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."
Red Red Wine
Simply Red Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walk in, take a look inside,
I've moved back the tables and chairs to the wall.
The valuable things I've had to hide.
Open up the red box.
Come on, open it up.
Open up the red box.
Peer in, looking for that crasher again.
You ruined Terry's party last night.
An overweight greasy little man with a mouth
That opens more than now and again.
Open up the red box.
Come on, open it up.
Open up the red box.
Come on, open it up.
Something good must have happened to you.
If you would let it happen to you,
If you could let it happen to you,
Something good would have happened.
Lopez, I hate you for the state you're in.
Lopez, your hair, it washes out, it washes in.
You ropey little fat boy, Lopez.
Come on get lost.
Open up the red box.
Come on, open it up.
Open up the red box.
Come on, open it up.
Something good must have happened to you.
If you would let it happen to you,
If you could let it happen to you,
Something good would have happened.
I'm out of my head.
The lyrics of Simply Red's song Red Red Wine are about a situation where the singer is paying for something valuable, perhaps a bottle of red wine or a box containing important items. He has moved the tables and chairs to the wall and hidden the valuables. The lyrics are also addressed to someone called Lopez who is apparently in a bad state, and the singer expresses that he hates him. The song then shifts to encourage people to let something good happen to them.
The opening line of the song, "Why don't you look at the price I'm paying?" can be interpreted in several ways. It could refer to the price the singer is paying for the wine or for hiding the valuable items, but it could also be a metaphor for the price he has paid emotionally or mentally for something. The red box that is mentioned in the song is likely a metaphor for something of emotional or sentimental value that the singer has had to hide away from others.
The lyrics to Red Red Wine are open to interpretation, and it seems that Mick Hucknall, the lead singer of Simply Red, has intentionally written them in a way that allows listeners to find their own meaning in the words. However, the general theme of the song seems to be one of emotional turmoil, frustration, and perhaps isolation. It also seems to encourage listeners to let good things happen to them and not let negative emotions or people bring them down.
Line by Line Meaning
Why don't you look at the price I'm paying?
Take a moment to recognize the sacrifices I'm making for this relationship.
Walk in, take a look inside,
Come inside and take a closer look.
I've moved back the tables and chairs to the wall.
I've made some space for us to move around and enjoy ourselves.
The valuable things I've had to hide.
I've had to conceal some important things from you.
Open up the red box. Come on, open it up.
Please, take a look inside the red box.
Peer in, looking for that crasher again.
Take a closer look and try to spot the person who ruined Terry's party.
You ruined Terry's party last night.
I'm upset because you caused trouble at Terry's party.
An overweight greasy little man with a mouth That opens more than now and again.
The person who caused trouble is a rude and unpleasant overweight man.
Something good must have happened to you.
I have a feeling that something positive has occurred in your life.
If you would let it happen to you, If you could let it happen to you.
If you open yourself up to new experiences, good things can happen to you.
Lopez, I hate you for the state you're in. Lopez, your hair, it washes out, it washes in. You ropey little fat boy, Lopez. Come on get lost.
I'm angry at someone named Lopez for being overweight and having unmanageable hair.
I'm out of my head.
I am feeling overwhelmed and out of control.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MICHAEL JAMES HUCKNALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@reyeschavez9
Lyrics
Red, red wine, goes to my head,
Makes me forget that I
Still need you so
Red, red wine, it's up to you
All I can do, I've done
Memories won't go
Memories won't go
I'd have sworn that with time
Thoughts of you would leave my head
I was wrong, now I find
Just one thing makes me forget
Red, red wine, stay close to me
Don't let me be alone
It's tearing apart
My blue, blue heart
I'd have sworn that with time
Thoughts of you would leave my head
I was wrong, now I find
Just one thing makes me forget
Red, red wine, stay close to me
Don't let me be alone
It's tearing apart
My blue, blue heart
@SAVEUSX29
Red, red wine goes to my head
Makes me forget that I still need her so
Red, red wine, it's up to you
All I can do I've done
Memories won't go, memories won't go
I'd have sworn that with time
Thoughts of you would leave my head
I was wrong, now I find
Just one thing makes me forget
Red, red wine, stay close to me
Don't let me be alone
It's tearing apart my blue, blue heart
I'd have sworn that with time
Thoughts of you would leave my head
I was wrong, now I find
Just one thing makes me forget
Red, red wine, stay close to me
Don't let me be alone
It's tearing apart my blue, blue heart
Red, red wine, stay close to me
Don't let me be alone
It's tearing apart my blue, blue heart
@Lefty7788tinkatolli
If you were born when this song was released, UB40 now.
@josematamoros596
Your comment is very underrated, i’ll give it a like.
@CFer84
This needs to be top comment...
@rahulnaidoo8532
Hahahahha
@michaelodonnell6105
Well I was 3 when this came out on YouTube 11 years ago 😉
@melissadowning-george9535
Best comment
@papi._chulo
Who's here March 2024
@jakobpreier4450
Me
@ryanshow9685
❤
@user-bh3yq4os5v
Me