Listening Party : The Unmistakable Mick Hucknall Honors Legend Bobby Blue Bland

"RED" SINGS "BLUE"

Solo Debut From Simply Red's Mick Hucknall Pays Tribute To Bobby "Blue"
Bland On Rhino CD Due June 17

LOS ANGELES -- 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 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 will be available at
all physical retail outlets and at www.rhino.com for a suggested list
price of $18.98, or online from all digital outlets for $9.99.

Fittingly, TRIBUTE TO BOBBY opens with Hucknall's insistent take on
"Farther Up The Road," which had been 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;
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 urban
jungle -- 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"