Paul Da Vinci

Paul Da Vinci (born Paul Leonard Prewer, 1951)^[1] is a British singer and musician. He is best known as the lead singer on the 1974 hit recording by The Rubettes, "Sugar Baby Love", although he did not perform with the group at the time. He reportedly had a three-and-a-half octave vocal range, and worked as a demo and session singer before and after his own moderately successful solo career, which included the UK hit "Your Baby Ain't Your Baby Anymore", which peaked at number 20 in the UK Official Charts, week ending 17 August 1974 ^[2]

Biography

He was born in Grays, Thurrock, Essex, and in 1969 recorded two singles on the Big T label as singer with the group 1984.^[3][4] After the group broke up in about 1970, he started working as a session singer in London, making demo records for songwriters Tony Macaulay and others. He also sang on many advertising jingles, and on recordings by musicians including Gary Moore, Ringo Starr, Barry Blue and David Essex; and appeared on Top of the Pops with both Elton John and Justin Hayward.^[3][5]

In late 1973, he sang on a demo recording of "Sugar Baby Love", written and produced by Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington and initially offered to Showaddywaddy, who turned the song down.^[6] Bickerton and Waddington then offered it to the demo musicians, provided that they became an actual group, the Rubettes. Although the other musicians agreed, Da Vinci turned down the opportunity to perform with the group as, by the time of its release in 1974, he had signed a solo contract with Penny Farthing Records. After "Sugar Baby Love" - featuring Da Vinci's striking falsetto but with Alan Williams miming the part on Top of the Pops - became a UK no.1 hit in 1974 (also reaching no.37 on the US pop chart), he issued his first solo single. The song, "Your Baby Ain't Your Baby Anymore," was co-written and co-produced by Da Vinci with Edward Seago, reached no.20 on the UK singles chart, and was a hit in many other European countries. However, its follow-up, "If You Get Hurt", was less successful.^[3] He moved to Epic Records in 1977 and released two singles, but again without chart success.^[7]

He continued as a session singer and songwriter. In 1978 he co-wrote "Anyway You Do It" for the group Liquid Gold, and in 1981 he sang lead on the Tight Fit hit, "Back to the Sixties Part 2". In 1983 he appeared in the West End musical Dear Anyone, written by Don Black and Geoff Stephens. Between 1990 and 1994 he sang in Trevor Payne's touring show That'll Be The Day.^[5] He also sang on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus in 1992, appeared as the narrator of the West End production of The Who's Tommy in 1997, and, with his band, opened for Fats Domino in performances at the Royal Albert Hall.^[5] Between 2000 and 2006, he performed with the Rubettes featuring Bill Hurd, touring the UK and Europe.^[3]

In the 1990s, he wrote several pieces for cello and piano, including a three movement tone poem "Visions of Aaron" which was performed at the Purcell Room in London, and also a concerto, "Hope", performed and recorded by the Innovation Chamber Ensemble and later performed at the Wigmore Hall. He has also written and produced music for performers including Angelle, and performed with his own group, Da Vinci & The Justice Department, who released an album in 2009.^[3][5]

He lives in Somerset.^[1]

References