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Previews: Simply Red, Jamie Cullum
Paul R Taylor28/10/2005
SO let's start with the facts.
Jamie Cullum, born August 20, 1979, in Essex. A self-taught British
lounge jazz pianist and singer. He has four albums to date. They
are: Jamie Cullum - Heard it All Before released in 1999 with just
600 copies made; Pointless Nostalgic, released in 2001 and stirring
the interest of Michael Parkinson and Melvyn Bragg; Twentysomething
released in 2003, going platinum in six weeks and Catching Tales,
released last week.
He was nominated for three Brit Awards, one Grammy, and winner of
the BBC Jazz Awards Radio 2 Artist of the Year.
His album Twentysomething became the fastest-selling jazz debut in
UK history, but it's difficult to work out who his fans are.
I'm sure there'll be plenty of twenty-somethings who'll enjoy his
songs on the radio and older jazz fans who are pleased he's giving
a new take on old classics, but I doubt there's a hardcore Jamie
Cullum massive.
The truth? There was even a muted reaction in the office when my
colleagues were asked to review the gig. But he is quite an
energetic performer, even from behind a piano.
In fact, I saw him perform on TV at the weekend, on some nauseating
Prince's Trust meets London Fashion Week affair hosted by the two
Jerrys - Hall and Irons.
Jamie was singing and playing the piano as models trotted by like
dressage horses.
He looked very excited to be there, so much so that my girlfriend
commented that he might be doing a Doherty but I doubt it somehow.
He's a bit too nice for all that.
I'd expect the gig to be much of the same, with the cheeky scruffy
crooner having fun playing lots of his own arrangements and some
covers of classics to a mixed audience. So don't expect me to
review it.
Apollo, Wednesday
MICK Hucknall is the music industry's answer to Marmite - you
either love him or can't stand him.
Maybe it's the British tradition of slagging off anyone with talent
or maybe it's the whiff of arrogance or unsightly ginger hair, but
he does seem to rub people up the wrong way.
At a recent gig in Cuba, he was preparing to sing his last song of
the evening when a man in his twenties randomly jumped on staged
and tried to punch him.
Mick's manager Ian Grenfell told a newspaper: "Police say the man
was stoned but what is unclear is why he took exception to
Mick."
They should listen to Stars on radio repeat for 19 weeks like we
all had to.
Still, there are millions of fans out there who love him. Simply
Red released its billionth album last Monday and will play the MEN
Arena tonight (Friday).
The new album Simplified is a mix of re-worked Simply Red
originals, covers and some new songs, including the
Latin-influenced Perfect Love.
The track list also includes Something Got Me Started, Holding Back
the Years, Your Mirror, Fairground, Smile, Sad Old Red, For Your
Babies and Every Time We Say Goodbye.
The stripped-down sound (Simplified - get it?) works well for some
tracks, including Holding Back The Years, but others such as
Something Got Me Started lose something in the translation.
Denton-born Hucknall says his voice has become richer with age and
that he wanted to rework his songs with his voice and without 80s
production.
But he has also made it clear that he wants to reclaim his back
catalogue from the evil record companies, so that seems to be a
motivation as well.
His disillusionment with the industry led to him setting up his own
record label Simplyred.com. He used his own house to finance the
company; a wise move as sales of the album Home reached £4m and
proved there is still a large fan base.
It's now been 21 years since Simply Red formed. The debut single
Money's Too Tight to Mention reached the UK Top 20 in 1985 and in
1986 Holding Back the Years reached Number One in the US. Another
US Number One followed in 1989 with a cover of If You Don't Know Me
By Now, originally recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue
Notes.
Ten albums went platinum in the UK - only It's Only Love failed to
make the grade.
With the exception of Mick, all the original members have now left,
replaced by various other talented musicians. But it doesn't really
change things. Love him or hate him, Mick Hucknall has always been
Simply Red.
MEN Arena tonight (Friday)
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