Simply Red are an English

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

and pop band formed in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

in 1985. Band leader, singer and songwriter

Mick Hucknall Michael James Hucknall (born 8 June 1960) is an English singer and songwriter. Hucknall achieved international fame in the 1980s as the lead singer and songwriter of the soul-influenced pop band Simply Red, with whom he enjoyed a 25-year caree ...

was the only original member left by the time Simply Red initially disbanded in 2010. They have released thirteen studio albums, from ''

Picture Book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The ima ...

'' (1985) through ''Time'' (2023), all of which have peaked within the top ten on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

; with the albums '' A New Flame'' (1989), ''

Stars A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night; their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed points of ...

'' (1991), ''Life'' (1995) and ''Blue'' (1998), along with their ''Greatest Hits'' (1996) album, reaching number one. Their 1991 album ''Stars'' is one of the best-selling albums in the United Kingdom. The group released ten songs that have reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart, including "

", the Fugees-assisted "

Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

", " The Air That I Breathe" and "

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...

", with the single " Fairground" peaking atop the UK Singles Chart. Their singles " Holding Back the Years" and " If You Don't Know Me by Now" both reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. At the 1992 and 1993 Brit Awards, they received the award for Best British Group. They have received three

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nominations, including one for

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1960 (except in 1967) "for a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that ar ...

in 1987. Their version of "If You Don't Know Me by Now" won songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff the

for the Best R&B Song. The band re-formed in 2015. Simply Red have sold over 50 million albums.

History

1977–1984: The Frantic Elevators

Hucknall was in a

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

group called the Frantic Elevators, whose seven-year run produced limited releases on local labels and ended in 1984 upon critical acclaim for their final single, " Holding Back the Years".

1985–1988: Formation and early success

After the demise of The Frantic Elevators, Hucknall linked up with manager Elliot Rashman. By early 1985, Hucknall and Rashman had assembled a band of local session musicians and begun to attract record-company attention. The group went under a number of names: World Service, Red And the Dancing Dead, and Red (after Hucknall's nickname, denoting his hair colour) but Hucknall decided the latter name would sound better with the addition of the word 'Simply'. The band's name is also linked to Hucknall's allegiance to being a supporter of

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

, as the club's home shirt colour is red. The initial Simply Red line-up consisted of Mick Hucknall (vocals), David Fryman (guitar), Tony Bowers (bass), Fritz McIntyre (keyboards and vocals), Tim Kellett (brass and live backing vocals) and Chris Joyce (drums). Bowers and Joyce had both previously been members of

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

bands The Durutti Column and The Mothmen; Kellett had also been a member of The Durutti Column, though not at the same time as Bowers and Joyce. Simply Red signed a contract with Elektra in 1985, but after recording one track ("Red Box"), Fryman left the group and was replaced by guitarist Sylvan Richardson, billed as 'Sylvan'. "Red Box" would eventually see release in 1985 as a B-side to the group's first single, " Money's Too Tight (to Mention)", a cover of a soul song originally recorded by The Valentine Brothers. "Money's Too Tight (to Mention)" gained international success, reaching the UK and Irish Top 20, then later the American, French and Dutch Top 30, and the Italian Top 5. It was included on their debut album, ''

'', also released in 1985. Several low-charting singles would follow for the band. Among the comparative flops was a re-recording of the Frantic Elevators' " Holding Back the Years", done up in a new soul-ballad style arrangement. Released as Simply Red's third single in 1985, the track initially placed outside the UK Top 50. However, upon being re-released in 1986, "Holding Back the Years" became a major hit, peaking at #1 in Ireland, #2 in the UK, #3 in the Netherlands, #20 in Italy and later #1 in the United States. Simply Red's second album, 1987's '' Men and Women'', saw the band adopting bowler hats and colourful suits instead of their earlier ragamuffin look. As well, the introspection and social commentary of their debut album was replaced by a blue-eyed soul sound with funk influences. Veteran

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

songwriter Lamont Dozier co-authored two tracks with Hucknall for the album—these tracks were credited to 'Hucknall/Dozier/Hucknall' in the original album credits, in homage to the famous Motown writing team of

Holland–Dozier–Holland Holland–Dozier–Holland, often abbreviated as H-D-H, was a songwriting and production team consisting of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland. The trio wrote, arranged and produced many songs that helped define the ...

. The album's lead single " The Right Thing" was another international hit, charting in the top 40 throughout Europe and North America. Several follow-up singles also met with modest success in the UK and elsewhere.

