The British soul-pop band Simply Red were formed in 1984 by singer
Mick "Red" Hucknall (born
Michael James Hucknall, June 8, 1960, Manchester, England) with three ex-members of
Durutti Column -- bassist
Tony Bowers (born October 31, 1952), drummer
Chris Joyce (born October 11, 1957, Manchester, England), and keyboardist/brass player
Tim Kellett (born July 23, 1964, Knaresborough, England) -- plus guitarist
Sylvan Richardson and keyboardist
Fritz McIntyre (born September 2, 1956, Birmingham, England).
The group signed to Elektra Records and released
Picture Book (October 1985), which featured "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)," a Top 40 cover of a 1982 R&B chart single by
the Valentine Brothers, and "Holding Back the Years," a
Hucknall original that topped the U.S. charts. The single caused the album to go platinum, and made the group one of the major successes of 1986.
Men and Women (March 1987), which featured two collaborations between
Hucknall and soul songwriter
Lamont Dozier, was less popular, though it generated the Top 40 hit "The Right Thing." (In the U.K., "Infidelity" and a cover of
Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" also made the Top 40.)
Richardson left in 1987 and was replaced by guitarist
Aziz Ibrahim, who was replaced by
Heitor T.P. (born in Brazil). The third album,
A New Flame (February 1989), went gold due to the cover of the 1972
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes hit "If You Don't Know Me by Now" that hit number one and became a gold single. (In the U.K., "It's Only Love" and "A New Flame" also made the Top 40.)
By the time of the fourth album,
Stars (September 1991),
Bowers and
Joyce had left, with
Shaun Ward joining on bass and
Gota on drums, and saxophonist
Ian Kirkham had become a permanent member.
Stars was a relative commercial disappointment in the U.S. (though it spawned Top 40 hits in "Something Got Me Started" and "Stars" and eventually went gold), but it became a major success elsewhere, especially in the U.K., where it was the best-selling album of 1991, topped the charts for 19 weeks, and spawned the Top Ten hits "Stars" and "For Your Babies" and the Top 40 hits "Something Got Me Started," "Thrill Me," and "Your Mirror." Worldwide, it had sold eight and a half million copies by the second quarter of 1993.
Ward and
Gota were gone by the release of Simply Red's fifth album,
Life (October 1995), leaving a lineup of
Hucknall,
McIntyre,
Heitor T.P.,
Kirkham, and backup singer
Dee Johnson. The album again proved more of a success at home than in America, topping charts all over Europe, as did its leadoff single, "Fairground," while spending only three months in the U.S. charts.
Blue followed in May 1998. It topped the British charts and spawned Top Ten hits in "Say You Love Me" and a cover of
the Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe" at home, but was a negligible seller in the U.S. In November 1999, Simply Red issued
Love and the Russian Winter, which reached the U.K. Top Ten, with the single "Ain't That a Lot of Love" (a cover of a
Sam & Dave song) hitting the Top 20.
After establishing the simplyred.com label, the band released
Home in April 2003. It reached number two in the U.K., with the singles "Sunrise" and a cover of
the Stylistics' "You Make Me Feel Brand New" becoming Top Ten hits. Two years later came
Simplified, a collection of old and new songs that hit number three in Britain and number two in the Eurochart. Another two-year absence followed before the notable
Stay in April 2007. It hit number four in the U.K. and number two in the Eurochart. By the time of its release, the lineup of Simply Red consisted of
Hucknall,
Kirkham,
Sarah Brown (background vocals),
David Clayton (keyboards),
Peter Lewinson (drums),
Steve Lewinson (bass),
Kevin Robinson (trumpet), and
Kenji Suzuki (guitar).
The critics savaged Annie Lennox's sophomore effort when it first came out, and it's easy to see why: it's not that an all-covers album was a bad idea, but she did pick some rather large shoes to fill and she did kind of run roughshod over the songs themselves, taking gritty material by the likes of Neil Young and the Clash and turning it into super-slick electro-pop ear candy. But on the other hand, candy sometimes really hits the spot, and Lennox's rendition of "No More I Love You's" by the ultra-obscure British pop band the Lover Speaks is ravishingly, heartbreakingly lovely. Those who have never heard the Clash's original version of "Train in Vain" might not find her version as objectionable as the critics did, either. But there's no arguing with the critics when it comes to her anemic take on the Al Green classic "Take Me to the River" or her equally numb rendition of Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down." Those who have given up on looking cool, however, might find themselves able to enjoy her gentle arrangement of "A Whiter Shade of Pale." Don't pay full price for this, but snap it up if you find it in a bargain bin somewhere.
