Many would remember songs Holding back the years or If you don’t know me by now as trademark Simply Red masterpieces that today has made a name for them. Though the band is not one of the many sought after pop bands these days, one album that really made this Brit band famous was their 1991 album ‘Stars’ which today is literally a classic work.

Playing a mix of 70s American soul, funk, soul, reggae and ballads, it was a great achievement for the four member band that started out playing gigs in a London pub. On a meager salary of a mere 25 Pound Sterling the name Simply Red headed by Mick Hucknall has got fame all over the world with three albums ‘Picture Book’, ‘Men and Women’ and ‘A New Flame’, before he hit the success button with his fourth album ‘Stars’. Though he never says he has a band, he prefers to state that his is a solo career all along and friends join in as session players, despite him winning a Brit award for Best British Group in February 1992.

This DVD takes you to the songs from the album and also includes specially recorded tracks, archive footage and promotional clips from their work. Hucknall’s vision for the band and his inspiration for the songs, both past and present, and how these influenced the songs he wrote and recorded are all elaborated here through some exclusive interviews with the chubby faced vocalist. American producer of the first and third album and ‘Stars’ Stewart Levine, Motown legend Lamont Dozier and member of the band are also featured and give an insight through an interview as to why ‘Stars’ and the band and especially Mick have been such a phenomenal success today.

From the starting riff of Stars to its impressive drum, piano and guitar to the romantic lyrics that go “……..’Would’ve fallen through the stars, straight into your arms………..’ speaks on how success has got in to a person and how he wants to leave everything and fall into his girl’s arms and get some peace. Also noticeable is the low verses in the song and its high end chorus that shows off Hucknall’s vocal ability. Interestingly this is one album that is minus cover versions, and so you had Hucknall writing everything on ‘Stars’, thus gaining him a most sought after Ivor Novello Award for Best Songwriter of the Year for 1992. Having sold 1.2 million copies in its first 14 weeks on sale, it soon exceeded ten million worldwide and the total is still rising.

Curly haired, pony tailed Hucknall is in his element on songs like the acoustic For Your Babies, Thrill Me, Something Got me started and ‘Wonderland’. Snippets from the ‘Stars’ video is unforgettable, but the DVD should’ve included the video in its entirety as it’s the album main focus.

A classic DVD set no doubt, worth picking up for getting an insight into one of the most loved Brit bands of the nineties.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira