Simply Red / Home 3CD+DVD

Edsel Records have earned a deserved reputation for putting out some excellent deluxe reissues over the years. Virtually flawless offerings expanding the studio albums of Bananarama and Belinda Carlisle are two sets that come to mind.

Most recently they’ve turned their attention to Simply Red. Unfortunately, we’re not talking about the classic albums from the late eighties and the early nineties (Stars was the only really good deluxe that Warners put out) but rather the ‘noughties’ albums that Mick released on his own SimplyRed.com label after walking away from his major label deal.

The albums in question are Home (2003), Simplified (2005) and the last studio record, Stay from 2007. It’s hard to find fault with Edsel’s methodical and thoughtful approach to the bonus material with each album. Not only is a DVD included with all three (something Cherry Red refuse to bundle with their 2CD sets) but in the case of Home you get TWO extra CDs of bonus audio, plus a few tracks appended to the first disc. Whilst no one can accuse them of skimping on content, you might question whether some of the material is worthy of even being on these sets in the first place.

The focus of this review is on Home, and once the appealing, laid back album finishes on CD 1, you are presented with the normally welcome radio edits. This time though, they’re not so welcome. The listener is subjected to an immediate aural assault, thanks to some rather extreme remixes including the pumped up ‘Motivo Hi-Lectro Radio Edit/Mix’ of Sunrise and the ridiculous ‘Antillas Full Vocal Edit’ of You Make Me Feel Brand New which turns a melodic ballad into a 1000 BPM nightmare. To be fair, the Fake [Radio Mix] isn’t bad and I can live with the Tin Tin Out Radio mix of Home but these are a million miles from the cherished radio edits from the 1980s that fans often hope to see included in these sets.

The second disc (“Remixes”) offers more club re-workings (one wonders if any of these were ever played in a club) but just reading the names of these mixes is tiring, never mind listening to them. A sample:  “ATFC Morning Glory Remix”, “Phunk Investigation Exte-Club Mix” and six (count ’em) “Love To Infinity” mixes. You have to go to hell and back through 11 tracks of ‘boom-tish’ to find the gold nugget that is the ‘Who Knows About Forever’ version of Sunrise, which isn’t a remix at all (relief!) but rather a version of the hit single as it sounded before the Hall & Oates sample was fused on to it. This embryonic version surely should have sat alongside the album proper on disc one.

After the horrors of disc two, the third and final audio disc offers the kind of content the average Simply Red reissue buyer might actually want, which is a recording of a Ronnie Scott’s gig where Mick and band performed to ‘industry’ and friends back in 2003. Nine of these 12 tracks did appear on various CD singles back in the day, but it’s satisfying to have the whole thing in one place. Virtually the entire album is performed (flawlessly) and a few oldies are thrown in for good measure, including the beguiling So Beautiful and It’s Only Love. In this intimate live environment, one is left to marvel at Hucknall’s vocal prowess.

The DVD isn’t exactly overloaded with content, but having said that you do get all the videos, the original EPK (Electronic Press Kit) and performances from Parkinson and Later…with Jools Holland. Hucknall has also cooperated by making himself available to be interviewed by Mark Goodier especially for this set. This exchange (filmed in March 2014) is short and unrevealing, although Mick is as articulate as ever.

This set has much to commend it. The lovely casebound book packaging feels great, the design is excellent and the booklet provides all the lyrics and some notes from Alan Robinson. If you bought all the CD singles and perhaps even some vinyl back in the day then you might find yourself scratching your head looking for reasons to purchase, but if you didn’t, then the live disc and DVD justifies the price of entry on their own.

The only real criticism is the inclusion of the remixes disc. The target audience who might enjoy hearing Mick singing Bob Dylan’s Positively 4th Street live at Ronnie Scott’s are surely not the same as those who enjoy an hour of headache-inducing club mixes. These mixes were folly when included on the CD singles back in 2003 – some marketing man’s idea of how to keep the band hip – and they remain folly 11 years later.

Simplified and Stay follow the same kind of structure and although they are both ‘just’ 2CD+DVD you do still get a fairly heavy dose of similarly charmless remixes on the second CD of each. If there is one saving grace, its that all three of these sets are available for less than £14 which is excellent value. There is also a fan bundle available via the Simply Red online store.

