Simply Red

Band Members: Mick Hucknall, Dave Clayton, Steve Lewinson, Kevin Robinson, Pete Lewinson, Dee Johnson, Ian Kirkham, Kenji Suzuki, Chris De Margary, Sarah Brown, John Johnson (and loads of ex-members too)
Hometown: Manchester
Biggest Hit Singles: Fairground, number one, 1995, If You Don’t Know Me By Now, number two, 1989
Career Highlights: Hucknall is a triple Brit Awards winner, two-time Ivor Novello Award Winner and Mobo Award Winner

Simply Red is fronted by the famous Mancunian loudmouthed red-head Mick Hucknall, and have been spawning Top 20 hits for more than 20 years. They are simply unstoppable!

The band famously formed in the late 70s after going to see a Sex Pistols gig in Manchester. But it wasn’t until 1985 that their first single came out, a cover of the Valentine Brothers’ classic Money’s Too Tight (To Mention). It hit number 13 in the UK, and was big in France, Ireland, America and the Netherlands too. Holding Back The Years was next, taking the band to number two in the British charts.

By 1987 Simply Red had ditched their infamous rapscallion look and thread-bear clothes for bowler hats and suits, and Hucknall started attracting tabloid interest for his relentless womanising. But this didn’t detract away from their talents.
1991 brought the jewel in Simply Red’s crown – the Stars album. It became Europe’s best-selling record throughout 1991 and 1992 and sold more than eight and a half million copies worldwide.

The band plodded on after, mainly releasing greatest hits records, until forming their own record label simpyred.com in 2003. They released the album Home through the label, garnering two Top 10 hits and a platinum award in the process. In 2004 the label won the Music Week Award for UK Achievement.
Then, in March this year, they put out their 10th studio album Stay, which was followed by the single Not So Over You.