Yep. The cliche that modern music is terrible is finally true. Most modern pop music is unlistenable trash and people put up with it because most of them have no idea what music is supposed to be like.
After I graduated high school, mid 1980s, my parents split up. I moved out into an apartment with a coworker (platonic female, she ended up having a different guy over every night - trainwreck). Newly diagnosed type-1 diabetic. Never had a girlfriend then. Working crap-tons of hours at 2 restaurants earning little more than minimum wage ($3.35/hr then) to pay for insulin, rent, car payment, and car insurance. Life was falling apart. I was driving home from my night job, depressed as hell, seriously considering ending it with and O.D. of insulin. This song came on the radio. Blared it, balled my eyes out, 35 years later here I am.
God bless you brother! It was Devine intervention due to the timing of that song and the impact it made on you! So happy it came along when it did! You are truly blessed!!
In case no one's commented on it yet, here's a little history of this hauntingly memorable song... Mick Hucknall, the singer and lyricist for Simply Red, wrote this song when he was 16 and living with his strict and sometimes abusive father. Hucknall's mother left him and his father when he was 3 years old and he spent a lifetime missing her. That's what the lyrics "strangled by the wishes of pater; hoping for the arms of mater" refer to. The rest of the song is a look back at his childhood from the perspective of an adult, realizing that he's been shaped by the past but can't go back and change it. Pretty complex thoughts and feelings for a 16 year old kid, and I don't think Hucknall matched it in any other song he wrote. It's one of my favorite songs of all time.
Jamel said “Its like this song sounds better than anything I heard in the last 10 years”... Because it is better than any song in the last 10 years....
No, it's not. It's a nice pop ballad with simple lyrics and it's an absolute classic, but every decade has its portion of both great and terrible songs.
@Goddess Sky Stating 'incorrect' never strikes me as a compelling argument. I can give you loads of examples of terrible music from every decade, if you like?
Some of the best music came outta the UK I was privileged to meet mick...he wrote this at the age of 17 the song is about his mother abandoning him at the age of 3 hence the pain and soul in his voice
Mick Hucknall mother abandoned the family when he was three; the upheaval caused by this event inspired him to write "Holding Back the Years", it was their best hit. The song was about the abandonment of his mother. He was three and he's seen her only twice through his life. Thank You for sharing this great artist
mikenpensacola I know! I actually have to have my roommates son go get my pot at a store! Cuz I don’t have a dealer anymore like back in the Day! Lol and it’s Much better stuff too! Things certainly have changed. Especially that old chick in the mirror. She’s 74 now, lol WTF ? . Oh well fire up, find my play list and just chill, what’s ugly? My play list is the music I want played at my memorial service. Lol macabre shit....
@@ramonaestrada601 Just turned 68 and realized I'm not ready to leave this life yet, old age is here too soon. . There's so much left to do, and I mean the ordinary business of an ordinary life. It's all been an adventure, even bad choices have had moments of something positively beautiful that can be found within the terribleness.
Patricia Salvatore I’ve tried keeping positive but on chemo and fighting for my life. Now I’ve got to try even harder with this pandemic chit. People around here are just stupid.. they’ve no idea of what pain is.. dying isn’t easy. The fools
@@ramonaestrada601 Yes, I thought old age would be okay, didn't realize it could be so stressful. I wasn't ready to see my age group being generally disrespected by younger generation; being referred to as a "boomer" in internet comments is demeaning. I always thought I'd feel young into old age because I didn't indulge in bad habits for most of my life. Then a terrible tragedy happened --my son was shot and killed. About a year later I began to notice the political and social conflicts that are undeniable now. I wonder if this is how life has been in the past for everyone-- watching energy, health, optimism all fading away? Or is it different now, are we going through a different progression into this stage of life? is it because we can see a potentially dismal future for those who we'll be leaving behind? Sorry to hear that your situation is even more of a challenge. I hope you have respite from pain and worry. My heart goes out to you.
Heard this a million times, still get emotional. That's how you know a great song, you don't just hear it you feel it. Cannot play it loud enough! Thanks Jamel, I am crying now, but it is all good!!!
It's like my cat when she was a kitten she was adorable but when she became a cat and her change as she grew I found I was more fond of her as a older cat than as that little kitten who wanted to play and muck about. With this song I feel the same way for this and the other songs they created.
