Life (Simply Red album)

Life is the fifth studio album by British pop and soul band Simply Red, released in 1995. The lead single "Fairground" became their first number 1 hit in the UK. Due to this success, the album also made #1 on the UK album chart. It also included "We're in This Together", the official theme song for Euro '96. This was also the last album to feature band members Fritz McIntyre and Heitor TP.

Life
Studio album by
Simply Red
Released9 October 1995[1]
RecordedSeptember 1994 – July 1995
StudioPlanet 4 Studios (Manchester, England)
AIR Studios (London, England)
Downtown Studios (Johannesburg, South Africa)
GenreBlue eyed-soul, pop, dance, funk
Length47:18
LabelEast West Records
ProducerMick Hucknall, Stewart Levine
Simply Red chronology
The Montreux EP
(1992)		 Life
(1995)		 Greatest Hits
(1996)
Singles from Life
  1. "Fairground"
    Released: 18 September 1995
  2. "Remembering the First Time"
    Released: 4 December 1995 [2]
  3. "Never Never Love"
    Released: 12 February 1996 [3]
  4. "We're in This Together"
    Released: 7 June 1996 [4]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
Music & MediaFavorable[7]
Music Week[8]
Rolling Stone[9]

Track listing

All songs composed by Mick Hucknall

  1. "You Make Me Believe" – 3:51
  2. "So Many People" – 5:19
  3. "Lives and Loves" – 3:21
  4. "Fairground" – 5:33
  5. "Never Never Love" – 4:19
  6. "So Beautiful" – 4:58
  7. "Hillside Avenue" – 4:45
  8. "Remembering the First Time" – 4:43
  9. "Out on the Range" – 6:00
  10. "We're in This Together" – 4:14

2008 Special Edition bonus tracks
  1. "Fairground" (Rollo and Sister Bliss Remix) – 9:06
  2. "Remembering the First Time" (Satoshi Tomie Classic 12" Mix) – 8:53
  3. "Never Never Love" (Too Precious Club Radio Mix) – 4:22
  4. "We're in This Together" (Universal Feeling Mix) – 4:15
  5. "You Make Me Believe" (Howie B Mix) – 4:01

Personnel

Simply Red

  • Mick Hucknall – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars, bass, string arrangements
  • Fritz McIntyre – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Ian Kirkham – keyboards, saxophones, EWI
  • Heitor TP – guitars
  • Dee Johnson – backing vocals
  • Sarah Brown – backing vocals
  • Gota Yashiki – percussion
  • Velroy Bailey – drums

Guest musicians

The video for "Never Never Love" featured several women, including British actresses Billie Whitelaw and Stephanie Beacham, and fashion models like Kirsten Owen, for example.

Production

  • Producers – Mick Hucknall and Stewart Levine
  • Album coordinator – Merv Pearson
  • Engineered and mixed by Roland Herrington and Femi Jiya
  • Assistant engineers – Jake Davies, Aiden Love, Bernard O'Reilly and Andy Strange.
  • Recorded at Planet 4 Studios (Manchester, England); AIR Studios (London, England); Downtown Studios (Johannesburg, South Africa)
  • Mixed at Whitfield Street Studios (London, England)
  • Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)
  • Art direction – Mat Cook and Zanna
  • Design – Mat Cook
  • Photography – Zanna

Charts

Certifications and sales
Certifications and sales for Life
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[46] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[47] Platinum 50,000*
Belgium (BEA)[48] Gold 25,000*
France (SNEP)[49] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[50] Platinum 500,000^
Italy (FIMI)[51] 2× Platinum 200,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[52] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[53] Platinum 15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[54] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[55] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[1] 5× Platinum 1,500,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[56] 3× Platinum 3,000,000*
Worldwide — 5,500,000[57]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "British album certifications – Simply Red – Life". British Phonographic Industry.
  2. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 2 December 1995. p. 48. Retrieved 30 June 2021. Misprinted as 3 December. The albums section uses the correct date.
  3. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 10 February 1996. p. 27. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  4. "Simply Red singles".
  5. William, Ruhlman. A New Flame at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  6. Johnson, Connie (28 October 1995). "Album Review: Simply Red "Life"". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  7. "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. 28 October 1995. p. 10. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  8. "Reviews: Albums - Album of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. 30 September 1995. p. 10. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  9. Rolling Stone review
  10. "Australiancharts.com – Simply Red – Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  11. "Austriancharts.at – Simply Red – Life" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Life" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  13. "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Life" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  14. Library and Archives Canada. Archived 24 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2011-10-31
  15. Billboard – 18 November 1995. 18 November 1995. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Simply Red – Life" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  17. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 43. 28 October 1995. p. 25 – via World Radio History.
  18. "Simply Red: Life" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
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  20. "Hits of the World – Ireland". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 4 November 1995. p. 71. Retrieved 16 March 2018. simply red.
  21. "Hits of the World – Italy". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 28 October 1995. p. 58. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  22. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
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  24. "Norwegiancharts.com – Simply Red – Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  25. Billboard – 04 November 1995. 4 November 1995. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
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  27. "Swisscharts.com – Simply Red – Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
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  30. Kimberley, Christopher (2000). Zimbabwe Albums Chart Book: 1973–1998. Harare.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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  32. "Austriancharts.at – Jahreshitparade 1995" (ASP) (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  33. "Jaaroverzichten 1995". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
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  36. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
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  54. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 942. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  55. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Simply Red; 'Life')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  56. "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1997". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
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