Simply Red – Blue

Simply Red – Blue

EAC Rip | Included: EAC Log + CUE + Flac + Covers | Size: 354MB

Release: May 19, 1998 | Label: East West | Number: 3984230972
Genre: Soul, Pop | Stereo | RAR files | 354 MB | RapidShare.com, FileServe.com

Simply Red – It’s Only Love

Simply Red – It’s Only Love

EAC Rip | Included: EAC Log + CUE + Flac + Covers | Size: 493 MB | RAR files
Release Date: Nov 2000 | Label: East West Records | Number: 8573855372
Genre: Pop, Soul | Mono/Stereo: 2 Channel | RS.com, Letitbit.net, Vip-File

Album Notes “It’s Only Love” is an album by Simply Red. It was released in 2000 on East West Records. It peaked at #27 in the United Kingdom and #35 in Germany. The album is a compilation album primarily featuring the band’s love ballads. Biography Simply Red originated from the 1976 Sex Pistols gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England. Manchester art student Mick Hucknall was one of the many young music fans present, along with original members of the bands Joy Division, The Smiths and Buzzcocks. The first incarnation of the band was a punk group called The Frantic Elevators, which existed for 7 years, with limited releases on local labels, but split in 1984 with only limited local attention and critical acclaim for their final single, “Holding Back the Years”. After the demise of The Frantic Elevators, Hucknall linked up with manager Elliot Rashman. By early 1985, Hucknall and Rashman had assembled a band of local session musicians, and began to attract record company attention. Around this time, the group adopted the name Red (after Hucknall’s nickname, which denoted hair colour). The name Simply Red came when the manager of a local venue was confused about the band’s name and Hucknall replied that the band’s name was “Red, simply [just] Red.” The resulting misnomer was printed on publicity posters as “Simply Red,” and the name stuck. They signed a contract with Elektra in 1985, with the somewhat changeable line-up of Hucknall, Tony Bowers (bass), Fritz McIntyre (keyboards), Tim Kellett (brass), Sylvan Richardson (guitar) and Chris Joyce (drums). Their first single, released in 1985, was “Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)”, a cover of a soul standard originally recorded by The Valentine Brothers. This single had big international success, reaching the UK and Irish Top 20, later the American, French and Dutch Top 30, and the Italian Top 5, beginning a successful career in Italy, sometimes more successful than in the UK. Their debut album, Picture Book, was also released in 1985. In 1986, the band re-recorded a song that the Frantic Elevators had recorded earlier, “Holding Back the Years”, in an interesting soul ballad style, and this time it was a major hit, peaking at #1 in Ireland, #2 in Great Britain, #3 in the Netherlands, #20 in Italy and later #1 in the United States. The song established Simply Red as a household name, and remains one of the band’s most recognized works. The album began to sell more copies, and soon became an international hit. Their second album, 1987’s Men and Women, saw the band adopting bowler hats and colourful suits instead of their earlier ragamuffin look, and the introspection and social commentary of their debut performance was replaced by a blue-eyed soul sound with funk influences. With their third album A New Flame in 1989, Simply Red adopted a yet more mainstream populist sound aimed for commercial rather than critical success, typified by their cover of Harold Melvin’s pop classic “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”, which became their second U.S. #1 hit, and one of the biggest singles of the year internationally; and their greatest success until now. Hucknall was by this time an international superstar, being photographed with models and Hollywood celebrities. This seemed to harm the band’s coherence as a unit, with Hucknall declaring in 1991 that Simply Red was “essentially a solo project”. The band’s popular career peaked later that year with the release of Stars, which became the best-selling album for two years running in Europe and the UK (though notably had far less success in the US than their previous albums). Stars mixed Hucknall’s anti-Thatcherite political lyrics with an easy-listening lounge-jazz sound, apparently to avoid alienation of their existing fanbase. It was featured on the soundtrack of the 1995 movie Jack and Sarah. After touring and promoting Stars for two years, Simply Red returned in 1995 with “Fairground”, a dance-influenced track prominently featuring a sample from Zki & Dobri’s Goodmen project. A massive radio hit, “Fairground” went on to become the band’s first British #1, amid critical panning[citation needed]. Its parent album Life sold more than a million copies in the UK alone, making it the fourth-biggest seller of the year. The band followed this up with cover heavy Blue in 1998 and Love and the Russian Winter. Subsequent releases have mostly been greatest-hits collections, although the band did release “Home” in 2003, a mixture of original songs and covers, including a version of The Stylistics song “You Make Me Feel Brand New”. Simplified followed in 2005, mainly an album of stripped down versions of their Classic hits. The single “Oh! What A Girl!” released in September 2006 from their album Stay, their 10th, released on 12 March 2007. This was preceded by the single “So Not Over You”, released on 5 March 2007. The third single from the album was the title song “Stay”, released on 28 May 2007. The fourth and the last single of Simply Red, “The World And You Tonight”, was released in November 2007. Mick Hucknall announced that the band were due to split in 2010, after a farewell tour, starting in early 2009, ending in 2010. This will include the Forestry Commission’s Live Music tour, with forest gigs at Bedgebury, Cannock, Dalby, Delamere, Sherwood, Thetford and Westonbirt. “I’ve kind of decided that the 25 years is going to be enough, so I intend that the 2009 will be the last Simply Red tour.” Hucknall released his first solo album, Tribute to Bobby on 19 May 2008. Track Listing: ========================================== 01. If You Don’t Know Me By Now 02. Holding Back The Years 03. Say You Love Me 04. The Air That I Breathe 05. It’s Only Love 06. You’ve Got It 07. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye 08. For Your Babies 09. Lady Godiva’s Room 10. Your Eyes (Mousse T Accoustic) 11. Thank You 12. Remembering The First Time 13. Angel 14. Night Nurse 15. Never Never Love 16. More 17. Mellow My Mind 18. Stars 19. Heaven Total Time: 01:17:31 usmnR usmnL