Home, Simplified and Stay deluxe reissues are out now, along with Home Live In Sicily and Cuba! two blu-ray sets which come also come with a DVD and two CDs.

Home (3CD+DVD)

• • UK Pre-order: Home
• • USA Pre-order: Home

Simplified (2CD+DVD)

• • UK Pre-order: Simplified
• • USA Pre-order: Simplified

Stay (2CD+DVD)

• • UK Pre-order: Stay
• • USA Pre-order: Stay

Home Live in Sicily (Blu-ray+DVD+2CD)

• UK Pre-order: Simply Red: Home – Live In Sicily [Blu-ray]

Cuba! (Blu-ray+DVD+2CD)

• UK Pre-order: Simply Red: Cuba! [Blu-ray]

FULL TRACK LISTINGS

Home [3CD+DVD]

CD ONE

HOME

• 1. Home
• 2. Fake
• 3. Sunrise
• 4. You Make Me Feel Brand New
• 5. Home Loan Blues
• 6. Positively 4th Street
• 7. Lost Weekend
• 8. Money In My Pocket [Plan B Mix]
• 9. Something For You
• 10. It’s You
• 11. Home [reprise]

RADIO EDITS

• 12. Sunrise [Motivo Hi-Lectro Radio edit/mix]
• 13. Fake [radio mix]
• 14. You Make Me Feel Brand New [single edit]
• 15. Home [Tin Tin Out radio mix]
• 16. Fake [Phunk Investigation radio edit]
• 17. You Make Me Feel Brand New [Antillas full vocal edit]
• 18. Home [Motivo Hi-Lectro Radio Mix]

CD TWO

REMIXES

• 1. Sunrise [ATFC Morning Glory remix] 2. Fake [Phunk Investigation Extended Club Mix]
• 3. Home [David Harness Taboo vocal]
• 4. Sunrise [Love To Infinity Classic Mix]
• 5. Fake [Love To Infinity Classic Radio Mix] 6. You Make Me Feel Brand New [Love To Infinity Radio Mix]
• 7. Fake [Eric Kupper Club Mix]
• 8. Sunrise [Love To Infinity Club Mix] 9. Fake [Love To Infinity Club Mix]
• 10. You Make Me Feel Brand New [Love To Infinity Master Mix]
• 11. Home [Minimal Chic Mix]
• 12. Sunrise (Who Knows About Forever?)

CD THREE

LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT’S

• 1. Fake
• 2. You Make Me Feel Brand New 3. Positively 4th Street
• 4. Home Loan Blues
• 5. Home
• 6. So Beautiful
• 7. It’s Only Love
• 8. Come To My Aid
• 9. Sunrise
• 10. Lost Weekend
• 11. Money In My Pocket
• 12. Something For You

Bonus track:

• 13. Home [live in Sicily]

DVD

FEATURE INTERVIEW

• Mark Goodier interviews Mick Hucknall about “Home”, March 2014

PROMO VIDEOS

• 1. Sunrise
• 2. Fake
• 3. You Make Me Feel Brand New [live]
• 4. Home

BONUS FEATURES

• ‘Home’ album EPK
• The making of “Sunrise” The making of “Fake”

BBC TV APPEARANCES

• Sunrise [Parkinson] Fake [Later…]

SIMPLIFIED [2CD+DVD]

CD ONE

SIMPLIFIED

• 1. Perfect Love
• 2. Something Got Me Started
• 3. Holding Back The Years
• 4. More
• 5. A Song For You
• 6. Your Mirror
• 7. Fairground
• 8. My Perfect Love
• 9. Smile
• 10. Sad Old Red
• 11. For Your Babies
• 12. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye

CD TWO

REMIXES

• 1. Perfect Love [Lazy Radio Mix]
• 2. Perfect Love [Love To Infinity Sunset Mix – long version]
• 3. Perfect Love [Love To Infinity radio mix]
• 4. Perfect Love [Kurtis Mantronik 12” vocal mix]
• 5. Perfect Love [Motive Hi-Lectro Mix]
• 6. Perfect Love [Roger’s Dirty Sanchez Mix edit]
• 7. Perfect Love [Lee Cabrera’s Lower East Side Dub]

LIVE IN CUBA

• 8. Perfect Love
• 9. Something Got Me Started 10. A Song For You
• 11. Stars
• 12. It’s Only Love
• 13. Fairground

