They formed in 1985 after the Punk band that Mick was previously in called The Frantic Elevators disbanded the previous year. Their debut album was released the same year. They were initially active until 2010 but reformed in 2015 and are active to this day.
Discography:
- Picture Book (1985)
- Men and Women (1987)
- A New Flame (1989)
- Stars (1991)
- Life (1995)
- Blue (1998)
- Love and the Russian Winter (1999)
- Home (2003)
- Simplified (2005)
- Stay (2007)
- Big Love (2015)
- Blue Eyed Soul (2019)
- Time (2023)
Love and the Russian Tropes:
- Cover Version: "Money's Too Tight to Mention" was originally by the Valentine Brothers.
- I Am the Band: Simply Red is Mick Hucknall, lead singer, band namesake and only constant member. He explained, "This is a solo career and it always has been... I just don't like the name Mick Hucknall very much."
- Lyric Swap: In the final chorus of "Better With You", after the subject of the song has stood the singer up and returned to the bar where they met, to hang out with her "gin-soaked friends", the line "Better with you, as we did the things we'll never forget" gets swapped for "Better with you, before the booze put you out of your head".
- Money Song: "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)", which is about not having enough money to get by.
- One-Word Title: Most of their albums are one words, with the exceptions being their first three albums, Love and the Russian Winter and Blue Eyed Soul.