Simply Red – Home

Simply Red – Home

Release: 24 March 2003 Label: Simplyred.com Number: 50551317 0004 1

Genre: Pop, Soul Mono/Stereo: 2 Channel

EAC Rip Included: EAC Log + AccurateRip Log + CUE + Flac + Covers

RAR Files | 288 MB | RS.com, Letitbit.net, Vip-File

Album Notes

Home is the eighth Simply Red studio album, released in 2003. It is the first Simply Red album released on band frontman Mick Hucknall’s own record label, Simplyred.com. The album was a success all around the world, due to his hit singles, “Sunrise”, “Fake”, “You Make Me Feel Brand New” and “Home”.

The success of “Sunrise” was due in part to the sensuous video being shot in Rio de Janeiro, and its borrowing of a loop found in the 1981 Hall and Oates single “I Can’t Go for That” (as well as some of the lyrics).The album includes three cover versions: the Bob Dylan song, “Positively 4th Street,” the The Stylistics’ soul hit, “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” and the Dennis Brown song, “Money in My Pocket”.

Review by Michael Hubbard

Mick Hucknall has his own record label these days, but despite another line-up shuffle, new album Home confirms that little else in the tried-and-tested – and phenomenally successful – Simply Red formula has changed. It’s a formula that is either loved or hated, a pop-tinged soul-ballad mix that has been slated by critics but which has propelled the band’s many singles into the higher echelons of the charts since the mid-1980s and sold millions of albums.But since the seminal Stars album, Simply Red has essentially been the famously ginger-haired Mancunian’s vehicle. Alone and unchecked with his interpretations of both other people’s ballads and his own creations, Hucknall’s recent material shows signs of lacking the immediacy of his early hits.

The title track opens Home in low-key style, 40-year-old Hucknall’s distinctive voice sounding demure and laid-back as a whimsical piano phrase meanders about. “Home is a place where I yearn to belong,” croons the man with homes in Milan and Paris. It’s is not as strong as older material like Stars, but it still sounds like a master class in pop music making. The crisp production and simple arrangements make the album seem shorter than its 11 track length, and make it perfect background music for coffee houses.

