Blue (Simply Red album)
Blue | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 19 May 1998 | |||
Studio | Westpoint Recording Studios, Funny Bunny Studios, Whitfield Street Studios and Abbey Road Studios (London, UK) Archer Studios (Kingston, Jamaica) The Hit Factory (New York City, New York, US) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 46:59 | |||
Label | East West | |||
Producer |
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Simply Red chronology | ||||
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Singles from Blue | ||||
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Blue is the sixth studio album by British band
The album includes five
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [5] |
The Baltimore Sun | (favorable)[6] |
AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine found that Blue "is weak on original material. However, Mick Hucknall makes up for the deficits by assembling a good collection of outside material [...] Initially, Blue was going to be a covers album, and judging by these numbers [...] it would have been a great, sultry listen. Instead, he's followed through on an album that accentuates his weaknesses as a writer. Granted, he can oversing on occasion, but if Blue does anything, it proves that his voice is his greatest talent and that he should dedicate himself to material that serves it well."[5]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Mellow My Mind" | Neil Young | 3:55 | |
2. | "Blue" | Hucknall |
| 4:38 |
3. | "Say You Love Me" | Hucknall |
| 3:43 |
4. | "To Be Free" | Hucknall |
| 4:04 |
5. | "The Air That I Breathe" |
| 4:24 | |
6. | "Someday in My Life" | Hucknall |
| 4:03 |
7. | "The Air That I Breathe Reprise" |
|
| 4:35 |
8. | "Night Nurse" |
| Hucknall | 3:57 |
9. | "Broken Man" | Hucknall |
| 3:34 |
10. | "Come Get Me Angel" |
|
| 4:02 |
11. | "Ghetto Girl" | Dennis Brown | Hucknall | 3:31 |
12. | "Love Has Said Goodbye Again" | Hucknall | Hucknall | 3:14 |
13. | "High Fives" | Hucknall | Hucknall | 2:49 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "So Jungiful" | Hucknall | Hucknall | 4:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Ghetto Girl" (Blood & Fire Sound System Mix) | Brown |
| 3:31 |
15. | "To Be Free" (Livin' Joy A-Hanetta Mix) | Hucknall |
| 4:04 |
16. | "Love Has Said Goodbye Again" (Rae & Christian Mix) | Hucknall |
| 3:14 |
17. | "So Jungiful" | Hucknall | Hucknall | 4:46 |
18. | "Tu Sei Dentro Di Me" | Hucknall |
| 4:03 |
Notes
- ^a signifies an additional producer
Personnel
Simply Red
- Mick Hucknall – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Tim Vine – keyboards
- Andy Wright – programming
- Mark Jaimes – guitars
- Steve Lewinson – bass
- Velroy Bailey – drums
- Gota Yashiki – drums, programming
- Ian Kirkham – saxophones
- John Johnson – trombone
- Sarah Brown – backing vocals
- Dee Johnson – backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Paul Carrack – keyboards
- Alan Clark – keyboards
- Robbie Lyn – keyboards
- Ned Douglas – programming
- Stephen Hilton – programming
- Aidan Love – programming
- Kenji Jammer – guitars
- Tony Remy – guitars
- Bub Roberts – guitars
- Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis – guitars
- Robbie Shakespeare – bass
- CJ Taylor – bass
- Sly Dunbar – drums
- Geoff Holroyde – drums
- Mike Greenwood – trumpet, flugelhorn
- David Whitaker – orchestra arrangements and conductor
- Pro Arte Orchestra of London – orchestra
- Tru Indeed – backing vocals (7)
Production
- AGM – album producers
- Stevie J – co-producer (7)
- Roland Herrington – recording
- Femi Jiya – recording
- John Lee – recording, mix engineer
- Alex Marou – recording
- Lynford "Fatta" Marshall – recording
- Dave Tyler – recording
- Ted Wohlson – recording
- Paul Logas – mix engineer, mixing (7)
- Tony Maserati – mix engineer, mixing (7)
- Ali Staton – mix engineer
- Douglas Blair – assistant engineer
- Jake Davies – assistant engineer
- Andrew Dudman – assistant engineer
- Ricky Graham – assistant engineer
- Derek Grey – assistant engineer
- Neil Mason – assistant engineer
- Dave Russell – assistant engineer
- Andy Scade – assistant engineer
- Mak Togashi – assistant engineer
- Mick Hucknall – mixing (1-5, 8-12)
- Andy Wright – mixing (1, 2, 8, 9, 12)
- Gota Yashiki – mixing (1-6, 8-10, 12)
- Kevin Metcalfe – mastering
- Merv Pearson – pre-production programming
- Intro – design
- Carolyn Quartermaine – art direction, photography
- Zanna – photography
Studios
- Recorded at Westpoint Recording Studios, Funny Bunny Studios, Whitfield Street Studios and Abbey Road Studios (London, UK); Archer Studios (Kingston, Jamaica); The Hit Factory (New York City, New York, US).
- Mastered at The Town House (London, UK).
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications and sales
‹See Tfd›‹See Tfd›Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Austria (IFPI Austria)[27] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Belgium (BEA)[28] | Gold | 25,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[29] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
Germany (BVMI)[30] | Gold | 250,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[31] | Gold | 7,500^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[32] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[33] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] | 2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI)[35] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
Worldwide | — | 1,200,000[36] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ "Simply Red singles".
- ^ "Simply Red singles".
- ^ "Simply Red singles".
- ^ "Simply Red official".
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Blue". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- Gainesville Sun.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Simply Red – Blue" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Blue" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Blue" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Simply Red – Blue" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Classifica settimanale WK 21 (dal 15.05.1998 al 21.05.1998)" (in Italian). FIMI. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Simply Red | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Simply Red Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 2001". austriancharts.at (in German). Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1998". Ultratop. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Rapports Annuels 1998". Ultratop. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Longplayer Jahrescharts 1998". offiziellecharts.de (in German). Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1998". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – Simply Red – Blue" (in German). IFPI Austria.
- ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Simply Red - Platinum in Denmark" (PDF). Music & Media. 24 October 1998. p. 6. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Simply Red; 'Blue')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Simply Red – Blue". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ISBN 8480486392.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Blue')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- ^ "British album certifications – Simply Red – Blue". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1998". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- ^ Pride, Dominic (6 June 1998). "Global Music Pulse". Billboard.