THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

763-Simply Red-Fairground.

1995-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 1.15. After years of waiting to find a Simply Red song that could fill a dance-floor, along came ‘Fairground,’ as long as you could dance ‘Latin American.’

Simply Red were formed in Manchester, England, in 1985, with Mick Hucknall retiring the name in 2010. In 2015 Hucknall once again began working as Simply Red, and at the time of writing they remain active, with Mick Hucknall being the bands one constant. Hucknall started his career in music in 1977 as a member of the ‘Punk’ group ‘The Frantic Elevators.’ After their demise in 1984, Hucknall linked up with Elliot Rashman, who would become his manager, and assembled a band of local musicians to play a brand of ‘Blue-Eyed Soul’ music. The group went under a number of names, initially calling themselves ‘World Service,’ then ‘Red And The Dancing Dead,’ then ‘Just Red,’ after Mick Hucknall’s nickname ‘Red,’ because of his hair colour, but Hucknall decided it would sound better with the addition of the word ‘Simply’ The band’s name is also linked to Hucknall’s allegiance to being a supporter of the English football team Manchester United, as the club’s home shirt colour is red. In total there have been 29 different members come and go, with the saxophonist Ian Kirkham, who joined the group in 1986, being the second longest serving member after Mick Hucknall.

Simply Red have sold in excess of 50 million Albums worldwide, with their 1991 Album ‘Stars’ having sold over 9 million copies, where in the UK it was the best selling Album of 1991, and 1992, and has sold around 3.5 million copies in that country to date. The discography of Simply Red includes 13 studio Albums released between 1985-2023, and 56 singles issued within the same time period, there are also seven official compilation Albums, and five live Albums available. In the UK, 31 of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Fairground’ making the Number 1 spot, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, they have had five top 40 hits, with ‘Holding Back the Years,’ (1986) and ‘”If You Don’t Know Me by Now,’ (1989) both reaching Number 1. Mick Hucknall has also released two Albums, and four singles under his own name, between 2008-2012.

‘Fairground’ was the first of four singles released from ‘Life,’ the fifth studio Album by Simply Red from October 1995, the song was co-written by Mick Hucknall, René ter Horst, Gaston Steenkist, and Sérgio Mendes, with the production credited to Mick Hucknall, and Stewart Levine, who in total has worked on five Simply Red studio Albums to date. ‘Fairground’ heavily samples the 1992 ‘Latin House Music’ song ‘Give It Up,’ (1993-UK Number 5 single) by the ‘Good Men,’ who are the Dutch music producers René ter Horst, and Gaston Steenkist, they in turn had sampled the song ‘Fanfarra (Cabua-le-le,’) a mid 1960’s recording by the Brazilian artist Sérgio Mendes, which is why all three share the writing credits with Mick Hucknall on ‘Fairground.’

In the lyrics of ‘Fairground,’ Mick Hucknall acknowledges ‘The Good Men’s,’ contribution to the song, with the line ‘Let’s make amends like all goodmen should.’ The Good Men have worked under at least 10 different names since forming their partnership in 1991, including as ‘Chocolate Puma,’ and ‘Riva,’ René ter Horst, works under the name ‘DK Zki, and Gaston Steenkist, uses the name ‘Dobre.’ Their biggest hit singles in the UK include ‘I Wanna Be U,’ as ‘Chocolate Puma,’ (2001-Number 5) and ‘Who Do You Love Now?’ with Dannii Minogue, as ‘Riva’ (2001-Number 3.) The duo have also issued one studio Album to date, ‘Father in the Bathroom’ in 1994.

‘Fairground’ which is the best selling single by Simply Red in the UK, with sales of just short of 800,000, is a song about missing that someone special. The narrator is having a good time with his friends, but wants to let that person know that he is thinking of them, and can’t wait until they meet again.’

‘Driving down an endless road, taking friends or moving alone, pleasure at the fairground on the way. It’s always friends that feel so good, let’s make amends like all good men should, pleasure at the fairground on the way.’