Mick Hucknal is an absolute genius. He’s the most authentic singer I’ve ever known, especially for an English white northern guy. All my love from Liverpool in the UK
" wasted all those years".....boy....sitting here at 60 and wish i did things different and didnt waste so much time.......we all have a very finite amount, thats it.....
I feel ya bro, I will be 60 in a couple weeks. Was too busy chasing a buzz, girls and enjoying the moment. I still listen to our music from the 70s, daily. It s the only thing that keeps me sane. That and reminiscing about all the great and bittersweet memories.
This was such an introspective song for me. It came out during the spring of my senior year. One foot in my childhood and the other entering real adulthood.
Tonia682 That’s the perfect comment Tonia. I feel the same way. I did not have enough time to look at this song when it first came out. Then I was looking forward. I am older now so I am looking back. Beautiful song.
Mick Hucknall still sounds that AWESOME! today. Still touring all over Europe to packed audiences! This song he wrote when he was 17, it's about when his Mum left the family when he was only 3 years old. He was raised by a "single" Dad.
Music is a gift from God for all of his creation to enjoy. Imagine a world without music and you will see that music is one of the most amazing gifts God has given us.
There are three types of reaction to music videos: those where the person is obviously faking appreciation for a bad song, those where the person does not like what everyone else knows is a great song, and those where the person shows a genuine love for a great song. The latter is what we have here. I have watched this video several times and I know I will watch it many more. The song is great, and Jamel's reaction is priceless. You can really feel his like for the song, especially the vocals.
"A song you could put on repeat." Yep, and radio stations did exactly that back when this song was top of the pops, to the point were it became over-saturated and further plays warranted changing the station. That said, back in the late 90's I heard the song again after not having heard it for over a decade and was totally floored by it. Wow! It rips my heart out today.
I think he wrote this song about his mother’s abandonment of him and his father. His Father raised him alone. Always thought his mom might come back but never did. He kept holding on though. It affected him throughout most his life. They call him red blue eyed soul.
Hey, let's get real. Y'all know that trumpet had a mute in it. ;) This is a classic, the sound, the message, the voice, the tone, the groove, everything. It will never die. And some of us will keep holdin' on.
karon mcgregor this song was played during my husbands funeral. He loved that song. I’d forgotten it but my son aaron remembered. Tears flowed as I listened. My hubby was 74 2hen he passed but he loved music all kinds. My grandies both wanted grammas cools cds . That he played in the car. Bunny and the echo men, Florence, pornstar, Beatles, ELO. , his taste was electic. I miss him daily. I’m now 74 the age he passed. I’m so glad he’s not around for this pandemic and trump bullshit.
@@ramonaestrada601 Hi Ramona, so sorry for your loss, and he sounded like he was a cool grandad too. Last year I was babysitting my 3 grandkids aged between 9 and 12. I pulled out my 80s cds for them to listen to and my 11 year old grandaughter said "Music on discs? Nana, don't you know about Spotify?" But, the joke's on her - when I was going to get rid of my oldish hifi, she asked if she could have it as she'd bought herself some cds with her birthday money, lol. However, It must be very stressful for you being on your own in the midst of this pandemic. especially as you, like myself are at high risk due to age, etc. I'm very lucky that in UK, the government asked all 2.2 million people like myself who were high risk, to stay at home, and are being given help with basic weekly food parcels, and they also arranged for me to have access to priority online shopping for other essentials - with no minimum spend or delivery fees. I've watched a lot of US news on the virus, and other events unfolding, and it seems that trump has completely dismissed the serious of the virus, but, on BBC news, both the UK and US were part of a trial on Remdesavir as a potential drug, and now that the trial was successful, he's "purchased" almost the full amount available to the worldwide market for himself. A UK specialist who worked on it was interviewed and explained when countries collaborate, the success is shared between them, he was visibly upset at what's happened. trump obviously doesn't believe in sharing - but I guess we all knew that. Please stay safe Ramona, and all my very best, Karon xxx
@Mountains, rivers and trees No no no... Let's start off the Sade reaction videos with the spine tinglin' Pearls (Live) - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EI8ppnEJVAg.html
I play Simply Red so much . Mick has a voice that I remember where I am when I listen to him. Mick's voice creates memories for me all the time. It is like a trip to the moon. unforgettable.
