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Simply Red & The Verve

Johnnie and David Hepworth return for a new series with two 1990s big sellers from The Verve and Simply Red; they enjoy key tracks and archive interviews from those involved.

If you attended a dinner party in the 1990s the chances are the host or hostess would probably have chosen two of the biggest sellers of the decade to play on their CD player at the start and then final part of the evening. One bright, soulful and bubbly and one more moody and atmospheric.

Johnnie is joined by journalist and broadcaster David Hepworth to look at these albums - Stars, the 1991 fourth album by Simply Red (not really a group in David's opinion, just a vehicle for a brilliant singer who didn't always like being in the solo spotlight) and 1997's Urban Hymns by The Verve (who were a group, although legal problems with their key song, as outlined by David, led to their disintegration).

With the help of 91热爆 archive interviews from Mick Hucknall and Richard Ashcroft, Johnnie and David play key tracks and discuss the fact that the manufacturers couldn't produce the CDs fast enough in this era, as well as the sounds produced on Stars by American producer Stewart Levine (who had previously worked with Randy Crawford, Minnie Riperton and The Crusaders) and then the huge efforts that finally paid off for Wigan's finest with a run of hits including Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Drugs Don't Work and Lucky Man.

57 minutes

Last on

Mon 13 Feb 2017 22:00

Music Played

  • Simply Red

    Something Got Me Started

    • Simply Red Greatest Hits.
    • East West Records.
  • Simply Red

    Stars

    • Simply Red Greatest Hits.
    • East West Records.
  • Simply Red

    Thrill Me (album version)

    • Stars.
    • East West.
    • 3.
  • Simply Red

    For Your Babies

    • Simply Red Greatest Hits.
    • East West Records.
  • Simply Red

    Wonderland

    • Simply Red - Stars.
    • East West Records.
  • The Verve

    Sonnet

    • Hut Music.
  • The Verve

    The Drugs Don't Work (album version)

    • Urban Hymns.
    • Virgin.
    • 004.
  • The Verve & The Andrew Oldham Orchestra

    Bitter Sweet Symphony (album version)

    • Urban Hymns.
    • Virgin.
    • 001.
  • The Andrew Oldham Orchestra

    The Last Time

    • The Rolling Stones Songbook.
    • Decca.
  • The Verve

    Lucky Man

    • Now 39 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

Broadcast

  • Mon 13 Feb 2017 22:00