1989–1995: Peak years

Guitarist Richardson left after the release of ''Men and Women'' and was replaced by Brazilian

Heitor Pereira Heitor Teixeira Pereira () (born November 29, 1960), or Heitor TP, is a Brazilian composer. In his career, Pereira has recorded with the band Simply Red and several famous musicians, such as Elton John, Rod Stewart, k.d. lang, Milton Nascimento, a ...

(billed as Heitor TP). Saxophonist Ian Kirkham, who joined the group during the ''Picture Book'' tour in 1986 and played on ''Men and Women'', became an official member. With their third album '' A New Flame'' in 1989, Simply Red adopted a yet more mainstream popular sound aimed for commercial rather than critical success, typified by their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' pop classic " If You Don't Know Me by Now", which became their second U.S. #1 hit, and one of the biggest singles of the year internationally; and their greatest success to that point. Hucknall was by this time an international superstar, being photographed with models and Hollywood celebrities. This seemed to harm the band's coherence as a unit, with Hucknall declaring in 1991 that Simply Red was "essentially a solo project". The rhythm section of Bowers and Joyce left around this time; they were replaced by bassist Shaun Ward (ex- Floy Joy and Everyday People) and drummer Gota Yashiki (often billed as just Gota). The band's career peaked in late 1991 with the release of ''

'', which became the best-selling album for two years running in Europe and the UK (though notably had less chart success in the US than their previous albums, still earning however a gold certification). The album spun off five top 40 singles in the UK, and the singles " Something Got Me Started" and "

" were also significant chart hits throughout all of Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. After the tour, Tim Kellett left to form dance band

Olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

. After touring and promoting ''Stars'' for two years, Simply Red returned in 1995 with " Fairground", a dance-influenced track prominently featuring a sample from Zki & Dobri's Goodmen project. A massive radio hit, "Fairground" went on to become the band's first and only UK #1. Its parent album ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'' sold more than a million copies in the UK alone, making it the fourth-biggest seller of the year. By this time, the band was officially Hucknall, McIntyre, Pereira, Kirkham, and new backing vocalist Dee Johnson. Guest musicians (including Sly & Robbie) filled in on drums and bass. For the subsequent live shows, Simply Red were joined by new recruits' Steve Lewinson on bass, Velroy Bailey on drums, and second backing vocalist Sarah Brown.

1996–2000

McIntyre, the only original remaining band member aside from lead singer Hucknall, left the group after the ''Life'' album, as did Pereira. From that time in 1996, Simply Red was essentially a trade name for Hucknall and a bevy of session musicians, which would vary from track to track (and gig to gig) as needed, although all post-1996 Simply Red albums and live shows did include contributions from sax player Ian Kirkham. Returning drummer Gota Yashiki (co-producing several album tracks) and backing vocalists Dee Johnson and Sarah Brown were also frequently involved with the band's later recordings and shows, as was new keyboardist/co-producer Andy Wright.

East West Records East West Records (stylized as east''west'') is a record label formed in 1955, distributed and owned by Warner Music Group, headquartered in New York City. History After its creation in 1955 by Atlantic Records, the label had its first hit wit ...

issued the compilation album ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

'' in 1996, reportedly against Hucknall's wishes. The album featured one new track, a cover of the 1973

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

hit "

" which was co-produced with The Fugees (who also served as backing musicians). Released as a single, "Angel" reached #4 in the UK. 1998 saw the release of the cover-heavy ''

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...

'', which produced four UK top 40 singles, including the top 10 hits " Say You Love Me" and " The Air That I Breathe". The follow-up album, 1999's '' Love and the Russian Winter'', was a relative disappointment, spawning two minor hits that failed to break the top 10. Simply Red were dropped from their label, East West Records in April 2000. Hucknall subsequently set up the website Simplyred.com to handle releases of new recordings; the new label/website venture proved to be quite successful, many of the band's Simplyred.com releases selling and charting almost as well as their earlier recordings.

2003–2010: Re-establishment as a band and disbanding

Between 2003 and its disbandment in 2010, the band's core members were Mick Hucknall (lead vocals), Ian Kirkham (saxophone/EWI/keyboards), Dave Clayton (keyboards), Kenji Suzuki (guitar), Kevin Robinson (trumpet/flugelhorn/percussion), Steve Lewinson (bass guitar) and Pete Lewinson (drums). These musicians featured on Simply Red's shows as well as on albums, though in the studio, they were often augmented or replaced by session musicians. From 2003 to 2008, Dee Johnson (backing vocals), Sarah Brown (backing vocals), John Johnson (trombone/percussion) and Chris De Margary (saxophone/flute) also continued to be in the band and have appeared on albums and tours. On 24 March 2003, the band released ''

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

'', a mixture of original songs and covers, including a version of

The Stylistics The Stylistics are an American Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All ...

