Clipperton

Location of Clipperton Island in the Pacific Ocean

Clipperton Island

Native name: Île de la Passion
Clipperton Island with lagoon, showing depths in metres.
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	10°18′N 109°13′W / 10.3°N 109.217°W / 10.3; -109.217
Archipelago	None
Area	6 km2 (2.3 sq mi)
Highest elevation	29 m (95 ft)
Highest point	Clipperton Rock
Country
Possession of France
Demographics
Population	Uninhabited

Clipperton Island (French: Île de Clipperton or Île de la Passion, Spanish: Isla de la Pasión) is an uninhabited nine-square-kilometre (approx. 3.5-square-mile) coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean, southwest of Mexico and west of Central America, at 10°18′N 109°13′W / 10.3°N 109.217°W / 10.3; -109.217 (Clipperton Island)Coordinates: 10°18′N 109°13′W / 10.3°N 109.217°W / 10.3; -109.217 (Clipperton Island). It is an overseas possession of France under direct authority of the Minister of Overseas France.^[1]

Clipperton Island is low-lying and largely barren, save for scattered grasses and a few clumps of coconut palms. A small volcanic outcrop rising to 29 metres (95 ft) on its southeast side is referred to as "Clipperton Rock".^[2] The atoll has been occupied at various times by guano miners, would-be settlers or military personnel, mostly from Mexico, which formerly claimed it until international arbitration awarded it to France in 1931. However, Clipperton has had no permanent inhabitants since 1945. It is still visited on occasion by fishermen, French Navy patrols, scientific researchers, film crews, and shipwreck survivors. It has also proven a popular site for transmissions by ham radio operators.^[3]

Natural conditions[link]

Location, lagoon and climate[link]

Coconut palms on Clipperton; the lagoon is visible past the trees

Clipperton Island lies about 945 km (587 mi; 510 nmi) southeast of Socorro Island in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, the nearest land. The ring-shaped atoll completely encloses a stagnant freshwater lagoon, and is 12 km in circumference (7.5 mi). The island's rim averages 150 metres (490 ft) in width, though it reaches 400 metres (1,300 ft) in the west and narrows to 45 metres (148 ft) in the northeast, where sea waves occasionally spill over into the lagoon. Land elevations average 2 metres (6.6 ft), though Clipperton Rock, a barren 29-metre (95 ft) volcanic outcrop located in the atoll's southeast, is considerably higher and forms the island's tallest point. The reef surrounding Clipperton is exposed at low tide.^[4]

Clipperton's lagoon is devoid of fish, and contains some deep basins with depths of −43 and −22 metres (−141.1 and −72.2 ft), including a spot known as Trou-Sans-Fond, or "the bottomless hole", with acidic water at its base. The water is described as being almost fresh at the surface, and highly eutrophic. Seaweed beds cover approximately 45 percent of the lagoon's surface.^[4]

While some sources have rated the lagoon water as non-potable,^[5] testimony from the crew of the tuna clipper M/V Monarch, stranded on Clipperton for 23 days in 1962 after their boat sank, indicates otherwise. Their report reveals that the lagoon water, while not tasting very good, was drinkable, though "muddy and dirty". Several of the castaways drank it, with no apparent ill effects.^[6] In contrast, however, survivors of the ill-fated Mexican military colony on Clipperton in 1917 (see below) indicated that they were dependent upon rain for their water supply, catching it in several old boats they used for this purpose.^[7] Aside from the lagoon and water caught from rain, no other freshwater sources are known to exist on the island.

Clipperton Island has a tropical oceanic climate, with average temperatures of 20–32 °C (68–90 °F). The rainy season occurs from May to October, when it is subject to tropical storms and hurricanes. Surrounding ocean waters are warm, pushed by equatorial and counter-equatorial currents. The island has no known natural resources, its guano having been depleted early in the 20th century. Although 115 species of fish have been identified in the waters near Clipperton, the only economic activity in the area is tuna fishing.

