SIMPLY RED: Stars CD 1991. Career best album. Check videos “Stars”, “For Your Babies”, “Something Got Me Started”, “Thrill Me”

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SIMPLY RED stars (1991)
Label: EastWest ‎– 9031-75284-2
Format: CD, Album
Europe
1991
Funk / Soul, Pop
Tracklist
1 Something Got Me Started 4:01
2 Stars 4:07
3 Thrill Me 5:03
4 Your Mirror 3:59
5 She’s Got It Bad 3:33
6 For Your Babies 4:16
7 Model 3:46
8 How Could I Fall 4:44
9 Freedom 3:52
10 Wonderland 3:45

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lQSwpYntGl-isX4iwueAkSKr6g01NTZ-k&feature=gws_kp_album&feature=gws_kp_artist

Label: EastWest 9031-75284-2
Format: CD, Album
Country: Europe
Released: 1991
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop, Synth-pop

Stars is the fourth album by UK pop/soul/jazz band Simply Red, released in September 1991.
It included the singles:
“Stars” (UK #8),
“For Your Babies” (UK #9),
“Something Got Me Started” (UK #11), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMgVS2j05HA
“Your Mirror” (UK #17)
“Thrill Me” (UK #33).
It was another #1 album for the group in their native UK.
“The Stars” tour took the band around the world for nearly two years
In 2000 Q magazine placed Stars at number 80 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.

Mick Hucknall – Vocals & Background Vocals
Fritz McIntyre – Keyboards, Vocals & Background Vocals
Tim Kellett – Keyboards
Heitor T P – Guitars
Ian Kirkham – Saxophone
Gota – Drums, Percussion & Programs
Shaun Ward – Bass Guitar
Guest musicians:
Jess Bailey – Keyboard Programming
Rowetta – Backing Vocals on ‘Freedom’

Simply Red’s hit album ‘Stars’ (1991)

This 10 track album aptly opens with the simple soft synth notes of lead single Something Got Me Started before piano and bass jump in. Mick Hucknall‘s vocals effortlessly deliver the gentle besotted lyrics, and he’s joined by keyboard player Fritz McIntyre on backing vocals (repeating the line ‘yes I would‘), giving it a fairly unique sound for a Simply Red track. The vocal melody here, sat alongside the funky bass and piano, really gives this a light, upbeat feeling.

Title track and second single Stars follows this. Again, we have some light beats, but this time guitars play a stronger role here, although the piano returns. This creates a really nice combination. Mick hits those notes with perfection in the chorus, resulting in a wonderfully warm and catchy track.

Fourth single Thrill Me follows this. It feels much less structured and slower, and Mick’s vocals and lyrics here are weaker. Even the saxophone solo doesn’t give the song a much needed injection of whatever it is, other than usher in a key change. This track feels like not much more than a jam session. The single stumbled at #33 in the UK.

Fifth and final single Your Mirror is up next, and this song is at least stronger, with its bass and piano hooks. Mick takes a harder lyrical and vocal approach, almost menacing at times. The poor quality bird sound in the chorus feels clumsy, and at times the song reminds me for a second of 60’s hit Something In The Air by Thunderclap Newman. The song reached #17 in the UK, but by this time the album and tour was so successful, what did that matter?

A rattle of snares ushers in some more funky bass and guitars in She’s Got It Bad, which gives Mick plenty of time and space to show off his vocal capacity. It’s a simple track with echoes of disco and country music about it. The result is musically quite a catchy track.

Next up is For Your Babies, which is a wonderfully gentle track, laden with piano, bass, and acoustic guitar. Mick takes a leisurely stroll through the lyrics. I really like this song, even if it does remind me stylistically a little of their hit cover of If You Don’t Know Me By Now from 1989 album A New Flame. The song deserved a higher UK chart position, reaching #9.

Model follows this, and this takes on Simply Red’s occasional reggae-sounding style. This track gently drifts along with some really nice percussion and guitar riffs. It gives Mick the chance to show off some nice vocal harmonies with himself in the chilled out chorus. It kind of just drifts along.

Eighth track How Could I Fall is up next and we’re met by piano and saxophone almost instantly alongside Mick’s downbeat ‘how could I fall for someone so superficial?‘ comment. This track is a wandering track, echoing Simply Red’s jazz sound through out.

By contrast, Freedom shows off their funky side, giving this another bass heavy and almost soul toned sound. The lyrics and vocals here are fairly weak and intermittent – making this track feel like it’s from the interval in a tour where everyone goes backstage to mop their brow or take a costume change while an audience waits their return. I think that the main appeal of this song is definitely the funky music.

