Paul Carrack's Derby gig (with audio)

By Nigel Powlson

DESPITE his soulful voice appearing on some of the most memorable hits of the last 35 years, Paul Carrack has always been a reluctant frontman. "I'm too ugly," the former Ace, Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics musician declares.

That's why he preferred to hide his distinctive voice behind the keyboards when he first began playing.

It was only when he joined Ace and sang lead on the smash How Long? that he could no longer hide.

"I sang as a kid and people said, 'he has a lovely voice' but when I was playing with bands as a teenager we always had a designated frontman, a good-looking tall bloke. Being a not-so-good-looking, straggly, small bloke, I was content to stand at the back.

"The first time I sang lead vocals on anything was on How Long? With Ace, everyone contributed to songwriting and if you wrote the song you sang it. We didn't have a proper front man because we were all too ugly."

Born and raised in Sheffield and an ardent football follower of Wednesday ("the last time I was in Derby was when we lost 3-0") Paul always wanted to be a musician.

"I saw The Beatles when I was 12 or 13 and pretty much knew what I wanted to do," he says. "There were hundreds of bands in Sheffield in their Transit vans and I wanted some of that, especially as I wasn't much cop at school. With some hard work I made a career out of it and I thank my lucky stars for it."

That career has included stints as a band member with Roxy Music and notably Squeeze as well as guest slots with some of the big hit- makers of the time.

"There was no real plan apart from the avoidance of a real job," says Paul.

"I was basically in one or two bands until Ace split up and wanted to progress as a musician. I thought the way to do that was to play with different people which is how things like The Pretenders and The Smiths came up. I didn't make a great contribution, I only played on a track or two."

Paul did however make more of an impact with Squeeze, taking over from Jools Holland.

"Jools left and I slotted in on keyboards and got to sing lead vocals on a couple of singles as well, including Tempted, which I think is one of the best songs they have written ... and they have written some good songs."

But it was Genesis' Mike Rutherford who gave Paul his biggest commercial success. Songs like Silent Running and The Living Years, a massive hit on both sides of the Atlantic, made Mike and the Mechanics a household name. But Paul admits that the success was "a double-edged sword".

"There are people who patently don't like Mike and the Mechanics," he says. "We were a very successful band but stylistically it was that mid-80s kind of production, very synthy, and there are people who just don't like that and unfortunately consequently won't listen to my solo things. But, on balance, it has been fantastic being involved and it brought me to the attention of a lot of people who would have never had heard of me otherwise."

Paul now tours annually with his own band and will be back at Derby Assembly Rooms playing hits from his back catalogue and songs from his most recent album I Know That Name. That includes I Don't Want To Hear Any More, with backing vocals by no less than The Eagles.

"There's been a connection for a long time," says Paul. "I met Timothy B. Schmit (The Eagles bass player) on my first visit to the States back in 1975. Timothy told me they were making a new album and asked if I wanted to have a go at writing something for them. I put the phone down, picked up a guitar, wrote a song with them in mind and was delighted that it made it on the (Long Road Out of Eden) album."

The Eagles sang background vocals on that song on Paul's version.

"I would never have dreamt of asking for a favour in return," says Paul, "but it's a nice gesture on their part."

So has Paul finally accepted his position out stage front?

"I'm a singer and songwriter so I guess you almost have to be a frontman in some respect but I didn't find that easy," he says. "But as I have gotten older and become accepted as an all round musician, I feel more comfortable in the role of being leader of the band. Over the last eight or nine years and having the same touring band maybe I have grown into the role. I'm quite at ease with it now."

PAUL CARRACK

WHERE: Derby Assembly Rooms.

WHEN: Saturday, November 7, 8pm.

TICKETS: £26.50.

BOX OFFICE: 01332 255800.