Gilbert O'Sullivan

Biography

Raymond Edward O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946), known professionally as Gilbert O'Sullivan, is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)×Alone Again (Naturally)1 June 1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAAlone Again (Naturally)3:40BSave It", "Clair×Clair1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAClairBWhat Could Be Nicer" and "Get Down". His songs are often marked by his distinctive percussive piano playing style and observational lyrics using word play.
Born in Waterford, Ireland, O'Sullivan settled in Swindon, 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 magazine Record Mirror voted O'Sullivan the top UK male singer of 1972. He has received three Ivor Novello Awards, including "Songwriter of the Year" in 1973, and received praise from fellow musicians Nina Simone, Paul Weller, Gary Barlow, and Tim Burgess.

Early life

O'Sullivan was born on 1 December 1946 in Cork Road, Waterford, Ireland. He was one of six children. His mother, May, ran a sweet shop and his father was a butcher with Clover Meats. The O'Sullivans emigrated due to a job offer in England. The family first moved to Battersea, London, when O'Sullivan was seven, before settling in Swindon, 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." A period of going to piano lessons was short-lived, as O'Sullivan was not enamoured of music theory and played the pieces by ear instead. His father died two years after the move to Swindon. 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".
O'Sullivan attended St Joseph's Catholic College before studying at Swindon 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 founder Rick Davies. Davies, who later founded Supertramp, taught O'Sullivan how to play both drums and piano. 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." He started writing songs, heavily influenced by the Beatles, as writers, and Bob Dylan, as a performer.

Career

In 1967, O'Sullivan moved from Swindon to London 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 a bowl cut, cloth cap and short trousers. O'Sullivan said his love of silent film inspired the look. 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, who also suggested changing his name from Ray to Gilbert as a play on the name of the light opera partnership of Gilbert and Sullivan. He was paid an advance of £12 (equivalent to £191 in 2025), with which he bought a piano. He was signed to CBS Records by the A&R manager Mike Smith, who produced the Tremeloes, the Marmalade and the 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 label Major Minor Records, in 1969, yielded a third single, "Mr. Moody's Garden", which was again unsuccessful. O'Sullivan then sent some demo tapes to Gordon Mills, the manager of Tom Jones and Engelbert 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. O'Sullivan's signature look garnered much attention and often saw him compared to the Bisto Kids. O'Sullivan explained his thinking behind his appearance in a 1971 interview: "My mother probably doesn't like Neil 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 and Chaplin."

Early success

At the end of 1970, O'Sullivan achieved his first UK top 10 hit with "Nothing Rhymed", which also reached number one in the Netherlands, where it earned O'Sullivan his first gold disc. 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. O'Sullivan released his debut album, Himself×HimselfAugust 1971 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracksA1Intro0:23A2January Git3:14A3Bye-Bye3:22A4Permissive Twit4:10A5Matrimony3:19A6Independent Air5:08A7Nothing Rhymed3:28B1Too Much Attention2:38B2Susan Van Heusan2:59B3If I Don't Get You (Back Again)2:44B4Thunder and Lightning2:59B5Houdini Said5:24B6Doing the Best I Can2:36B7Outro0:33, in August 1971. It received a warm critical reception, with O'Sullivan's observational and conversational style of songwriting garnering comparisons to Paul McCartney and Randy Newman. 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 the BBC's In Concert broadcast on 18 December 1971.

