(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)
This post includes some additional pictures from my recent visit to Ottawa. However, the main purpose of this post is to let you know about what’s happening next.
Later today, I will be leaving on another intercontinental flight. Here’s a long story about one element of the trip…ending with the theme and location of this exciting journey.
In 2003, I saw Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band perform live at Casino Rama (just outside Orillia, Ontario). It was the first and only time I had seen the ex-Beatle in concert but he was not the most impressive musician in his band that night. That honour went to Paul Carrack, an immensely-respected vocalist and musician who has remained relatively unknown because his biggest successes have never been in his own name.
His first big hit was with a band called Ace and a song called “How Long”. The title may not be familiar but the song is immediately recognizable once you hear it. While it’s by no means my favourite Carrack track, it’s a concert mainstay. Here’s a 1974 performance of How Long from the legendary Midnight Special television show.
After Ace, Paul Carrack was a member of Roxy Music and then joined the legendary Squeeze as a keyboardist and vocalist. My favourite song from this era is the classic track “Tempted”. This clip is from the earliest days of music videos; the video may not have much flash but I always thought that the composition and performance was ahead of the pack.
Paul Carrack is probably best known as the vocalist for Mike and the Mechanics. Another mainstay of his live shows, and certainly one of his most emotional lyrics, is “The Living Years”. There is rarely a dry eye in the house when he performs this live; here is the promotional video for it.
Carrack also writes many songs for other performers. One of his most-heard compositions (“Love Will Keep Us Alive”) was recorded by The Eagles; here is Carrack’s version. As for songs released as singles in Paul Carrack’s name, some of you may be familiar with “Don’t Shed a Tear” or “I Need You“.
So what does all this have to do with today’s journey? Musicians in Ringo’s All-Starr Band are generally restricted to three songs of their own. As Carrack stole the show with his three well-chosen performances, I have always wanted to see a full-length solo Carrack show. Alas, since he is most popular in Europe, he rarely tours solo in North America (although he recently completed a tour with Eric Clapton). In this year of special travels, it only made sense that I try to see Paul Carrack live…and, as a result, one of my activities on this trip is seeing Paul Carrack perform in a small concert hall on the English coast.
Stay tuned for not only the Carrack concert, but some even bigger surprises on my self-guided music tour of Southern England!