Paul Hardcastle is an English composer who started his artistic career when he became the keyboardist of the band Direct Drive in 1981.
A fleeting adventure since he left the group with lead singer Derek Green to form the duo First Light. Once again an ephemeral adventure since it will only last 2 years before the artist decides to fly on his own.
A solo career that he began in 1984 with the release of several Singles that did not go unnoticed, far from it.
But it is especially the year 1985 that will see him explode internationally with the release of 2 huge albums that are "Rain forest" and "Paul Hardcastle". The first will stay in history for the title of the same name and the second will offer the artist his direct ticket to posterity with the single "19". A single that will remain as one of the biggest titles of the decade !
He will never be able to repeat the feat thereafter but will release an impressive number of albums, making him one of the most prolific composers of his generation...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
You’re the one for me – Daybreak – A.M.’ 1984
Guilty 1984
Eat your heart out 1984
King tut 1984
Rain forest 1985
19 1985
Just for money 1985
Don’t waste my time 1986
The wizard 1986
Walk in the night 1988
40 years 1988
Are you ready 1989
Body heat 1993
See you in July 1993
Can't stop now 1994
You may be gone 1994
Summer rain 1995
So much in love 1995
Look to the future 1996
You are the one 1996
Sanctity 1997
Celestial rhythm 1997
Ventura Highway 1999
Down so low 1999
I believe in you 2002
Feeling blue 2004
How long (Before we get it right) 2004
Smooth jazz is bumpin' 2005
Children of the ghetto 2006
Garden of Eden 2006
Don't you know 2008
Blew my mind 2008
One chance 2010
Can't get by 2010
The vision 2010
Rainforest 2011
1000 miles from nowhere 2011
Let this love begin 2011
Ibiza dub 2012
Emerald stardust 2012
Look to the future 2012
Slippin away 2013
Dreamin 2013
Crystal whisper 2013
Soft rain 2014
Breathe 2014
Don't you know 2015
Better now 2015
Stay in the moment 2018
A horse with no name 2018
Ouside my window 2020
No escape 2020
Come to me 2022
Angelic chimes 2022
Clips :
1984 ... first title and already first success in the Charts. Admittedly, success limited to England but he did not ask for more ...
1984 ... the composer begins to make a name for himself in the industry. The hits follow one after another and clearly prove that this young man has talent, that's clear !
1984 ... a BIG year 1984 with this 3rd success in stride. The rise in power is linear and inevitably promises great achievements to come ...
1984 ... success spreads in the USA now. Everything is now ready for a great fireworks display which will not be long ...
1985 ... it will not take place on this title but we are getting closer and closer. In just one year, the artist has established himself as one of the sure values of the moment and will prove with the following title that he is certainly not there by chance !
1985 ... the great fireworks display, here it is ! Here he is simply delivering one of the biggest Dance hits of the decade and triumphantly entering the musical legend of the 80s. MAS-TER-FUL !
1985 ... obviously, impossible for this title to compete with its predecessor. Considering the incredible level of success achieved by '19', it was literally mission impossible !
1986 ... another major success which adds a new star to an already well-stocked prize list. There is really talent in this boy !
1986 ... in just 2 years he will have established himself as one of the best composers of his generation with an exceptional title and several titles of very high caliber. Who says better ?
1988 ... after 2 totally euphoric years, the machine will seize up in a surprising way. First by a year 1987 empty and a return to 1988 in a form that we will qualify as average. Mighty reversal of the situation ...
1988 ... he tries to redo the masterful move he achieved with '19'. Unfortunately, this title will not know the level of incredible success achieved by the latter ...
1989...a great adventure that ends with this title. At least on the electronic music part because the adventure will continue but this time in jazzy-lounge mode. Who would've believed that...?
1993...here he opens a new page in a career that already has a few and not the least. A new page that will rhyme mainly with finesse and lightness...
1993...one could have imagined that the enormous successes of the previous years would have been enough for him. He does not hear it like that at first sight and intends to continue the adventure as far as possible...
1994...we can't imagine how much he intends to continue the adventure. Because we are in the middle of the 90s and the adventure is far, very far, very very far from being over...
1994... he will never repeat the feat achieved on "19" thereafter but what he now offers is far from devoid of interest. It's something else, of course, but we greatly appreciate the quality level in any case...
1995 ... he will almost release a new opus every year and this again during the decades to follow. Remarkable productivity for an artist who will undoubtedly remain one of the most prolific of his generation...