Yet it does benefit from a philosophy of not fixing that which isn’t broken. Indeed it only really comes unglued on a cover of The Stylistics’ You Make Me Feel Brand New, in the chorus of which Hucknall’s voice sounds stretched to strangulation. As if to underline his view that cover versions are cool, Hucknall indulges in a second – Bob Dylan’s Positively 4th Street.Elsewhere, up-tempo numbers like Fake are targeted squarely at a drive time radio. Brass, strings, piano, guitar, vocals and keyboards combine to form a rounded texture. The single Sunrise, with its diva backing vocals, catchy bass, strings layers and twinkly keyboards, confirms that Simply Red can be understated when they like. And there’s a stab at variety with Money In My Pocket (Plan B Mix) which comes across as a wishful though scarcely successful attempt at dance-lite.

No great new direction then, and not the best work Simply Red has ever recorded, but Home suggests business as usual, and confirms that Hucknall has carved his own individual place in the landscape of pop music.

Track Listing:

======================================

01. Home (3:17)

02. Fake (3:58)

03. Sunrise (3:19)

04. You Make Me Feel Brand New (5:06)

05. Home Loan Blues (5:00)

06. Positively 4th Street (4:33)

07. Lost Weekend (4:06)

08. Money In My Pocket (Plan B Mix) (3:38)

09. Something For You (5:59)

10. It’s You (3:16)

11. Home (Reprise) (0:53)

Total Time: 00:43:06

usmnR
usmnL

Simply Red – Stars

Simply Red – Stars
Release: 1 Oct 1991 | Label: East West | Number: 9031-75284-2
Genre: Soul, Pop | EAC Rip | Included: EAC Log + CUE + Flac + Covers
Mono/Stereo: 2 Channel | RAR 3% Rec. | 286 MB | RS.com, Letitbit.net, Vip-File

Biography:

Simply Red are an English pop band, formed in the mid 1980s.

Simply Red’s roots originate from the notorious 1976 Sex Pistols gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester. Manchester art student Mick Hucknall was one of the many young music fans present (along with original members of The Fall, Joy Division, The Smiths and Buzzcocks) who was inspired to form a band after witnessing that gig. The first incarnation of the band was a punk group called The Frantic Elevators. This band existed for 7 years, with limited releases on local labels, but split in 1984 with only limited local attention and critical acclaim for their final single, “Holding Back the Years”.

After the demise of The Frantic Elevators, Hucknall linked up with manager Elliot Rashman. By early 1985 Hucknall and Rashman had assembled a band of local session musicians and began to attract record company attention. Around this time the group adopted the name Simply Red (after Hucknall’s nickname, which denoted hair color, football allegiance to Manchester United and left-wing political affiliation). They signed to Elektra in 1985, with the somewhat changeable line-up of Hucknall, Tony Bowers (bass), Fritz McIntyre (keyboards), Tim Kellett (brass), Sylvan Richardson (guitar) and Chris Joyce (drums). Their first single, released in 1985, was “Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)”, a cover of a soul standard originally recorded by The Valentine Brothers. This single had moderate success, reaching the UK Top 20.

In 1986 the band re-recorded “Holding Back The Years”, The Frantic Elevators’ biggest hit, in a more accessible pop style, which was a major hit, peaking at #2 in Great Britain and later #1 in the United States, establishing Simply Red as a household name. Their debut album, Picture Book, which had been released previously in 1985, began to sell more copies, and became an international hit album.

Their second album, 1987’s “Men and Women” saw the band adopting a more sober and professional image, with bowler hats and colorful suits replacing their earlier ragamuffin look, and the introspection and social commentary of their debut replaced by a blue-eyed soul sound with funk influences. Around this time Hucknall became a tabloid personality, drawing attention and criticism for his alleged womanising, and gaining a reputation as “a lecherous loudmouth” and bien pensant. Despite Hucknall’s bad reputation and the album’s bad reviews, or perhaps as a result of them, Men and Women was a commercial success.

