Simply Red in Halifax

Simply Red are a British pop and soul band formed in Manchester in 1985 and led by singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall. Their best-known recordings include “Holding Back the Years,” “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” and “Stars,” while Picture Book and Stars are central albums in their catalogue. In 1996, Simply Red played a stadium concert released as Live at Old Trafford. The band filmed the 2005 concert release Simply Red: Cuba! at the Gran Teatro in Havana, then closed Farewell: The Final Tour at The O2 in London in 2010. They returned to touring in 2015 for the Big Love Tour.

Soul II Soul are a British music collective formed in London in 1988 and led by producer and DJ Jazzie B. Their soul, R&B and dance sound became widely known through “Keep on Movin’” and “Back to Life (However Do You Want Me),” both featuring vocalist Caron Wheeler, and the debut album Club Classics Vol. One. In 1990, Soul II Soul performed at Wembley Stadium during the Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa concert. A later performance at Brixton Academy was released as a concert recording, documenting the collective’s full-band stage format. In 2019, they brought that catalogue to the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival.