Song:Don't Shed A Tear
Album:Twenty-One Good Reasons: The Paul Carrack Collection
You know the voice but do you know the name Paul Carrack. Carrack has had so many hits as lead singer of different bands that you may not know that Don't Shed A Tear was a top ten hit in 1987 for Carrack as a solo artist. Maybe you think it's a Mike & The Mechanics song. He was born Apr. 22, 1951 in Sheffield, England. He started out as the keyboard player in the band Warm Dust. They released four albums in the early 70s. When they split up in 1972, Carrack and Warm Dust bassist Tex Comer formed Ace and Carrack was lead singer and writer of the 1975 top five hit How Long?. After they split up in 1977, Carrack joined Frankie Miller's band and then joined Roxy Music. He played keyboards on the 1979 album Manifesto. Carrack started playing sessions and released his first solo album Nightbird in 1980. Then he replaced Jools Holland in Squeeze and sang lead on their 1981 hit Tempted. Then he worked with Nick Lowe and recorded a couple of duets with his wife Carlene Carter. Carrack released the 1982 solo album Suburban Voodoo and Lowe played bass. They named it Nick Lowe and his Cowboy Outfit. They recorded two albums with Lowe singing lead and also worked with John Hiatt. When that band split up in 1985, Genesis lead guitarist Mike Rutherford asked Carrack to join his side project Mike + The Mechanics and Carrack sang lead on their 1985 hit Silent Running. And he was a member of The Bleeding Heart Band led by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters. Then he signs a solo deal with Chrysalis Records and his 1987 album One Good Reason spawned Don't Shed A Tear which reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though Carrack does write, Don't Shed A Tear was written by Canadian songwriter Eddie Schwartz, best known for writing the Pat Benatar hit Hit Me With Your Best Shot. Then Carrack sang lead on the 1989 Mike + The Mechanics top five hit The Living Years. Carrack continued to work with Mike + The Mechanics and play sessions. He also returned to Squeeze and wouldn't record solo again until 1996. This comp is a good overview of his career. Paul Carrack continues to record and play on sessions and has also toured with Ringo Starr. His latest CD I Know That Name was released Oct. 2008 on Absolute Records. So you've heard his voice and now you know Paul Carrack's name. Here's the video for Don't Shed A Tear by Paul Carrack.
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