DVD

FEATURE INTERVIEW

• Mark Goodier interviews Mick Hucknall about “Simplified”, March 2014

PROMO VIDEOS

• 1. Perfect Love
• 2. Something Got Me Started
• 3. A Song For You

BBC TV APPEARANCES

• Perfect Love [Top Of The Tops] Something Got Me Started
• [All Time Greatest Party Songs]

STAY [2CD+DVD]

CD ONE

STAY

• 1. The World And You Tonight
• 2. So Not Over You
• 3. Stay
• 4. They Don’t Know
• 5. Oh! What A Girl!
• 6. Good Times Have Done Me Wrong
• 7. Debris
• 8. Lady
• 9. Money TV
• 10. The Death Of The Cool
• 11. Little Englander

RADIO EDITS

• 12. Oh! What a Girl! [radio version]
• 13. Stay [radio mix]
• 14. So Not Over You [single version]
• 15. Go Now [single version]
• 16. Stay [7th Heaven radio edit]
• 17. So Not Over You [Johnny Douglas Radio Mix]

CD TWO

REMIXES

• 1. Go Now [Trance vocal]
• 2. Oh! What A Girl! [Sweet Connection Club Mix]
• 3. Stay [7th Heaven Vocal Mix]
• 4. Go Now [Triple Dee Club Remix]
• 5. Oh! What a Girl! [Tom Belton Vocal Mix]
• 6. So Not Over You [Motivo Pop-Lectro Remix]
• 7. Stay [Grant Nelson Club Mix]
• 8. Go Now [Alex B Very Vocal]

BONUS TRACKS

• 9. Beside You
• 10. Oh! What A Girl! [live]
• 11. Debris [Sirius Radio Session]
• 12. Stay [Sirius Radio Session]
• 13. So Not Over You [Sirius Radio Session]

DVD

FEATURE INTERVIEW

• Mark Goodier interviews Mick Hucknall about “Stay”, March 2014

PROMO VIDEOS

• 1. Oh! What A Girl!
• 2. So Not Over You
• 3. Stay [live]
• 4. So Not Over You [live]

BONUS FEATURE

• ‘Stay’ album EPK

BBC TV APPEARANCES

• Oh! What A Girl! [Later…] They Don’t Know [Later…]

HOME LIVE IN SICILY [Blu-ray+DVD+2CD]

CONCERT

• 1. Someday In My Life (Tu Sei Dentro Di Me)
• 2. Ocean
• 3. Home
• 4. Positively 4th Street
• 5. Lost Weekend
• 6. Home Loan Blues
• 7. A New Flame
• 8. Night Nurse
• 9. Something For You
• 10. You Make Me Feel Brand New
• 11. Stars
• 12. Money In My Pocket
• 13. Fake
• 14. Thrill Me
• 15. The Right Thing
• 16. Something Got Me Started
• 17. Holding Back The Years
• 18. Money’s Too Tight To Mention
• 19. Fairground
• 20. Sunrise

EXTRA FEATURES ON DVD

• Documentary
• Mick Cam

BONUS TRACKS

• The Right Thing [live in Montreux]
• You Make Me Feel Brand New [live in Croatia]

CUBA! [Blu-ray+DVD+2CD]

CONCERT

• 1. A Song For You
• 2. Your Mirror
• 3. Stars
• 4. For Your Babies
• 5. So Beautiful
• 6. Smile
• 7. Home
• 8. Sad Old Red
• 9. Holding Back The Years
• 10. It’s Only Love
• 11. More
• 12. Love Fire
• 13. Sunrise
• 14. The Right Thing
• 15. Come To My Aid
• 16. Perfect Love
• 17. Fairground
• 18. Something Got Me Started
• 19. If You Don’t Know Me By Now

EXTRA FEATURES ON DVD:

• Documentary
• Photo Gallery
• ‘Perfect Love’ Video

Home (3CD+DVD)

• UK Pre-order: Home

Simplified (2CD+DVD)

• UK Pre-order: Simplified

Stay (2CD+DVD)

• UK Pre-order: Stay

Home Live in Sicily (Blu-ray+DVD+2CD)

• UK Pre-order: Simply Red: Home – Live In Sicily [Blu-ray]

Cuba! (Blu-ray+DVD+2CD)

• UK Pre-order: Simply Red: Cuba! [Blu-ray]