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Paul Potts launch in US 7/9/2007
Record producer Rick Rubin, co-head of Columbia Records, is set to work with Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts to help the former Port Talbot phone salesman to launch his singing career in the U.S.
Rubin showed a tape of Paul to an interviewer from the website heavymetalmusic.biz and said: "Where does that come from?" Tears were rolling down his cheeks. "I can't look at this without crying," he said. "His voice is so beautiful.
"In England, Paul Potts is already gigantic, but we are going to launch him in America. This just blew my mind."
No one could have predicted that one of the first new Columbia artists to excite Rick Rubin would have been a would-be opera singer from a televised talent contest.
"I certainly didn't expect his response to be so positive," said Steve Barnett, who originally brought Paul Potts to Rubin's attention. "I was surprised and pleased that he wanted to jump on it."
Rubin has an immediate plan for Potts - he wants to test the powers of his word of mouth department.
"I want to see if we can create interest without there being a record to buy," he said. "I've told our whole staff to send it to everyone, to tell everyone, to mention it everywhere. I want to get Paul Potts out to the world.
"Although, if someone tells you how great this is, it's not as moving. It's the element of surprise that makes you interested in Paul Potts: he looks so bland, and then he sings so well. If you expect him to be great, will the clip still be great?"
The Paul Potts album One Chance was number one in the charts in Australia this week and doubled sales over last week in New Zealand to lead for a fifth week.
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