In 1972, O'Sullivan achieved international fame with "Alone Again (Naturally)×Alone Again (Naturally)1 June 1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAAlone Again (Naturally)3:40BSave It", a ballad which touches on suicide and loss. The single peaked at no. 3 in the UK but in America spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one on Billboard'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); and reached number one in Japan (during a 21-week chart run). In America the single ranked no. 2 (behind Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face") in Billboard's year-end chart, based on both sales and airplay. In 1973, both titles were Grammy-nominated for both Song of the Year and Record 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 a sweater bearing a large letter 'G'. This was a deliberate attempt to prevent "[making] an impact like Tiny Tim" in the US that "would have taken years to shake off," and the subsequent American edition of Himself, which included "Alone Again (Naturally)", featured an updated image of O'Sullivan on the album artwork. O'Sullivan followed up on the success of "Alone Again (Naturally)" with "Clair×Clair1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAClairBWhat Could Be Nicer", 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). Its parent album (and O'Sullivan's second), Back to Front×Back to FrontOctober 1972 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Intro, I Hope You'll Stay2:48A2In My Hole2:47A3Clair3:02A4That's Love3:02A5Can I Go With You2:46A6But I'm Not, Outro2:35B1I'm in Love With You4:25B2Who Was It2:31B3What Could Be Nicer (Mum the Kettle's Boiling)3:07B4Out of the Question3:01B5The Golden Rule2:38B6I'm Leaving, Outro3:01, spawned a further hit with "Out of the Question", which reached no. 17 in the US and no. 14 in Canada.
O'Sullivan's disc sales exceeded 10 million in 1972 and made him the top star of the year. His success led to his taking part in the BBC's anniversary programme Fifty Years of Music in November 1972. O'Sullivan was ranked by Record Mirror as the number one male singer of 1972, and in May 1973 he won an Ivor Novello award for "British Songwriter of the Year".
In 1973, O'Sullivan released his third album, I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter×I'm a Writer, Not a FighterSeptember 1973 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter3:17A2A Friend of Mine3:23A3They've Only Themselves to Blame2:45A4Who Knows, Perhaps, Maybe3:16A5Where Peaceful Waters Flow4:18B1Ooh Baby3:45B2I Have Never Loved You as Much as I Love You Today2:32B3Not in a Million Years3:00B4If You Love Me Like You Love Me3:19B5Get Down2:39, which reflected a new emphasis on rock music and funk influences. Its lead single, the electric keyboard-based "Get Down", reached number one in the UK, Belgium and Germany, no. 7 in both the US and Canada, and no. 3 in the Netherlands. Following "Alone Again (Naturally)" and "Clair", "Get Down" was O'Sullivan's third million-seller, with the RIAA gold disc award presented on 18 September 1973.
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. By 1974, his sales were decreasing. His fourth album A Stranger In My Own Back Yard×A Stranger in My Own Back YardOctober 1974 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Number 41:252A Woman's Place3:173No More2:264It's So Easy to Be Sad4:425My Father2:416The Marriage Machine3:267If You Ever2:338The Thing Is4:019Just Like Me3:0410Victor E2:4611I Wonder Would You Mind2:191215 Times2:2113Nothing to Do About Much3:2714Can't Get You to Love Me2:2515Always Somebody0:48, was his first to miss the top five on the UK 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 as sexist. It was O'Sullivan's first single since his 1970 breakthrough to miss the top 40 of the UK singles chart, reaching a peak of no. 42. 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".
O'Sullivan released a fifth album with MAM in 1977, Southpaw×SouthpawNovember 1977 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Intro0:472You Got Me Going2:393No Telling Why3:364Tomorrow Today3:125The Best Fun I Ever Had3:336I Remember Once5:147Intro II0:238I of Course Replied2:429That's Where I Belong3:3310My Love and I3:2211If I Can't Have You All to Myself3:0412Miss My Love Today3:49, 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. 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. They awarded him £7 million in damages (£25,000,000 as of 2025). Although he won, the court battle put his recording career on hold, and he said he was unable to obtain management or a major record label deal.

