Simply Red

The English blue-eyed soul band Simply Red, led by vocalist Mick Hucknall, became one of the best-selling artists in the U.K. in the 1980s and 1990s. On their hit ballad 'Holding Back the Years,' Hucknall proved that he could sing soulfully without affectation, and the cover of the Valentine Brothers' 'Money's Too Tight (To Mention)' showed that they could do light funk capably. With each album, their fan base has grown, particularly in the U.K. And Europe, too. Although not the saviours of form, Simply Red's approach is marked by both a respect for the tradition of soul music and a crisp sound that is very much their own.

The band formed in 1984 & signed with Elektra Records, releasing Picture Book, which featured 'Money's Too Tight (To Mention),' a Top 40 cover of a 1982 R&B chart single by the Valentine Brothers, and 'Holding Back the Years,' a Hucknall original that topped the U.S. charts. The third album, A New Flame, went gold in 1989. After establishing the simplyred.com label, the band released Home in 2003. Two years later came Simplified, a collection of old and new songs that hit number three in Britain and number two in the Eurochart. Simply Red released Blue Eyed Soul, a collection of ten Hucknall originals produced by Andy Wright in 2019.