Owen Paul



Owen Paul (born Owen Paul McGee, 1 May 1962), is a Scottish singer, best known in the UK for his 1986 No. 3 hit single, "My Favourite Waste of Time", a cover version of a song that was originally written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw. The track featured an appearance from future Thunder bass player, Mark 'Snake' Luckhurst. After releasing a couple of singles and the album As It Is, he had a fall-out with his record label resulting in him leaving the music industry for 15 years.

Paul grew up in the Toryglen area of Glasgow and his older brother Brian was the original drummer in Simple Minds whose founding members Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill also came from Toryglen. As a youngster, Paul was taken on as an apprentice with the football club Celtic, but after hearing the Sex Pistols he decided to pursue a career in music. In the early 80s and under his given name of Owen McGee, he played and sang with Glasgow band Venigmas, which released the single Strangelove.

In 1989, he produced Japanese rock band Buck-Tick's album Taboo.

Paul has made two memorable television appearances: the first was on the BBC live programme Pebble Mill, when he was meant to mime to "My Favourite Waste of Time", but due to a technician's mistake, he missed his cue. The second came much later, as the unfortunate guest of a neighbour to The Osbournes, when as a result of playing music in a neighbouring garden, he provoked Ozzy and the rest of his dysfunctional family into throwing food.

For over ten years he ran a West End theatre in London's Leicester Square (home of the Boy George musical “TABOO”) as well as a successful Ballroom and Latin Dancing Club, returning to the music scene in 2002 with the album, About Time.

After touring and recording with Mike + The Mechanics, and a spell with Scottish supergroup Four Good Men, Owen Paul became the lead vocalist for "Ex Simple Mind."

Owen has three children, Joshua McGee (27), Olivia McGee (24) and Hannah McGee (20) In late 2012 Owen appeared on BBC1’s Watchdog as part of their ‘Rogue Traders’ team.

In January 2014 Owen released “The One” his first official single in the UK since 1987 available through iTunes, Amazon and Spotify, following this with the release of the album About Time II in the autumn of the same year. Thirty years since he first found fame he continues to perform extensively both as a solo artist and with his band at 80's Festivals.

Singles

 * 1986: "My Favourite Waste of Time"
 * 1986: "Pleased to Meet You"
 * 1986: "One World"
 * 1987: "Bring Me Back That Spark"
 * 1987: "Mad About the Girl"
 * 2014: "The One"

Albums

 * 1986: As It Is
 * 2002: About Time
 * 2004: Rewired – Mike + the Mechanics (as backing vocalist and vocal arranger)
 * 2014: About Time II