I had my teenage years in the eighties. If I listened first time to that song I was 17 years old and I loved it from the first time until today. One of the best soul tracks of the eighties.
Mark Mcleod Oh my goodness-I was just listening to him talk about not hearing songs like this and thinking to myself, “It’s timeless music,” and when I looked down I saw that I had stopped scrolling immediately at your comment! Yes. Timeless-i.e. will never not sound incredible.
This man can “sang”! I love it when people surprise us all. Never judge a book a by its cover ever. I learned this as a child in church. One Sunday a guy got up to sing with his dad playing guitar and we had never heard them before,so no clue. He was a heavy dude, high waist polyester pants thick glasses and messy hair. He opened his mouth and I thought the roof of the church was gonna fly off. I got chills, the entire church gasped. It makes my heart happy. God gave us all something special to share with the world.
Jamel, your doing a fantastic job. It also warms my heart to watch your FACE when the great tunes are rolling through your head. Born in 1960, I was spoiled by all these fantastic artist and many that you've shared were already on my playlist, cd's or album collections. Keep up the good work, we are listening.
Tracy Jungmann I’ll second your statement Tracy. I was born in ‘55 and know very well the songs Jamal reviews. They are a huge part of the music of my life. I also love to see the appreciation and feelings Jamal shows during and after his selection. He is such a cool guy! Cheers
@@elainebaldwin928 He sure does Elaine. I haven't followed him lately, just because things have gone from crazy to crazier. Jamel's "stink face" reminds me of Stevie Ray Vaughan playing "Texas Flood". I'll be looking Jamel up soon.
When I was a kid and this would come on the radio, I imagined this is how adults feel emotion- sophisticated, smooth, and intense. As an adult, to me this plays as a string pulling outward from my soul. This track is a prophetic masterpiece. You've got great taste in music.
OMG your comment about how much better older music like this is compared to more current popular music is 100% on target. The art of writing a moving song, writing powerful lyrics and giving a simple & emotional performance is so hard to find these days. The focus on technology and formula makes most contemporary music too predictable and monotonous. There are exceptions, yes, but the vastly greater richness, originality, honesty and depth of so much of the music from the 60's - '80's is undeniable. Thank you for your commitment to this music.
This is such a beautiful masterpiece. Apparently, Mick Hucknall wrote this about his childhood. His.mother left his family when he was a boy and it had quite an impact on him. Listen to the lyrics: The lyrics "Strangled by the wishes of pater (father), hoping for the arms of mater (mother)" particularly reflect this.
I just went to a sad place. That song is my broken heart set to music. The song came out in 1985. By Fall of 1986, it was done. The pain you never forget. This song is a sharp, sweet edge deep in my soul. 😢
@@ocheltree1, thank you brother. Some people, times, places and moments just stay fixed in the heart. They become a framed painting, if you will, in the gallery of our lives....a very shadowy corner of the gallery, to be sure. I've got to light a candle to see down there, ironically enough. Peace.
@@michaelbriefs9764 , really like your line "I've got to light a candle to see down there"...I know what you mean. It's really astonishing what music can do regarding one's memory. It took me about 15 yrs after a divorce before I could listen to James Taylor...at all. But, Oh, Boy, what a treat it's been reintroducing myself to his music. I remember now why I liked him, it was never the relationship, JT was just a reminder. To happier day's, Michael. Cheers!
@@ocheltree1, amen to that! And, yeah...JT. Ouch. I never had a "break-up" connection with JT but just an overall soul-connection for him. Actually, JT came to me during one of my (unfortunately rare) happy times in my life. He reminds me of one of my best friends, Andy (who did have a JT-breakup story). So, I'm glad to hear, at least, that you've..."gotten back together" with JT, haha! As for me, with the "candle" reference, I've found that writing poetry has helped me make sense (or at least, to some extent, turned the vinegar back into wine) of my travails of the heart. Of course, I would vastly prefer my Muse visit me due to times of romantic celebration but, quite often and in the main, that is not how She arrives, alas. But, upward and onward, Rob. Gotta keep the faith or I'll drown in a sea of bitterness. God keep me from that maelstrom.
