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."
To Be With You
Simply Red Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't even understand
The words I mean
My tongue's tied
Up around it
My brain is so tired
But my heart is so warm
To talk with you
To sleep with you
Most of all
To make love to you
Last night I dreamed about it
The rooms in these hotels
Are the same around the world
I could really do without it
I'll only hate myself
If I take another girl
I wanna be with you
I wanna talk with you
I wanna sleep with you
Most of all
To make love to you
Oh if I ever get home again
If you could ever
Do the same thing too
I could open up my soul again
I have to get this message to you
I wanna be with you
I wanna talk with you
I wanna sleep with you
I wanna make love to you
Love to you
You've got that feeling inside
And you know
My joy just can't hide
The lyrics to Simply Red's song "To Be With You" are a heartfelt expression of the singer's desire for intimacy and connection with someone special. He begins by admitting that he struggles to articulate his thoughts and feelings, but despite this, his heart is filled with warmth for this person. He longs to be with them, to talk, sleep, and most importantly, make love to them. These simple desires are shared by many, but the singer's passion for this person is clear in the way he repeats these phrases, emphasizing the importance and depth of his longing.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on his current situation, perhaps on tour in different hotels around the world. Although he dreams of being with this person, he acknowledges the temptation of other women but ultimately decides he would hate himself for giving in. The desire for intimacy and connection with this person is so strong that even the thought of being with anyone else is unbearable.
The final verse is a plea to the person to whom he is singing. He yearns to be with them again, and hopes they feel the same way. He wants to open up his soul to them, and the urgency of his feelings is conveyed in his repetition of the desires to talk, sleep, and make love to them. The song ends on a joyful note, with the singer expressing the happiness and excitement he feels at the prospect of being with this person again.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't pronounce it
I struggle to articulate my emotions
Don't even understand
I lack comprehension of my own feelings
The words I mean
I have difficulty expressing my true sentiment
My tongue's tied
I am physically unable to speak my emotions out loud
Up around it
My emotions are all jumbled up
My brain is so tired
I am mentally exhausted
But my heart is so warm
Despite my confusion, my feelings for you burn hot
I wanna be with you
All I want is to be close to you
To talk with you
I long for meaningful conversation with you
To sleep with you
Being near you brings me a sense of peace and comfort
Most of all
Above anything else
To make love to you
Sharing that intimate connection with you is what I crave most
Last night I dreamed about it
Even in my subconscious, you are my heart's desire
The rooms in these hotels
I travel aimlessly, searching for what I already know I want
Are the same around the world
No matter where I go, nothing feels like home without you
I could really do without it
I regret every moment spent seeking solace in someone else
I'll only hate myself
I know deep down I'm betraying my true feelings
If I take another girl
I can't pretend that anyone else compares to you
Oh if I ever get home again
I am lost without you
If you could ever
If only you could
Do the same thing too
Feel the same way I do
I could open up my soul again
If we were together again, I could be my true self
I have to get this message to you
I need you to know how I feel
Love to you
I want to give you all the love I have inside
You've got that feeling inside
You make me feel alive in ways I can't explain
And you know
I hope you understand
My joy just can't hide
Your presence brings me happiness beyond words
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MICHAEL JAMES HUCKNALL
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".