' " You Make Me Feel Brand New", which hit UK #7. The album went Double Platinum in the United Kingdom, Gold in Canada, and Platinum in Europe. It featured two other hit singles: "

" (#7 UK) and "

Fake Fake or fakes may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * The Fake (1927 film), ''The Fake'' (1927 film), a silent British drama film * The Fake (1953 film), ''The Fake'' (1953 film), a British film * Fake (2003 film), ''Fake'' (20 ...

" (#21 UK). On 13 October 2005, followed '' Simplified'', mainly an album of stripped-down versions of their classic hits. The single "Perfect Love" made it to number 30 on the UK chart, the band's final top 30 placing. On 12 March 2007, the band released its tenth (and, at that time, proclaimed final) studio album, ''

Stay Stay may refer to: Places * Stay, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the US Law * Stay of execution, a ruling to temporarily suspend the enforcement of a court judgment * Stay of proceedings, a ruling halting further legal process in a tr ...

''. This was preceded by the single from that album, "So Not Over You", released on 5 March 2007, which would peak at #34 in the UK. Follow-up single "Stay" (released on 28 May 2007) peaked at #36 UK, and was the band's final placing in the UK top 100 (although they would release several non-charting singles in the following years). On 19 May 2008, Hucknall released his first solo album, '' Tribute to Bobby''. The backing musicians on the solo album were virtually the same group of musicians he had been working with as "Simply Red" for the last few years. Hucknall announced that the name Simply Red would be retired after a farewell tour which started in early 2009 and ended in 2010. Simply Red's final concert took place at the O₂ Arena in London on 19 December 2010. The concert was shown live at cinemas throughout the UK.

2014–2015: ''Big Love'' and 30th anniversary reunion tour

On 3 November 2014, Simply Red announced that they would be reforming in Autumn 2015 for a 30th anniversary European tour, the Big Love Tour. The tour started on 20 October 2015 in

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

, Denmark, and ended on 26 August 2016 at the Summerdays Festival in

Arbon Arbon is a historic town and a municipality and district capital of the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. Arbon is located on the southern shore of Lake Constance, on a railway line between Konstanz/Romanshorn and ...

, Switzerland, performing the following month an ultimate show on 10 September 2016 at the BMW Festival Night in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The line-up for the reunion tour was the same as Simply Red's last formation with the exception of Roman Roth replacing Pete Lewinson as the drummer. On 19 April 2015, the band announced that they would be releasing a new studio album, named ''

Big Love ''Big Love'' is an American drama (film and television), drama television series created by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer that aired on HBO from 2006 to 2011. It stars Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a Mormon fundamentalism, fundamentalist Mor ...

'', containing 12 new tracks. The new album was released on 29 May 2015.

2016–2018: 25 Years of Stars Tour and Symphonica In Rosso

On 11 November 2016, Simply Red embarked in Dublin, Ireland on the 25 Years of Stars Live Tour, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release in September 1991 of ''

'' by playing live on stage the entire album in its original running order, while the second half of the show featured hits and classic Simply Red songs. The debut date in Ireland was followed by a 10-date UK leg starting on 13 November in Liverpool, England, and ending on 27 November at the O₂ Arena in London. In 2017, they announced they would be headlining at the annual Symphonica In Rosso event on 25, 26 and 28 October. A live album of the concert, '' Symphonica in Rosso – Live at Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam'', was released on 23 November 2018, peaking at number 58 on the UK Albums Chart.

2019–2023: ''Blue Eyed Soul''

The band's twelfth studio album, '' Blue Eyed Soul'', was released on 8 November 2019. It debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart, selling nearly 10,000 copies in its first week. To support the album Simply Red announced concert dates for 2021 around the UK and Europe. However, these were postponed to 2022 and 2023 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. On 22 October 2022, Simply Red released their first remix album, ''Simply Red Remixed Vol. 1 (1985–2000)''.