Flora and fauna[link]

When Snodgrass and Heller visited Clipperton in 1898, they reported that "no land plant is native to the island" (Snodgrass and Heller, 1902). Other historical accounts from 1711, 1825 and 1839, however, point out that the island had a low grassy or suffrutescent (partially woody) flora during those periods (Sachet, 1962). Coconut palms were introduced in the 1890s, and a few still survive. Introduction of pigs by guano miners at the beginning of the 20th century reduced the crab population on the island, which in turn allowed grassland to gradually cover about 80 percent of the land surface (Sachet, 1962). The elimination of these pigs in 1958 has caused most of this vegetation to disappear as millions of crabs (Gecarcinus planatus) have returned. The result is that Clipperton is now virtually a sandy desert, with only 674 remaining palms counted by C. Jost during the "Passion 2001" French mission, and five islets in the lagoon with grass that these terrestrial crabs cannot reach.

Location of Clipperton Island

During Sachet's visit in 1958, Clipperton's vegetation was found to consist of a sparse cover of spiny grass and low thickets, a creeping plant (Ipomoea sp.), and stands of coconut palm. This low-lying herbaceous flora seems to be pioneer in nature, and most of it is believed to be composed of recently introduced species. Sachet suspected that Heliotropium curassavicum and possibly Portulaca oleracea were native, however (Sachet 1962). On the northwest side of the island, the most abundant species are Cenchrus echinatus, Sida rhombifolia, and Corchorus aestuans. These plants compose a shrub cover up to 30 cm in height and are intermixed with Eclipta, Phyllanthus, and Solanum, as well as a taller plant, Brassica juncea. One interesting feature observed about Clipperton Island's flora is that the vegetation is arranged in parallel rows of species; dense rows of taller species alternate with lower, more open vegetation. This was assumed to be a result of the phosphate mining method of trench-digging.^[4]

The only land animals known to exist on Clipperton Island are bright orange crabs (which are poisonous to consume), birds, lizards and rats, the last of which seem to have arrived from recently wrecked ships.^[8] Bird species include White Terns, Masked Boobies, Sooty Terns, Brown Boobies, Brown Noddies, Black Noddies, Greater Frigates, Coots, Martins, Cuckoos and Yellow Warblers. Ducks have been reported in the lagoon.^[4] The lagoon equally harbors millions of isopods, which swimmers claim can deliver a painful sting.^[9]

A recent report (2006) by the NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California, indicates that the increased rat presence on Clipperton Island has led to a decline in both crab and bird populations, causing a corresponding increase in both vegetation and coconut palms on the island. This report urgently recommended eradication of all the rats on the island, so that vegetation might be reduced and the island might return to its "pre-human" state.^[8]

History[link]

Discovery and early claims[link]

Clipperton's name comes from John Clipperton, an English pirate and privateer who fought the Spanish during the early 18th century, and who is said to have passed by the island. Some sources say he used it as a base for his raids on shipping, yet there is no documentary evidence for this assertion.^[10]

The name Île de la Passion (English: Passion Island) was officially given to Clipperton in 1711 by French discoverers Martin de Chassiron and Michel Du Bocage, commanding the French ships La Princesse and La Découverte. They drew up the first map of the island and annexed it to France. The first scientific expedition to Clipperton took place in 1725 under Frenchman M. Bocage, who lived on the island for several months. In 1858 France formally laid claim to Clipperton.

Other claimants included the United States, whose American Guano Mining Company claimed it under the Guano Islands Act of 1856; Mexico also claimed Clipperton due to activities undertaken there as early as 1848–1849. On November 17, 1858, Emperor Napoleon III annexed Clipperton as part of the French colony of Tahiti. However, this did not settle the question of Clipperton's ownership. On November 24, 1897, French naval authorities found three Americans on Clipperton working for the American Guano Company, who had raised the American flag on the island. However, U.S. authorities denounced their act, assuring the French that they did not intend to assert American sovereignty over Clipperton.^[11]

Mexico reasserted its claim over Clipperton Island late in the 19th century, and on December 13, 1897, sent the gunboat La Democrata to occupy and annex it. A colony was established, and a series of military governors were posted to Clipperton from that time, the last of whom would be Ramón Arnaud (1906–1916). France insisted on its ownership of Clipperton, and a lengthy diplomatic correspondence between the two nations led to the conclusion of a treaty on March 2, 1909, to seek the arbitration of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, with each nation promising to abide by that monarch's final determination.^[12] His decision would not be rendered until 1931.

