"Fairground" | ||||
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Single by Simply Red | ||||
from the album Life | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 18 September 1995 | |||
Genre | Dance | |||
Length |
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Label | EastWest | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Simply Red singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Fairground" on YouTube |
"Fairground" is a song by British soul and pop band Simply Red, released on 18 September 1995 by EastWest as the first single from the band's fifth album, Life (1995). Co-written and co-produced by frontman Mick Hucknall, the song makes extensive use of a sample of Dutch duo the Goodmen's 1993 hit "Give It Up". It became Simply Red's first and only No. 1 single on the UK Singles Chart, staying at the top for four weeks in September and October 1995, and was also a chart hit in mainland Europe and Australia but failed to generate long-term success in North America. The accompanying music video for "Fairground" was directed by Michael Geoghegan and filmed in Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire.
When "Fairground" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, it had already been released to UK radio stations for almost a month, via satellite with the first promotional copies following a few days later. The single was placed in heavy rotation on top-40 radio stations, which resulted in it reaching the top of the airplay charts. When the single was released to the public on 18 September 1995, it had already been the most played record on British radio. [1]
Producer Andy Wright has said that for "Fairground", Mick Hucknall wanted to do a Brazilian, carnival-style track. Whilst Mick was at the dentist for two hours, Andy had the idea to sample a record that he knew of: "Give It Up" by the Goodmen, [2] which in turn samples "Fanfarra (Cabua-le-le)" by Sérgio Mendes. [3] To round out the track, Fritz McIntyre played the house-style piano element, Ian Kirkham used the EWI (electronic wind instrument) to play the clarinet-style part, and Andy Wright made the wobbly, dreamy sound heard in the verses. [4]
Swedish Aftonbladet noted the "hot rhythms and odd harmonies" of the song, adding that the album "would have needed even more such songs". [5] AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann said that Mick Hucknall "opts for a Latin-tinged sound that ends up evoking Herb Alpert more than Milton Nascimento". Another AllMusic editor, Jon O'Brien, deemed the song "a mesmerizing fusion of tribal rhythms and ambient chillout pop". [6] Larry Flick from Billboard described it as an "expectedly romantic soul tune", adding that "fueled by his now instantly familiar voice, the track combines old-school warmth with street-smart percussion that is largely derived from samples of "Give It Up" by the Goodmen. At the core are wonderfully soothing lyrics and a melody that permanently sticks to the brain upon impact." [7] Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger commented that it "surprised people at the time, and on the verses at least it's their strangest-sounding single. Driving down an endless road... it begins, and that's not at all a bad description of the lonesome vibe here – the odd combination of flowing, tumbling Latin percussion and Hucknall's ruminative vocal, working together to create something genuinely arresting, even haunting." [8]
Pan-European magazine Music & Media remarked that it is "totally different from Hucknall's previous singles but still very much him thanks to the one-in-a-million voice and the trademark composition." They added that "the fairground attraction" of the single is its "percussive arrangement and clubiness." [9] Music Week gave it five out of five and named it Single of the Week, writing, "No wonder radio has leapt on this, a charmingly-delivered song which couples instant commerciality in the tune stakes with a hip tribal backing. Headed straight for the summit." [10] Music Week editor Alan Jones said, "Despite its heavily syncopated underpinning, it is a stylish and straightforward pop song with Mick Hucknall's usual high calibre vocal and an instantly commercial chorus." [11] Paul Moody from NME commented, "This time, after five years at the hairdressers, he gives us a Latino-shuffle that's already conquered all known radio stations and is about to invade every Top Five on the planet. Quite dull." [12] People Magazine's reviewer wrote that the "energetic" song "combines soulful abandon with tribal ecstasy." [13] David Gaskey from The Rice Thresher described it as "an innovative, futuristic jazz/pop song inspired by a popular fairground outside of Milan." [14] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update called it "attractive". [15] Mark Sutherland from Smash Hits stated that Hucknall "still has a lovely singing voice". However, he felt the song "sort of tinkles along merrily without really going anywhere." [16]
It was the first and only single by the group to reach No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. [17] It spent four weeks at the top and 14 weeks in the top 40. [17] As of October 2018, the single has sold 718,463 copies according to the Official Charts Company. [18] The track also reached No. 1 in Ireland [19] and Italy [20] and peaked within the top 10 in more than 10 countries, including Australia, Germany, New Zealand and Zimbabwe. [21] [22] A remix by Soulshock and Karlin was included on the US single release and received moderate success on R&B radio but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 14 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. [23]
