“Everytime You Go Away” (1985) by Paul Young - why didn’t he have more big hits after this massive hit?

A lot of acts seemed to drop off the radar after 85, 86. Even Duran Duran, Culture Club.

I have loved this song since it came out. I also love the Hall and Oates version but Paul's is better. Not sure why Paul didn't go farther here in the US. I think he had more of a career in the UK.

Hobbit

I like that song, but I prefer I Was in Chains, and to a lesser extent This Means Anything from that album

This was my jam.

Everytime you go away you take a piece of meat with you.

His voice wasn’t all that great. Seemed strained at times.

His voice was always on the fragile side. If you see any videos of him singing live over the last 20 years he sounds like shit.

Who cares? A lot of singers have thin voices.

I loved “Love of the Common People” and “Why Don’t You Come Back”. “Everytime You Go Away” was overplayed and drives me crazy to this day.

"Come Back And Stay" was one of those magical 80s song that had something so special going on. That bassline, the synths, it's a sound that only came around from about 1979 to 1983 and then was gone forever. I was obsessed with the song and with his voice and face.

"Every Time You Go Away" lacked the new wave sensibility of "Come Back and Stay" so I was not having it. As an adult I understand much more how good (romantic, emotive) of a song and performane it is.

Hall & Oates, 1980.

Because he died?

He died???

I thought that was by Paul Lynde

This song played ALL THE TIME when I was around 7-8?

I always thought that this was Hall and Oates!!!!!!

Paul's follow up album, Between Two Fires, was a big flop, but contained some of his best work. The first single should have been a way bigger hit. It only hit #56.

And the best song on the album, War Games, was only released as a single in Canada.

Wasn't there a sort of tizzy with MTV because you can see his dick bouncing around in the video or something? I remember a radio deejay saying something about Paul Young needing to wear underwear but I never saw any bouncing about, myself.

He ruined his voice by not singing with a proper technique.

Op - go away

Paul was a great British soul singer with great stage presence - look up his 1985 Live Aid performance at Wembley.

He unfortunately fell afoul of the changing tastes that beset mid-to-late 80s radio and MTv. He had gotten a taste of stateside success when radio, record companies and the powers-that-be at MTv decided to move away from traditional rock/pop and toward hair metal and later, urban hip-hop and rap. His career fell by the wayside, along with several other talented UK acts from the era: Howard Jones, Thompson Twins, Alison Moyet, Sade, Culture Club. Eurythmics kept their fanbase, but longer got much mainstream airplay after '88 or so; Duran Duran as well.

Sade’s music was nothing like anyone you mentioned.

He was more interesting with edgier fare. This song was boring as fuck, as was "Oh Girl."

He sounded more engaging on songs like "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" or more straight up soul numbers like "Love of the Common People."

I loved the sort of "jazz pop" movement of the mid 80s that included Young, Alison Moyet, Sade, EBTG and Style Council, among others, but almost all of them (save Sade) fell or tripped into a trap of syrupy overproduction by the end of the 80s. Most changed course eventually, but Paul Young sorta of stayed in that adult contemporary office sort of music, as did Simply Red.

Sade never fell anywhere.

R25 Yes, correct. Which is what I said in R24.

Paul Young didn't write this song. Daryl Hall wrote "Everytime You Go Away" but Hall & Oates never released it as a single. Paul Young had a decent voice he didn't write a lot of his own songs and had to rely on others to get good material.

R27 your point??? Most artists sing songs written by others.

I prefer Corey Hart

Their music was nothing alike r29. Once again you compare apples to pineapples, not even oranges. One was a Canadian teen pop star and the other an adult British contemporary musician

I prefer Rick Springfield.

I prefer Dick Haymes!

He had a much bigger career in the UK and Europe than he did in the US.

IS HE DEAD???!!!

Well to be honest to have had a much bigger career in Europe he just needed one more hit.

Sade was a British-based pop star by the mid-80s, r23, with wide airplay on radio and MTv. She was absolutely similar in that way.

R36 you are correct. Sade had many similarities to others in that jazz pop wave from that era.

I would say the closest comparisons to Sade would be Style Council and Everything But The Girl. All three were really exploring a neo-jazz sound, and both Sade and Style Council contributed or sang on songs for the "Absolute Beginners" soundtrack.

Moyet had a bluesier voice but also mined some similar territory, especially when she did songs like "That Ole Devil Called Love."

Plus Moyet could eat them all under the table. Or just eat them all.

Paul Young is the reason we have Whitney’s version of I Will Always Love You.

The big Bodyguard song was mean to be What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted but Paul Young recorded it for Fried Green Tomatoes so Whitney went with Dolly.

His back up singers were fantastic, especially on Come Back and Stay and Love of the Common People.

I had a bug crush on Paul Young and his mullet.

R40 the backing singers were called the Fabulous Wealthy Tarts 😂

It’s a terrific song. Easy listening.