Gilbert O'Sullivan | |
|---|---|
 O'Sullivan onTopPop in 1974 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Raymond Edward O'Sullivan (1946-12-01)1 December 1946 (age 78) Waterford, Ireland |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments |
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| Works | Gilbert O'Sullivan discography |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Labels | Current Union Square (2007–2010; 2013–present) Former MAM (1967–1978) CBS (1978–1986) Ultraphone (1986–1988) Dover (1989–1990) Park Records (1991–2000) EMI (2000–2007) Victor (2007) Hypertension (2011–2013) |
| Website | gilbertosullivan.co.uk |
Raymond Edward O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946), known professionally asGilbert O'Sullivan, is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Clair" and "Get Down".[1] His songs are often marked by his distinctive percussive piano playing style[2] and observational lyrics using word play.[3]
Born inWaterford, Ireland, O'Sullivan settled inSwindon, England, as a child. In 1967, he began pursuing a career in music. Worldwide, he has charted 16 top 40 records, including six No. 1 songs, the first of which was 1970's "Nothing Rhymed". Across his career, he has recorded 19 studio albums. The music magazineRecord Mirror voted O'Sullivan the top UK male singer of 1972.[4] He has received threeIvor Novello Awards, including "Songwriter of the Year" in 1973,[5] and received praise from fellow musiciansNina Simone,Paul Weller,Gary Barlow, andTim Burgess.[6]
O'Sullivan was born on 1 December 1946 in Cork Road,Waterford, Ireland.[7] He was one of six children. His mother, May, ran asweet shop and his father was abutcher with Clover Meats.[8][9][10] The O'Sullivans emigrated due to a job offer in England.[11] The family first moved toBattersea, London, when O'Sullivan was seven, before settling inSwindon, Wiltshire, a year later. He began playing piano there, later explaining: "I come from a working-class background, but we always had a piano, the thinking of my parents was that if one of your kids could play it, you could make some money at it."[3] A period of going to piano lessons was short-lived, as O'Sullivan was not enamoured ofmusic theory and played the pieces by ear instead.[2] His father died two years after the move to Swindon.[10] O'Sullivan did not mourn his death, later stating that "the fact of the matter is, I didn't know my father very well, and he wasn't a good father anyway".[12]
O'Sullivan attendedSt Joseph's Catholic College before studying atSwindon College where he specialized in graphic design and also played with several semi-professional bands. These included the Doodles and the Prefects. He was mostly a drummer in a band called Rick's Blues, along with Malcolm Mabbett (guitar), Keith Ray (bass) and founderRick Davies.[13][14] Davies, who later foundedSupertramp, taught O'Sullivan how to play both drums and piano.[15] O'Sullivan's drumming informed his style of piano-playing, which often utilizes a distinctive percussive piano pattern. He has explained, "My left hand is hitting the high hat and the right hand is the snare."[2] He started writing songs, heavily influenced bythe Beatles, as writers, andBob Dylan, as a performer.[5]
In 1967, O'Sullivan moved from Swindon toLondon in pursuit of a career in music. Determined to get a record deal and looking to stand out, he created an eye-catching visual image consisting of abowl cut, cloth cap and short trousers. O'Sullivan said his love ofsilent film inspired the look.[17] He obtained a five-year contract with April Music,CBS Records' house publishing company, after coming to the attention of the professional manager, Stephen Shane,[18] who also suggested changing his name from Ray to Gilbert as a play on the name of the light opera partnership ofGilbert and Sullivan. He was paid an advance of £12 (equivalent to £275 in 2023), with which he bought a piano. He was signed to CBS Records by theA&R manager Mike Smith, who producedthe Tremeloes,the Marmalade andthe Love Affair.