In 2012, "Fairground" was ranked No. 47 in NME's list of the "50 best-selling tracks of the 90s", adding: "Shamelessly lifting the clattering samba percussion from The Goodmen's 'Give It Up' (but giving due credit), Mick Hucknall greeted his post-'Stars' future with a mid-tempo ballad that sounded like an on-the-money dance track. Everyone got on board the rollercoaster and Hucknall had a new diamond for his gnasher." [24]
A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Irish filmmaker Michael Geoghegan. [25] The video (which uses the shorter single version) shows Mick Hucknall driving in his Jaguar XK140 to and singing at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Blackpool, Lancashire, that had been closed for the day and had been invaded by a group of his friends and opened up again. The majority of the video was shot on the Pepsi Max Big One and around the park, and some scenes are shot on the Promenade showing the Illuminations in 1994. Filming credits go to the single cameraman, Steven Young. The video was later made available on Simply Red's official YouTube channel in 2009 and was upgraded to HD in celebration of the album Life's 25th anniversary in October 2020. It had generated more than 20 million views as of early 2024. [26]
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [51] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Germany (BVMI) [62] | Gold | 250,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [63] | Platinum | 718,463 [18] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 18 September 1995 |
| EastWest | [64] |
United States | 26 September 1995 | Contemporary hit radio | [65] | |
3 October 1995 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | [66] | ||
Japan | 10 October 1995 | CD | EastWest Japan | [67] |
Simply Red are an English soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. Band leader, singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall was the only original member left by the time Simply Red initially disbanded in 2010. They have released thirteen studio albums, from Picture Book (1985) through Time (2023), all of which have peaked within the top ten on the UK Albums Chart; with the albums A New Flame (1989), Stars (1991), Life (1995) and Blue (1998), along with their Greatest Hits (1996) album, reaching number one. Their 1991 album Stars is one of the best-selling albums in the United Kingdom.
"Perfect" is the debut single by the English folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction, written by Mark E. Nevin. Released on 21 March 1988 by RCA, the single reached number one in the United Kingdom on 8 May 1988, where it stayed for one week. It also reached number one in Australia, Ireland, and South Africa. In the United States, the song peaked at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Perfect" won the award for British Single of the Year at the Brit Awards 1989 and was nominated for the Ivor Novello 'Best Song Musically and Lyrically' award.
"Something Got Me Started" is a song by British soul and pop band Simply Red, released in September 1991 by East West Records as the first single from their fourth album, Stars (1991). It was released in several forms: a 7-inch single, a 12-inch single, and a CD single, that includes a remix by Perfecto.
Stars is the fourth album by British-based pop/soul/jazz band Simply Red, released on 30 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 1970–1971. As of April 2019 it is the 14th best-selling album of all time in the UK.
Life is the fifth studio album by British pop and soul band Simply Red, released in 1995. The lead single "Fairground" became their first number 1 hit in the UK. Due to this success, the album also made #1 on the UK album chart. It also included "We're in This Together", the official theme song for Euro '96. This was also the last album to feature band members Fritz McIntyre and Heitor TP.
Picture Book is the debut album by British pop and soul group Simply Red, released in October 1985. It contains the US number-one single "Holding Back the Years", and covers of The Valentine Brothers' "Money's Too Tight " and Talking Heads’ “Heaven”. Three more singles were released from the album: "Come to My Aid", "Jericho", and "Open Up the Red Box".
"One by One" is a song by American singer Cher from her twenty-first studio album, It's a Man's World (1995). Originally released by The Real People in 1987, Cher received a co-writing credit with the band's Anthony Griffiths for her version. Two versions of the song were recorded for the album: the original, included on British pressings, is a soul song with elements of rock and was produced by Stephen Lipson. The American mix was produced by Sam Ward and has a feel with slight alterations; additional remixes were created by DJ Junior Vasquez. In the United Kingdom, WEA released the song as the second single from the album on January 6, 1996; in the United States it was issued through Reprise Records as the lead single on May 21.
