Simply Red

2010 looks like its set to be the start of the swansong for Simply Red. In a career spanning 25 years with 55 million worldwide sales, playing live to 11 million people, 30 top 40 songs in the UK, 3 Brits and a MOBO Special Achievement award you can’t argue its been one heck of a successful career.

The first activity of 2010 is a new album, available solely from Tesco’s. 'Songs of Love’ is a collection of 10 classic Simply Red ballads, along with two new tracks. The classic tracks like 'Stars’, a great cover of Stylistics 'You Make Me Feel Brand New’ and 'Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye’ need no introduction, so I’ll concentrate on the 2 new songs. 'I Have The Love’ is a very stripped back track with just a gentle piano to accompany Hucknall’s very personal lyrics. The track builds gently with strings and choirs coming in to give it some depth. 'Beside You’ is another stripped back track, this time with wood section accompaniment. It originally featured in a 1998 movie 'What Dreams May Come’, and has been re-recorded for this album.

So, nothing new here, but fans of Simply Red will love it, and as Mothers Day is around the corner it might end up as a present for quite a few on March 14th (as long as their beloved children shop at Tesco’s!!)

1: Say You Love Me
2: You Make Me Feel Brand New
3: Stars
4: You've Got It
5: For Your Babies
6: If You Don’t Know Me By Now
7: It’s You
8: Beside You
9: Holding Back The Years
10: Smile
11: I Have The Love
12: Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye