |
| 1985 | Paul Hardcastle |
| 1988 | No Winners |
| 1990 | Sound Syndicate |
| 1993 | The Definitive |
| 1997 | First Light |
| 1999 | Cover To Cover: A Musical Autobiography |
| 2003 | The Very Best of Paul Hardcastle 1983-2003 |
| 2009 | Zero One |
Smooth jazz albums
Hardcastle series| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Hardcastle |
| 1996 | Hardcastle 2 |
| 2002 | Hardcastle III |
| 2005 | Hardcastle 4 |
| 2008 | Hardcastle V |
| 2009 | Paul Hardcastle: The Collection |
| 2011 | Hardcastle VI |
The Jazzmasters series
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1993 | The Jazzmasters |
| 1995 | The Jazzmasters II |
| 1999 | The Jazzmasters III |
| 2000 | Jazzmasters: The Greatest Hits |
| 2004 | The Jazzmasters 4 |
| 2004 | The Smooth Cuts |
| 2006 | The Jazzmasters V |
| 2010 | The Jazzmasters VI |
Kiss The Sky series
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1992 | Kiss The Sky |
| 1994 | Millennium sky way |
Singles
- 1984: "You're the One For Me - Daybreak - A.M." (UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#41) - 1984: "Guilty" (UK #55)
- 1984: "Rainforest" (UK #41)
- 1984: "Eat Your Heart Out" (UK #59)
- 1985: "1919 (song)"19" is a song by British musician Paul Hardcastle released as the first single from his self-titled third studio album Paul Hardcastle ....
" (Switzerland #1 (7 Weeks) ; Norway #1 (7 Weeks) ; Germany #1 (6 Weeks) ; UK #1 (5 Weeks); Netherlands #1 (5 Weeks); New Zealand #1 (4 Weeks); Sweden #1 (2 Weeks); Austria #1; Italy #1; Ireland #1; US Dance Club Play Chart #1 (2 Weeks); France #15; U.S.Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
#15) - 1985 "N-N-Nineteen Not Out" as producer of Rory Bremner's parody single recorded under the name of the Commentators (UK #13)
- 1985: "Rainforest" (re-issue) (US #57 / UK #53)
- 1985: "Just for Money" (UK #19; Ireland #15)
- 1986: "Don't Waste My Time" (UK #8; Ireland #15)
- 1986: "Foolin' Yourself" (UK #51)
- 1986: "The Wizard" (UK #15; Ireland #10)
- 1988: "Walk in the Night" (UK #54)
- 1988: "40 Years" (UK #53)
- 1989: "Are You Ready" as Paul Hardcastle Sound Syndication (UK #90)
- 2011: "Rainforest"/"What's Going On - Smooth Jazz Indicator Chart (#16)
- 2011: "Easy Come, Easy Go - Smooth Jazz Indicator Chart (#1)
Complete Chart from 1981 to 2011 can be seen here.... http://www.paulhardcastle.com/charts.html
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- List of 1980s one-hit wonders in the United States
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of Euro disco artists
- List of smooth jazz performers
- List of synthpop artists
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart