[paul heaton] ->

this biography was written by Neal and Bronia Baker. A fantastic biography packed with lots of info and very well written. Very close to a winner but unfortunately not close enough. This biography has won a runner up prize.

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Paul Heaton was born on the 9th May 1962, in Brombrough, just down the road from his parents house on the Wirral, Merseyside, meaning he would share his birthday with Dave Proctor of Sam & Dave fame. Apart from that, it's hardly a date in the music calendar littered with pop stars. Fitting as the Paul Heaton we know doesn’t see himself as star material.

Paul Heaton and his family moved frequently during his youth, Paul referred to himself once as "bred in Sheffield, fed in Surrey"

Aged 21, Paul Heaton made a move, which was to inspire him, and set his career on the move. For an aspiring Pop star, Hull may seem hardly the place to make it. "Rock & Roll & Kingston-upon-Hull hardly go hand-in-hand", but Paul Heaton never was and still isn’t the conforming kind.

After trying other ventures, which included a local magazine full of daft cartoons and called "the Saturday Elephant", Paul decided to have a re-try at busking. Paul put up notices in various places including 70 Grafton Street, which read

"Trombonist seeks musicians"

Through this notice Paul was to meet Stan Cullimore. The pair hit it off straight away and began to creating their own material. Early efforts included, "The Day I Called It A Day", "Brother" and "When Will I Be Released".

Soon the pair were gigging at any venue that would have them. A local man, Nick swift, ran a fanzine called New Youth (and wrote for the Music Press), started to organize gigs for Paul & Stan.

By June 1984 the first available recording from the Housemartins was available, entitles "Themes for a Well Dressed Man". This cassette featured songs like "it’s history", "Swansea" and "Skatsburg", this wasn’t the last we heard of Skatsburg, it would eventually be reborn on The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death long player as the track "Johannesburg". Paul & Stan son realised they would need a ‘fuller’ sound and made two more signings, Ted Key, Guitarist with the Gargoyles, and their drummer, Hugh Whitaker.

The band soon had their first TV break on ‘the old grey whistle test’ playing "sitting on the fence". In early 1985 the band won Viking Radio’s rock and pop competition (including £500 prize money). That June, Go! Discs officially signed the Housemartins.

Their first Single, Flag Day (an angry song attacking the idea of good works) placed itself in the charts at 124. Shortly afterwards Ted key left the band, he was replaced as guitarist by Norman Cook.

The Housemartins released "Sheep" in March 1986 and it reached no. 54. A song originally entitled "French England" was their third single release and notched up sales, which took them to no. 3. Only George Michael and Madonna kept them from the top spot. The biggest hit for a band from hull ever. Further singles followed including "Think for a minute", "Me and The Farmer", "5 Get Over Excited", "Build" and the no. 1 "Caravan of Love". "Caravan of Love" was an acapella track, and the sleeve notes even said that the band were ‘Shame faced and apologetic for their guitar based music". This was, of course, tongue-in-cheek, but as was the norm for Paul Heaton, misunderstood by the masses.

During the recording of their second album Hugh Whitaker was replaced by the former Velvet one, Dave Hemingway. After the release of 2 albums and 8 singles the Housemartins disbanded.

Paul Heaton was not, however, finished with the music scene. He started collaborating with a former resident of Grafton Street, and a member of Dave Hemingway’s former bands Neapolitans and The Velva tones – Dave Rotherham. They soon recorded acoustic versions of 8 songs, these included Pretenders to the Throne, Mr Obsession, You’re only jealous, you and Your Big Ideas and Song for Whoever, which was later the band’s first single and reached no. 2.

With most of the band in place, all that was left was a name, several offers from band members, including ‘Petal’. Eventually the name ‘The Beautiful South’ was agreed.

The band was signed to a 5-album deal, for the first album Paul Heaton had written lyrics, which needed a female singer. Briana Corrigan, singer from ‘The Anthill Runaways’ was signed up.

