Simply Red

Picture Book appeared in 1985, including Holding Back the Years and a version of Money's Too Tight (to Mention). The two songs introduced useful contrasts: one looks inward, with a vocal that seems to rise slowly out of recollection, while the other gives the rhythm and social detail a much sharper edge.

Men and Women followed in 1987, with The Right Thing bringing a more emphatic groove to the foreground. A New Flame in 1989 included If You Don't Know Me by Now, whose restrained setting made the shape and tone of Hucknall's performance especially exposed. The band could move toward a very polished sound while preserving a sense of musicians responding to the vocal.

Stars arrived in 1991 with Something Got Me Started, For Your Babies and the title song. The album gave the group a particularly coherent balance of rhythmic pop, soul-derived phrasing and memorable melodic writing. The title track's floating quality contrasts with the more physical invitation of Something Got Me Started, making the sequence broader than one smooth production style.

Life in 1995 brought Fairground, using a sampled dance foundation to give the music another kind of momentum. Across these changes, Hucknall's singing remained recognisable through the timing of a phrase as much as through its tone. Simply Red's strongest records let the band establish a comfortable pulse, then make a small delay, lift or vocal response feel like the event that changes the whole song.