Description
Simply Red release their first new studio album in eight years with Big Love out June 1st on East West Records. When the band announced a massive world tour to celebrate their 30th anniversary last autumn, main man Mick Hucknall started thinking about recording again. Once I began wondering how Simply Red were going to sound, I started writing songs, says Mick. And once he started, he couldn t stop. Big Love is the first Simply Red album to feature only original compositions since 1995 s Life . All twelve tracks are written by Mick Hucknall and produced by Andy Wright. Highlights include the celebratory first single Shine On driven by their trademark blue-eyed soul sound and The Ghost Of Love , a big soul song punctuated by wah-wah guitar and the kind of bold orchestral strokes that once powered Barry White and his Love Unlimited. The break has done Mick Hucknall a power of good, newly refreshed he now has a much clearer appreciation of Simply Red s considerable legacy. He admits that the band s last studio album in 2007, Stay , was an attempt to pull away from their sound. With Stay I was running away from Simply Red, Mick admits. But now I m comfortable with the notion of us as a blue-eyed soul group. I had to stop myself fighting that idea. Our sound is original too. I honestly don t know of another band that has pulled so many musical strands together. Quite simply, Big Love is Simply Red at their best, 12 tracks to cherish. With a 16 date UK tour this winter, including 3 shows at London s 02 Arena, Simply Red are once again a band in their prime. Simply Red are: Mick Hucknall vocals, Ian Kirkham sax, Steve Lewinson bass, Kenji Suuki guitar, Kevin Robinson trumpet and flute, Dave Clayton keyboards and new drummer Ronnie Roth.