Simply Red is a British soul and pop band which formed in Manchester in 1985. The lead vocalist of the band is singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band initially disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since the release of their debut studio album Picture Book (1985), they have had ten songs reach top 10 in the UK Singles Chart, including "Holding Back the Years" and "If You Don't Know Me by Now", both of which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. They have had five number one albums in the UK, with their 1991 album, Stars, being one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history.
"Something Got Me Started" is the first single released from British band Simply Red's 1991 album, Stars. It was released in several forms — a 7-inch single, a 12-inch single and a CD version, which included a remix by Perfecto.
Stars is the fourth album by British-based pop/soul/jazz band Simply Red, released in September 1991. Five singles were released from the album, including the UK top ten hits "Stars" and "For Your Babies". The album was a worldwide success, particularly in the band's home country where it has been certified twelve times platinum and was the best-selling album of the year in the UK for both 1991 and 1992, the first album to be the best-seller in two consecutive years since Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water in 1970–71. As of July 2016 it is the 14th best-selling album of all time in the UK.
"Let's Talk About Sex" is a song by American hip-hop trio Salt-n-Pepa. It was released in August 1991 as a single from their Blacks' Magic album, and achieved great success in many countries, including Australia, Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and Zimbabwe where it was a number-one hit.
"Workaholic" is a song recorded by Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited. It was released in April 1992 as the third single from their debut album, Get Ready!. The album version was an instrumental track but the released version featured a chorus from Anita Doth and, outside the UK, verses from Ray Slijngaard. The single scored chart success in many countries, with its highest peaks coming in Finland, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe, where it hit number-one in August 1992.
"The Magic Friend" is a song recorded by Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited. It was released in August 1992 as the fourth and final single from their debut album, Get Ready!. The UK release once again omitted Ray Slijngaard's rap, which lasted for 16 bars three times through, but did include some of the vocals from Anita Doth, with the "mocking chorus echoes" being abandoned as only Ray's part remains, thus leaving Anita's sole vocals as "disembodied whispers" during the middle eight. The single scored chart success in many European countries with its highest peak coming in Finland where it topped the charts. In Zimbabwe it peaked at number 5 in October 1992.
"Your Mirror" is a 1991 song by British soul and pop band Simply Red. Written by Mick Hucknall, it was featured on the album Stars and reached number 17 on the UK chart when released in July 1992. The song was included on the band's compilation albums, Greatest Hits in 1996, Simply Red 25: The Greatest Hits in 2008 and Song Book 1985–2010 in 2013.
"I've Been Thinking About You" is a song by British-American band Londonbeat from their second studio album, In the Blood (1990), produced by record producer Martyn Phillips. It was written by band members Jimmy Chambers, George Chandler, Jimmy Helms, and William Henshall. Released in 1990 as the first single from the album, it became a major worldwide hit, reaching the number-one spot in more than 10 countries—including Australia, Canada, Germany and the United States—and peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart. In 2013, Australian music channel Max placed the song at number 394 in their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time".
"Holding Back the Years" is the seventh track on Simply Red's debut studio album Picture Book (1985). It remains their most successful single, having reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. It is one of two Simply Red songs to reach number one in the US. It also reached number four on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Holding Back the Years" had initially been released in the UK the year before, reaching number 51. The song was nominated in the category of Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards.
"Sunshine on a Rainy Day" is a 1990 single released by British female pop singer and songwriter Zoë. It reached number four on the UK Singles Chart in September 1991 and also charted within the top 40 in Ireland, Sweden and Zimbabwe, where it reached number-one.
The discography of Simply Red, a British soul band, consists of twelve studio albums, six compilation albums, one extended play, fifty-three singles and a number of other appearances.
"Stars" is a 1991 single by British soul and pop band Simply Red, released as the second single from their fourth album of the same name. Written by lead singer Mick Hucknell and produced by Stewart Levine, "Stars" became the first single from the album to crack the UK top 10, reaching number eight in December 1991. Outside the UK, "Stars" reached the top 10 in Denmark and Zimbabwe and peaked within the top 40 in more than 10 other countries. In the United States it climbed to number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the band's last appearance on the listing, and reached number eight on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
"Fairground" is a 1995 single released by British soul and pop band Simply Red from the album Life. The song is co-written by frontman Mick Hucknall and makes extensive use of a sample of Dutch duo The Goodmen's 1993 hit "Give It Up". "Fairground" became Simply Red's first and only number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, staying at the top for four weeks in September and October 1995. It became a chart hit in mainland Europe and Australia but failed to generate success in the United States or Canada.
"Touch Me " is the title of a 1984 single by American singer Fonda Rae and American band Wish. It was a minor hit for Rae and the band in 1984, and was featured in the 1985 slasher film A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. In the original, it is alternately spelled as "Tuch Me " or simply just "Tuch Me".
"Angel" is a soul ballad recorded by American singer Aretha Franklin. The song was co-written by Aretha's sister, Carolyn, and Sonny Sanders. Aretha co-produced the song with Quincy Jones and it originally appeared on Aretha's 1973 album Hey Now Hey . It was released as a single in June 1973 and went on to top the US R&B Singles chart for two weeks while reaching number twenty on the Pop chart. The single sold over 900,000 copies.
"Fake" is a song written and recorded by British soft rock group Simply Red. It was released in July 2003 as the second single from the album, Home. It was the next single after their international smash hit "Sunrise". It reached number-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play for the week of 14 February 2004.
"For Your Babies" is a 1991 song by British soul and pop band Simply Red. Written by Mick Hucknall, it was included on the band's 1991 album, Stars, and reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart in February 1992. It also reached the Top 20 in Ireland, and the Top 30 in Austria and Belgium. The track was included on the band's compilation albums, Greatest Hits in 1996, Simply Red 25: The Greatest Hits in 2008 and Songs of Love in 2010. It was also featured on the band's acoustic album Simplified in a new version.
"Deep" is a pop-rap song by British boy band East 17. Written by Tony Mortimer, it was released on 23 January 1993, as the third single from the band's debut album Walthamstow (1993). It was a success, becoming their first top-five hit in the United Kingdom, charting at number five on the UK Singles Chart. Following the lackluster commercial performance of previous single "Gold", "Deep" returned the band to several international music charts, making it to the top 10 in Australia, Ireland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. It is the band's only single to appear on the main Billboard chart in the United States, peaking at number 23 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100.
"Mary Had a Little Boy" is a 1990 song recorded by German Eurodance group Snap!. It was released as the fourth and final single from their debut studio album, World Power in December 1990. The song reached number-one in Zimbabwe and on the RPM Dance Chart in Canada. The song's lyrics are based on the nineteenth century Nursery rhyme, Mary Had a Little Lamb. The chorus includes the line "Mary had a little boy, little did she know; and everywhere that Mary went, the little boy was sure to go".
"Missing You" is a 1990 song by British R&B band Soul II Soul. It was released as the fourth and last single from their second album, Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade. It features American singer-songwriter Kym Mazelle and reached number 22 in the United Kingdom, number 24 in Ireland and number 74 in the Netherlands. Outside Europe, "Missing You" peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in the US and number 166 in Australia. A black-and-white music video was made to accompany the song. It shows Mazelle and Jazzie B dancing together on a dancefloor while performing the song.