Guano mining and the tragedy of 1917[link]

Survivors from Clipperton Island, 1917

The British Pacific Island Company acquired the rights to Clipperton's guano deposits in 1906, and built a mining settlement on the island in conjunction with the Mexican government. That same year, a lighthouse was erected under the orders of President Porfirio Díaz. By 1914, around 100 people—men, women, and children—were living on Clipperton Island, resupplied every two months by a ship from Acapulco. However, with the escalation of fighting in the Mexican Revolution, the regular resupply visits ceased, and the island's inhabitants were left to their own devices.^[13] The US Navy warship Lexington visited the atoll in late 1915 and advised evacuation of all inhabitants, however the governor, Captain Arnaud, declared that evacuation was not necessary.^[13]

By 1917, all but one of the males on Clipperton had died. Many had perished from scurvy, while others (including Captain Arnaud) died during a failed attempt to sail after a passing ship to fetch help. Lighthouse keeper Victoriano Álvarez ultimately found himself the last man remaining on the island, together with 15 women and children.^[14] Álvarez proclaimed himself "king" and began an orgy of rape and murder, before being killed by Captain Arnaud's widow, who had become the recipient of his unwanted attentions.^[13] Almost immediately after Álvarez's death, four women and seven children (the last survivors) were picked up by the US Navy gunship Yorktown on July 18, 1917.^[15] Following this, no further attempts were made to permanently colonize Clipperton Island, though it would be briefly occupied during the 1930s and '40s.

The tragic tale of the Mexican colony on Clipperton Island has been the subject of several novels, including Ivo Mansmann's Clipperton, Schicksale auf einer vergessenen Insel ("Clipperton, Destinies on a Forgotten Island"); ISBN 3-354-00709-5 (in German, no English translation available) and Colombian writer Laura Restrepo's La Isla de la Pasión in the Spanish language.^[16]

Final arbitration of ownership[link]

On January 28, 1931, King Victor Emanuel finally declared Clipperton to be a French possession.^[17] The French rebuilt the island's lighthouse and settled a military outpost there, which remained for seven years before being abandoned.

Recent developments[link]

Clipperton Island was abandoned by the end of World War II, after briefly being occupied by the USA (1944-5). Since then it has only been visited by sport fishermen, regularly scheduled patrols of the French Navy, and by Mexican tuna and shark fishermen. There have been infrequent scientific and amateur radio expeditions, and in 1978 Jacques-Yves Cousteau visited with his team of divers, plus a survivor from the 1917 evacuation, to film a television special called Clipperton: The Island that Time Forgot.^[18]

The Brown Booby

In 1958, Clipperton was visited by ornithologist Ken Stager of the Los Angeles County Museum. Appalled at the depredations visited by feral pigs upon the island's Brown Booby and Masked Booby colonies (reduced to 500 and 150 birds, respectively), Stager procured a shotgun and proceeded to hunt down and kill all of Clipperton Island's 58 pigs. By 2003, the Booby colonies on Clipperton boasted 25,000 Brown Boobies and 112,000 Masked Boobies, making the atoll the world's second-largest Brown Booby colony, and its largest Masked Booby colony.^[8]

In 1962, the independence of Algeria threatened French nuclear testing sites within that nation. The French Ministry of Defence considered Clipperton as a possible replacement location; however, due to the island's hostile climate and remote location, this was eventually ruled out. The French explored reopening the lagoon and developing a harbor for trade and tourism during the 1970s, but this idea, too, was ultimately abandoned. An automatic weather installation was completed on April 7, 1980, with data collected by this station being transmitted directly by satellite to Brittany.

