Paul Hardcastle Paul Hardcastle

"19" is a song by British musician Paul Hardcastle released as the first single from his self-titled third studio album Paul Hardcastle (1985). The song has a strong anti-war message, focusing on America's involvement in the Vietnam War and the effect it had on the soldiers who served. The track was notable for early use of sampled and processed speech, in particular a stutter effect used on the words "n-n-n-n-nineteen" and "d-d-d-d-destruction". It also includes various non-speech samples such as crowd noise and a military bugle call.

Because Paul Hardcastle has had great commercial success with his "Jazzmasters" projects, he occasionally gets linked to jazz. In reality, Hardcastle is a producer of electronic pop instrumental records who uses keyboards, drum machines, some regular instruments, often a saxophone lead and occasional singers to create dance music. The emphasis on repetition and long melody statements fits securely into lower-level acid jazz, although it lacks any real spontaneity. This double-CD has rare tracks (formerly out only in Europe), a few hits, lots of cover tunes of pop songs and plenty of previously unreleased pieces that should be of interest to Paul Hardcastle collectors.

A prolific electronic producer and keyboardist from London, Paul Hardcastle has enjoyed over three decades of popularity with his varied dance-, R&B-, and jazz-influenced albums. Although often associated with the smooth jazz genre, Hardcastle's synth-based style is more akin to instrumental dance music and electro-R&B with the occasional vocal and saxophone flourishes. Initially emerging with his breakthrough single "19" off 1985's Hardcastle, he gained wider success with the launch of his crossover Jazzmasters album in 1993, which hit number one on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart. Over the years, he has continued to diversify his offerings, issuing regular volumes across several series including Top 20-charting albums like 2002's Hardcastle 3, 2013's The Chill Lounge, Vol. 2, and 2014's Movin & Groovin.

A prolific electronic producer and keyboardist from London, Paul Hardcastle has enjoyed over three decades of popularity with his varied dance-, R&B-, and jazz-influenced albums. Although often associated with the smooth jazz genre, Hardcastle's synth-based style is more akin to instrumental dance music and electro-R&B with the occasional vocal and saxophone flourishes. Initially emerging with his breakthrough single "19" off 1985's Hardcastle, he gained wider success with the launch of his crossover Jazzmasters album in 1993, which hit number one on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart. Over the years, he has continued to diversify his offerings, issuing regular volumes across several series including Top 20-charting albums like 2002's Hardcastle 3, 2013's The Chill Lounge, Vol. 2, and 2014's Movin & Groovin. He reached the contemporary jazz Top Ten with 2018's Hardcastle 8 and 2020's Hardcastle 9 before releasing 2022's Hardcastle 10. Hardcastle 10 arrived in February 2022.

PAUL HARDCASTLE created the soundtrack to the mid 80’s. His iconic track 19 was an international mega hit (getting to number one in 13 countries) and with its hard-hitting lyrics and narrative about the Vietnam War, it captured the mood of a generation and created a sound for the era.

A producer and keyboardist from London, Paul Hardcastle debuted as a solo artist in 1984 and scored the following year with "19," an electro-oriented record featuring news reports and other sources on Vietnam. It became a major hit in his native country; in the U.S., it topped Billboard's club chart. Later, he produced and did remixes for artists such as Ian Dury and Phil Lynott. He continued to sell well in the specialty dance market and occasionally released records as part of the duo Kiss the Sky (with Jaki Graham) while also operating under names like the Def Boys, Beeps International, and Jazzmasters.