SIMPLY RED, SIMPLY SPEAKING
Even though Simply Red’s breakthrough #1 hit “Holding Back The Years” is an international success, not everyone believed that the song would be a big hit from the start. In fact, the tune had been languishing in lead singer Mick Hucknall’s songbook since the late 70s before the group dusted the song off and recorded it.
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SIMPLY RED, SIMPLY SPEAKING
David Aron
Even though Simply Red’s breakthrough #1 hit “Holding Back The Years” is an international success, not everyone believed that the song would be a big hit from the start.
In fact, the tune had been languishing in lead singer Mick Hucknall’s songbook since the late 70s before the group dusted the song off and recorded it. According to the band's keyboardist Fritz McIntyre, Hucknall first wrote the song when the singer was fronting an English punk group called the Frantic Elevators.
“We recorded ‘Holding Back The Years’ in June of ’85. It was in the last group of songs we recorded. Mick had done it in different ways, going all the way back to his punk days with Frantic Elevators,” he said. Not only was “Holding Back The Years” reworked and reinterpreted, it wasn’t even the first release off their album, Picture Book. The first release was a remake of a song called “Money’s Too Tight To Mention,” which was written by the Los Angeles area group the Valentine Brothers. It was only after “Money’s Too Tight To Mention” failed that the band decided to go with “Holding Back The Years.”
“Mick did the song in just one or takes, and we did like it, but we ij thought of it as another good Nothing incredible. No one thougi would happen the way it did. When finished singing we thought ‘thal take.’ Not ‘Whoa, it’s a hit,”’ he si
The band still hasn’t given upl “Money’s Too Tight To Mention," have rereleased the song in ho| people will give it a second listen, the song has a message, the band ing down their politics and their coi tion with England’s punk scene, want to be known for their music andi aiming for commercial success.
“The ‘Money’ song is a good that’s why we released it the first timer have come back to it again. I danceable tune and we’re quite a dance band. We’re not really political] observant. We’re not trying to use to make a message, that’s not our tion. We want to make good music, said.
McIntyre attended high schod| Canada while the punk movement ed its peak in London.
“The only member of the bandj was ever connected to the punk was Mick. Punk was really rebellion, not music. We’re into not rebellion.”
The shift from being unemployed gling musicians to being succi rockers has been too sudden fortl forget their years of struggle.
“I really couldn t earn a living till 25 and we signed a record contra: flation is down, but what’s the point, you can’t get a job? The advantage ing unemployed is that you have?, time to practice. But keyboards are: expensive instrument, so it's very ha around. Most of us have been at awhile so it’s very good to final!, some rewards. But it all seems toh? rather fast.”
The band had been playing toe only two months when they signed contract with Elektra Records in: 1985. McIntyre, however, had beeing with Hucknall since the previa: “I joined Mick back in September because it was clear he had ambir some direction. About six monte the rest of the band joined us. Mica lot of good ideas, but we all coni I wrote the music to two of the son. more a democracy than a dictator:
Getting a contract for the however, took a major marketing
“First we sent tapes out to recor pany people. Then we invited tie hear us at a club we rented out. out the word in Manchester abo. concert and filled the place up v. friends. After the concert we got from a couple of companies and ed to go with Elektra.”
Soon after the signing, Simply Red went into the studio and recorded the album. A strong plus for the band was hirng Stuart Levine to produce. "He had some good ideas, and really helped us with a couple of songs. We recorded the first group of tunes in Holland because Stuart had visa problems," McIntyre said. Though the band has made their mark with a ballad, they strongly feel they're a dance band. They're set to record their next album and will be working with the producer who worked on Grace Jones' ast album.
"The band members respond to a lot of different influences, but I think the African rhythm sound and reggae is very popular. Mick is a big James Brown fan. Everyone likes blues," McIntyre said. The band is also listening to dub music. "Sylvan (Richardson), our guitarist is real jazzer, really into the fusion sound, ut Tony (Bowers) the bassist, and Chris Joyce), our drummer, are all heavy into ub music. I haven't heard any over here et. It's sort of a mix of reggae with a eavy bass sound.
"I'm looking forward to our next album. Our American concert tour should be over y the end of October, and, after that, it's short vacation and then back to the tudio."
