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Rating: "A New Flame" (1989), the third studio album by the band centered around Mick Hucknall, garnered significant acclaim throughout Europe. It was all thanks to a mosaic that gradually came together, filling in gaps and smoothing rough edges.
The charismatic leader agreed to bring back Stewart Levine for production after realizing that hiring the late Alex Sadkin for "Man And Woman" (1987) had been a mistake. "If I could ever remix an album from scratch, I’d have no doubt: ‘Man And Woman’. It’s a shame to talk about someone who's no longer here, but Alex was more of a programmer than a producer." The album wasn’t to be discarded, quite the opposite, it contained pleasant tracks but was far from the evolution the band and management were hoping for.
However, Mick never admitted the mistake; he let events take their natural course. Levine returned to the fold, the Brazilian Heitor Texeira Pareira (better known as Heitor T.P.) replaced Sylvan Richardson on guitar (what a leap in quality: listen, for instance, to the solo in "Enough"), the right covers were included in the album, and the group finally planted their flag at the mountain's peak: "A New Flame" was the best-selling album of 1989 in Europe.
Almost two years later, at the end of 1990, Mick reunited the band to start sketching what would become their best-selling album: "Stars". Stewart Levine was of course confirmed as the producer. The sessions began in a heavy atmosphere, in Paris, coinciding with the start of the Gulf War. Elliot Rashman, the band's longtime manager, took the implicit confirmation of every member for granted, but Hucknall had other things on his mind. Completely captivated by the sound of Soul II Soul, a dance group mixed with hip-hop that rocked between 1989 and 1991, he wanted to incorporate Gota Yashiki, who was a superb programmer for Soul II Soul, into the project. Yashiki accepted enthusiastically, even though he only marginally knew Simply Red ("I must have a vinyl of 'Love Fire' at home, somewhere"), and started working on the rhythm section with the longtime drummer, Chris Joyce. It didn’t take long to realize that Yashiki was not only a forward-thinking and enterprising programmer but also a great drummer. It was during this period that Hucknall started to claim Simply Red as an entity under his control, with other members being expendable in a logical rotation and maturation process. "Firing Joyce was one of the hardest things in my entire career, but I did it for the good of the band." It was an epochal step that marked the new sound of Simply Red forever. Levine agreed that the band needed to improve significantly in the rhythm section; he was equally disappointed because he was the one who had recruited Joyce for the debut album "Picture Book" (1985), but he had no objections, nor could he do anything to retain bassist Tony Bowers, probably tired of the experience with the group, deftly replaced by Shaun Ward.
"A New Flame", in its magnificence, had an important limitation in Mick's eyes: the most impactful songs, or at least the first two singles, "It's Only Love" and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" were covers. Moreover, for the magnificent "You've Got it" and "Turn it up", he had collaborated with Lamont Dozier, while Joe Sample had provided a significant contribution for "Enough", which masterfully closed the album. This time Mr. Hucknall did almost everything by himself. Except for "Something Got Me Started" and "Thrill Me", to which the keyboardist Fritz McIntyre contributed ("The real rock of the band, the true cornerstone: Simply Red is Mick's magnificent voice and Fritz's luscious keyboards", Rashman would declare later), all the tracks were written by him. And considering that the album was a smash, surpassed seven million copies, and garnered acclaim everywhere, well, hats off to you, Micky. Bravo.
Except in America. Already lukewarm with "A New Flame", it almost completely ignored "Stars". Supporting this preamble, it should be noted that the band didn’t make a drama out of it: they didn’t do much to create a following in the USA, probably content with the whirlwind of enthusiasm generated in Europe.
Stylistically, the album is flawless: the leading singles, "Something Got Me Started" and "Stars", are spot-on; "Thrill Me" is engaging and superb live (Mick: "Fritz came up with that magnificent keyboard riff..."), "Your Mirror" is both feisty and sweet, "She's Got It Bad" is fun and easy to read, "For Your Babies" is moving and fresh. Then, in the opinion of the writer, there is a decline. "Model", which winks at UB40, is a hybrid with little personality, "Freedom" and "Wonderland", both with a political background, are musically sparse. An exception: "How Could It Fall". Where the instrumentalists unleash in the intro (notable is the contribution of saxophonist Ian Kirkham) to then hand over the baton to Hucknall.