In 1981, the Academy of Sciences for Overseas Territories recommended that the island have its own economic infrastructure, with an airstrip and a fishing port in the lagoon. This would mean opening up the lagoon by creating a passage in the atoll rim. For this purpose, an agreement was signed with the French government, represented by the High Commissioner for French Polynesia, whereby Clipperton became French state property. On October 13, 1986, a meeting took place regarding the establishment of a permanent base for fishing at Clipperton, between the high commissioner of French Polynesia, representing the state, and the survey firm for the development and exploitation of the island (SEDEIC). Taking into account the economic constraints, the distance from viable markets, and the small size of the atoll, nothing apart from preliminary studies was ever undertaken to carry out this project. Finally, all plans for development of Clipperton were abandoned.

Castaways[link]

In early 1962 (as mentioned above), Clipperton provided a home to nine crewmen of the sunken tuna clipper M/V Monarch, who were stranded on the island for 23 days from February 6 to March 1 of that year. They reported that the lagoon water was drinkable, though they preferred to drink water from the coconuts they found. Unable to use any of the dilapidated buildings remaining on the island from previous occupants, they constructed a crude shelter from cement bags and tin salvaged from Quonset huts built by the American military twenty years earlier. Wood from the huts was used for firewood, and fish caught off the fringing reef combined with some potatoes and onions they had saved from their sinking vessel to augment the island's meager (as it turned out) supply of coconuts. The crewmen reported that they tried eating bird's eggs, but found them to be rancid, and they decided after trying to cook a "little black bird" that it did not have enough meat to make the effort worthwhile. Pigs that had previously inhabited Clipperton had been eradicated prior to this time, though the crewmen reported seeing their skeletons around the atoll. Eventually, these crewmen were discovered by another fishing boat, and were rescued by the United States Naval Destroyer USS Robison.^[19]

In 1988, five Mexican fishermen became lost at sea after a storm that occurred during their trip along the coast of Costa Rica. They drifted within sight of Clipperton, but were unable to reach it.^[20] In 1998, Steven Longbaugh and David Heritage, two American deckhands from a fishing boat based in California, were stranded on the island for three weeks. They were rescued after rebuilding a survival radio and using distress flares to signal for help.^[21]

Recent history[link]

Satellite image of Clipperton Island

The Mexican and French oceanographic expedition SURPACLIP (UNAM Mexico and UNC Nouméa) made extensive studies in 1997 on and around the island. In 2001, French geographer Ch. Jost extended the 1997 studies through his French "Passion 2001" expedition, explaining the evolution of the ecosystem, and releasing several papers, a video film, and a website.^[22] In 2003 Lance Milbrand stayed on the island for 41 days on a National Geographic Society expedition, recording his adventure in video, photos, and a written diary (see links below).

In 2005, Clipperton's ecosystem was extensively studied for four months by a scientific mission organized by Jean-Louis Étienne, which made a complete inventory of mineral, plant, and animal species found on the atoll, studied algae as deep as 100 m (330 ft) below sea level, and examined the effects of pollution on the island. A 2008 expedition from the University of Washington's School of Oceanography collected sediment cores from the lagoon to study climate change over the last millennium.^[23]

On February 21, 2007, the administration of Clipperton was transferred from the High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia to the Minister of Overseas France.^[24]

A recreational scuba diving expedition by the luxury liveaboard safari boat M/V Nautilus Explorer dove the reefs around Clipperton from April 15 to 20, 2007 to observe the marine life and compare these observations with those reported by the Connie Limbaugh (Scripps) expeditions in 1956 and 1958. Commencing in 2010, the Nautilus Explorer will be running diving expeditions from Cabo San Lucas to Clipperton Atoll via Socorro Island every spring.

During the night of February 10, 2010, the Sichem Osprey, a Maltese chemical tanker ran aground on Clipperton Island on its way from the Panama Canal to South Korea. The 170 meter-long (over 550 feet) ship contained Xylene, a clear, flammable liquid commonly used as a solvent in rubber, leather and the printing industries. All 19 crew members were reported safe, and the vessel reported no leaks of any kind.^[25][26] The vessel was eventually re-floated on March 6^[27] and is back in service.^[28]

In mid-March 2012, the crew from The Clipperton Project ^[29] assessed that especially on the north-east shore and around the Rock, plastic bottles and containers are to be found everywhere, left from US military during WWII and from other expeditions, as well as ladies shoes and buoys too, creating a potentially harmful environment to its flora and fauna.

