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Simply Red's WMG catalog goes digital
October 22, 2008
Simply Red's Mick Hucknall. Photo: Rhino/Andy Fallon.
Simply Red's seven-album WMG catalog will be released in expanded editions from all online music retailers starting Nov. 4, 2008.
The titles, originally issued on the Elektra Records and East/West labels, include Picture Book, Men And Women, A New Flame, Stars, Life, Blue and Love And The Russian Winter. These albums will be available from all digital outlets as expanded audio editions priced at $11.99 unless noted. On the heels of these rereleases, Simply Red is preparing for its 25th anniversary tour in 2009. Dates in the U.S. will include: March 13, 2009 — Los Angeles, Club Nokia March 15, 2009 — New York, Radio City Music Hall Simply Red scored an immediate success with the 1985 debut Picture Book, which included the hit "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" and the group's signature smash (and first U.S. #1 single) "Holding Back The Years." In addition to the original album's 10 songs, the new digital release features five bonus 12-inch mixes previously available only on vinyl. Simply Red's second album, Men And Women (1987), offered more of their sparkling blue-eyed soul; Rhino's new digital version features six bonus tracks, including the original version of "Broken Man" (later rerecorded for Blue). Simply Red closed the decade in style with 1989's A New Flame, which brought the band another U.S. #1 single with their cover of "If You Don't Know Me By Now." The digital reissue adds five instrumental B-sides to the original album's 10 tracks. Stars was Simply Red's fourth album and one of its most well-received. In America, the 1991 release went gold — but it was even more successful internationally, logging 19 weeks at the top of the U.K. charts and selling more than 10 million copies worldwide. The expanded digital issue features nine bonus recordings including a quartet of Robert Johnson covers released as B-sides to Stars singles and live performances from 1992. In addition to this version, the 10-song original album and a deluxe edition with 11 bonus recordings, five videos and a digital booklet will be available exclusively from iTunes and Wal-Mart. The follow-up, 1995's Life, featured 10 new songs penned by band leader Mick Hucknall; the additional tracks on the album download include remixes of five of these — one of which (the Howie B mix of "You Make Me Believe") is previously unreleased. Blue (1998) boasted several intriguing covers (of such artists as Neil Young, Gregory Issacs and The Hollies); the 18-track digital version includes rare remixes and an Italian rendition of Blue songs, plus a jungle version of "So Beautiful" from their previous album. Simply Red's final album for East/West, 1999's Love And The Russian Winter added some fresh dance moves to their trademark blend of R&B and pop; the digital reissue supplements the original 11 selections with five bonus tracks: two club versions of "Ain't That A Lot Of Love" and a trio of mixes of "Your Eyes." Led by the distinctive voice (and namesake red hair) of Mick Hucknall, Simply Red remains one of England's most successful groups more than two decades after its debut. Simply Red wins fans with an inviting mix of contemporary pop and — as Hucknall's recent Tribute To Bobby album attests — classic R&B. |
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