Blue (Simply Red album)

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Blue is the sixth studio album by Simply Red, released on East West Records on 19 May, 1998.

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 re-written version of the 1996 single "Angel", and "Broken Man" was first released as a B-side in 1987.The inlay to the album only features Mick Hucknall and his production team Andy Wright and Gota Yashiki in photograph. This is a first for a Simply Red album as all prior albums featured the various musicians credited.

"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.

Track listing

All songs written by Mick Hucknall, except where noted.

1. "Mellow My Mind" (Neil Young) - 3:55
2. "Blue" - 4:38
3. "Say You Love Me" - 3:43
4. "To Be Free" - 4:04
5. "The Air That I Breathe" (Albert Hammond, Mike Hazlewood) - 4:24
6. "Someday in My Life" - 4:03
7. "The Air That I Breathe Reprise" - 4:35
8. "Night Nurse" (Gregory Isaacs, Sylvester Weise) - 3:57
9. "Broken Man" - 3:34
10. "Come Get Me Angel" - 4:02
11. "Ghetto Girl" (Dennis Brown) - 3:31
12. "Love Has Said Goodbye Again" - 3:14
13. "High Fives" - 2:49

Japan bonus track

14. "So Jungiful"

2008 Special Edition bonus tracks

14. "Ghetto Girl" [Blood & Fire Sound System Remix]
15. "To Be Free" [Livin' Joy A-Hanetta Mix]
16. "Love Has Said Goodbye Again" [Rae & Christian Mix]
17. "So Jungiful"
18. "Tu Sei Dentro Di Me" [Someday in My Life]

U.S. 12-track edition

1. "Mellow My Mind"
2. "Blue"
3. "Say You Love Me"
4. "To Be Free"
5. "The Air That I Breathe"
6. "Someday in My Life"
7. "The Air That I Breathe Reprise"
8. "Broken Man"
9. "Come Get Me Angel"
10. "Night Nurse"
11. "Love Has Said Goodbye Again"
12. "High Fives"

Personnel

(The band members that appeared in the live line-up during the Blue Tour [and also during the two-year promotion of the next Simply Red album – Love and the Russian Winter – which was released a year later, in 1999] – are listed in bold).

• Lead vocals: Mick Hucknall
• Backing vocals: Dee Johnson, Sarah Brown & Mick Hucknall
• Guitars: Mark Jaimes, Tony Remy, Kenji Suzuki (credited as Kenji Jammer in the booklet of the album), Gitsy Wills & Bub Roberts
• Bass guitar: CJ Taylor, Robbie Shakespeare & Steve Lewinson
• Keyboards: Tim Vine, Paul Carrack, Alan Clark & Robert Lyn
• Drums: Gota Yashiki, Velroy Bailey, Sly Dunbar & Geoff Holroyde
• DJ: Dom T
• Brass: Ian Kirkham (saxophones), John Johnson (trombone), Mike Greenwood (trumpet and flugelhorn) & Demo Morselli (trumpet)
• Orchestra: Pro Arte Orchestra of London, arranged and conducted by David Sinclair Whitaker