The Producer on the first album was Mike Hedges, he was enlisted because ‘he was a bit nutty’ and had a ‘couldn’t give a toss attitude’, say the band. Recording the band’s first album was finished in early 1989.

Go! Discs wanted the first single to be "From Under The Covers" as it reminded them of the Housemartins – a good enough reason for Paul to choose something else. Instead the anti-song writing anthem "Song For Whoever" was chosen, and reached number 2. Further hits spawned from "Welcome To……." Were "You Keep It All In" & "I’ll Sail This Ship Alone". The Band continued on their merry way with albums "Choke" and "0898", however, not all was as well as it first seemed. During the recording of lyrics for the fourth Album, Briana, not being pleased with Paul’s lyrical stance, left the band, and recording was put on hold.

Born on November 10, 1973 and aged 19 at the time, the new female singer with the band was to be Jacqui Abbot. When joining The Beautiful South was earning just £1.75 an hour. On February 28, 1994, the band released their first music for over a year. An album soon followed. The working title for which was "Take That Up The Arse And Party", it was released however, as "Miaow". The first single from "Miaow" was the song "Good As Gold". Paul says it’s "sort of an anti religious theme and I’m and atheist and the only time I pray is when I take off on a plane".

"Miaow" was dissed by the critics, with one exception, Peter Paplides from Melody Maker, who wrote "Paul Heaton oozes humanity from his tiniest cuticle than any of the lemon-faced, irony-challenged Americans we blindly laud". "Miaow" was, however, the darkest offering from Heaton yet, showing an insight to his inner turmoil.

The record label was now ready for a greatest hits compilation, but Paul was not impressed, as were the other band members. However, it was released and "Carry On Up The Charts" stayed at the top of the album charts for an astonishing 7 weeks, even holding off a Beatles BBC album. Andy Macdonald of the record company remembers Paul saying "thanks for banging on about the greatest hits – we’re really proud of those songs and I’m glad we did it".

August 1996 saw Go! Discs sell out to Mercury for an estimated 20 Million. A new album from The Beautiful South, "Blue Is The Colour" (working title, "The Worst Blues Album In The World, Ever") had been ready for sometime and the band started to wonder when it would be released. The album was released on October 14, 1996. It contained "Rotterdam", which had earlier been a hit, going top 5 in the UK, their best selling single success for some six years.

January 1998 saw Paul and Dave start the writing for their sixth studio album. In the past Dave referred to his role as ‘more of a midwife than a father’ but this time he took a more proactive role in the process. The new album "Quench" included collaboration with former Housemartin Norman Cook. They had worked together on Miaow when Cook helped out with the programming on "Hooligans Don’t Fall In Love". Work progressed throughout July and former stable mate Paul Weller, contributed some guitar work for the new album. After mixing through, his only work to survive was that on the band’s new single "Perfect 10". "Perfect 10" was released on September 21. It became the biggest single for 8 years, peaking at no. 2 (behind B*Witched). Quench reached number 1 in the charts.

Another album followed in 2000, entitled "Painting It Red". However during the promotional tour of America Jacqui told a stunned band she’d had enough and left. With no new female singer on the horizon, and despite the new album being a double CD offering, the band released only 2 singles, "Closer Than Most" and the double-sided "The River/Just Checking".

2001 saw Paul release his debut solo album under the guise ‘Biscuitboy aka Crackerman’. Fat Chance was released to some critical acclaim, but due to lack of promotion, the album bombed, as did his debut solo single, "Mitch". 2002 and "Fat Chance" was re-released under Paul’s own name and again did nothing chart wise. Paul did his solo stuff live during 2002 and went down a storm.

The only releases by The Beautiful South since "Paining It Red" was a second best of album, "Solid Bronze", which Paul didn’t want released, but mercury did so anyway. The new single, also released, was called "Root Of All Evil". September 30 sees the release of the band’s first DVD entitled "Munch…Our Hits".

Paul is currently searching for a new female singer for The Beautiful South, having already apparently written lyrics for the band’s 8th studio album.

We wait with baited breath.