Again, the opinion of the writer: "A New Flame" remains on another level. More impactful, fresher, more explosive, and complete. And indeed, it sold well. But what consecrated the band for centuries was "Stars", because it was liked in every aspect: from the cover to the promo videos, from the arrangements to the contribution of the new members. Not by chance, the tour filled stadiums and arenas and gave Simply Red extra work to the point that "Life", its successor, came out in late 1995.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Something Got Me Started (04:01)
Something got me started
You know that I will love you
Lately since we parted
I truly know that I need you
I'd give it all up for you
[Yes I would]
Totally broken-hearted
Guilty of what I did to you
Lately since we parted
I truly know that I need you
I'd give it all up for you
[Yes I would]
You've got to help me, help me, help me
02 Stars (04:08)
Anyone who ever held you
Would tell you the way I'm feeling
Anyone who ever wanted you
Would try to tell you what I feel inside
The only thing I ever wanted
Was the feeling that you ain't faking
The only one you ever thought about
Wait a minute, can't you see
That I�
Wanna fall from the stars
Straight into your arms
I� I feel you
I hope you comprehend
For the man who tried to hurt you
He's explaining the way I'm feeling
For all the jealousy I caused you
States the reason why I'm trying to hide
As for all the things you taught me
It sends my future into clearer dimensions
You'll never know how much you hurt me
Stay a minute, can't you see
That I�
Wanna fall from the stars
Straight into your arms
I� I feel you
I hope you comprehend
Too many hearts are broken
A lover's promise never came with a maybe
So many words are left unspoken
The silent voices are driving me crazy
After all the pain you caused me
Making up could never be your intention
You'll never know how much you hurt me
Stay, can't you see
That I�
Wanna fall from the stars
Straight into your arms
I� I feel you
I hope you comprehend
That I�
Wanna fall from the stars
Straight into your arms
I� I feel you
I hope you comprehend
03 Thrill Me (05:03)
OK, I'm the one who took you for granted
I've made my mistakes, wake up let's not break up
Thrill me - You've got a love so strong
Thrill me - You really turn me on
Thrill me - Wait till tomorrow night
Thrill me - I'm gonna treat you right
You said that I would never let you be alone
How many times have you been on your own
Worked all the days to find the things you try to do
If only my heart would never let you through
Because you
Thrill me - You've got a love so strong
Thrill me - You just can't do me wrong
Thrill me - Wait till tomorrow night
Thrill me - I'm gonna treat you right
The truth is you've gone and left me on my own
How can I face the fact you're really gone
Love was a phase we'd have to pray to make it true
If only my heart would've never let you through
Because you
Thrill me - You've got a love so strong
Thrill me - You really turn me on
Thrill me - Wait till tomorrow night
Thrill me - I'm gonna treat you right
04 Your Mirror (03:59)
I've got to stand up for myself
This society don't care about nobody else
I've got to be strong
Even if I know that this feeling is wrong
I've got to not care
Even if I know that this world is meant to share
Wait a minute. This is wrong
Even the birds still sing their faithful song
And your beauty lies within you
Look in the mirror baby
Look in the mirror baby
What you gonna do when your friends have gone away
And deserted you
You'll have to be strong
24 hours can seem so long
You're taught to not care
And then not realise this world is meant to share
Wait a minute. It's wrong
Even the birds still sing their faithful song
And your beauty lies within you
Look in the mirror baby
Look in the mirror baby
We've got to stand up for ourselves
Even if a leader so cold wants to glory himself
We've got to be strong
Even if our reasons seem wrong
We've got to not care
Even if the world that we know may not even be here
Hold It! It's wrong
Even the birds still sing their faithful song
And your beauty lies within you
Look in the mirror baby
Look in the mirror baby
06 For Your Babies (04:17)
You've got that look again
The one I hoped I had when I was a lad
Your face is just beaming
Your smile got me boasting, my pulse roller-coastering
Anyway the four winds that blow
They're gonna send me sailing home to you
Or I'll fly with the force of a rainbow
The dream of gold will be waiting in your eyes
You know I'd do most anything you want
Hey I, I try to give you everything you need
I can see that it gets to you
I don't believe in many things
But in you I do
Her faith is amazing
The pain that she goes through contained in the hope for you
Your whole world has changed
The years spent before seem more cloudy than blue
In many ways your baby's controlling
When you haven't laid down for days
For the poor no time to be thinking
They're too busy finding ways
You know I'd do most anything you want
Hey I, I try to give you everything you need
I'll see that it gets to you
I don't believe in many things
But in you I do
You know I'd do most anything you want
Everyday I, I try to give you everything you need
We'll always be there for you
I don't believe in many things
But in you I do
09 Freedom (03:52)
how long we gonna last
how long everybody has to ask
freedom to joke
freedom to hope
freedom to win
freedom to be in
how long are we going to last
how long are we going to have to ask
freedom to joke
freedom to hope
freedom to win
freedom to be in
how long, how long
10 Wonderland (03:49)
people, places
pursuing the chases
our moments were chosen
her senses explosion
take your pulse and read it well
she never said you'd only get one chance
pay your debt and bleed as well
you're living in the same circumstances
the end of an era
our future no clearer
my people no stronger
the blame i lay on her
wonderland, wonderland
it's beautiful
wonderland, wonderland
it's beautiful
take your pulse and read it well
she never said you'd only get one chance
pay your debt and bleed as well
you're living in the same circumstances
the end of an era
our future no clearer
my people no stronger
the blame i lay on her
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