THEN & NOW: Simply Red – Through the Decades

It was back in 1985 that Simply Red made their debut with the top twenty hit “Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)” and ever since, they’ve not been short of a Bob or two with and endless list of top ten smash hits and ten multi-Platinum selling albums. Their latest – “Time” – is their thirteenth and it comes four years after their last, “Blue Eyed Soul”, which charted at No.6 in the UK, giving the band an unbroken run of top ten albums in their home country that began with “Picture Book”, 38 years ago.

Simply Red precede the album with the launch of the lead single, “Better With You”, a typical SR mid-tempo track that also bristles with hope and joy and instantly recognisible from the voice of lead singer and frontman Mick Hucknall. The band have also announced dates for a UK and European tour this Summer in support of the album. Now signed to BMG Rights Management – home of Kylie, Rick Astley, Bryan Adams and many other ‘retro’ artists – The Red have nothing to prove off the back of 60 million albums sales and record sales in excess of 85 million.

I bet you can name at least five Simply Red hits that span the decades…from “A New Flame” (1989) to “Stars” (1991), “Life” (1995) or “Home” in 2003, they all features on their 1996 “Greatest Hits” collection (UK 6 x Platinum certified) and the updated 2008 “25 – The Greatest Hits” (UK double Platinum certified) and you can expect some, not all, to be be performed alongside new tracks from “Time” on the tour.

Simply Red in the 1980’s