See also[link]

	Geography portal
	North America portal
	France portal

• Private island

Notes[link]

This article is part of the series on Administrative divisions of France

Main article

Regions (incl. overseas regions)

Departments (incl. overseas departments)

Arrondissements

Cantons

Intercommunality Urban communities Agglomeration communities Commune communities Syndicates of New Agglomeration

Communes Associated communes Municipal arrondissements

Others in Overseas France Overseas collectivities Sui generis collectivity Overseas country Overseas territory Clipperton Island

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Clipperton Island on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

Photo galleries[link]

• Clipperton Island 2008 Flickr gallery containing 94 large photos from a visit to Clipperton Island in 2008.
• 3D Photos of Clipperton Island 2010 3D anaglyphs of Clipperton Island

General websites[link]

• Wikimedia Atlas of Clipperton Island
• Clipperton Island travel guide from Wikitravel
• Clipperton Island at Infoplease
• WorldStatesmen – France – Minor possessions

French-language websites[link]

• (French) 80 pages from C. Jost, CNRS, researcher's website
• (French) Site of Jean-Louis Étienne's expedition

Expeditions to Clipperton[link]

• Lance Milbrand's castaway photo album at NationalGeographic.com
• Lance Milbrand's Clipperton diary at NationalGeographic.com
• 1992 Clipperton Island Expedition
• Chris Grossman's pictures from the 2007 Nautilus Explorer expedition to Clipperton Island
• The 2008 Amateur Radio "DXpedition"
• "Cousteau and the Pit", Simon Rogerson, Dive magazine, July 19, 2006.
• 2008 Clipperton Atoll Expedition, includes several large photos of Clipperton Atoll.

v t e Overseas departments and territories of France   Inhabited areas Overseas departments1 French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique Réunion Mayotte2 Overseas collectivities French Polynesia St. Barthélemy St. Martin St. Pierre and Miquelon Wallis and Futuna Special status New Caledonia   Uninhabited areas Pacific Ocean Clipperton Island French Southern and Antarctic Lands Île Amsterdam Île Saint-Paul Crozet Islands Kerguelen Islands Adélie Land Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean Banc du Geyser4 Bassas da India4 Europa Island4 Glorioso Islands3, 4, 5 Juan de Nova Island4 Tromelin Island4, 5 1 Also known as overseas regions 2 Claimed by Comoros 3 Claimed by Madagascar 4 Claimed by Seychelles 5 Claimed by Mauritius

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Paul Antony Young.^[1][2] (born 17 January 1956)^[3][4] is an English rock and pop musician. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & The Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, his following solo success turned him into a 1980s teenage pop idol. He was famous for hit singles such as "Love of the Common People", "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)", "Come Back and Stay", "Everytime You Go Away" and "Oh Girl". His debut album No Parlez turned him into a household name.^[5] Since the mid-1980s he has had international success, along with his backing band Los Pacaminos.

In 1985 he appeared at Geldof and Ure's next charity convention Live Aid,^[6] where he appeared at the London Wembley Stadium performing the Band Aid hit "Do They Know It's Christmas", and his own hits "Come Back and Stay", "That's The Way Love Is" and "Everytime You Go Away", with Alison Moyet joining him on-stage to perform "That's The Way Love Is".^[7]

In the past decade, Young has released very little new material, but has continued to tour in different parts of the world.^[8]

Early Life and Career[link]

Paul Young was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. He has an older brother, Mark, and a younger sister, Joanne.^[1] As a youth, after school, he played football for the Vauxhall Motors factory and in his spare time played in several bands as a bass guitarist.

The first group for which he became lead singer was Kat Kool & The Kool Kats. In the late 1970s he joined Streetband, who had one Top 20 hit in the UK, with the humorous, novelty track "Toast".^[5] In December 1979, Streetband disbanded.

