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Blue
Studio album by Simply Red
Released	19 May 1998
Studio	Westpoint Recording Studios, Funny Bunny Studios, Whitfield Street Studios and Abbey Road Studios (London, UK) Archer Studios (Kingston, Jamaica) The Hit Factory (New York City, New York, US)
Genre	Pop soul dance-pop
Length	46:59
Label	East West
Producer	Andy Wright Gota Yashiki Mick Hucknall Stevie J
Simply Red chronology
Life (1995) Blue (1998) Love and the Russian Winter (1999)
Singles from Blue
"Night Nurse" Released: September 1997 "Say You Love Me" Released: 27 April 1998 "The Air That I Breathe" Released: 10 August 1998 "Ghetto Girl" Released: November 1998 (UK) "To Be Free" Released: November 1998 (EU)

Blue is the sixth studio album by British band Simply Red. It was released by East West Records on 19 May 1998 in the United Kingdom. Initially conceived as a cover album, it features production from lead singer Mick Hucknall as well as Andy Wright, Gota Yashiki, Stevie J, and Joe "Jake" Carter. Hucknall, Wright, and Yashiki are the only musicians featured in the Blue CD booklet's photography; this is a first for a Simply Red album, as all prior albums featured photos of the various band members credited.

The album includes five cover versions: "Mellow My Mind" from the 1975 Neil Young album Tonight's the Night; two versions of the frequently covered "The Air That I Breathe", written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood; the Gregory Isaacs hit "Night Nurse"; and "Ghetto Girl" by Dennis Brown, from whom the band would cover another song in 2003. New versions of previously recorded Simply Red songs also appear here: "Come Get Me Angel" is a rewritten version of the 1996 single "Angel" (an Aretha Franklin cover), and "Broken Man" was first released as a B-side in 1987. "The Air That I Breathe Reprise" samples "Jack and Diane" by John Mellencamp. "So Jungiful", found on the Japanese edition of the album, is a jungle remix of "So Beautiful" from the band's previous album, Life.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Baltimore Sun	(favorable)

AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine found that Blue "is weak on original material. However, Mick Hucknall makes up for the deficits by assembling a good collection of outside material Initially, Blue was going to be a covers album, and judging by these numbers it would have been a great, sultry listen. Instead, he's followed through on an album that accentuates his weaknesses as a writer. Granted, he can oversing on occasion, but if Blue does anything, it proves that his voice is his greatest talent and that he should dedicate himself to material that serves it well."

Track listing

Notes

• ^a signifies an additional producer

Personnel

Simply Red

• Mick Hucknall – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Tim Vine – keyboards
• Andy Wright – programming
• Mark Jaimes – guitars
• Steve Lewinson – bass
• Velroy Bailey – drums
• Gota Yashiki – drums, programming
• Ian Kirkham – saxophones
• John Johnson – trombone
• Sarah Brown – backing vocals
• Dee Johnson – backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Paul Carrack – keyboards
• Alan Clark – keyboards
• Robbie Lyn – keyboards
• Ned Douglas – programming
• Stephen Hilton – programming
• Aidan Love – programming
• Kenji Jammer – guitars
• Tony Remy – guitars
• Bub Roberts – guitars
• Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis – guitars
• Robbie Shakespeare – bass
• CJ Taylor – bass
• Sly Dunbar – drums
• Geoff Holroyde – drums
• Mike Greenwood – trumpet, flugelhorn
• David Whitaker – orchestra arrangements and conductor
• Pro Arte Orchestra of London – orchestra
• Tru Indeed – backing vocals (7)

Production

• AGM – album producers
• Stevie J – co-producer (7)
• Roland Herrington – recording
• Femi Jiya – recording
• John Lee – recording, mix engineer
• Alex Marou – recording
• Lynford "Fatta" Marshall – recording
• Dave Tyler – recording
• Ted Wohlson – recording
• Paul Logas – mix engineer, mixing (7)
• Tony Maserati – mix engineer, mixing (7)
• Ali Staton – mix engineer
• Douglas Blair – assistant engineer
• Jake Davies – assistant engineer
• Andrew Dudman – assistant engineer
• Ricky Graham – assistant engineer
• Derek Grey – assistant engineer
• Neil Mason – assistant engineer
• Dave Russell – assistant engineer
• Andy Scade – assistant engineer
• Mak Togashi – assistant engineer
• Mick Hucknall – mixing (1-5, 8-12)
• Andy Wright – mixing (1, 2, 8, 9, 12)
• Gota Yashiki – mixing (1-6, 8-10, 12)
• Kevin Metcalfe – mastering
• Merv Pearson – pre-production programming
• Intro – design
• Carolyn Quartermaine – art direction, photography
• Zanna – photography

Studios

• Recorded at Westpoint Recording Studios, Funny Bunny Studios, Whitfield Street Studios and Abbey Road Studios (London, UK); Archer Studios (Kingston, Jamaica); The Hit Factory (New York City, New York, US).
• Mastered at The Town House (London, UK).

Charts

Certifications and sales

References

1. "Simply Red singles".
2. "Simply Red singles".
3. "Simply Red singles".
4. "Simply Red official".
5. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Blue". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
6. Considine, J.D. (12 June 1998). "New On Record". The Baltimore Sun. p. Scene 7. Retrieved 7 January 2023 – via Gainesville Sun.
7. "Australiancharts.com – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
8. "Austriancharts.at – Simply Red – Blue" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
9. "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Blue" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
10. "Ultratop.be – Simply Red – Blue" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
11. "Dutchcharts.nl – Simply Red – Blue" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
12. "Lescharts.com – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Simply Red – Blue" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
14. "Classifica settimanale WK 21 (dal 15.05.1998 al 21.05.1998)" (in Italian). FIMI. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
15. "Charts.nz – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
16. "Norwegiancharts.com – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
17. "Swedishcharts.com – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
18. "Swisscharts.com – Simply Red – Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
19. "Simply Red | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
20. "Simply Red Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
21. "Jahreshitparade Alben 2001". austriancharts.at (in German). Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
22. "Jaaroverzichten 1998". Ultratop. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
23. "Rapports Annuels 1998". Ultratop. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
24. "European Top 100 Albums 1998" (PDF). Music & Media. 19 December 1998. p. 8. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
25. "Longplayer Jahrescharts 1998". offiziellecharts.de (in German). Retrieved 16 October 2020.
26. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1998". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
27. "Austrian album certifications – Simply Red – Blue" (in German). IFPI Austria.
28. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
29. "Simply Red - Platinum in Denmark" (PDF). Music & Media. 24 October 1998. p. 6. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
30. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Simply Red; 'Blue')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
31. "New Zealand album certifications – Simply Red – Blue". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
32. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 948. ISBN 8480486392.
33. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Blue')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
34. "British album certifications – Simply Red – Blue". British Phonographic Industry.
35. "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1998". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
36. Pride, Dominic (6 June 1998). "Global Music Pulse". Billboard.

• Simply Red albums
• 1998 albums
• East West Records albums