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Simply Red formed in Manchester in 1985, with singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall at the center, a figure who has remained the only original member in the band. After Hucknall’s earlier group, the Frantic Elevators, ended in 1984, he and manager Elliot Rashman assembled local session musicians, cycled through names like World Service and Red, then settled on Simply Red, a nod to Hucknall’s nickname and his Manchester United allegiance. The first lineup featured Hucknall on vocals, David Fryman on guitar, Tony Bowers on bass, Fritz McIntyre on keyboards and vocals, Tim Kellett on brass and live backing vocals, and Chris Joyce on drums. The group signed with Elektra in 1985.
The band’s recorded run quickly established a specific lane, pop and soul with a blue-eyed soul identity, built around a frontman who wrote and curated material with a strong ear for classic sources. Their debut album, Picture Book, in 1985, paired originals with carefully chosen covers, including their first single “Money’s Too Tight (to Mention),” a Valentine Brothers song that became an international hit. A re-recorded “Holding Back the Years,” originally tied to Hucknall’s earlier band, initially underperformed in the United Kingdom but exploded on re-release in 1986, reaching number one in the United States and Ireland, number two in the United Kingdom, and charting strongly across Europe.
By 1987, Men and Women pushed the group toward a more polished look and a funk-influenced blue-eyed soul approach, with Mick Hucknall co-writing two songs with veteran Motown writer Lamont Dozier. Personnel shifted across the late 1980s into the early 1990s, including the arrival of saxophonist Ian Kirkham as an official member and major changes to the rhythm section after A New Flame in 1989. That album delivered one of the band’s defining moments, their cover of “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” originally by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, which became their second number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
The peak era hit full force with Stars in 1991, a release that became one of the best-selling albums in the United Kingdom and generated major singles, including “Stars” and “Something Got Me Started.” Simply Red logged ten top ten singles in the United Kingdom, including “Fairground,” their only United Kingdom number one, plus songs like “Angel,” “The Air That I Breathe,” and “Sunrise.” In the United States, “Holding Back the Years” and “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” both reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the band a rare transatlantic profile anchored by two distinct waves of success.
As the 1990s progressed, the band’s album run remained commercially successful, with A New Flame in 1989, Stars in 1991, Life in 1995, Blue in 1998, and the 1996 Greatest Hits album all reaching number one on the United Kingdom Albums Chart. After being dropped by East West Records in April 2000, Hucknall launched Simplyred.com to handle releases of new recordings, turning the band’s name into a functioning label and direct release platform. The 2003 album Home mixed originals with covers and produced significant hits in the United Kingdom, including “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” “Sunrise,” and “Fake.” Later projects included Simplified in 2005 and Stay in 2007.
Simply Red’s awards footprint reflects both critical recognition and sustained public demand. The group won Best British Group at the Brit Awards in 1992 and 1993, and Hucknall won Best British Male in 1993. They received three Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist in 1987, and their recording of “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” was tied to a Grammy win for its songwriters, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, for Best R&B Song. The band also won a Goldene Europa award for Group of the Year in 2000, and at the Ivor Novello Awards, Hucknall won Songwriter of the Year in 1992, and Simply Red won Outstanding Song Collection in 2002.
The group retired the Simply Red name after a farewell tour that concluded in 2010, with a final concert at the O2 Arena in London on 19 December 2010 that was shown live in cinemas across the United Kingdom. They returned in 2015 for a 30th-anniversary tour and released Big Love, then continued with Blue Eyed Soul in 2019 and Time in 2023, bringing their studio album count to 13. In 2025, the band launched a fortieth anniversary world tour, and a concert film, Holding Back the Years: 40 Years of Simply Red, captured five dates at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile, and premiered in cinemas worldwide on 15 May 2025. Simply Red’s story remains anchored in one long-running through line, Mick Hucknall’s voice and songwriting at the center, backed by a rotating cast of musicians that has allowed the name to keep moving forward across multiple decades.
