Robert Palmer

Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. He was known for his powerful, distinctive, gritty and soulful voice, sartorial elegance and for combining soul, jazz, rock, pop, reggae and blues.
Palmer's involvement in the music industry began in the 1960s, covered four decades and included a spell with the band Vinegar Joe. He found success both in his solo career and with the Power Station, and had Top 10 songs in both the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Three of his hit singles, "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", "Addicted to Love" and "Simply Irresistible", were accompanied with stylish music videos directed by British fashion photographer Terence Donovan.
Palmer received a number of awards throughout his career, including two Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, an MTV Video Music Award and two Brit Award nominations for Best British Male Solo Artist. He died aged 54, following a heart attack on 26 September 2003.
==Links to Peel==
Peel mentioned on his 30 September 2003 show that he was fan of Robert's first album, which featured backing vocals from the Meters and Little Feat, who were both favourites of Peel back in the 70's. However, as Robert Palmer's music started to become popular, Peel was less enthusiastic about his music even describing his single, Every Kinda People, as feeling him fairly kind of cold on Roundtable in 1978. 
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In 1986, when hosting Top Of The Pops with Janice Long, Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love video got played on the programme. The video featured top female models posing and miming with instruments as a 'backing band'. 
In an interview on Top Of The Pops - The Story Of 1986 the models claimed they received no criticism of the sexist use of women as "clones", but on the same programme, Janice Long claimed that she and Peel were "incredibly cross" about the video which was to be included on the show they would host on 29 May 1986 (TOTP). 
Long claimed that in rehearsals she re-titled the song "A Dickhead in Love" to which Peel retorted "You can't say that or you'll get in trouble. I'll say it!". After the video was shown Peel announced live on air "That's "A dick-head in love", Robert Palmer, and how nice to see he's turned his back on all that sexist muck..".
Nonetheless, Peel was more forgiving to Palmer after he read that he died recently, and played a track from his first album as a tribute on his 30 September 2003 show.
==Shows Played==
;thumb|249x249px1975
*03 July 1975: Blackmail (LP - Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley)
;1976
*19 October 1976: Man Smart, Woman Smarter
*01 November 1976: One Last Look (album - Some People Can Do What They Like) Island ILPS 9420
;1977
*PM008: Work To Make It Work (album - Pressure Drop) Island ILPS 9372
;1978
*30 June 1978 (Round Table): Every Kinda People (7") Island (JP: 'It leaves me fairly kind of cold')
*10 July 1978: Best Of Both Worlds (single) Island (JP: “A record that Kate Bush liked very well on Roundtable last Friday. I wasn’t that keen meself, but I thought if she likes it, it must be good, eh?”)
;1979
*12 August 1979: Jealous (7") Island
;1980
*25 September 1980: Looking For Clues (7") Island
;1983
*21 March 1983: You Are In My System (7") Island IS 104
*24 May 1983: You Can Have It (Take My Heart) (single) Island (Mark Ellen sits in for Peel)
;2003
*30 September 2003: Sailing Shoes (LP - Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley) Island
== See Also ==
*Record Collection: P
*Sounds
== External Links ==
* Wikipedia
* Discogs
* Official Website
Category:Artists