Simply Red
Simply Red was the culmination of years of musical experimentation
dating back to the late 70s. Along with some Manchester mates,
Mick Hucknall formed a quasi-punk group called Frantic Elevators,
who made a lot of noise and four hard-to-find singles.The group disbanded in 1982 and Hucknall began
"messing around" with bassist Tony Bowers, who'd played in
Durutti Column, an artsy Manchester
New Wave group. In mid-1984, Hucknall
linked up with Fritz McIntyre, whose roots as a gospel pianist
provided a down-to-earth grounding for Hucknall's musical
meanderings.
Simply Red began to coalesce around this time, with various
members (including a brass section) coming and going. Bowers soon
became a fully-fledged member, bringing with him drummer Chris
Joyce, another Durutti alumnus.
Trumpeter Tim Kellett, who doubled on keyboards, was summoned
back from the exiled brass section.
In the meantime, a buzz spread around England about Hucknall's
remarkable voice. One showcase gig, at Bedford College in London,
was so heavily attended that record company people were climbing
in the window because they couldn't get in the door. A bidding
war followed, with offers of advances up to half a million quid.
Simply Red chose Elektra UK, which hadn't offered the largest
advance but had seemed the most enthusiastic. Unfortunately,
shortly after the signing, Elektra UK folded and Simply Red wound
up with Elektra's parent company, WEA (except in the US where
they remained with Elektra).
Their first single, Money's Too Tight (To Mention) (1985)
was originally recorded by The Valentine Brothers, an LA funk duo.
It was a song about life under Reagan, and Hucknall heard the
track while working as a club DJ.
In June 1985, Sylvan Richardson, a classically trained
guitarist who'd moved into jazz, joined the band, and now a final
line-up entered the studio with Stewart Levine - a producer who'd
worked with Sly Stone, BB King and Womack and Womack - to record a
full album.
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