O'Sullivan's first single was "Disappear", produced by Smith and released in November 1967, credited to the mononym "Gilbert". It failed to chart, as did his second single, "What Can I Do", released in April 1968. A switch to the Irish record labelMajor Minor Records, in 1969, yielded a third single, "Mr. Moody's Garden", which was again unsuccessful. O'Sullivan then sent some demo tapes toGordon Mills, the manager ofTom Jones andEngelbert Humperdinck, whereupon O'Sullivan was signed to Mills' newly founded label, MAM Records. Mills did not agree with O'Sullivan's self-created image, but O'Sullivan initially insisted on using it.[19] O'Sullivan's signature look garnered much attention and often saw him compared to theBisto Kids.[20][21] O'Sullivan explained his thinking behind his appearance in a 1971 interview: "My mother probably doesn't likeNeil Young because she hates the way he looks, his hair and everything. If you can get them interested in the way you look then they tend to like the music. The thing which I'm trying to create is of the thirties;Keaton andChaplin."[22]
At the end of 1970, O'Sullivan achieved his first UKtop 10 hit with "Nothing Rhymed",[4] which also reachednumber one in theNetherlands,[23] where it earned O'Sullivan his firstgold disc.[13] Over 1971, O'Sullivan had hits with "Underneath The Blanket Go" (which also reached number one in the Netherlands), "We Will" and "No Matter How I Try", the latter being named "Best Ballad or Romantic Song" at the 17th Ivor Novello Awards in 1972.[24] O'Sullivan released his debut album,Himself, in August 1971.[7] It received a warm critical reception, with O'Sullivan's observational and conversational style of songwriting garnering comparisons toPaul McCartney andRandy Newman.[22][25] O'Sullivan opted not to tour in promotion of the album, but did however make a number of appearances on British television during 1971, most notably recording an edition of theBBC'sIn Concert broadcast on 18 December 1971.[26]
In 1972, O'Sullivan achieved international fame with "Alone Again (Naturally)", aballad which touches onsuicide and loss. The single peaked at no. 3 in the UK but in America spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one onBillboard's Hot 100, selling nearly two million copies. It peaked at no. 2 in New Zealand (during an 11-week chart run) and spent two weeks at number one in Canada (13 weeks in the Top 40);[27] and reached number one in Japan (during a 21-week chart run). In America the single ranked no. 2 (behindRoberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face") inBillboard's year-end chart, based on both sales and airplay. In 1973, both titles wereGrammy-nominated for bothSong of the Year andRecord of the Year, with Flack winning in both categories. This international success coincided with a new image, with O'Sullivan discarding the appearance he had used since 1967. He unveiled a more modern 'college-like' look in which he often wore asweater bearing a large letter 'G'.[7] This was a deliberate attempt to prevent "[making] an impact likeTiny Tim" in the US that "would have taken years to shake off," and the subsequent American edition ofHimself, which included "Alone Again (Naturally)", featured an updated image of O'Sullivan on the album artwork.[28] O'Sullivan followed up on the success of "Alone Again (Naturally)" with "Clair", which reached no. 2 in the United States on the Hot 100 and no. 1 in the UK, Norway, France, Belgium, Ireland and Canada (14 weeks in the Canadian Top 40).[27][29] Its parent album (and O'Sullivan's second),Back to Front, spawned a further hit with "Out of the Question", which reached no. 17 in the US and no. 14 in Canada.[27]
O'Sullivan'sdisc sales exceeded 10 million in 1972 and made him the top star of the year.[13] His success led to his taking part in the BBC's anniversary programmeFifty Years of Music in November 1972. O'Sullivan was ranked byRecord Mirror as the number one male singer of 1972,[30] and in May 1973 he won anIvor Novello award for "British Songwriter of the Year".[31]
In 1973, O'Sullivan released his third album,I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter, which reflected a new emphasis onrock music andfunk influences. Its lead single, theelectric keyboard-based "Get Down", reached number one in the UK, Belgium and Germany,[29][32] no. 7 in both the US and Canada, and no. 3 in the Netherlands.[4][27] Following "Alone Again (Naturally)" and "Clair", "Get Down" was O'Sullivan's third million-seller, with theRIAA gold disc award presented on 18 September 1973.[13]
O'Sullivan enjoyed nearly five years of success with MAM, a run that included seven UK top 10 singles and four UK top 10 albums; three US top 10 singles and one top 10 album; five Dutch top 10 singles and three top 10 albums; five New Zealand top 10 singles; three Canadian top 10 singles; and seven Japan top 10 singles.[33] By 1974, his sales were decreasing.[7] His fourth albumA Stranger In My Own Back Yard, was his first to miss the top five on theUK Albums Chart, charting at no. 9. Its lead single, "A Woman's Place", generated controversy due to its lyric ("I believe / A woman's place is in the home"), seen by some assexist.[34] It was O'Sullivan's first single since his 1970 breakthrough to miss the top 40 of theUK singles chart, reaching a peak of no. 42.[35] His November 1974 single "Christmas Song" reached no. 12 in the UK and no. 5 in Ireland. In June 1975, O'Sullivan had his last top 20 hit, "I Don't Love You But I Think I Like You".[4][7]
