Time is the thirteenth studio album by British pop group Simply Red, released on 26 May 2023 through Warner Music. It was produced by Andy Wright, preceded by the singles "Better with You", "Shades 22" and "Just Like You" and followed by the single "It Wouldn't Be Me", which included a new "Single Mix" of the song. The band performed at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on 5 June 2023 to celebrate the album's launch, as well as continuing their tour of Europe in mid-2023. It is their last album that features bassist Steve Lewinson who died in December 2024.
Background and recording The album's lyrics have been described as "confessional", with Mick Hucknall stating: "When we were in lockdown, I went, 'well, jeez, who am I actually? What makes me tick?' And I realised: 'you are a songwriter. So why don't you write some songs about who you are?' That's really the essence of this album." The album was recorded in London with the band's long-time producer Andy Wright, with the resulting sound described as a mix of "soul, funk, R&B and blues".
Track listing
Personnel
Simply Red Mick Hucknall – vocals, backing vocals, guitars, bass, harmonica Gary Sanctuary – acoustic piano (13–15) Kenji Suzuki – guitars Steve Lewinson – bass Roman Roth – drums Ian Kirkham – saxophones, woodwinds, electronic wind instrument, brass Kevin Robinson – trumpet
Additional musicians Dave Clayton – keyboards, acoustic piano, organ Gavin Goldberg – keyboards, acoustic piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, organ, programming, strings, guitars, bass, drum programming, bassoon Danny Saxon – keyboards, acoustic piano, synthesizers, organ, programming, strings, bongos, backing vocals Andy Wright – keyboards, acoustic piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, synthesizers, organ, programming, strings, guitars, bass, harp, drum programming, bongos, backing vocals Mark Jaimes – synthesizers, programming, guitars, bass, bongos Marek Bero – bass Geoff Holroyde – percussion Daniel Westron – percussion BBC Concert Orchestra – orchestra (13–15) Sam Swallow – orchestra arrangements (13–15)
Production Andy Wright – producer, recording, engineer Gavin Goldberg – additional producer, engineer, mixing Dan Roberts – producer (13–15) Lewis Chapman – engineer Jamie Hart – engineer (13–15) Jean-Pierre Chablos – mastering at La Source Mastering (Paris, France) Stuart Crouch Creative – art direction, design Vincent Barker – photography Simon Fowler – photography Christie Goodwin – photography Bob King – photography
Charts + Chart performance for Time Chart (2023) Peakposition Croatian International Albums (HDU) 12 Italian Albums (FIMI) 63
References