MICK HUCKNALL - TRIBUTE TO BOBBY

One of the most distinctive vocalists in Britain tips his hat to one of the greatest from the American South with the June 17 release of Mick Hucknall's Tribute To Bobby. The solo debut from the leader of Simply Red features sizzling versions of songs popularized by the great Bobby "Blue" Bland. Tribute To Bobby was recorded last summer at Mick Hucknall's home studio in England with longtime collaborator Andy Wright behind the boards. While the12 songs on the new collection benefit from 21st-century production, Mick's worldly wise delivery ensures they remain grounded in the emotional honesty of the blues.

Tribute To Bobby opens with Mick Hucknall's insistent take on "Farther Up The Road," which had been Bobby Bland's first #1 R&B single in 1957. The CD draws heavily from the legendary bluesman's '50s and '60s hits for Duke Records, including "Stormy Monday Blues," "Chains Of Love," "I Pity The Fool," and "Cry, Cry, Cry." It's a body of work that is among the most respected in blues history, and Mick's passionate interpretations of these classics do them full justice. From Simply Red's first U.S. #1 single, 1986's "Holding Back The Years," it was clear that Mick Hucknall possessed one of pop's great voices; and Tribute To Bobby makes it clear that his contemporary take on soul has always been two steps from the blues. The heartache and resolution in the music of Bobby "Blue" Bland are fixtures of modern life in the urbanjungle -- whether that be Bobby's home turf of Memphis or Mick's in Manchester.

"His music has this sophistication to it, a jazz tinge," explains Hucknall of his affinity for Bland's brand of blues. "There's also the darkness of his lyrics -- Bobby sings with a really twisted pain and sorrow. He's one of the vocalists who influenced my singing style long before I became a slave to pop success."

Tribute To Bobby Track Listing
1. "Farther Up The Road"
2. "Ain't That Lovin' You"
3. "I'm Too Far Gone (To Turn Around)"
4. "Poverty"
5. "Yolanda"
6. "Stormy Monday Blues"
7. "I Wouldn't Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me)"
8. "I'll Take Care Of You"
9. "Chains Of Love"
10. "I Pity The Fool"
11. "Cry, Cry, Cry"
12. "Lead Me On"