Simply R… Read Full Bio ↴Simply Red is 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 with adjustments in lyrics and instrumentation. The tune became a major hit, peaking at #2 in Great Britain and later #1 in the United States, and established Simply Red as a household name. Their debut album, 'Picture Book', which had been released previously in 1985, began to sell more copies, and it became an international hit album, with multi-platinum certification.
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."
Ramblin' on my mind
Simply Red Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make me feel like a schoolboy on goodtime
Jugglin' nickels and dimes
Satisfied with the fish on the line
I've been down the road and I've come back
Lonesome whistle on the railroad track
Ain't got nothin' on those feelings that I had
Something so hard to find
A situation that could casualise your mind
I've been down the road and I've come back
Lonesome whistle on the railroad track
Ain't got nothin' on those feelings that I had
I've been down the road and I've come back
Lonesome whistle on the railroad track
Ain't got nothin' on those feelings that I had
Baby mellow my mind
Make me feel like a schoolboy on good time
Jugglin' nickels and dimes
Satisfied with a fish on the line
In Simply Red's song Mellow My Mind, the singer is desperately seeking solace from their loneliness and hardships. The first verse depicts a longing for an idyllic and carefree existence, reminiscent of childhood joy, where even simple pleasures like juggling coins and catching fish can bring immense satisfaction. The chorus repeats the plea for calmness and contentment, as the singer reflects on their past struggles and the emotional weight they carry.
The second verse further emphasizes the singer's agony, stating their experiences have been harrowing enough that even the sound of a lonesome whistle on a railroad track pales in comparison to the pain they've endured. Yet, the search for peace persists, with the singer begging for a situation that can ease their mind. The final chorus brings the song full circle, with the singer again hoping for a return to the blissful innocence of youth.
The song, while melancholic in nature, contains a universal yearning for escapism and simplicity, and ultimately serves as a reminder that happiness can often be found in the most ordinary of moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby mellow my mind
Ask me to relax and de-stress my mind
Make me feel like a schoolboy on goodtime
Make me feel happy and carefree like a child that doesn't have any worries
Jugglin' nickels and dimes
Trying hard to make ends meet by managing small amounts of money
Satisfied with the fish on the line
Feeling content with the little things in life
I've been down the road and I've come back
Having experienced life and coming out of it wiser
Lonesome whistle on the railroad track
Being aware of the solitude and loneliness that can arise while traveling
Ain't got nothin' on those feelings that I had
Nothing compares to the emotions and experiences of the past
Something so hard to find
Something rare and difficult to come across
A situation that could casualise your mind
A scenario or setting that can make you feel relaxed and carefree
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kay
on Picture Book
Ive always heard it was a reference to the list of names of African Americans who were allowed to go to the cinema in around the desegregation era.
Lowell
on Wonderland
In my opinion this song is a commentary, and criticism, of British life under Margaret Thatcher, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, when this tune was released. "The end of an era / our future no clearer / my people no stronger / the blame I lay on her" might suggest disappointment with Thatcher's promised reforms of British government. The refrain "wonderland, wonderland / it's beautiful" sounds like a political slogan, promising a new life for all "...until tomorrow comes to haunt us all".