The album closes with Wonderland, which again sees the return of keyboardist Fitz to the mic, as he gives a great rich vocal contrast to Mick’s higher pitched sound. Fitz’ vocals are rich, perhaps a little nasal and soulful, and work really well here as the piano and beats gently meander their way through the song.


5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Reds best album
In the 1980s, it seemed that any band that came from England was all about synthesizers and soulless music. Simply Red turned out to be the exception to that rule. Thanks to leader Mick Hucknalls love of old-school soul, Simply Red turned out to be one of the most organic pop bands to come out of the U.K. After #1 hits with “Holding Back The Years” and a cover of Harold Melvin’s “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”, Simply Red seemed guaranteed to carry on their winning streak into the 1990s. Unfortunately, just as it seemed the Red had finally learned how to make convincing blue-eyed soul without putting themselves at the mercy of cover versions, their all-important American fan base was slipping away. STARS contained no covers to help placate the American market who had been so taken by “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”, and as a result, STARS undeservedly disappeared quicker than their previous albums. The hits that did come off of STARS (originals, at that) reached the top 40 in America, but deserved much better. The uptempo “Something Got Me Started” and the wonderful title ballad are some of the best white R&B this side of Hall & Oates, and remain standards of pop radio today, so I guess there is some justice in the world. But STARS had 8 other songs that were just as good as those hits. They expand on their soulful pop sound with experiments in jazz on “Thrill Me”, the reggae-fied “Model” and some rare journeys into political commentary with “Freedom” and “Wonderland”. While the titles may sound generic, thats actually good because it proves Simply Red isn’t trying too hard to act black by adopting the lingo. For those who knew Simply Red just from their hits, STARS has some more traditional material like another masterful ballad in “How Could I Fall”, the proverbial soul throwback “Shes Got It Bad” (but notice how its not a cover this time) and the longing for self-love on “Your Mirror” (the Staple Singers would have loved to have this one). Sure enough, Simply Red seemed to find their own identity on STARS, not they didn’t already have one, its just they seemed to do better on cover songs than on originals until now (with a few notable exceptions). Unfortunately, we Americans don’t appreciate longevity too much, and STARS became their last album to even make a dent here in the States. By the time Simply Red returned 4 years later with LIFE (1995), their audience in America was down to a near-cult following. Luckily, their more respectful European fan base was still large enough to keep them going without the near-crucial American market.

5.0 out of 5 stars For Me The Best Pop Record Ever Produced
Simply Red have been my favourite band since Stars was released in 1991. Since then, I have bought every album on cassette, CD and vinyl. I am literally obsessed.
That said, I would like to point out that this is the first review I have written online. I have always felt that Simply Reds music has “sung” for itself, but I felt compelled to write this review at 1am to put my two cents in.
Stars is a Pop Music Masterpiece. Mick Hucknall is the greatest Pop singer since Sinatra (see him sing live if you don’t believe me). This is not to be compared to Rock & Roll – The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, even Elvis Presley are all responsible for music being so ecclectic today and are far more important than any other Artists in history.
But Stars is Pop music at its most pure, accessible and high quality best. There has never been an album before or since that was so perfectly arranged, written, performed and produced than Stars. The flow of the songs from beginning to end is like liquid, Mick Hucknalls vocals are flawless and the musicianship is impeccable. You simply cannot find a flaw in this album.
I am not going to spoil it for you and review each song. This album merely requires attention from beginning to end from someone who appreciates Pop music for its ability to tug at every emotion through short(ish), meaningful songs.
Stars is rare magic and as we stand at the beginning of 2004 in a world of absolutely poor quality Pop music (with a few exceptions), Stars has not only stood the test of time, it actually sounds better today than it did that sunny day in 1991 when the musical part of my life was changed forever….
Thank you Simply Red, for the magic, emotion and perfection that is Stars.

5.0 out of 5 stars No Wonder this was so Big in Britain!!!,
This album is undoubtedly a pop-soul masterpiece. From first to last, this album just hits you in the heart. “Stars” and “For Your Babies” can either elevate your soul, or move you to tears, which is high praise indeed. It goes without saying that Micks voice would sound good singing the Yellow Pages (“Call for a freeeee apppointmenttt!”). This CD is their strongest overall, with the move from uptempo to reggae to ballad happening flawlessly. Its easy to see why this baby moved “Thriller”-type numbers in England.

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