How long have Simply Red been going?

‘We’ve made it. We’re still alive!” begins Mick Hucknall. He’s obviously talking about the pandemic – more sombrely dedicating the gig to “all those who didn’t make it”. However, he could be describing the 37 years in which he’s been through some 20-odd band members, womanising, alcoholism and a brief band split to emerge as a happily married 61-year-old who radiates warmth and contentment. Despite selling 50m albums, it’s years since Simply Red’s pop-soul was contractually obliged to blare from every wine bar and taxi in the country, although you’d never know it from the sea of middle-aged couples swaying along and marvelling at the Huck’s timelessly honeyed chops.

After six years off the road, his famous hair hasn’t gone simply grey but the introductions are as rusty as the barnet. The Huck announces wrong songs (“Er, this isn’t For Your Babies”), shouts “Let’s go back to 1988! Er… 1985!” and introduces Gregory Isaacs’ lovers rock classic Night Nurse as “Sort yer cold out.” Such endearing off-piste moments are welcome in Simply Red’s otherwise succession of machine-polished smashers, in which the newest song dates from 2007.

Hucknall’s career wasn’t built on experiment, but Homer Banks’s 1966 northern soul stomper (Ain’t That) A Lot of Love is reworked as deep house. Visuals of the stricken planet remodel Come To My Aid into a climate change anthem and it’s hard not to admire how 1987’s The Right Thing cheekily sneaked the line “I’m getting harder now!” into the Top 20. The socialist singer’s yell of “It’ll get a lot worse!” before Money’s Too Tight (To Mention) seems to reference the cost of living crisis, but the crowd come for old hits and get them. Sole other original member Ian Kirkham blows up a sax storm on the slinky, underrated Thrill Me. Stars, Fairground and the rest start dancing in the aisles, before Harold Melvin’s If You Don’t Know Me By Now becomes the celebratory singsong of a band and audience enjoying growing old together.

They formed in 1983

Author: Julian MarszalekPublished 18th Sep 2021
Last updated 27th Sep 2021

Led by singer-songwriter Mick Hucknall, Simply Red’s soul music has seen them become one of pop music’s most popular and enduring acts, with hits such as 'Holding Back the Years', 'If You Don't Know Me by Now', 'Stars' and of course the massive hit 'Fairground'.

The band are still going strong with their most recent album, 'Blue Eyed Soul' released in November 2019.

Who are Simply Red?

Put simply, Simply Red are one of Britain’s favourite pop groups. Fronted by singer and sole constant member Mick Hucknall, their seamless blending of soul and pop music has seen them release 11 studio albums, and 21 UK Top 20 singles.

Some of the Top 10 songs you'll know and love include, 'Holding Back the Years', 'If You Don't Know Me by Now', 'Fairground' and 'You Make Me Feel Brand New', amongst others.

WATCH: Simply Red - 'Holding Back The Years'

How did Simply Red form?

Believe it not, Simply Red’s formation owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Sex Pistols. Inspired by the infamous punk band’s famed 1976 gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester, a teenage Mick Hucknall formed The Frantic Elevators.

When they broke up in 1984, Hucknall hooked up with former members of Manchester post-punk band The Durutti Column, and moved into a soul direction. Simply Red were born. Swiftly attracting the attention of various labels, Simply Red signed to Elektra Records in 1985.

When did Simply Red first become successful?

Simply Red’s 1985 debut single was a cover of The Valentine Brothers’ ‘Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)’. Catching the mood of the time, the single went to Number 13 in the UK charts. Several chart misses followed, including a re-worked version of The Frantic Elevators’ final single, ‘Holding Back The Years’.

WATCH: Simply Red - 'Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)'

You can’t keep a good record down and ‘Holding Back The Years’ shot to Number 2 in the UK charts upon its re-release in 1986. Incredibly, it topped the US single charts as well. The single helped promote Simply Red’s debut album, ‘Picture Book’, which earned them a 1987 GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist. ‘Holding Back The Years’ was also nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.

Their second album, ‘Men And Women’, went to Number 2 in the UK album charts and spawned the hits ‘The Right Thing’ and a soulful cover of Cole Porter’s jazz classic,’Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye’.

How successful have Simply Red been?

Helped by the cover of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes’ hit, ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’, Simply Red’s third album, 1989’s ‘A New Flame’, became the band’s first UK Number 1 album and has, to date, sold 2.1 million copies just in the UK.

However, it was their next album that turned Simply Red into global superstars. Released in 1991, ‘Stars’ was the best-selling album in the UK in both the year of its release and 1992 – a feat not achieved since ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ by Simon & Garfunkel dominated in 1970 and 1971. The first Simply Red album to feature solely original material, it included five singles in the shape of ‘Something Got Me Started’, ‘For Your Babies’, ‘Thrill Me’, ‘Your Mirror’ and the title track.

Eventually going 12 x Platinum in the UK, ‘Stars’ was also nominated in the inaugural Mercury Music Prize Award in1992 where it lost out to Primal Scream’s ‘Screamadelica’.

A two-year touring schedule for ‘Stars’ meant that it would be 1995 before the world heard new material from Simply Red. Heralding their fifth album, ‘Life’, the single, ‘Fairground’, gave Simply Red their first UK Number 1. The album went to the top of the charts and also included ‘We're In This Together’, the official theme song for Euro '96.

WATCH: Simply Red - 'Fairground'

What happened to Simply Red after ‘Life’?

Simply Red enjoyed the 25th anniversary of 'Life' in October 2020, taking to their Instagram to celebrate the occasion!

After that album, Simply Red released two more albums in the 90s – ‘Blue’ and ‘Love and the Russian Winter’. By this point, Simply Red had essentially become a solo vehicle for Mick Hucknall. The three albums released in the noughties – ‘Home’ (2003), Simplified’ (2005) and ‘Stay’ (2007) – charted in the Top 5.

Having retired Simply Red, Mick Hucknall reactivated the band with the release of ‘Big Love’ in 2015, an album that proved they were as popular as ever.

The band released a DVD and album in November 2018 called ‘Simply Red – Symphonica In Rosso’. The release included performances from Simply Red's shows at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome in 2017, when they were accompanied by a 40-piece orchestra.

Before the release of the album, there was a limited showing in cinemas, giving fans a chance to view the show on the big screen. Meanwhile, the physical release had a hard back Deluxe format with 20 tracks across a double live album and live concert DVD.

Blue Eyed Soul

On 8th November 2019 Simply Red released their 12th studio album 'Blue Eyed Soul'. The album debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart which was their 14th Top 10 album in the UK.

Has Mick Hucknall sung with any other bands?

In 2009, Mick Hucknall replaced Rod Stewart in The Faces when surviving members Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagen and Kenney Jones decided to reform. And in a strange coincidence that harked back to his early Manchester days, Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock stood in for deceased bassist Ronnie Lane.

Is Mick Hucknall married?

Having dated many women including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Martine McCutcheon, Ulrika Jonsson and supermodel Helena Christensen, Mick Hucknall married his partner Gabriella Wesberry in 2010. They have a daughter called Romy True Hucknall who was born in 2007.

You can hear many of Simply Red's songs on Magic.

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