Simply Red

Simply Red is a British pop and soul band. According to one version, the band got its name from the hair color of its leader Mick Hucknall. Throughout their history, Simply Red have released eleven studio albums and sold more than 50 million disks. The most recent of these, Big Love, dates back to May 2015.

English band Simply Red was formed in 1984. It consisted of vocalist and songwriter Mick “Red” Hucknall, keyboardist Fritz McIntyre, bassist Sean Uward, guitarist Silvan Richardson, and three former members of The Durutti Column – bassist Tony Bowers, drummer Chris Joyce, and Tim Kellet. The name of the band, of course, was given by Mick’s famous red hair color. At first the band performed in the usual role of a warm-up band before Bobby Brown’s performance during his English tour. The band’s style of music had its roots in traditional blues, jazz and soul.

In 1985, the band signed a contract with Elektra Records and released their debut album Picture Book on the label. The disc included Money’s Too Tight (To Mention), a cover of The Valentine Brothers’ 1982 Top 40 song, and Hucknall’s own Holding Back the Years, which topped the U.S. charts.