2023: ''Time''

On 2 March 2023 Simply Red announced the release of their thirteenth studio album, ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'', for 26 May 2023. The first unveiled track from the album is "Earth in a Lonely Space", which was already released as a single on 18 May 2021. The lead single, "Better with You", was released on 2 March 2023, accompanying the album's official announcement. Although the band's long-time keyboardist Dave Clayton has recorded some parts for ''Time'' and has even played "Better with You" with Simply Red during the final shows of 2022, Clayton's decision to leave the group after almost 20 years (with hopes of being able to spend more time with his family) was announced by the time that the year of 2022 was over. In the months leading up to the release of the ''Time'' album, Simply Red have released two further singles – "Shades 22" and "Just Like You" – on 31 March 2023 and 27 April 2023 respectively. In addition, the band announced an intimate album launch show for 5 June 2023 at the

O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was original ...

in London; this was their only UK performance in 2023. Also, at the Shepherd's Bush show, Mick Hucknall officially introduced Gary Sanctuary to the fans, as Simply Red's new keyboard player.

2025: 40th Anniversary Tour and concert film

On 7 February 2025, Simply Red played the first gig of the 40th Anniversary World Tour in Mexico. ''Holding Back the Years: 40 Years of Simply Red'', a film capturing their five dates at the

Movistar Arena Movistar Arena refers to: * Movistar Arena (Madrid), an indoor arena in Spain * Movistar Arena (Bogotá), an indoor arena in Colombia ** Movistar Arena (TransMilenio), a bus rapid transit station near the arena * Movistar Arena (Buenos Aires), an ...

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

, Chile, is set to premiere in cinemas worldwide on 15 May 2025.

Awards and nominations

ARPA Music Awards , - ,

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, " Fairground" , Most Performed Foreign Work , ASCAP Pop Music Awards !Ref. , - , 1987 , rowspan=2, " Holding Back the Years" , rowspan=2, Most Performed Song , , , - , 1988 , , Brit Awards , - , 1985 , ''

'' , Best British Album , , - , rowspan="2" , 1987 , " Holding Back the Years" , Best British Single , , - , rowspan="2" , Simply Red , rowspan="2" , Best British Group , , - , rowspan="3" , 1990 , , - , " If You Don't Know Me by Now" , Best British Single , , - , '' A New Flame'' , rowspan="2" , Best British Album , , - , rowspan="3" , 1992 , ''

'' , , - , "

" , Best British Video , , - , rowspan="2" , Simply Red , rowspan="2" , Best British Group , , - , rowspan="3" , 1993 , , - ,

, Best British Male , , - , " For Your Babies" , Best British Video , , - , 1997 ,

, Best British Male , ECHO Awards , - , 1999 , rowspan="2" , Simply Red , rowspan="2" , Best International Group , , - , 2004 , Goldene Europa , - , 2000 , Simply Red , Group of the Year , Grammy Awards , - , rowspan="2" , 1987 , Simply Red ,

, , - , " Holding Back the Years" , rowspan="2" , Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals , , - , 1990 , " If You Don't Know Me by Now" , Hungarian Music Awards , - , 1996 , ''

'' , Best Foreign Album , Ivor Novello Awards , - , rowspan="2" , 1992 ,

, Songwriter of the Year , , - , "

" , Best Song Musically & Lyrically , , - , 1996 , " Fairground" , Best Selling Song , , - , 2002 , Simply Red , Outstanding Song Collection , Lunas del Auditorio , - , 2004 , rowspan=3, Themselves , rowspan=3, Best Foreign Pop Artist , , - , 2009 , , - , 2010 , MTV Video Music Awards , - , 1986 , " Holding Back the Years" ,

, Mercury Prize , - , 1992 , ''

'' , Album of the Year , Music & Media Year-End Awards !Ref. , - , 1989 , Simply Red , Group of the Year , ,

Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. ''Pollstar'' holds an annual award ce ...

Concert Industry Awards , - , rowspan="2" , 1987 , ''Tour'' , Small Hall Tour of the Year , , - , rowspan="2" , Simply Red , rowspan="2" , Next Major Arena Headliner , , - , rowspan="2" , 1988 , , - , ''Tour'' , Small Hall Tour of the Year ,

Members

Current members

Former members

Timeline

Discography

;Studio albums * ''

'' (1985) * '' Men and Women'' (1987) * '' A New Flame'' (1989) * ''

'' (1991) * ''

'' (1995) * ''

'' (1998) * '' Love and the Russian Winter'' (1999) * ''

'' (2003) * '' Simplified'' (2005) * ''

'' (2007) * ''

'' (2015) * '' Blue Eyed Soul'' (2019) * ''

'' (2023)

References

External links

*
Simply Red at WorldMusicDatabase

Spanish website
* * {{Authority control Brit Award winners British musical sextets British musical septets English soft rock music groups British soul musical groups East West Records artists Elektra Records artists English pop music groups Musical groups established in 1984 Musical groups disestablished in 2010 Musical groups reestablished in 2015 Musical groups from Manchester Sophisti-pop musical groups