Retro Spins: Simply Red - A New Flame

 

With their first two albums peaking at number two in the UK, where was Simply Red to go from there? Well, number one of course, and that's exactly what happened with their 1989 released A New Flame.

Led by the number one single, If You Don't Know Me By Now, a remake of the 1972 Philadelphia soul classic by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and the minor hit, It's Only Love, which peaked at number fifty-seven, the world was opening wide for the band. This was highly contributed to by the band purposefully aiming for a more mainstream versus critical successful sound, a gamble which paid off.

Once again, it takes a bit for the album to gain momentum for me. I will also say, if this is considered mainstream, especially in 1989, I'd like to know where. There was no music like this over the airwaves in my neighborhood that year. Rather, the radio was blaring the likes of Roxette, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Madonna, Bonnie Ratt, Aerosmith, and Mötley Crüe.

Despite the addition of saxophone player, Ian Kirkham, it still manages to reduce the jazz and soul sound, again, probably from the conscious decision to become mainstream. Basically, his inclusion, and use, feels a bit wasted. They lose something in what created their charm in the process.

Still, there were some decent tracks to be found, which for me, included A New Flame, the song, More, She'll Have To Go, and Turn It Up. The latter, I don't know why, but I feel like I've heard before. Yet, I can't place where or when. I appreciate the cover tune, If You Don't Know Me By Now for what it is, but I can't say it's among my favorites.

By this time, lead singer Mick Hucknall was a major international superstar, often resulting in him being photographed with other celebrities and super models. Whether it was from an inflated ego, or truly how things were going, he would declare in a 1991 interview that Simply Red was basically a solo project for him. Whether it was coincidental timing, or the declaration itself, Chris Joyce and Tony Bowers quit the band around this time.

This would be the start of a heavy rotation of members coming and going to the point that Hucknall would eventually become the only remaining original member when Tim Kellett, and Fritz McIntyre left in 1993 and 1996, respectively.

1991 would also be the biggest year for Simply Red with the release of their album, Stars. Surprisingly for an 80's band entering the grunge era, it would become their biggest selling record of their career, certifying at a whopping 12X platinum in the UK, along with peaking at number one. Further, it would reach the top ten in seven additional countries. However, with it would also come their final Billboard Hot 100 hits, Something Got Me Started (peaking at twenty-three), and Stars, the song, peaking at forty-four.

Despite that being the last for the USA, the band remained a massive success around the world. As I've noted a couple times at this point across previous posts, all thirteen of their studio albums have peaked in the top ten in the UK, spanning a career of 1985 to 2023. Even then, while the band isn't releasing studio albums these days, they, or I suppose more correctly stated, Hucknall as Simply Red, remains very much so active.

Overall, this was a pretty good series of listening sessions. I definitely didn't expect to like Simply Red as much as I ultimately did. Ultimately, what started as a band I added to my collection for appreciation of their contributions to the decade, turned into an appreciation for the music directly. Though I wouldn't call myself a mega fan by any means, I'm definitely down with them at this point.

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Retro Spins: Simply Red - Men And Women

 

Did you know that Holding Back The Years wasn't initially performed by Simply Red? Rather, while written by lead singer, Mick Hucknall, it was added to the catalog of his first band, The Frantic Elevators. However, it would be the success of that song which would lead to them breaking up in 1984, and Hucknall forming Simply Red, though first as World Service, Red and then Dancing Dead before settling on the band's name.

The initial lineup consisted of Hucknall on vocals, David Fryman on guitar, Tony Bowers on bass, Fritz McIntyre on keyboards and additional vocals, drummer Chris Joyce, and multi-instrumentalist Tim Kellett on brass and live backing vocals. They quickly garnered the attention of Elektra Records, but after recording just one track for them, Fryman quit, replaced by Sylvan Richardson. With their core in place, their debut, Picture Book was released in 1985.

It would be a massive success, charting in multiple countries, receiving multiple sales certifications, ranging from gold to 5X platinum, becoming their first of non-stop consecutive top ten album in the UK. It would also spawn two Billboard Hot 100 hits, the number one chart topper, Holding Back The Years, and Moneys Too Tight (To Mention), which would peak at twenty-eight. Simply Red is probably the only band I've come across to date that has had every single album they released chart in the top ten in that country. That's thirteen albums between 1985 and 2023.

The follow-up, 1987's Men And Women, their second number two album in the UK, and with it came the Billboard single, The Right Thing, which peaked at number twenty-seven. A fun fact of the album would be that a handful of tracks were co-written by Hucknall, and legendary Motown veteran, Lamont Dozier. When putting the credits in the album jacket, it was noted as Hucknall/Dozier/Hucknall, a nod to the Motown writing team of Holland–Dozier–Holland.

Admittedly, it took me a bit longer to get into their sophomore album. It starts off with the aforementioned hit, which didn't really resonate with me. I got a little worried, as this continued through the first 1/3 of the album.

However, once I Won't Feel Bad came around, I started to get some material I was digging. While this didn't stay consistent for the remainder of the album, there were other standouts, which included Love Fire, Move On Out, and Shine.

Men And Women definitely wasn't better than its predecessor, but it did (eventually) offer some good stuff up. It also continues that mixture of pop and soul, with a hint of jazz. This makes it a very unique offering from the 80's, and I am happy to see that there was indeed something I was missing out on back in the day, not that I would have appreciated it back then. Not with all the hair and metal bands I was into at the time.

Upon its release new guitarist Richardson would leave, citing disillusionment with the industry. He'd be replaced by Heitor TP. Additionally, Ian Kirkham, who provided saxophone to Men And Women, would be officially added to the fold.

The band would venture into the studio between 1988 and 1989 to release their final album of the decade, A New Flame. However, following its release, the foundation of Simply Red would be shaken, eventually leading to a non-stop rotation of members, and Hucknall being the only remaining original member. That unfolds and wraps up tomorrow.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.