"Holding Back the Years" is a song by the British soul and pop band Simply Red, released as the third single from their debut studio album, Picture Book (1985). In 1986, the ballad reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles 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.
"Stars" is a song by British soul and pop band Simply Red, released in November 1991 as the second single from their fourth album of the same name (1991). Written by lead singer Mick Hucknall and produced by Stewart Levine, it became the first single from the album to enter the UK top 10, reaching number eight in December 1991. Outside the UK, "Stars" reached the top 10 in Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, and Zimbabwe. In the United States, it climbed to number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the band's last appearance on the listing.
"Sunrise" is a song by English musical group Simply Red. It was released on 17 March 2003 as the first single from their eighth studio album, Home (2003), as well as the first single from frontman Mick Hucknall's new record label, simplyred.com. The song peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart, number three in Canada, and number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
"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 nineteenth album, Hey Now Hey (1973). It was released as a single by Atlantic 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.
"Love Train" is a song by English singer Holly Johnson, released on 9 January 1989 as the lead single from his debut solo album, Blast (1989). It was written by Johnson and produced by Andy Richards and Steve Lovell with additional production by Stephen Hague. The song reached No. 4 in the United Kingdom, spending 11 weeks on the chart, and was certified silver by British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in February 1989. In the United States, the song reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Remembering the First Time" is a song by British soul and pop band Simply Red. Written by frontman Mick Hucknall, it was featured on their fifth album, Life (1995), and released by EastWest in December 1995 in a new remix for the single. It reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and number three on the UK Club Chart. The song also peaked at number seven in Iceland, number 19 in Spain, and number 23 in the Netherlands. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 80. The music video for the song was directed by Irish filmmaker Michael Geoghegan.
"We're in This Together" is a song by British soul and pop band Simply Red. It was released by East West Records in June 1996 as the fourth and last single from their fifth album, Life (1996). The song was written and co-produced by frontman Mick Hucknall, and chosen as the official song for UEFA Euro 1996 held in England. Simply Red performed at both the opening and closing ceremony. The single reached number eight in the Czech Republic, number eleven in the UK and number thirteen in Scotland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it peaked at number 39 in July 1996. The music video for the song was directed by London-based director Zanna.
"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 song by British soul and pop band Simply Red. Written by Mick Hucknall, it was released in January 1992 as the third single from the band's forth album, Stars (1991). The song reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart in February same year. 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.
"Give It Up" is a song by Dutch musical duo Chocolate Puma performing under the name "the Good Men", or alternatively, "the Goodmen". It samples "Fanfarra (Cabua-Le-Le)" and "Magalenha" by Sérgio Mendes and "I Need You Now" by Sinnamon. Released as Chocolate Puma's debut single on 26 July 1993 in the United Kingdom, the song became a chart hit in 1993, peaking atop the American and Canadian dance charts and reaching the top 10 in several European nations. In 1995, Simply Red sampled "Give It Up" for their UK number-one hit "Fairground".
"Never Never Love" is a song by British soul and pop band Simply Red. Written by frontman Mick Hucknall, it was featured on their fifth album, Life (1996), and reached number 18 on the UK chart when released in February 1996 by EastWest. The song additionally peaked at number seven in Hungary and number 26 in Iceland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 93 in March 1996.
"Jojo Action" is a song by German Eurodance group Mr. President, released on 9 June 1997 as the first single from their third album, Night Club (1997). The song was a hit in Europe, peaking at number-one in Hungary, number three in Austria, number four in Germany, number five in Switzerland and number eight in Finland. In the UK, it reached number 73. Outside Europe, the song peaked at number 78 in Australia. It was certified gold in Germany, with a sale of 250,000 units. A music video was also produced to promote the single, featuring the group performing in a night club.
"A New Flame" is a song by the British soul and pop band Simply Red, released in June 1989 by Elektra and WEA as the third single from the band's third studio album by the same name (1989). The song was written by Mick Hucknall and produced by Stewart Levine. It was a top-20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart, and reached the top 30 in Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton directed its music video.
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