The ex-Streetbanders added new recruits Dave Lathwell on guitar and Baz Watts on drums. In addition, a four piece brass section was created by Steve Farr (baritone saxophone), Richard Blanchchard (tenor saxophone), Stuart Van Blandamer (alto saxophone) and Tony Hughes (trumpet) who all hailed from the North London and Hertfordshire area, while organist Ian Kewley lived in Essex. Q-Tips' name derived from a well-known brand of cotton swab.

Q-Tips' first rehearsals took place in November 1979. Their first gig was on 18 November 1979 at the Queens Arms Hotel in Harrow. This was followed by another at the Horn of Plenty in St Albans - a regular gig for Streetband during 1978 - and a total of sixteen in their first month of existence. Some personnel changes occurred during the first six months, with Blanchard's departure leaving a three-piece brass section, and Lathwell also leaving the band.

By 1 April 1980, the band had recorded two tracks, "SYSLJFM (The Letter Song)", and "Having A Party", both recorded at the Livingstone Studios in Barnet. Constant touring and concert appearances had built up a strong fan base by mid 1981, when the small amount of soul music cover versions were outnumbered by the band's own tracks.^[9] The professionalism of the band had attracted the attention of several record labels, with the late Mickie Most (RAK Records) confirming on BBC Radio 1's Round Table programme that Q-Tips "...are easily the best live band working at the moment". In August 1980, the British music magazine, NME reported that Q-Tips had just released their debut, self titled album.^[10]

In time, Garth Watt Roy was replaced by John Gifford on guitar,^[9] and Blandamer was replaced by Nick Payne. This line-up remained for the rest of the band's career. They appeared on BBC Television's In Concert, Rock Goes to College and The Old Grey Whistle Test in the latter part of 1981. Other television appearance included children's Saturday morning TV. Q-Tips opened for The J. Geils Band, The Knack, Thin Lizzy, Bob Marley and the Average White Band.

The band toured with After The Fire, and supported The Who on their twelve date UK tour in 1980. In 1981, Q-Tips played the Montreux Jazz Festival. With poor record sales after the release of two albums and seven singles, the Q-Tips broke up in early 1982 when Paul Young signed a solo recording contract with Sony/CBS.^[9] In late 1982 and early 1983, the brass section and drummer of Q-Tips toured with Adam Ant on the UK and US legs of his Friend or Foe tour, and some remained for Ant's 1984 Strip tour.

Young briefly teamed up again with Q-Tips for a reunion tour in 1993.^[9]

Work in Music and Media[link]

The Q-Tips disbanded in 1982, and Young was signed by CBS Records as a solo performer.

Young’s new backing band 'The Royal Family' included keyboardist Kewley, fretless bass player Pino Palladino,^[13][14] guitarist Steve Bolton, drummer Mike Pinder, and backing singers Maz Roberts and Kim Leslie AKA 'The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts'. Helped by the driving sound of Pino Palladino's fretless bass in his backing band, his first two singles, "Iron Out the Rough Spots" and a cover of "Love of the Common People", had no success, but the third, a cover of the Marvin Gaye song "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)", reached No. 1 in the UK singles chart^[5] for three weeks in the summer of 1983, the first of 14 British Top 40 singles.^[5][15][16] (The song was included on the soundtrack of the 1992 British comedy film Peter's Friends.

Similar success followed all over Europe. In the UK, follow-up single "Come Back and Stay"^[17] reached No. 4, and a re-release of "Love of the Common People" made it to No. 2 and even received radio airplay in the United States (thanks to its soundtrack inclusion in John Hughes's film "Sixteen Candles"), while his debut album No Parlez was certified platinum in various countries.^[18]

Young's style at the time was a warm, approachable white soul, though he sometimes received playful criticism for his fashion decisions. However, his choice of an Antony Price leather suit for the cover of No Parlez proved to be impractical for the concert stage, where his energetic shows dictated more robust clothing.