1995... from now on he will alternate titles with words and titles without words. We will mainly remember the sung pieces but the others are not devoid of interest, far from it...
1996... what is certain is that he will henceforth work mainly in the jazzy-lounge register. An assumed reorientation that few other artists will have attempted...
1996...a daring bet but a visionary bet because this style will allow him to cross the decades with more than obvious ease...
1997...afterwards it is clear that he will never again experience the levels of success reached in the mid-1980s. But was that really his goal...?
1997...each new opus is of certain quality and shows that the artist still has a level of inspiration worthy of the greatest. We had no doubt...
1999...a decade of the 90s which saw her stay afloat without too much difficulty, which bodes well for the rest of the events...
1999...especially since there is quantity and quality, which doesn't spoil anything, quite the contrary. It's clear he'll never set the Dancefloor on fire again, but it doesn't matter in the end...
2002...here he begins his 3rd decade of career with the will to go as far as possible. Which can only delight the basic fans once again...
2004...the advantage of the musical niche in which he has positioned himself is that it goes through the decades without ever going out of fashion. One of the rare slots in this case...
2004... where most of those who started at the same time as him have already disappeared from the musical landscape, him is still there in any case. How his strategy paid off...
2005...all in finesse, all in lightness, such has been its niche for several years now. A musical reorientation that will have protected him from the hazards of passing time...
2006...the only thing we can blame him for in this case is that he is not very much renewed in terms of style. It must be said that it is not easy in this particular musical niche...
2006...as long as it's still there, isn't that the main thing ? This is what he also says to himself, looking around him at all those of his time who have disappeared body and soul...
2008...a productivity that does not weaken despite the weight of the years and especially the decades. Like what his career strategy was the right one in the end...
2008...the advantage with this type of music is that it can more easily attract younger generations because it is intergenerational. Well seen as they say...
2010...and another decade to add to a career counter that already has a few. And it's far from over...
2010... we are slowly but surely approaching 30 years of career, who would have thought that possible when he started in 1981 ? Not many people, that's for sure...
2010...nothing exceptional but still good work and this for years and years. The qualitative level remains at a most satisfactory level and allows the artist to project himself into the future without too much difficulty...
2011...little or almost no cloud on the horizon for now. The artist unrolls quietly in his own way and without worrying too much about the dictates of the star system...
2011... they will have been little like him to cross the decades and to last so long. But he only owes it to one thing, his talent !
2011...we feel that for him music is an essential component of his daily life and that it will accompany him until the end. Who would blame him...
2012... it's rare that an artist, especially in solo, manages to pursue the adventure for so long, which underlines all the more the performance achieved, it's clear...
2012...a fluidity and a musical lightness that is quite simply good. After we like or not this type of musical niche but it is clear that it does not attack the ears, quite the contrary...
2012...there won't be any major style and sound changes to expect in the years to come but as long as it works, why change anything...
2013...on the other hand when you see what he continues to offer there is no rush to revolutionize everything, that's clear. Anyway, we're pretty happy with it...
2013...a great adventure that has been going on for decades and that is not ready to stop, that's for sure. Because he still has things to offer, we trust him at this level...
2013...a timeless style that can delight both the youngest and the oldest, which inevitably simplifies the situation considerably...
2014... the opuses follow one after the other at breakneck speed and delight the basic fans as always. What talent...
2014...certainly some opuses will be more inspired than others but overall the quality is essential in each one in one way or another...
2015... the merit of this kind of musical niche is that it can be listened to in any place and in any conditions. No prerequisites as they say...
2015...a super stable musical recipe that works almost every time. Admittedly, he hasn't appeared in the general charts for a long time, but that doesn't prevent him from being recognized at the height of its merits...
2018...a fourth decade that is ending quietly but surely and always in finesse and lightness. We won't remake him again as they say...
2018... he even dares to cover here one of the flagship titles of the America group dating from 1971. A damn daring bet and which, in the end, is not devoid of interest that's clear...
2020...and a new decade, one ! Unstoppable the little guy, it is clear. As long as he enjoys doing what he does, there's no reason to throw in the towel, that's for sure...
2020...especially if he manages to maintain such a high level of productivity, which would still be a real achievement in itself. But with him everything is possible...
2022...for now, no reason to worry about him. He seems to have started again on the same bases as in previous decades, both in terms of quantity and quality...
2022 ... so we imagine that this title will surely not be the last. So we're going to wait quietly for him to come back to us as they say...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :
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