Simply Red

Simply Red was always just about Mick Hucknall. Many other accomplished musicians have been part of the ride but, as the group's lead vocalist and songwriter, Simply Red is a vehicle for Mick Hucknall's carefully crafted marriage of pop and soul. After forming punk band Frantic Elevators and playing for seven years with little success, he changed course to launch Simply Red – popularly believed to be named after either his red hair or his beloved Manchester United. Their first single – a cover of the Valentine Brothers' "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" – charted and, following it with a re-recording of old Frantic Elevators' track "Holding Back the Years," Mick Hucknall was on his way to stardom. Gradually becoming more mainstream, he hit the jackpot with 1991's Stars, Europe's best-selling album for two years running and one of the UK's best-selling albums in chart history. Simply Red were named Best British Group at the 1992 and 1993 Brit Awards and they received three Grammy nods, including Best New Artist in 1987. The group then secured their first UK number single with "Fairground" in 1995. Six more albums followed, including 1999's electronic-leaning Love and the Russian Winter, but in 2009 Mick Hucknall announced his intention to retire Simply Red in 2010 following a farewell tour. However, they reunited five years later for a 30th-anniversary tour and recorded their eleventh studio album, Big Love (2015). They then embarked on a tour to mark the 25 anniversary of Stars and released their 12th studio album, Blue Eyed Soul, in 2019. Their 13th studio album Time arrived four years later, recorded with their longstanding producer Andy Wright. The album went to number eight on the UK albums chart.

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