Life (Simply Red album)

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.

Life
Studio album by Simply Red
Released	9 October 1995[1]
Recorded	September 1994 – July 1995
Studio	Planet 4 Studios (Manchester, England) AIR Studios (London, England) Downtown Studios (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Genre	Blue eyed-soul, pop, dance, funk
Length	47:18
Label	East West Records
Producer	Mick Hucknall Stewart Levine
Simply Red chronology
The Montreux EP (1992) Life (1995) Greatest Hits (1996)
Singles from Life
"Fairground" Released: 18 September 1995 "Remembering the First Time" Released: 4 December 1995 [2] "Never Never Love" Released: 12 February 1996 [3] "We're in This Together" Released: 7 June 1996 [4]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
Los Angeles Times	[6]
Music & Media	(favorable)[7]
Music Week	[8]
NME	6/10[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Smash Hits	[11]

Track listing

All songs composed by Mick Hucknall

1. "You Make Me Believe" – 3:51
2. "So Many People" – 5:19
3. "Lives and Loves" – 3:21
4. "Fairground" – 5:33
5. "Never Never Love" – 4:19
6. "So Beautiful" – 4:58
7. "Hillside Avenue" – 4:45
8. "Remembering the First Time" – 4:43
9. "Out on the Range" – 6:00
10. "We're in This Together" – 4:14

2008 Special Edition bonus tracks

11. "Fairground" (Rollo and Sister Bliss Remix) – 9:06
12. "Remembering the First Time" (Satoshi Tomie Classic 12" Mix) – 8:53
13. "Never Never Love" (Too Precious Club Radio Mix) – 4:22
14. "We're in This Together" (Universal Feeling Mix) – 4:15
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

• Producers – Mick Hucknall and Stewart Levine
• Album coordinator – Merv Pearson
• Engineered and mixed by Roland Herrington and Femi Jiya
• Assistant engineers – Jake Davies, Aiden Love, Bernard O'Reilly and Andy Strange.
• Mixed at Whitfield Street Studios (London, England)
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)
• Art direction – Mat Cook and Zanna
• Design – Mat Cook
• Photography – Zanna

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Life Chart (1995–1996) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[12] 7 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13] 1 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 4 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] 3 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[16] 30 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[17] 2 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18] 3 European Albums (Top 100)[19] 1 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[20] 14 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21] 1 Irish Albums (IRMA)[22] 1 Italian Albums (FIMI)[23] 2 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[24] 32 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[25] 3 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[26] 11 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[27] 1 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[17] 5 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[28] 2 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] 1 UK Albums (OCC)[30] 1 US Billboard 200[31] 75 Zimbabwean Albums (ZIMA)[32] 1

Year-end charts 1995 year-end chart performance for Life Chart (1995) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[33] 91 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[34] 23 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[35] 35 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[36] 46 European Albums (Top 100)[37] 19 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[38] 26 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[39] 40 Swedish Albums & Compilations (Sverigetopplistan)[40] 29 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] 43 UK Albums (OCC)[42] 4 1996 year-end chart performance for Life Chart (1996) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[43] 41 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[44] 38 European Albums (Top 100)[45] 32 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[46] 33 UK Albums (OCC)[47] 44

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Life

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[48]	Platinum	70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[49]	Platinum	50,000*
Belgium (BRMA)[50]	Gold	25,000*
France (SNEP)[51]	Gold	100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[52]	Platinum	500,000^
Italy (FIMI)[53]	2× Platinum	200,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[54]	Platinum	100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[55]	Platinum	15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[56]	Platinum	100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[57]	Gold	25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[1]	5× Platinum	1,500,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[58]	3× Platinum	3,000,000*
Worldwide	—	5,500,000[59]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.