Simply Red - Home

2004

Simply Red - Home (2004) Director: Hayley Cloake Era: Post-Millennium Adult Contemporary (2003–2005) - UK soul-pop in the early HD digital era; Simply Red's independent label period marked by warm, performance-centred aesthetics and mainstream crossover appeal. High curatorial value as a confirmed, director-attributed artefact documenting Simply Red at the peak of their independent-era commercial output. The video's warm aesthetic palette and rapid editorial rhythm encode the tension between mainstream accessibility and soulful authenticity central to the band's identity. Useful as a comparative benchmark for early HD-digital performance video aesthetics in UK adult contemporary. Context: Released in spring 2004 as the fourth single from Simply Red's eighth studio album Home (2003), this video represents a pivotal moment in the band's commercial history: the album was the first released on Mick Hucknall's own independent label, simplyred.com, and went on to become one of the best-selling independent albums of its era, peaking at #2 in the UK. The choice of a warm, performance-centred aesthetic aligns with the record's thematic core of belonging, authenticity, and soulful intimacy, a deliberate counter-positioning to the glossy, high-concept videos dominant in early-2000s pop. The early HD digital production quality marks a transitional moment in UK music video craft. Director notes: Confirmed as director of Simply Red: 'Home' (2004) via IMDb (tt8979566) and IMVDb. The video was released in the United Kingdom in 2004 as part of the single release on Mick Hucknall's independent label simplyred.com (catalogue SRS004CD1/CD2). The single was released 29 March 2004 and charted at #40 in the UK. The video is listed as a bonus track on the enhanced CD single format. Runtime per IMDb: approximately 3 minutes.