Big Love
Studio album by
Simply Red
Released29 May 2015 (2015-05-29)
Recorded2014–2015
GenreSoul, pop
Length43:15
LabelEast West
ProducerAndy Wright, Mick Hucknall
Simply Red chronology
Song Book 1985-2010
(2013)		 Big Love
(2015)		 Symphonica in Rosso – Live at Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam
(2018)
Singles from Big Love
  1. "Shine On"
    Released: 21 April 2015[1]
  2. "The Ghost of Love"
    Released: 10 July 2015[2]
  3. "Love Gave Me More"
    Released: 26 October 2015[3]

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]

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

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic56/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating

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

Big Love – Standard version
No.TitleLength
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
Big Love – Japanese version (bonus track)
No.TitleLength
13."Heart of Gold"2:57
Big Love – iTunes version (bonus track)[15]
No.TitleLength
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

Certifications

Certifications for Big Love
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] Gold 100,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Album Shine on de Simply Red | Qobuz : Téléchargez et streamez en haute qualité".
  2. ↑ "Album the Ghost of Love de Simply Red | Qobuz : Téléchargez et streamez en haute qualité".
  3. ↑ "Album Love Gave Me More de Simply Red | Qobuz : Téléchargez et streamez en haute qualité".
  4. ↑ "'Big Love' van Simply Red". iTunes. 29 May 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Are You Simply Red-dy for the Comeback? 'Big Love' To Arrive This Summer". Contactmusic.com. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "Simply Red Singer Attacks Music Industry | Contactmusic.com". hub.contactmusic.com. 25 March 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  7. ↑ "Simply Red announce 30th anniversary tour". Digital Spy. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "Simply Red to release new album Big Love". Entertainment Focus. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Simply Red release teaser for new album Big Love | Entertainment". Daily Express. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. 1 2 "British album certifications – Simply Red – Big love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  12. 1 2 "Reviews for Big Love by Simply Red". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Simply Red: Big Love review – easy-listening epitaphs from Mick Hucknall". TheGuardian.com. 28 May 2015.
  14. ↑ "Simply Red, Big Love, review: 'you can forgive the soppiness'".
  15. ↑ "iTunes Music – Big Love by Simply Red". iTunes Store. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  16. ↑ "Big Love Greatest Hits Edition 30th Anniversary". Amazon UK. 2015.
  17. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Simply Red – Big Love" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Big Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  20. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Big Love" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  21. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Simply Red – Big Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  22. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  23. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Simply Red – Big Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  24. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2015. 23. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  25. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 23, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  26. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  27. ↑ "Charts.nz – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  28. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  29. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Simply Red – Big Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  30. ↑ "Simply Red | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  31. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2015" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  32. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2015". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
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