Simply Red from the UK is a combination of blue-eyed soul with new romance, post-punk and jazz. The Manchester team has gained recognition among connoisseurs of quality music.
The guys fell in love not only with the British, but also with representatives of other countries.
The creative path and composition of Simply Red
The rock band Simply Red was founded in 1984. The team achieved success and recognition among British music lovers in just 12 months after its founding. The first members of the group were:
- Mick Hucknall (born June 8, 1960 in the English city of Manchester (vocalist, songwriter and ideological inspirer of the rock band);
- Fritz McIntyre (born September 2, 1956 (keyboards));
- Sean Ward (bass);
- Tony Bowers (born October 31, 1952 (bass);
- Chris Joyce (born 11 October 1957 in Manchester (drums);
- Tim Kellett (born July 23, 1964 in Knearsborough (England) (keyboards and wind instruments)).
The last three of the team members at the time of joining the group were former members of the "gang" The Durutti Column. The name of the band was given because of the red hair of their mastermind Mick Hucknall.
The first full-fledged performance of the guys took place before the concert of Bobby Brown, when he toured the UK. The guys in their work focused on such styles as blues, jazz and soul.
Thanks to performances in local Manchester clubs and pubs, the band gained fame among local British majors. The future stars of the English scene were noticed by the famous producer Stuart Levin.
The group's first steps towards success
The young guys signed their first full-fledged professional contract in 1985 with the Elektra Records label. Then the guys released their first record Picture Book.
The composition Money's Too Tight, which was included in it, took a leading position in the charts of English radio stations. Another song composed by Mick Hucknall, Holding Back the Years, was later released as a single and went platinum.
Team "on the crest" of success
In 1987, the band's frontman decided to collaborate with soul composer L. Dozier. Already in the spring, joint work led to the release of the second disc of Men and Women. True, it did not become as popular as the first album.
However, the single The Right Thing still hit the charts, not only in the British, but also in the US. It was this year that the composition of the team underwent changes.
Guitarist Richardson left the project, and Brazilian musician Heitor Pereira took his place. In addition, Ian Kirkham joined the rock band.
In 1989, the band recorded their full-length third album, which they decided to call A New Flame. A cover version of the song If You Don't Know Me By Now revived the band's popularity among English and American fans of quality music.
With the advent of the 1990s, the composition of the rock group again changed. The band included Sean Ward on bass, Gotha on percussion and saxophonist Ian Kirkham.
The band subsequently released the single Stars, which went gold. Some members of the band left the group after the release of the album Life, recorded in 1995. True, it included backing vocalist Dee Johnson.
Disbandment and reunion of Simple Red
The date of the last and anniversary album before the breakup of the rock band Simply Red was 2007. His team called EP Stay, he also entered the top of the best records in the United Kingdom.
In 2010, the "gang" gave a farewell live concert in London. The performance was broadcast in UK cinemas. After that, the rock band Simply Red went silent for several years. Mick embarked on a solo career.
In 2014, information appeared that the band was ready to reunite again and go on the Big Love Tour in Europe. It was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the rock band.
The Danish city of Odense was chosen to organize the first concert of the tour. The show took place in mid-autumn 2015. The final point of the tour was the Swiss festival SummerDays, where the guys performed in the summer of 2016.
Then the guys went to Munich for the BMW Festival Night. The composition in which they performed was almost identical to the one in which they performed back in the last century.
In the same year, the team will perform in Liverpool, Manchester, London and other cities in the UK. In the near future, the group is ready to release another new album. Naturally, the "fans" can only wait for her appearance.