Paul Young performing in Budapest Hungary on 18 June 1987^[19]

The year 1984 was a difficult one for Young, as his first heavy promotional and live concert tour of America strained his vocal cords severely, to the extent that he was completely unable to sing for most of the year.^{[citation needed]} He recovered sufficiently to provide a famous lead performance on the opening and closing lines to the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", a charity project put together by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, which also featured famed singers and bandleaders such as Simon Le Bon, Francis Rossi and Bono.

He returned to the UK Top Ten with a version of Ann Peebles' "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down".^[5] The latter appeared on his second album, The Secret of Association, released in 1985, which secured his future success in the United States, Japan and Australia. The album went to No. 1 in the UK. However, he continued to have occasional voice and throat difficulties. That year, Young scored the biggest worldwide hit of his career with "Everytime You Go Away", a version of a Daryl Hall song from a 1980 Hall & Oates album. "Every Time You Go Away" topped the pop charts in the U.S., and was his biggest success in the U.S. He would perform the song during the London segment of the Live Aid concert.^[20]

In 1990, he released a cover of The Chi-Lites' "Oh Girl", which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[5]

He continued to have a successful career, with some highlights such as singing the Crowded House track "Don't Dream It's Over" at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute in 1988,^[21][22] producing a popular duet, "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)," with Italian blues singer Zucchero in 1991, and singing "Radio Ga Ga" with the surviving members of Queen in 1992, at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert soon after Freddie Mercury died.^[23][24][25] In 1991, he recorded a duet with Irish group Clannad for the Blake Edwards film Switch, a cover of the Joni Mitchell song, "Both Sides Now".^[5]

"Don't Dream It's Over", "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)" and "Both Sides Now" were all featured on his first greatest hits album, From Time To Time - The Singles Collection, released in 1991.^[5] The album included the most prominent hit singles from Young's first four solo albums, the three above-mentioned songs, and a previously unreleased selection called "I'm Only Foolin' Myself".

In 1993, Young was freed from his contract with the CBS/Sony Records label, and afterward, released fewer solo albums. He reformed the Q-Tips for a short series of concerts that year. He contributed to the Vangelis album Voices in 1995. Young sang the British national anthem, "God Save the Queen", at Wembley Stadium before England's Euro '96 semi-final match against Germany.

In 1995, Young formed his own backing group Los Pacaminos, and first performed with the group in Hyde Park, London the same year. In 1996 however, Young was once again performing solo. By mid-1996, Young made his last full public performance with Tony Hadley, before declining to perform more in nightclubs and pubs so that he could concentrate more on his personal life and family without having to organise tours. In late-1996, Young co-wrote the song "Build Me Up" for Tony Hadley with Hadley. The song was the only song Young had written for another artist, and was recorded into the soundtrack of the 1996 film When Saturday Comes.

Also in late 1996, Young set about recording for his next album, Paul Young, which was released the following year.

Young performing in August 2004

From there, he was known to divide his time between family, the informal Tex-Mex group Los Pacaminos,^[26] and performing live during 1980s revival tours in the UK between 2001 and 2008.^[27] In November 2001, when Young was on the final night of the Here and Now tour, Michael Aspel awarded him his This is Your Life book. The show went out on BBC One on 5 December that year.

2006 saw the release of Rock Swings - On The Wild Side Of Swing. In September 2006, he appeared in the BBC1 cooking show Celebrity MasterChef,^[28][29] and won his show, allowing him a place in the semi-finals.^[30] A year later, he was a contestant on another cooking show, ITV's Hell's Kitchen.^[31]

Although his musical career had began to decline, as well as appearing on Celebrity MasterChef and Hell's Kitchen, Young began to make more appearances on the media. He appeared as a guest on shows including The Wright Stuff, This Morning and The One Show.