With their third album “A New Flame”, Simply Red adopted a yet more mainstream populist sound aimed for commercial rather than critical success, typified by their cover of Harold Melvin’s pop classic “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”, which became their second U.S. #1 hit and one of the biggest singles of the year internationally. Hucknall was by this time an international superstar, being photographed with models and Hollywood celebrities. This seemed to harm the band’s coherence as a unit, with Hucknall declaring in 1991 that Simply Red was “essentially a solo project”.

The band’s popular career peaked later that year with the release of “Stars”, which became the best-selling album for two years running in Europe and the UK (though notably had far less success in the US than their previous albums). “Stars” mixed Hucknall’s anti-Thatcherite political lyrics with an easy-listening lounge-jazz sound, apparently to avoid alienation of their existing fanbase.

After touring and promoting “Stars” for two years, Simply Red returned in 1995 with “Fairground”, a dance-influenced track featuring prominently a sample from Zki & Dobri’s Goodmen project. A massive radio hit, “Fairground” went on to become the band’s first British #1, amid critical panning. Its parent album Life sold more than a million copies in the UK alone, making it the fourth-biggest seller of the year. The band followed this up with cover heavy Blue in 1998 and Love and the Russian Winter. After Love and the Russian Winter they left EastWest and Hucknall set up his own record label simplyred.com where he released “Home” in 2003, a mixture of mostly original songs and covers, including a version of The Stylistics song “You Make Me Feel Brand New”. “Simplified” followed in 2005, mainly an album of stripped down versions of their Classic hits.

The single “Oh! What A Girl!” released in September 2006 from their album Stay, their 10th, released on 12 March 2007. This was preceded by the single “So Not Over You”, released on 5 March 2007. The third single from the album was the title song “Stay”, released on 28 May 2007. The fourth and the last single of Simply Red single , “The World And You Tonight”, was released in November 2007.

Mick Hucknall announced that the band were due to split in 2009, after a farewell tour.

”I’ve kind of decided that the 25 years is going to be enough, so I intend that the 2009 will be the last Simply Red tour.”

“I’ve just recorded an album that is a tribute to Bobby Bland, a blues and R’n’B artist. It’s a solo project and I’ve really enjoyed it so much that I feel the time has come now to just put a book-end to the story and the album Stay will be the last Simply Red studio album.”

Album Notes:

Stars is the fourth album by UK pop/soul/jazz band Simply Red, released in September 1991. It included the singles “Stars” (UK #8), “For Your Babies” (UK #9), “Something Got Me Started” (UK #11), “Your Mirror” (UK #17) and “Thrill Me” (UK #33). It was another #1 album for the group in their native UK.
“The Stars” tour took the band around the world for nearly two years.
It is considered by many to be their finest work and the last of their early albums, in 2000 Q magazine placed Stars at number 80 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.
This album was re-issued in 2008 as a Collectors Edition: 2cd: Bonus Dvd: Digipack.
On 20 April 2008, a copy of the album was given away with the British newspaper the Mail on Sunday.

Track Listing:
01 – Something Got Me Started
02 – Stars
03 – Thrill Me
04 – Your Mirror
05 – She’s Got It Bad
06 – For Your Babies
07 – Model
08 – How Could I Fall
09 – Freedom
10 – Wonderland
Total Time: 00:41:19

Personnel
* Mick Hucknall – Vocals & Background Vocals
* Fritz McIntyre – Keyboards, Vocals & Background Vocals
* Tim Kellett – Keyboards
* Heitor T P – Guitars
* Ian Kirkham – Saxophone
* Gota – Drums, Percussion & Programs
* Shaun Ward – Bass Guitar
Guest Musicians
* Jess Bailey – Keyboard Programming
usmnR
usmnL