Complete List Of Simply Red Songs From A to Z
- A New Flame – A New Flame – 1989
- The Air That I Breathe – Blue – 1998
- The Air That I Breathe Reprise – Blue – 1998
- Ain’t That a Lot of Love – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- A Song for You – Simplified – 2005
- Back into the Universe – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- BadBootz – Blue Eyed Soul – 2019
- Better with You – Time – 2023
- Big Love – Big Love – 2015
- Blue – Blue – 1998
- Broken Man – Blue – 1998
- Butterflies – Time – 2023
- Chula – Blue Eyed Soul – 2019
- Close to You – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- Come Get Me Angel – Blue – 1998
- Come to My Aid – Picture Book – 1985
- Coming Home – Big Love – 2015
- Complete Love – Blue Eyed Soul – 2019
- Dad – Big Love – 2015
- Daydreaming – Big Love – 2015
- The Death of the Cool – Stay – 2007
- Debris – Stay – 2007
- Don’t Do Down – Blue Eyed Soul – 2019
- Each Day – Big Love – 2015
- Earth in a Lonely Space – Time – 2023
- Enough – A New Flame – 1989
- Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye – Men and Women – 1987
- Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye – Simplified – 2005
- Fairground – Life – 1995
- Fairground – Simplified – 2005
- Fake – Home – 2003
- For Your Babies – Stars – 1991
- For Your Babies – Simplified – 2005
- Freedom – Stars – 1991
- Ghetto Girl – Blue – 1998
- The Ghost of Love – Big Love – 2015
- Good Times Have Done Me Wrong – Stay – 2007
- Heart of Gold – Big Love – 2015
- Heaven – Picture Book – 1985
- Hey Mister – Time – 2023
- High Fives – Blue – 1998
- Hillside Avenue – Life – 1995
- Holding Back the Years – Picture Book – 1985
- Holding Back the Years – Simplified – 2005
- Home – Home – 2003
- Home (Reprise) – Home – 2003
- Home Loan Blues – Home – 2003
- How Could I Fall – Stars – 1991
- I Won’t Feel Bad – Men and Women – 1987
- If You Don’t Know Me by Now – A New Flame – 1989
- Infidelity – Men and Women – 1987
- It Wouldn’t Be Me – Time – 2023
- It’s Only Love – A New Flame – 1989
- It’s You – Home – 2003
- Jericho – Picture Book – 1985
- Just Like You – Time – 2023
- Just Like You, Pt. 2 – Time – 2023
- Lady – Stay – 2007
- Let Me Have It All – Men and Women – 1987
- Let Your Hair Down – Time – 2023
- Little Englander – Stay – 2007
- Lives and Loves – Life – 1995
- Look at You Now – Picture Book – 1985
- Lost Weekend – Home – 2003
- Love Fire – Men and Women – 1987
- Love Gave Me More – Big Love – 2015
- Love Has Said Goodbye Again – Blue – 1998
- Love Lays Its Tune – A New Flame – 1989
- Love Wonders – Big Love – 2015
- Man Made the Gun – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- Maybe Someday… – Men and Women – 1987
- Mellow My Mind – Blue – 1998
- Model – Stars – 1991
- Money in My Pocket – Home – 2003
- Money in My Pocket (Plan B mix) – Home – 2003
- Money TV – Stay – 2007
- Money’s Too Tight (to Mention) – Picture Book – 1985
- More – A New Flame – 1989
- More – Simplified – 2005
- More Than a Dream – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- Move on Out – Men and Women – 1987
- My Perfect Love – Simplified – 2005
- Never Be Gone – Time – 2023
- Never Never Love – Life – 1995
- Night Nurse – Blue – 1998
- No Direction – Picture Book – 1985
- Oh! What a Girl! – Stay – 2007
- The Old Man and the Beer – Big Love – 2015
- (Open Up the) Red Box – Picture Book – 1985
- Out on the Range – Life – 1995
- Perfect Love – Simplified – 2005
- Picture Book – Picture Book – 1985
- Positively 4th Street – Home – 2003
- Remembering the First Time – Life – 1995
- The Right Thing – Men and Women – 1987
- Riding on a Train – Blue Eyed Soul – 2019
- Ring That Bell – Blue Eyed Soul – 2019
- Sad Old Red – Picture Book – 1985
- Sad Old Red – Simplified – 2005
- Say You Love Me – Blue – 1998
- Shades 22 – Time – 2023
- She’ll Have to Go – A New Flame – 1989
- She’s Got It Bad – Stars – 1991
- Shine – Men and Women – 1987
- Shine On – Big Love – 2015
- The Sky Is a Gypsy – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- Slapbang – Time – 2023
- Smile – Simplified – 2005
- So Beautiful – Life – 1995
- So Jungiful – Blue – 1998
- So Many People – Life – 1995
- So Not Over You – Stay – 2007
- Someday in My Life – Blue – 1998
- Something for You – Home – 2003
- Something Got Me Started – Stars – 1991
- Something Got Me Started – Simplified – 2005
- The Spirit of Life – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- Stars – Stars – 1991
- Stay – Stay – 2007
- Suffer – Men and Women – 1987
- Sunrise – Home – 2003
- Sweet Child – Blue Eyed Soul – 2019
- Take a Good Look – Blue Eyed Soul – 2019
- Thank You – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- They Don’t Know – Stay – 2007
- Thinking of You – Blue Eyed Soul – 2019
- Thrill Me – Stars – 1991
- Tight Tones – Big Love – 2015
- To Be Free – Blue – 1998
- To Be with You – A New Flame – 1989
- Tonight – Blue Eyed Soul – 2019
- Too Long at the Fair – Time – 2023
- Turn It Up – A New Flame – 1989
- Wave the Old World Goodbye – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- We’re in This Together – Life – 1995
- Wonderland – Stars – 1991
- Words for Girlfriends – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- The World and You Tonight – Stay – 2007
- WORU – Big Love – 2015
- You Make Me Believe – Life – 1995
- You Make Me Feel Brand New – Home – 2003
- You’ve Got It – A New Flame – 1989
- Your Eyes – Love and the Russian Winter – 1999
- Your Mirror – Stars – 1991
- Your Mirror – Simplified – 2005
Albums
Picture Book (1985): 10 songs
Men and Women (1987): 10 songs
A New Flame (1989): 10 songs
Stars (1991): 10 songs
Life (1995): 10 songs
Blue (1998): 14 songs
Love and the Russian Winter (1999): 11 songs
Home (2003): 12 songs
Simplified (2005): 12 songs
Stay (2007): 11 songs
Big Love (2015): 13 songs
Blue Eyed Soul (2019): 10 songs
Time (2023): 12 songs
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