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. "Fairground" contains a sample of "Give It Up" by The Good Men, written by René ter Horst, Gaston Steenkist and Sérgio Mendes. "You Make Me Believe" – 3:51 "So Many People" – 5:19 "Lives and Loves" – 3:21 "Fairground" – 5:33 "Never Never Love" – 4:19 "So Beautiful" – 4:58 "Hillside Avenue" – 4:45 "Remembering the First Time" – 4:43 "Out on the Range" – 6:00 "We're in This Together" – 4:14
2008 Special Edition bonus tracks "Fairground" (Rollo and Sister Bliss Remix) – 9:06 "Remembering the First Time" (Satoshi Tomie Classic 12" Mix) – 8:53 "Never Never Love" (Too Precious Club Radio Mix) – 4:22 "We're in This Together" (Universal Feeling Mix) – 4:15 "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 guitar Bootsy Collins – bass guitar 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 Mick Hucknall – producer Stewart Levine – producer Roland Herrington – engineer, mixing Femi Jiya – engineer, mixing Jake Davies – assistant engineer Aiden Love – assistant engineer Bernard O'Reilly – assistant engineer Andy Strange – assistant engineer Bernie Grundman – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California) Merv Pearson – album coordinator Mat Cook – art direction, design Zanna – art direction, photography
Charts
Weekly charts +Weekly chart performance for Life Chart (1995–1996) PeakpositionCanada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2011-10-3130Danish Albums (Hitlisten)2 European Albums (Top 100) 1Irish Albums (IRMA)1Italian Albums (FIMI)2Japanese Albums (Oricon)32Portuguese Albums (AFP)1Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)5Zimbabwean Albums (ZIMA)1
Year-end charts +1995 year-end chart performance for Life Chart (1995) PositionAustralian Albums (ARIA)91Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)23Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)35Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)46European Albums (Top 100)19German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)26New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)40 Swedish Albums & Compilations (Sverigetopplistan) 29Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 43UK Albums (OCC)4 +1996 year-end chart performance for LifeChart (1996)PositionAustralian Albums (ARIA)41Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)38European Albums (Top 100)32German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)33UK Albums (OCC)44
Certifications and sales
References