Lynsey de Paul -

Lynsey de Paul (June 11, 1948 — Oct. 1, 2014) was an English pop singer and songwriter who emerged with the 1973 album Surprise on MAM Records, followed by the 1974/75 Jet titles Taste Me … Don’t Waste Me and Love Bomb and the 1979 Polydor release Tigers and Fireflies. She landed UK hits with the 1972–74 singles “Getting a Drag,” “Sugar Me,” “Won’t Somebody Dance with Me,” and “No Honestly.” In 1977, she dueted with Mike Moran on the UK Eurovision entry “Rock Bottom.”

Background

Lynsey de Paul was born Lyndsey Monckton Rubin on June 11, 1948, in Southwark, London, England. Her father, property developer Herbert Rubin, played violin, while her mother, Meta de Groot, played piano. Rubin studied classical piano for several years. She attended South Hampstead High School and later studied art and design at Hornsey College of Art in Crouch End.

Rubin worked as a commercial artist after college and designed record sleeves, including the Pipkins LP We Want to Sing. She delivered a poster to ATV Music in 1970 and spoke with staff at the publishing office on Oxford Street. In 1971, publisher Eddie Levy signed Rubin to ATV-Kirshner, where she joined staff songwriters Barry Green (later Barry Blue) and Ron Roker.

Actor-singer Jack Wild recorded the Rubin–Don Gould songs “Takin’ It Easy” and “Bring Yourself Back to Me” for the 1971 album Everything’s Coming Up Roses. The Beads released another early Rubin composition, the Edward Adamberry co-write “E.O.I.O.,” on Decca Records. Rubin made her first two studio recordings in early 1972, “House of Cards” and “Taking It On.” Arranger Robert Kirby orchestrated both sessions.

Producer-songwriter Roger Cook brought the Rubin–Roker composition “Storm in a Teacup” to the Fortunes. The band released the song on January 7, 1972, and reached No. 7 on the UK singles chart. Barry Green recorded the Rubin–Green songs “Papa Do” and “Boomerang” on a February Decca single. Dana followed in June with the Rubin–Green composition “Crossword Puzzle.” Solomon King recorded the Rubin–Roker song “When You’ve Gotta Go” for a July Polydor single.

Rubin and Green wrote “Sugar Me” for former Herman’s Hermits singer Peter Noone. Dudley Moore encouraged Rubin to play the demo for manager Gordon Mills. Mills signed Rubin to MAM Records and asked her to record the song as a solo artist. Rubin adopted the name Lynsey de Paul for the recording contract; she formed the pseudonym from Meta de Groot and the middle name Paul used by Herbert Rubin.

De Paul debuted on MAM with “Sugar Me” on July 21, 1972, and reached No. 5 on the UK singles chart. She followed with “Getting a Drag” on November 10, 1972, and reached No. 18 on the UK singles chart. De Paul then entered AIR Studios and Audio International in London to produce the MAM debut Surprise.

Discography: