The secret of the successful rock and soul group, Simply Red, lies in the quality of lead singer Mick Hucknall’s high-reaching voice. This sublime instrument, married to bluesy rock music and superb songs, was a match made in heaven. The wonder of Hucknall’s voice has never dimmed in the group's 25-year existence. It was evident at their 2010 exit concert in London’s O2 Arena, when Hucknall sang the group’s 1989 hit song, "Every Time We Say Goodbye." Members of the silent crowd shed tears as the voice, interwoven with notes from piano and violin, sounded round the performance space. However, more upbeat ballads, such as "The Right Thing," soon dispelled the melancholic mood of the crowd who rocked to the occasion. These songs are, of course, among the 61 definitive tracks on the group’s exit album, the "Simply Red Song Book 1985 – 2010."
Hucknall founded the group in 1985 with the help of music manager Elliot Rashman. The initial releases proved unremarkable until the group scored a hit with the single, "Holding Back The Years," a song that Hucknall had written for his earlier group, the Frantic Elevators. With songs like "If You Don’t Know Me By Now" and "Money’s Too Tight," hit followed hit for the remainder of the decade. Ever since, Simply Red has been a household name, with album sales in excess of 25 million, augmented by ticket sales for concert and tour venues. Hucknall has won a glass case of awards, including three Brit awards, two Ivor Novello awards and a MOBO. Simply Red may be no more as a group, but with a recording history like this, their music will always be evergreen.