O'Sullivan released a fifth album with MAM in 1977,Southpaw, but it failed to chart. He discovered his recording contract with MAM Records greatly favored the label's owner, Gordon Mills. A lawsuit followed, with a prolonged argument over how much money his songs had earned and how much of that money he had actually received.[36] Eventually, in May 1982, the court found in O'Sullivan's favor, describing him as a "patently honest and decent man" who had not received a just proportion of the vast income his songs had generated.[36] They awarded him £7 million indamages (£31,000,000 as of 2023). Although he won, the court battle put hisrecording career on hold,[37] and he said he was unable to obtain management or a major record label deal.[38]
In 1980, after a five-year hiatus, O'Sullivan returned to his old record label, CBS. The first single, "What's in a Kiss?", reached No. 19 in the UK, in 1980, and No. 21 in Japan.[33] It was his first UK top 20 hit in five years. Following the release of his subsequent 1980, and 1982 albums,Off Centre andLife & Rhymes, and due in part to the then-ongoing MAM court case, O'Sullivan released no new material between 1983 and 1986.[7] Apart from the single "So What?" in 1990 and acompilation album,Nothing But the Best, in 1991, O'Sullivan was absent from the charts until another compilation album,The Berry Vest of Gilbert O'Sullivan, returned him to the UK top 20 in 2004.[4]
O'Sullivan is also noted for his role in bringing about the practice of clearing samples inhip hop music, as a result of the 1991 court caseGrand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records, Inc.,[39] in which he suedrapperBiz Markie over the rights to use asample of his song "Alone Again (Naturally)".[7] He won 100% of the royalties and made sampling an expensive undertaking.[40]
O'Sullivan has continued to record and perform into the 21st century. He enjoysparticular acclaim in Japan.[7] His albumA Scruff at Heart was released in 2007, featuring "Just So You Know". On 14 July 2008, O'Sullivan released "Never Say Di". He appeared at the2008 Glastonbury Festival, to which he performed his well known hits "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Clair", "Ooh Wakka Doo Wakka Day", "Nothing Rhymed", and "Get Down", but his latter two performances overran.[41] O'Sullivan, feeling embarrassed, wrote a "long apologetic" letter toMichael Eavis, yet received no response; O'Sullivan was never asked to return to the Glastonbury stage, which led to a brief period of sourness between him and his agent.[42] O'Sullivan played London'sRoyal Albert Hall on 26 October 2009. On 26 August 2010, O'Sullivan joined Hypertension, a record company whose artists have includedLeo Sayer,Chris de Burgh,Fleetwood Mac, andGerry Rafferty.[43]
O'Sullivan's albumGilbertville was released on 31 January 2011; it featured "All They Wanted to Say", which dealt with the 2001attacks on the World Trade Center, and his single "Where Would We Be (Without Tea)?". On 19 July 2011, O'Sullivan played live on theBBC Radio 2Ken Bruce Show.[44] On 26 August that year, the documentaryOut on His Own was broadcast byBBC Four (before by IrishRTÉ). In March 2012, the compilation albumGilbert O'Sullivan: The Very Best Of – A Singer & His Songs entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 12.[45] 2015 saw O'Sullivan re-emerge on Irish and BBC radio and television. He toured Ireland beginning of June and on 8 June 2015 his albumLatin à la G! was released.[46]
On 24 August 2018, O'Sullivan released his 19th studio album,Gilbert O'Sullivan. The album entered theUK Albums Chart at No. 20, his first UK charting studio album in over 40 years.[45]
On 22 July 2022, O'Sullivan released his 20th studio album,Driven, produced by Andy Wright. The album peaked in the UK Albums Chart at No. 26.[45]
In December 2023, councilors ofWaterford City and County Council agreed to award O'Sullivan the Freedom of the City & County.[47] He received the honor in person on 27 March 2024.[48]
O'Sullivan purposely avoided dating at the peak of his career, as he feared that doing so would inhibit his songwriting abilities.[49] In January 1980, he married hisNorwegian girlfriend Aase Brekke. Later that year, the first of their two daughters, Helen-Marie, was born. Tara was born two years later.[50]
O'Sullivan lives inJersey.[51]
There were six children in my family, and at that time it was common for many homes in the UK to have a piano. The thinking behind it was that if one of the children became good at it they could go on to earn a few bob playing in the pubs, though I never went down that route.
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