Later career

In 1980, after a five-year hiatus, O'Sullivan returned to his old record label, CBS. The first single, "What's in a Kiss×What's In A Kiss1980 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAWhat's In A Kiss2:29BDown, Down, Down3:34?", reached No. 19 in the UK, in 1980, and No. 21 in Japan. It was his first UK top 20 hit in five years. Following the release of his subsequent 1980, and 1982 albums, Off Centre×Off CentreOctober 1980 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1I Love It But3:332What's in a Kiss2:363Hello It's Goodbye3:084Why Pretend3:585I'm Not Getting Any Younger4:316Things That Go Bump in the Night4:517Help Is on the Way3:448For What It's Worth4:059The Niceness of It All5:2710Can't Get Enough of You3:2711Break It to Me Gently3:2012Or So They Say3:46 and Life & Rhymes×Life & RhymesMarch 1982 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Live Now Pay Later3:032Bear With Me3:223You Don't Own Me3:384A Minute of Your Time3:405Is It a Crime2:546Got to Be That Way3:167Has Been2:518I Promise Honest3:259Wonder Why3:1510Looking (A Tale of Two Meanings)3:1611If I Know You4:0612At Least I'm Honest3:01, and due in part to the then-ongoing MAM court case, O'Sullivan released no new material between 1983 and 1986. Apart from the single "So What?" in 1990 and a compilation album, Nothing But the Best×Nothing but the Best1991 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Nothing Rhymed3:232Matrimony3:143We Will3:534No Matter How I Try3:025Permissive Twit4:066Alone Again (Naturally)3:377Ooh Wakka Doo Wakka Day2:478Out of the Question2:589Clair3:0010Get Down2:4011A Friend of Mine3:2012Ooh Baby3:4413Why Oh Why Oh Why3:4914Happiness Is Me and You3:0515A Woman's Place3:1616Christmas Song2:4617I Don't Love You but I Think I Like You3:0718What's in a Kiss2:33, in 1991, O'Sullivan was absent from the charts until another compilation album, The Berry Vest of Gilbert O'Sullivan×The Berry Vest of Gilbert O'Sullivan15 March 2004 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks1Nothing Rhymed3:252Alone Again (Naturally)3:393Clair3:024Get Down2:435We Will (Gus Dudgeon remix)3:566No Matter How I Try3:017Matrimony3:158Out of the Question2:589Ooh Wakka Doo Wakka Day2:4710Why Oh Why Oh Why3:5011Who Was It2:2912Ooh Baby (Radio mix)3:2513Miss My Love Today3:4914What's in a Kiss2:3715So What4:1616Can't Think Straight4:0317Doesn't It Make You Sick (Mortar and Brick)3:2618Happiness Is Me and You3:0819Two's Company (Three Is Allowed)3:4020What's It All Supposed to Mean4:2021Mr. Moody's Garden3:46, returned him to the UK top 20 in 2004.
O'Sullivan is also noted for his role in bringing about the practice of clearing samples in hip hop music, as a result of the 1991 court case Grand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records, Inc., in which he sued rapper Biz Markie over the rights to use a sample of his song "Alone Again (Naturally)×Alone Again (Naturally)1 June 1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAAlone Again (Naturally)3:40BSave It". He won 100% of the royalties and made sampling an expensive undertaking.
O'Sullivan has continued to record and perform into the 21st century. He enjoys particular acclaim in Japan. His album A Scruff at Heart×A Scruff at Heart25 October 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Take Your Foot Off My Toe4:242A Proper Fool3:193My Place or Yours3:494Don't Let It Get to You3:225You Can't Con-crete3:126Taking Sides3:117I'm in Love With Love (Again)3:418Force of Habit2:329One Door Closes3:2310Just So You Know3:5311Let's Not Go There3:4612Can't Say Fairer Than That2:4813Love You Out of Trouble3:0114Know What, You're Right3:55 was released in 2007, featuring "Just So You Know". On 14 July 2008, O'Sullivan released "Never Say Di". He appeared at the 2008 Glastonbury Festival, to which he performed his well known hits "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Clair×Clair1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAClairBWhat Could Be Nicer", "Ooh Wakka Doo Wakka Day", "Nothing Rhymed", and "Get Down", but his latter two performances overran. O'Sullivan, feeling embarrassed, wrote a "long apologetic" letter to Michael 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. O'Sullivan played London's Royal Albert Hall on 26 October 2009. On 26 August 2010, O'Sullivan joined Hypertension, a record company whose artists have included Leo Sayer, Chris de Burgh, Fleetwood Mac, and Gerry Rafferty.
O'Sullivan's album Gilbertville×Gilbertville31 January 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Can I Leave The Rest Up To You3:302Missing You Already3:593Here's Why3:384All They Wanted To Say4:055One Drink To Many (Too Few)3:306The Allergy Song3:257Where Would We Be (Without Tea)3:118Interlude1:019I Wanna Know4:0210Down Down Here3:2211Private Eye3:0512I Wish Something Good3:2213Could Have Made It With You2:4414Talking Of Murder4:2115School Meals3:54 was released on 31 January 2011; it featured "All They Wanted to Say", which dealt with the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, and his single "Where Would We Be (Without Tea)?". On 19 July 2011, O'Sullivan played live on the BBC Radio 2 Ken Bruce Show. On 26 August that year, the documentary Out on His Own was broadcast by BBC Four (before by Irish RTÉ). In March 2012, the compilation album Gilbert O'Sullivan: The Very Best Of×The Very Best Of1986 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Matrimony3:142Ooh‐Wakka‐Do‐Wakka‐Day2:453You Are You3:184Clair3:005No Matter How I Try2:596Happiness Is Me and You3:067I Don’t Love You but I Think I Like You3:098Underneath the Blanket Go3:019Nothing Rhymed3:2110Alone Again (Naturally)3:3711We Will3:5212No Telling Why3:3713Out of the Question2:5314Why, Oh Why, Oh Why3:4815Ooh Baby3:4216Get Down2:34 – A Singer & His Songs entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 12. 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 album Latin à la G! was released.
On 24 August 2018, O'Sullivan released his 19th studio album, Gilbert O'Sullivan. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 20, his first UK charting studio album in over 40 years.
On 22 July 2022, O'Sullivan released his 20th studio album, Driven×Driven22 July 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Love Casualty3:452Blue Anchor Bay3:423Let Bygones Be Bygones3:194Body and Mind3:485What Are You Waiting For?3:186Let Me Know2:587Take Love3:118Back and Forth3:429If Only Love Had Ears3:5010You Can't Say I Didn't Try3:1911You and Me Babe3:2512Hey Man3:0113Don't Get Under Each Other's Skin2:52, produced by Andy Wright. The album peaked in the UK Albums Chart at No. 26.
In December 2023, councilors of Waterford City and County Council agreed to award O'Sullivan the Freedom of the City & County. He received the honor in person on 27 March 2024.

Personal life

O'Sullivan purposely avoided dating at the peak of his career, as he feared that doing so would inhibit his songwriting abilities. In January 1980, he married his Norwegian girlfriend Aase Brekke. Later that year, the first of their two daughters, Helen-Marie, was born. Tara was born two years later.
O'Sullivan lives in Jersey.