Lynsey de Paul (born Lynsey Monckton Rubin,
11 June
1950, London) is an English singer-songwriter.
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Contents
- 1 Life
and career
- 2 Discography
- 2.1 Singles
- 2.2 Other
singles
- 2.3 B
sides
- 2.4 Albums
- 3 Other
artists
- 4 References
- 5 External
links
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Life and career
De Paul was born to Meta and Herbert Rubin, a property
developer. She grew up in a Jewish family in Cricklewood,
North
London.
Renowned for her keyboard skills, ability to write
catchy songs
and sultry looks, de Paul first hit the UK
charts
in 1972, initially as the writer of the Fortunes
hit,
"Storm in a Teacup". A few months later she was propelled into the
limelight as the performer of her very own song hit song "Sugar Me", which
rapidly found its way into the Top Ten of the UK
Singles Chart as well as the top of the singles
charts in Holland
and Belgium.
"Sugar Me" was rapidly followed by "Getting a Drag", a quirky song in a
completely different vein about finding out that her boyfriend likes to
cross-dress. She was the first woman to be awarded an Ivor
Novello Award for her classic ballad, "Won't Somebody Dance With Me",
another UK Top 20 hit. A second Ivor followed a year later for the Phil
Spector-ish "No Honestly", which was also the theme tune
to a hit ITV comedy
of the same name, and provided her with another UK Top 10 hit.
A prolific songwriter first and foremost, de Paul has written
songs for many other recording artists. In a five year period
(1972-77) she wrote a total of 14 UK
Singles Chart hits, most notably "Dancin' (on a Saturday Night)" which
was a hit for co-writer Barry Blue as well as Flash
Cadillac and Bond. Indeed, de Paul's songs have reached the charts in
most territories, including the U.S., Japan, Germany, the Netherlands,
France, Switzerland,
Belgium,
Austria,
Sweden, Canada and Australia.
She also has performed producing and arranging duties on many of these
recordings.
"Rock Bottom", which she wrote with Mike
Moran, was the UK entry in the Eurovision Song Contest
1977. Although it came second in the Eurovision Song Contest, it went
on to become a Top 20 hit in many European countries including France,
Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where it reached the top of their
singles chart. De Paul and Moran went on to write a number of songs,
such as "Let Your Body Go Downtown", a Top 40 hit for the Martyn Ford Orchestra; and
the follow up "Going to a Disco", as well as "Without You", and "Now
and Then", which appeared on the albums Tigers and Fireflies
and Just a Little Time, respectively.
After a three year period of being based in California
in the late 1970s/early
1980s with
her partner at the time, the actor James Coburn, de Paul returned to England. Whilst
still writing songs for artists as diverse as Shirley
Bassey, Sam
Hui and The Real Thing, de Paul also branched
out into record production, acting in musicals
and plays,
interviewing and TV presentation, drawing cartoons and
even self
defence. On the latter subject in 1992 she presented a documentary
about women's self defence, called Eve Fights Back,
which won a Royal Television Society
award.
In 2006, de Paul became a director on the board of the Performing Right Society.
Discography
Singles
| Year |
Title |
Chart positions |
| UK |
CHE |
| 1972 |
"Sugar Me" |
5 |
- |
| "Getting A Drag" |
18 |
- |
| 1973 |
"Won't Somebody Dance With Me" |
14 |
- |
| 1974 |
"Oooh I Do" |
25 |
- |
| "No Honestly" |
7 |
- |
| 1975 |
"My Man And Me" |
40 |
- |
| 1977 |
"Rock Bottom" (with Mike Moran) |
19 |
1 |
Other singles
- "All Night" / "Blind Leading the Blind"
- "Rhythm and Blue Jean Baby" / "Into My Music"
- "Happy Christmas to You From Me" / "Stick to You" (with Barry
Blue)
- "Hug and Squeeze Me" / "You Made Me Write This Song"
- "Love Bomb" / "Rainbow"
- "If I Don't Get You The Next One Will" / "Season to Season"
- "You Give me Those Feelings" / "Beautiful"
- "Hollywood Romance" / "Losin' The Blues for You"
- "Tigers and Fireflies" / "Losin' The Blues for You"
- "Strange Changes" / "Strange Changes (version)"
- "Air on a Heartstring" / "Arrival of the Queen" (with Horea
Crishan)
- "There's No Place Like London" / "There's No Place Like
London" (Karaoke version) (credited as Lynsey & friends)
B sides
- "Storm in a Teacup" ("Sugar Me")
- "Brandy" ("Getting a Drag")
- "So Good to You" ("Won't Somebody Dance with Me")
- "Nothing Really Lasts Forever" ("Ooh I do")
- "Central Park Arrest" ("No Honestly")
- "Dancing on a Saturday Night" ("My Man and Me")
- "Shouldn't Say That" (with Mike Moran)
("Rock Bottom")
Albums
- Surprise
- The World of Lynsey de Paul (aka Lynsey
Sings)
- Taste Me... Don't Waste Me
- Love Bomb
- Before You Go Tonight
- No Honestly
- Tigers and Fireflies
- Just a Little Time (aka Sugar
Me)
- The Best of Lynsey de Paul
- Greatest Hits
- Best of the 70s - Lynsey de Paul
Other artists
Artists
who have recorded songs
written by de Paul include:
References