@@michaelbriefs9764 , I am simpatico with your assessment! I dip my toe in that sea of bitterness from time to time, but I no longer let it drag me out to deep water. Keep up the poetry, you have a knack for it. Praying one day you'll write the perfect poem inspired by a great love for the perfect partner. Blessings, Michael.
Its crazy how your music taste can completely change. There is plenty of music I was completely closed off too when I was a teenager that I love now. No idea why. Listened to far more music back then.
Me too, my mom used to talk about how beautiful it was and I just thought it was lame. If it wasn’t Motley Crue or Bon Jovi I didn’t care about it. I can appreciate this music now. Music my parents used to listen to that I hated I love now. I listen to The Rolling Stones, the Allman Bros, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd with a new appreciation. My dads gone now but listening to his favorite musicians brings me such great memories of him and living in the 80’s and 90’s. So blessed to have been raised during this time period. Kids these days have no idea what real music is.
There's a genre in England called "Northern Soul." it took its influence from really obscure 60s American r&b. In the US it's considered a genre, in the UK, it was a subculture. Simply Red/Mick Hucknall really emulates that sound.
Mike Franzusan It didn’t ‘take its influence’ from lesser-known American r&b...it *is* lesser-known American r&b. But it’s great that the Northern English really took a shine to it 😊
I watched a video of him singing this song more recently and he still kills it. Amazing sound check out the live video of this when he’s older he’s wearing a tux
This is such a great song, it’s timeless. It’s also my first time watching Jamal’s videos and his reaction to Simply Red video was spot on with my reaction. This song’s bits of jazz makes you sway and close your eyes and you feel as if you’re there. Phenomenal song. 💗
This song is so nostalgic to me. It came out when I was a little girl and reminds me of coming of age. Simply Red is such a talented group. His voice is epic.
That is one exceptional song and exceptional voice and I was never a fan of Simply Red, but there is no denying that this a beautiful song and Mick Hucknall has an incredible voice.
Was in high school when this song came out. I was into heavier music then. But this song was one I always liked. Listening to it now I can really appreciate how great this song truly is. Timeless. And yes. I'd put this song up against any of the crap that has been put out in the last 10 years.
Same for me, high school in the 80s. I was a metalheads but could never deny this song was great. This song was and will always be smoooooooth!!! That voice is silk
The same thing happened to me with a song from Robert Plant called “Big Log” I would see the video a lot on MTv and I kinda like it but didn’t think much of it. But I heard it again a couple of years ago and man, it brought back the most beautiful memories of my life. I guess I never paid attention to the lyrics and the music is just so damn nostalgic, truly a very beautiful song.
@@GeeCdiaz Oh yeah! Big Log and I'm In The Mood are terrific singles from Principle of Moments. They're not much like Zeppelin, but they are very pretty.
@@GeeCdiaz You're right on with Big Log. Thought it was a good song when it came out. Don't recall if it was popular. But hearing it now, wow. Tremendous song
Mick wrote and performed this song when he was 17. Mick made two R&B hits when it had faded from Pop radio. "If you don't know me by now" and "You make me feel brand new". I think those two songs really got people thinking about how good R&B music is.
Back in 1986 I was sitting with my fiance when this song came on. Contemplated the issue of a wasted life trying to live up to another's expectations that didn't really match mine anymore all through the song. Stood up, told her goodbye, and left. I regretted how heartless it seemed, but never regretted the decision. It was still kinder than dragging her through a slow painful breakup or a miserable life. She deserved better than what we would have had with a man that didn't want to be there.
wow...I'm so tried...you'all didn't have to say that about each other, wasted all those years wasted all those tears...nothing have the chance to be good..nothing ever could..THANKS
The baddest Red head ever Mr. Spectacular Simply Red his voice is undeniably one of sharpest voices ever cuts souls to the core & torches hearts with emotional love👀💔😁👍😎
You should definitely hear more from him. Like Fairground, Stars, So Beautiful. Do the right thing. He's one smooth singer. I'm 60 and it never gets old hearing him. MMC growing up 😻😻
Another song, that is great in my eyes is 'Come to my aid' : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--cYnJX7VO4w.html But the whole picture book album is just great.
What makes this song and others like it so incredibly beautiful and moving, is their very personal and unique human imprint they place upon the music. That imprint is timeless. It's one thing to entertain people.........it's another to touch their souls.
