Life (Simply Red album) explained

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.

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

11. "Fairground" (Rollo and Sister Bliss Remix) – 9:06
12. "Remembering the First Time" (Satoshi Tomie Classic 12" Mix) – 8:53
13. "Never Never Love" (Too Precious Club Radio Mix) – 4:22
14. "We're in This Together" (Universal Feeling Mix) – 4:15
15. "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

Guest musicians

• Andy Wright – keyboards, programming, string arrangements
• Robbie Shakespeare – bass
• Bootsy Collins – bass
• Sly Dunbar – drums, programming
• Ritchie Stevens – drums
• Danny Cummings – percussion
• Hugh Masekela – flugelhorn
• Umoja Singers Chorale – choir
• The London Metropolitan Orchestra – strings
• Caroline Dale – string arrangements and conductor

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

Weekly charts

Chart (1995–1996)! scope="col"

Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[1]	30
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[2]	2
European Albums (Top 100)[3]	1
Irish Albums (IRMA)[4]	1
Italian Albums (FIMI)[5]	2
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[6]	32
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[7]	1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)	5
Zimbabwean Albums (ZIMA)[8]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1995)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[9]	91
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[10]	23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[11]	35
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[12]	46
European Albums (Top 100)[13]	19
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14]	26
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[15]	40
Swedish Albums & Compilations (Sverigetopplistan)[16]	29
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[17]	43
UK Albums (OCC)[18]	4

1996 year-end chart performance for Life!Chart (1996)!Position

Australian Albums (ARIA)[19]	41
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[20]	38
European Albums (Top 100)[21]	32
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22]	33
UK Albums (OCC)[23]	44

Notes and References

1. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.2806&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062 Library and Archives Canada.
2. Book: Billboard – 18 November 1995. 18 November 1995. 2012-01-29.
3. Top National Sellers . Music & Media . 12 . 43 . 28 October 1995 . 25 . World Radio History.
4. Hits of the World – Ireland. simply red.. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 4 November 1995. 16 March 2018. 71.
5. Hits of the World – Italy. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 28 October 1995. 21 July 2012. 58.
6. Book: Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Oricon Entertainment. Roppongi, Tokyo. 2006. 4-87131-077-9.
7. Book: Billboard – 04 November 1995. 4 November 1995. 2012-01-29.
8. Book: Kimberley, Christopher. 2000. Zimbabwe Albums Chart Book: 1973–1998. Harare.
9. Web site: The ARIA Australian Top 100 Albums 1995 (page 2). imgur.com. 20 May 2022.
10. Web site: Austriancharts.at – Jahreshitparade 1995. ASP. German. Hung Medien . 2011-10-29.
11. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1995. Ultratop. 21 April 2021.
12. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1995. nl. dutchcharts.nl. 30 May 2022.
13. 23 December 1995 . Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 1995 . . 14. 30 May 2022.
14. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. German . GfK Entertainment. 13 August 2018.
15. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1995. The Official NZ Music Charts. 30 May 2022.
16. Web site: Årslista Album (inkl samlingar), 1995. sv. Sverigetopplistan. 30 May 2022.
17. Web site: Hitparade.ch – Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1995 . Swedish . ASP . Swiss Music Charts . Hung Medien . 2011-09-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120323145710/http://hitparade.ch/year.asp?key=1995 . 23 March 2012 .
18. Web site: Chart Archive – 1990s Albums. 2011-09-24.
19. Web site: ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 50 Albums 1996. aria.com.au. Australian Recording Industry Association. 2011-09-13.
20. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1996. nl. dutchcharts.nl. 30 May 2022.
21. 21 December 1996 . Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 1996 . Music & Media . 12. 30 May 2022.
22. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. German . GfK Entertainment. 8 September 2016.
23. Web site: UNITED KINGDOM (CIN) BEST ALBUMS OF 1996. 2011-09-24.