Paul Hardcastle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Hardcastle
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|---|---|
| Birth name | Paul Louis Hardcastle |
| Also known as | Deff Boyz |
| Born | 10 December 1957 |
| Origin | Kensington, London, England |
| Genres | Synth-pop, freestyle, electronic, ambient, electro house, breakstep, smooth jazz, new age |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Synthesizer, keyboards, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussion, programming |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Chrysalis, Motown, V2, Profile, Trippin 'N' Rhythm |
| Associated acts | Direct Drive, First Light, Dance Aid, Carol Kenyon, Helen Rogers, Jaki Graham |
Paul Louis Hardcastle (born 10 December 1957) is an English composer, musician, record producer, songwriter, and radio presenter. He plays many instruments. He is most famous for his song "19". This song became number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1985.
Contents
Early Life
Paul Hardcastle was born in Kensington, London, England. His birthday is December 10, 1957. His parents were Joyce and Louis Hardcastle.
Music Career
Paul started his music journey in 1981. He played keyboards for a British soul band called Direct Drive. In 1982, Paul and the singer, Derek Green, left to form a duo named First Light. They had some small success in the UK. After two years, Paul decided to start his own solo career.
His early solo songs did well. In 1984, his song "Rain Forest" was a hit. It reached number two on the dance music chart. The album Rain Forest was even nominated for a Grammy Award.
Paul is best known for his 1985 song "19". This song became a huge hit, reaching number one in the UK for five weeks. It also topped the charts in many other countries around the world. In the U.S., it reached number 15 on the Pop chart and number 1 on the Dance chart. The song won an Ivor Novello Award for being the best-selling single of 1985. His next song, "Just for Money," reached number 19 in the UK.
In 1986, Paul's song "The Wizard" became the theme music for the BBC's popular TV show Top of the Pops. This theme was used for many years. Another song, "Don't Waste My Time", also became a top ten hit in the UK in 1986. It featured the singer Carol Kenyon. Later that year, Paul helped create a charity song called "Give Give Give" with a supergroup called Disco Aid.
In 1989, Paul worked again on the First Light project. He teamed up with singer Kevin Henry. In 1990, Paul released a song called "Swing" under the name Deff Boyz. It did well on the charts in the UK, Germany, and the U.S. Dance chart.
Since the 1990s, Paul Hardcastle has made many synth jazz albums. He often releases music under different names like Kiss the Sky (with Jaki Graham) and the Jazzmasters. He also releases music under his own name.
Personal Life
Paul Hardcastle married Dolores Baker in 1985. They have three children. Two of their children, Maxine and Paul Hardcastle Jr., are also musicians. They even sang on Paul's 2011 album, Transcontinental.
Discography
Paul Hardcastle has released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of his main albums:
Studio Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Zero One (with Universal Funk) |
Bluebird/10 Records, EMI Music |
| Rain Forest | Profile Records | |
| Paul Hardcastle | Chrysalis Records | |
| 1988 | No Winners | |
| 1989 | Sound Syndicate (also known as Are You Ready...) |
AJK Music, K-Tel International |
| 1993 | Time for Love | Fast Forward Records, JVC |
| 1994 | Feel the Breeze | JVC |
| 1996 | Look to the Future | |
| 1996 | Star of the Story | |
| 1997 | First Light | Connoisseur Collection |
| 2009 | Zer01 | Hardcastle Music |
| 2012 | Perceptions of Pacha VIII (remixed by Nacho Marco) |
Pacha Recordings |
| 2012 | 19 Below Zero | Hardcastle Music, Universal Music |
| 2014 | Moovin & Groovin | Trippin 'N' Rythmn Records |
Smooth Jazz Albums
Paul Hardcastle is also known for his smooth jazz music, released in different series.
Hardcastle Series
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Hardcastle | Hardcastle Records, JVC, Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 1996 | Hardcastle II | |
| 2002 | Hardcastle III | Hardcastle Records, Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2005 | Hardcastle 4 | |
| 2008 | Hardcastle 5 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2011 | Hardcastle VI | |
| 2013 | Hardcastle VII | |
| 2018 | Hardcastle VIII | |
| 2020 | Hardcastle IX | |
| 2022 | Hardcastle X |
Jazzmasters Series
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Jazzmasters | Fast Forward Records, Hardcastle Records, JVC, Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 1995 | The Jazzmasters II | Hardcastle Records, JVC, Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 1999 | The Jazzmasters III | Hardcastle Records, Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2004 | The Jazzmasters 4 | |
| 2006 | Jazzmasters V | |
| 2010 | Jazzmasters VI | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2014 | Jazzmasters VII |
Chill Lounge Series
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Chill Lounge, Volume 1 | Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records |
| 2013 | The Chill Lounge, Volume 2 | |
| 2015 | The Chill Lounge, Volume 3 |
Kiss the Sky with Jaki Graham
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Kiss the Sky | JVC, Motown Records |
| 1994 | Millennium Skyway (also known as Kiss the Sky II) |
Hardcastle Records, JVC |
Transcontinental with Ryan Farish
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Transcontinental (six-song EP) | Rytone Entertainment |
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- List of 1980s one-hit wonders in the United States
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of smooth jazz performers
- List of synthpop artists
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
