Why Paul Weller's musical protegee Tracie is playing it again (From Essex County Standard)

Why Paul Weller's musical protegee Tracie is playing it again

11:10pm Friday 23rd July 2010

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HAVING cut her teeth in the music industry with the “modfather” himself, Paul Weller, musician Tracie Young had a taste of the high life at an early age.

She began singing professionally in 1982 at the age of 17, after replying to an advert Paul Weller had placed in Smash Hits Magazine.

He was looking for a singer to sign to his newly-launched Respond label, and after hearing Tracie perform he offered her a deal.

Within months she had sung on the Jam’s final single, Beat Surrender, and was singing with the Style Council.

She had also started performing as a solo artist, scoring hits with the House That Jack Built and Give It Some Emotion.

However, the vision for Respond Records didn’t quite pan out as expected even though a contract with Polydor Records followed for an album, Far From the Hurting Kind.

Tracie became disillusioned with the expectations of music bosses and eventually called it a day and walked away from the industry when two major hits were not included on the original album release in 1984 – a nod to Weller’s ideal that good bands and singers released albums and singles as separate projects Tracie, 45, from Southend, says: “Paul was raised on the Beatles and a time when singles and albums didn’t have to be in tandem.

“But in the Eighties things were different. It was a mistake to release an album by an artist like me, who had only had two hits, and not include those singles. It was a huge disappointment to many fans.”

Following her high-profile teenage recording foray, Tracie put her singing career to rest – until now.

She has the rights to all her recordings, and having signed with the label Cherry Red, she re-issued the debut album last week. It was originally released on Weller’s Respond label in 1984.

“I’ve released the record now for people who liked my music back then,” says Tracie, a presenter on Southend and Chelmsford radio stations.

“It’s also for a new audience discovering the Eighties for the first time and who loves hearing material that hasn’t been over-exposed.

“Although this is primarily a pop album, each track is very different from the other. Some artists make an album that sounds like ten remixes of one song. Not this album.

“There’s pop, there’s funk, there’s a bit of Northern soul, Sixties girl group influence and ballads.”

Produced by Weller and featuring songs written by him, Elvis Costello, the Questions and A Craze, the album has been re-issued in an enhanced 20-track format.

It is the first time it has been available on CD or digital download in the UK.

She says: “This re-issue now includes the hit singles and another eight bonus tracks – B-sides, 12 mixes and a couple of recent live versions.”

The live tracks include a version of Give It Some Emotion, performed by Tracie in 2009 at a rare performance at Shepherd’s Bush Empire – her first in 20 years. That gig inspired her to rediscover and release her own back-catalogue.

Looking back, Tracie is nostalgic about her time spent working with Paul Weller.

She says: “It was quite a privilege to work with Paul, especially at a time when he was feeling experimental and up for doing new things.

“He was a lot of fun to be around, too.

“Respond didn’t thrive but I think today, more than ever, the music industry needs a label with the ethos that Paul gave Respond.”

Visit www.cherryred.co.uk

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