Blue (Simply Red album)

Blue is the sixth studio album by Simply Red, released on East West Records on 19 May 1998.

Blue
Studio album by
Simply Red
Released19 May 1998
Recorded1997–1998
GenreRock, soul, dance-pop
LabelEast West
ProducerAGM Andy Wright, Gota Yashiki, Mick Hucknall; Stevie J. Jordan ("The Air That I Breathe (Reprise)")
Simply Red chronology
Life
(1995)		 Blue
(1998)		 Love and the Russian Winter
(1999)
Singles from Blue
  1. "Night Nurse"
    Released: 1997
  2. "Say You Love Me"
    Released: May 1998
  3. "The Air That I Breathe"
    Released: 1998
  4. "Ghetto Girl"
    Released: 1998
  5. "Mellow My Mind"
    Released: 1998
  6. "To Be Free"
    Released: 1998
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Review

The album includes five cover versions: "Mellow My Mind" from the 1975 Neil Young album Tonight's the Night; two versions of the frequently covered "The Air That I Breathe", written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood; the Gregory Isaacs hit "Night Nurse"; and "Ghetto Girl" by Dennis Brown, from whom the band would cover another song in 2003. New versions of previously recorded Simply Red songs also appear here: "Come Get Me Angel" is a rewritten version of the 1996 single "Angel", and "Broken Man" was first released as a B-side in 1987. Mick Hucknall and the production team of Andy Wright and Gota Yashiki are the only musicians featured in the Blue CD booklet's photography; this is a first for a Simply Red album, as all prior albums featured photos of the various band members credited.

"The Air That I Breathe Reprise" samples "Jack and Diane" by John Mellencamp.

"So Jungiful", found on the Japanese edition of the album, is a jungle remix of "So Beautiful" from the band's previous album, Life.

Track listing
Standard version
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Mellow My Mind"Neil YoungAndy Wright, Gota Yashiki, Mick Hucknall3:55
2."Blue"HucknallWright, Yashiki, Hucknall4:38
3."Say You Love Me"HucknallWright, Yashiki, Hucknall3:43
4."To Be Free"HucknallWright, Yashiki, Hucknall4:04
5."The Air That I Breathe"Albert Hammond, Mike HazlewoodWright, Yashiki, Hucknall4:24
6."Someday in My Life"HucknallWright, Yashiki, Hucknall4:03
7."The Air That I Breathe Reprise"Hammond, Hazlewood, William Turpin, Stevie J. JordanJordan, Joe "Jake" Carter[a]4:35
8."Night Nurse"Gregory Isaacs, Sylvester WeiseHucknall3:57
9."Broken Man"HucknallWright, Yashiki, Hucknall3:34
10."Come Get Me Angel"Carolyn Franklin, Sonny Sanders, HucknallWright, Yashiki, Hucknall4:02
11."Ghetto Girl"Dennis BrownHucknall3:31
12."Love Has Said Goodbye Again"HucknallHucknall3:14
13."High Fives"HucknallHucknall2:49
Japan bonus track
No.TitleLength
14."So Jungiful" 

2008 Special Edition bonus tracks
  1. "Ghetto Girl" [Blood & Fire Sound System Remix]
  2. "To Be Free" [Livin' Joy A-Hanetta Mix]
  3. "Love Has Said Goodbye Again" [Rae & Christian Mix]
  4. "So Jungiful"
  5. "Tu Sei Dentro Di Me" [Someday in My Life]

U.S. 12-track edition
  1. "Mellow My Mind"
  2. "Blue"
  3. "Say You Love Me"
  4. "To Be Free"
  5. "The Air That I Breathe"
  6. "Someday in My Life"
  7. "The Air That I Breathe Reprise"
  8. "Broken Man"
  9. "Come Get Me Angel"
  10. "Night Nurse"
  11. "Love Has Said Goodbye Again"
  12. "High Fives"

Notes

  • ^a signifies an additional producer

Personnel

(The band members that appeared in the live line-up during the Blue Tour [and also during the two-year promotion of the next Simply Red album – Love and the Russian Winter – which was released a year later, in 1999] – are listed in bold).

  • Lead vocals: Mick Hucknall
  • Backing vocals: Dee Johnson, Sarah Brown and Mick Hucknall
  • Guitars: Mark Jaimes, Tony Remy, Kenji Suzuki (credited as Kenji Jammer in the booklet of the album), Gitsy Wills and Bub Roberts
  • Bass guitar: CJ Taylor, Robbie Shakespeare and Steve Lewinson
  • Keyboards: Tim Vine, Paul Carrack, Alan Clark and Robert Lyn
  • Drums: Gota Yashiki, Velroy Bailey, Sly Dunbar and Geoff Holroyde
  • Programming: Gota Yashiki, Andy Wright, Aidan Love, Ned Douglas, Steve Hilton and Merv Pearson
  • DJ: Dom T
  • Brass: Ian Kirkham (saxophones), John Johnson (trombone), Mike Greenwood (trumpet and flugelhorn) and Demo Morselli (trumpet)
  • Orchestra: Pro Arte Orchestra of London, arranged and conducted by David Sinclair Whitaker

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[1] Platinum 50,000*
Belgium (BEA)[2] Gold 25,000*
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[3] Platinum 50,000^
Germany (BVMI)[4] Gold 250,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[5] Gold 7,500^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[6] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[7] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] 2× Platinum 600,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[9] Platinum 1,000,000*
Worldwide N/A 1,200,000 [10]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. "Austrian album certifications – Simply Red – Blue" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  2. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  3. "Simply Red - Platinum in Denmark" (PDF). Music & Media. 24 October 1998. p. 6. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  4. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Simply Red; 'Blue')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  5. "New Zealand album certifications – Simply Red – Blue". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  6. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 948. ISBN 8480486392.
  7. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Simply Red; 'Blue')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  8. "British album certifications – Simply Red – Blue". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Blue in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  9. "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1998". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  10. Pride, Dominic (6 June 1998). "Global Music Pulse". Billboard. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
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