Blue

Performer: Simply Red
Artist: Robbie Shakespeare; Sly Dunbar; Paul Carrack
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Mick Hucknell (vocals); Mark Jaimes, Tony Remy, Kenji Jammer, Gisty Wills, Bub Roberts (guitar); Ian Kirkham (saxophone); Mike Greenwood (trumpet, flugelhorn); John Johnson (trombone); Tim Vine, Paul Carrack, Alan Clark, Robert Lyn (keyboards); CJ Taylor, Robbie Shakespeare, Steve Lewinson (bass); Gota Yashiki (drums, programming); Velroy Bailey, Sly Dunbar, Geoff Holroyde (drums); Andy Wright, Steve Hilton, Aidan Love, Ned Douglas, Merv Pearson (programming); Dom. T (DJ); Dee Johnson, Sarah Brown (background vocals); Pro Arte Orchestra Of London. Producers: Andy Wright, Gota Yashiki, Mick Hucknall. Engineers include: John Lee, Roland Herrington, Femi Jiya. Personnel: Gota Yashiki (vocals, drums); Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis, Mark Jaimes, Tony Remy, Kenji Jammer, Bub Roberts (guitar); Ian Kirkham (saxophone); Mike Greenwood (trumpet, flugelhorn); John Johnson (trombone); Alan Clark, Paul Carrack, Robert Lyn, Tim Vine (keyboards); Velroy Bailey, Geoff Holroyde, Sly Dunbar (drums); Merv Pearson, Aidan Love, Andy Wright , Steve Hilton, Ned Douglas (programming); Dee Johnson, Tru Indeed, Mick Hucknall, Sarah Brown (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Agm; Paul Logus; Stevie J.; Tony Maserati. Recording information: Abbey Road Studios, Lond; Funny Bunny Studios, London, England; Westpoint Studios, London, England; Whitfield Street Studios, London, England. Photographers: Carolyn Quartermaine; Zanna. Unknown Contributor Role: Mick Hucknall. Arranger: David Whitaker. Inventing his own brand of blue-eyed soul with hits like the ubiquitous Adult Radio classic "Holding Back The Years," Mick Hucknall has produced a body of work which is both a testament to his natural musical gift and an homage to the R&B classics which inspired him. Along with the ever shifting personnel of Simply Red, the sound Hucknall has created defies categorization. Shamelessly catchy, emotionally intense and always inventive, Simply Red possesses that elusive gift of being able to create instant classics. Hucknall adds another hue to an already rich palette with BLUE, which mixes originals with more than a few covers of some of his favorite songs. Hucknall's voice is as smooth and expressive as ever, a disciplined yet flexible instrument which is perfectly suited to this introspective, deeply personal collection. The title track mixes a shuffling groove and emotive vocalization, while "Say You Love Me" opts for a slower, more casual feel, rich with the sweet, honest charm of vintage R&B. The Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe" is not only covered, but reworked by Puff Daddy cohort Stevie J who re-casts the song's groove against John Cougar Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane" for an unlikely marriage.

Led by vocalist Mick Hucknall, neo-soul act Simply Red became one of the U.K.'s best-selling artists during the 1980s and '90s. As students of classic soul, Simply Red collaborated with legendary Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier and released a popular cover of Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes' Philly-soul classic "If You Don't Know Me By Now." While perhaps not the saviors of the form, Simply Red's approach is marked by both a reverence for soul music's past and a crisp sound that's very much their own.

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