Paul Carrack looks to Squeeze Edinburgh into his schedule

Published on Thursday 9 February 2012 14:54

YOU almost certainly know his songs, though it’s fair to say that most people wouldn’t give Paul Carrack a second glance if he passed them in the street.

And that’s just the way the voice behind hits such as Ace’s How Long, Squeeze’s Tempted and, of course, Mike + The Mechanics’ The Living Years likes it.

“Yes, I do want people to know who Paul Carrack is and come to my shows, and it’s nice to have had a few hits to get people in the door - but I’ve no desire to be recognised in normal life,” says the Sheffield-born singer ahead of his visit to the Queen’s Hall on Wednesday.

In the Capital next week, the 60-year-old will play a selection of songs from latest release A Different Hat - an album that allowed him to reinterpret some of his own back catalogue, as well as the hits of many musicians for whom he has great admiration, such as Randy Newman’s I Think It’s Going To Rain Today, Peggy Lee’s I Don’t Know Enough About You and Nat King Cole’s For All We Know.

In making A Different Hat, Carrack fulfilled his ambition of recording with a symphony orchestra, in this case the Royal Philharmonic.

“That was an unbelievable pleasure, such an indulgence,” he says. “The level of proficiency and professionalism of the musicians had to be heard to be believed.

“We recorded the album in three, three-hour sessions,” he adds. “It was amazing for me - so different from what I’m used to.”

Paul Carrack, Queen’s Hall, Clerk Street, Wednesday, 7pm, £28.50, 0131-668 2019

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