In 2010, Young recorded and released a new hit "Come Back", a duet he did with electronic dance music act Chicane. The single was a sample of Young's 1983 hit "Come Back and Stay", and charted at 151 on the UK Singles Chart. The single was recorded onto Chicane's 2010 album Giants.^[32]

Los Pacaminos[link]

Young first formed Los Pacaminos^[34][35] in 1995. The result of the group forming was Young's desire to get back to basic, as he explains "I was between record labels and writing material for a new album but I wanted to play live again. I’ve always loved the Tex-Mex sound and knew a few musicians who had a similar passion for this type of music. So I asked them to join me in forming a band.^[36][37][38]

The group were usually known for performing in pubs and nightclubs, singing songs such as "Wooly Bully", "La Bamba" and "Speedy Gonzales".^[39] However, in 2000, Young decided to take the group further, and the group released an album Los Pacaminos in 2002,^[5][40][41] the track listing for the album was:

• "My My My"
• "Manana"
• "Perdita"
• "La Mesa"
• "Shadows on the Rise"
• "Raised on Margaritas"
• "Poor Boys"
• "Handsome Man"
• "Tico"
• "Do We Want The Same Things"
• "Two Margaritas"
• "Tierra D'Ensuenos"

Upon the release of the album, the band established themselves as a professional line-up, consisting of:

• Young on guitar and vocals
• Drew Barfield on guitar and vocals^[42]
• Melvyn Duffy on pedal steel guitar
• Steve Greetham on bass and vocals
• Matt Irving on keyboards, accordion and vocals
• Jamie Moses on guitar and vocals
• Mark Pinder on drums

The band have continued to perform since the release of their only album, most recently performing at the 2006 Wickham Festival.^[43]

Collaborations[link]

Young's best known collaboration (apart from that with his backing band Los Pacaminos) was with his early collaboration with bassist Pino Palladino.^[44][45] Palladino, who had also collaborated with others including Tears for Fears, Go West and Gary Numan, featured on three of Young's albums, No Parlez, The Secret of Association and Paul Young. Palladino has also frequently appeared live with Young during his concerts. Well known appearances by Paul Young that featured Palladino were his performance at Live Aid,^[46] and several concerts since. Palladino also appeared on Young's non-official album Los Pacaminos, and album Young recorded with his newfound backing band Los Pacaminos in 2002, and so for a year between 2002 and 2003, Palladino acted as a touring member for Los Pacaminos. In 2010, Young recorded "Come Back", a sample of his original hit "Come Back and Stay", with the electronic dance music act Chicane.^[47][48]

Personal life[link]

Young met his wife, former model Stacey Smith, on his video for "Come Back and Stay" in 1983. They married while they were living in Los Angeles in November 1987. Together they have three children: daughters Levi (born March 1987), Layla (born August 1994), and son Grady Cole (born January 1996). Young and Smith split in May 2006; however, in March 2009, it was announced that they had reconciled.^[49][50][51] Young is a close friend of singer and Spandau Ballet front man Tony Hadley. The two toured Australia and New Zealand during October and November 2008.^[52][53][54]

Discography[link]

Paul Young performing in 2011

Young's discography has consisted of 8 studio albums, one live album, 13 compilation albums and 36 singles.^[5][55] Following short stints in several groups, Young became known in the 1980s for his baritone voice and his music gengres rock, blue-eyed soul and pop. From 1983 to 1993, all of Young's studio albums were released during a contract he had with Columbia Records, and since 1994, Young has released albums through Vision, East West and SonyBMG Records. Three of Young's albums, No Parlez (1983), The Secret of Association (1985) and Other Voices (1990) featured Welsh bassist Pino Palladino.^[56] Several of Young's most famous songs are covers of the originals, such as his 1983 hit "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" is a cover of an original by Marvin Gaye and his 1990 hit "Oh Girl" is a cover of an original by The Chi-Lites. In the past decade, Young has released very little popular new material, and has only one hit since 2000, which was "Come Back" in 2010, which he recorded with electronic dance music act Chicane, which featured on Chicane's 2010 album Giants.^[57][58] Young has however, since 2000, become famed for his frequent performances with his newfound backing band Los Pacaminos, with whom he released the album Los Pacaminos in 2002.^[5]

Trivia[link]

In one episode of the BBC cult comedy show Little Britain, Young's name is used on the Young Offenders Unit where Vicky Pollard is detained (the area is called Paul Young Offenders Unit).

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Paul Young

• Official website
• Paul Young at Allmusic