Paul Simpson

• Active: '80s, '90s
• Genres: Rock
• Instrument: Vocals

Biography

The voice of Paul Simpson (vocals, Mellotron, keyboards) is often as dreamy and ethereal as the music he creates. A former keyboardist for the Teardrop Explodes, Simpson formed the Wild Swans with guitarist Jeremy Kelly in the early '80s. The Wild Swans recorded live performances for legendary British DJ John Peel in 1982; however, the band broke up soon thereafter. In 1983, Simpson collaborated with Ian Broudie (vocals, guitar) as Care. Care released three singles, "My Boyish Days," "Whatever Possessed You," and "Flaming Sword." "Flaming Sword," a grand synth pop fairy tale, landed on the British charts; however, it'd be the last time fans would hear from Care until 1997 when Camden collected all of their singles and B-sides on the Diamonds and Emeralds CD. Simpson eventually revived the Wild Swans, recording the LP Bringing Home the Ashes in 1988. After Kelly left the group, Simpson recruited Broudie for Space Flower in 1990. Although it seemed like a Care reunion, Space Flower sounded more like Broudie's the Lightning Seeds than any of Simpson's previous work. "Chocolate Bubblegum" received minor airplay on college radio stations, but Space Flower was immediately jettisoned to the cut-out bins, and the Wild Swans had their wings clipped once again. Afterward, Simpson began writing a book about the Liverpool music scene in the late '70s and early '80s. In the late '90s, Simpson started releasing ambient instrumental music as Skyray; he's also co-written a screenplay with Echo & the Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant about adolescent days in Liverpool. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)