Pop group Simply Red to split up

Hucknall said he hoped to "invent a new form of music" as a solo star

Simply Red are to split up in 2009, a quarter of a century after they formed, lead singer Mick Hucknall has revealed.

The 47-year-old said Stay, released last March, would be the group's final studio album, and they would disband after their tour in two years' time.

"I've kind of decided that the 25 years is going to be enough," Hucknall told the Gold radio network.

The star said he wanted to concentrate more on his solo career, having just completed an album of his own.

"I've just recorded an album that is a tribute to Bobby Bland, a blues and R&B artist," he explained.

"It's a solo project and I've really enjoyed it - so much that I feel the time has come now to just put a book-end to the [Simply Red] story."

He said he wanted to "invent a new form of music", influenced by R&B tracks from the 1960s.

"It's a big challenge but I can't do it under the name of Simply Red," Hucknall added.

Inspiration

Stay was the third album to be released under the group's own label, simplyred.com, and reached number four in the UK charts.

Simply Red's first hit was Money's Too Tight (To Mention) in 1985

One of the tracks on it, The World and You Tonight, was released as a single last month and will be Simply Red's final single, he added.

The band's name was inspired by Hucknall's love of Manchester United, his left-leaning political affiliations and the colour of his hair.

They topped the album charts with releases including A New Flame, Stars and Life, selling more than 50 million copies worldwide.

These spawned singles such as It's Only Love, Something Got Me Started and Fairground.