| Big Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 29 May 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2014–2015 | |||
| Genre | Soul, pop | |||
| Length | 43:15 | |||
| Label | East West | |||
| Producer | Andy Wright, Mick Hucknall | |||
| Simply Red chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Big Love | ||||
Big Love is the eleventh studio album by British pop group Simply Red. The album was released on 29 May 2015 by East West Records.[4] It is their first studio album since Stay (2007), and the first album to only feature original material since Life (1995).[5] Big Love is also the first album to be released under a new recording contract with East West Records, a label Simply Red previously were signed to until April 2000.[6]
YouTube Encyclopedic
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Big Love
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Simply Red - Big Love Album Sampler
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Love Gave Me More
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Simply Red Greatest Hits Full Album 2021 - Simply Red playlist - The Best Of Simply Red
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Daydreaming
Transcription
Background
On 3 November 2014, Simply Red announced they would be reforming in Autumn 2015 for the Big Love Tour, a 30th anniversary European tour[7]
On 19 April 2015, on their official Facebook page, the band announced that they would be releasing a new studio album containing 12 new tracks.[8]
Lead singer Mick Hucknall said of the album: "Once I began wondering how Simply Red were going to sound, I started writing songs. With Stay I was running away from Simply Red. But now I'm comfortable with the notion of us as a blue-eyed soul group. I had to stop myself fighting that idea. Our sound is original too. I honestly don't know of another band that has pulled so many musical strands together".[5] Hucknall has said he wanted to make an album like Stars with a consistent theme: "And the theme here is life from a family viewpoint. It’s an album that deals with birth, love, death, and all the stuff in between".[9]
Chart performance
The album debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart, with first-week sales of 18,292 copies, becoming Simply Red's 13th top 10 album.[10] In December 2015, the album was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 60,000 copies in the UK.[11]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 56/100[12] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
At Metacritic, which assigns a "weighted average" rating out of 100 from selected independent ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a Metascore of 58, based on 7 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[12] Harriet Gibsone of The Guardian gave Big Love three out of five stars and wrote that, "a wizened nostalgia hangs above this blue-eyed soul – the songs are smooth and sentimental, like easy-listening epitaphs. Wistful laments are nothing new for the group, and their unbridled sincerity remains consistent."[13] The Telegraph's Helen Brown also gave the album three out of five stars, and commented that "Hucknall appears to have got some of his mojo back, with added sincerity."[14]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Mick Hucknall
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shine On" | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Daydreaming" | 3:38 |
| 3. | "Big Love" | 4:09 |
| 4. | "The Ghost of Love" | 3:16 |
| 5. | "Dad" | 3:54 |
| 6. | "Love Wonders" | 3:56 |
| 7. | "Love Gave Me More" | 3:17 |
| 8. | "Tight Tones" | 3:35 |
| 9. | "WORU" | 4:13 |
| 10. | "Coming Home" | 2:53 |
| 11. | "The Old Man and the Beer" | 2:54 |
| 12. | "Each Day" | 4:19 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Heart of Gold" | 2:57 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Shine On" (Max Bidda radio mix) | 3:03 |
- The album was re-released on 27 November 2015 in a two-disc version entitled Big Love – Greatest Hits Edition (30th Anniversary), featuring a second CD with 18 previously released tracks.[16]
Personnel
Musicians
- Mick Hucknall – vocals, guitars, all backing vocals (2-7, 10, 11, 12)
- Dave Clayton – keyboards
- Kenji Suzuki – guitars
- Jack Stevens – bass (3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11)
- Roman Roth – drums (1-4, 6-11)
- Ian Kirkham – saxophone (1, 2, 10, 11)
- Kevin Robinson – flugelhorn (3, 6), trumpet (10, 11)
with:
- Danny Saxon – additional keyboards (1, 2)
- Juan Ayala Valdez – additional keyboards (7), additional guitars (7)
- Gavin Goldberg – programming
- Andy Wright – programming, backing vocals (1), bass (8)
- Mark Jaimes – additional guitars (1, 2), bass (1, 2)
- Steve Lewinson – bass (5, 12)
- Pete Lewinson – drums (5, 12)
- Peter-John Vettese – string arrangements (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9), backing vocals (9)
- Jim McWilliam – orchestrations and conducting (3, 4, 6, 7, 9)
- Isobel Griffiths – orchestra fixing (3, 4, 6, 7, 9)
- Everton Nelson – orchestra leader (3, 4, 6, 7, 9)
- David Whitaker – string arrangements (12)
- Sam Swallow – backing vocals (1)
- Purdy – vocal feature (7)
- Lauren Flynn – backing vocals (8)
Production
- Andy Wright – producer
- Mick Hucknall – producer, mixing
- Lewis Chapman – recording
- Gavin Goldberg – recording
- Adrian Hall – recording, mix engineer
- Lorenzo Agius – photography
- Dean Chalkey – band photography
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[11] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ "Album Shine on de Simply Red | Qobuz : Téléchargez et streamez en haute qualité".
- ^ "Album the Ghost of Love de Simply Red | Qobuz : Téléchargez et streamez en haute qualité".
- ^ "Album Love Gave Me More de Simply Red | Qobuz : Téléchargez et streamez en haute qualité".
- ^ "'Big Love' van Simply Red". iTunes. 29 May 2015.
- ^ a b "Are You Simply Red-dy for the Comeback? 'Big Love' To Arrive This Summer". Contactmusic.com. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ^ "Simply Red Singer Attacks Music Industry | Contactmusic.com". hub.contactmusic.com. 25 March 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ^ "Simply Red announce 30th anniversary tour". Digital Spy. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ "Simply Red to release new album Big Love". Entertainment Focus. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ "Simply Red release teaser for new album Big Love | Entertainment". Daily Express. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ^ Jones, Alan (8 June 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Florence & The Machine leads all new Top 4 with sales of 68,788". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- ^ a b "British album certifications – Simply Red – Big love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Reviews for Big Love by Simply Red". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- ^ "Simply Red: Big Love review – easy-listening epitaphs from Mick Hucknall". TheGuardian.com. 28 May 2015.
- ^ "Simply Red, Big Love, review: 'you can forgive the soppiness'".
- ^ "iTunes Music – Big Love by Simply Red". iTunes Store. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ^ "Big Love Greatest Hits Edition 30th Anniversary". Amazon UK. 2015.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Simply Red – Big Love" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Big Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Big Love" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Simply Red – Big Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Simply Red – Big Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2015. 23. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 23, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ^ "Simply Red | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2015" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2015". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
This page was last edited on 25 May 2023, at 02:07