Gilbert O’Sullivan, who scored a #1 hit in 1972 with “Alone Again (Naturally),” has released a new studio album, Driven. He’s supporting it with an extensive U.K. and European tour throughout 2022.
The album, the artist’s twentieth studio release, finds him working with a new producer, Andy Wright (Simple Minds, Simply Red, Eurythmics and Jeff Beck) recorded with a full band at London’s RAK Studios. It includes duets with Mick Hucknall and KT Tunstall. (Watch the video for “Take Love” below.)
The Ireland-born singer-songwriter quickly followed up his 1972 smash single with two other big U.S. hits, “Clare,” which reached #2, and “Get Down,” which peaked at #7 the following year.
O’Sullivan, who turned 75 on December 1, 2021, celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary to his wife, Aase, in 2020.
O’Sullivan was born Raymond Edward O’Sullivan on Dec. 1, 1946, in Waterford, Ireland, and enrolled at Swindon Art College, specializing in graphic design.
But he had another love – music – and after forming and joining local bands as a drummer/vocalist, he started writing his own songs, heavily influenced by The Beatles as writers and Bob Dylan as a performer.
After two unsucessful singles, he sent a demo tape to Gordon Mills, the man behind Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, who impressed with his songwriting, became his manager. The result was his first single on the MAM label, “Nothing Rhymed,” which became a U.K. Top Ten hit in 1970.
But it was 1972’s “Alone Again (Naturally),” which O’Sullivan wrote and produced that sealed his fame, topping the U.S. charts for six weeks and earning three Grammy nominations. The song was ranked the year’s second biggest by Billboard.
Related: “Alone Again (Naturally)” was #1 for all of 1972 on New York’s WABC
O’Sullivan has earned seven Top 10 U.K. singles and a #1 album, Back to Front. He released a self-titled album in 2018.
Watch the video for “Take Love” with KT Tunstall, from the new album
Gilbert O’Sullivan 2022 Tour Dates (Tickets are available here.)
Jul 23 – Chatham, UK – The Central Theatre
Jul 25 – Liverpool, UK – Cavern Club
Jul 28 – Exeter, UK – Corn Exchange
Aug 05 – Leeds, UK – City Varieties Music Hall
Aug 07 – Hampshire, UK – Wickham Festival
Aug 08 – Buxton, UK – Opera House
Aug 25 – Milton Keynes, UK – The Stables
Sep 02 – Limerick, Ireland – Lime Tree Theatre
Sep 03 – Castlebar, Ireland – Royal Theatre
Sep 06 – Kilkenny, Ireland – Watergate Theatre
Sep 09 – Cork, Ireland – Cork Opera House
Sep 11 – Dublin, Ireland – Bord Gais Energy Theatre
Oct 01 – Minehead, UK – Butlins
Oct 03 – Liverpool, UK – Liverpool Philharmonic
Oct 05 – Bradford, UK – Sgt. George’s Hall
Oct 06 – Glasgow, UK – The Pavilion
Oct 08 – Newcastle, UK – The Tyne Theatre & Opera House
Oct 09 – Manchester, UK – RNCM
Oct 11 – Bristol, UK – St. George’s
Oct 12 – Shrewsbury, UK – Theatre Severn
Oct 14 – Wimbourne, UK – Tivoli Theatre
Oct 17 – Oostende, Belgium – Kursaal Ostend
Oct 19 – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Muziekgebow
Oct 22 – Walsall, UK – The Arena
Oct 31 – Scunthorpe, UK – The Baths Hall
Nov 01 – London, UK – Barbican
Dec 08 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Carre Theatre
Dec 12 – Birmingham, UK – Town Hall
2 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationPlz plz plz send gilbert o sullivan to nottingham arena would love to go see him been a fan since the 60s
That’d be nice. Apparently, though, he’s only doing intimate venues, maybe just him and the piano. Aside from the winery tour, he’s booked for a river cruise next summer, but, we’ll see if the pandemic relaxes…