THE name Paul Young needs no introduction -- his soulful voice and boyish good looks made him an '80s pop idol in a similar way to his newly-famous namesake Will, the first officially-titled Pop Idol.

But his band, Los Pacaminos -- with whom he is touring this month -- may need a little further explanation.

The band -- their name sounds South American but stems from "pack 'em in" -- is a seven-strong line-up formed by Paul six years ago who play what he calls "drinking music".

To find out what he means, make a trip to King George's Hall, Blackburn, on Sunday, May 19, for their gig -- one of a 37-date tour coinciding with the release of Los Pacaminos' eponymous album.

The band, of which Paul is one of five lead vocalists, was formed when he severed ties with record company Sony, with whom he had enjoyed huge chart success.

His debut album, No Parlez, included the number one single Wherever I Lay My Hat, which topped the charts for most of the summer in 1983. Then followed Come Back and Stay and another huge single, Every Time You Go Away, from his second album, The Secret of Association.

By 1992 Paul was exploring new styles of music. "Every artist wants to change, every record company wants them to stay the same," he said.

So, as he collected his thoughts, he began calling up friends and suggesting they get together in an informal group to play music for fun. Los Pacaminos feature an accordian and pedal steel guitar with a range of vocal talents, including singer-songwriter Drew Barfield, Matt Irving and Jamie Moses.

For the tour, they play a mix of Paul's hits and new songs.

"It's total escapism. I have got music from all round the world," he said. "I haven't played soul music for many years."

Paul, now 46, was brought up in Luton and worked with his dad at Vauxhall Motors when he left school. He had his first hit, Toast, with the Street Band in 1978 and when they broke up the following year he formed the Q-Tips.

But it was as a solo singer that he hit the big time. One of the highlights of the 1989 Nelson Mandela tribute concert was Paul's performance of Don't Dream It's Over, a Crowded House song, which he later recorded for his Best Of album, From Time to Time.

His 1991 duet Sensa Una Donna (Without A Woman) with Italian singer Zucchero, with whom he had become good friends four years earlier, became a hit worldwide.

Now, as a married father of three who has also featured on the BBC1 series This Is Your Life, his outlook has matured so that he needs to be involved in the entire music business process. "I'm less inclined to compromise and have been determined to evolve as an artist," he said. "Now, I'm no longer content to be just the singer."

* The album Los Pacaminos was released on Monday. The tour starts in Leicester next Friday and runs into June. Tickets for the King George's Hall gig on Sunday, May 19, are £14.40 (main hall) and £16.50 (balcony), available from the box office (01254 582582).