SIMPLY RED - HUCKNALL ENDS RECORD LABEL DISPUTE

HUCKNALL ENDS RECORD LABEL DISPUTE

SIMPLY RED star MICK HUCKNALL has finally ended a long-running feud with record label Warner following over a year of negotiations. The Holding Back The Years singer had been embroiled in a legal battle with the company for seven years since 2000, after Warner released retrospective album It's Only Love against Hucknall's wishes. Hucknall has until now refused to cooperate with Warner on re-working his back catalogue, and all new releases since 2000 have been issued through simplyred.com. However, the star has now won 50 per cent control of his back catalogue. Ian Grenfell, Hucknall's manager, tells British magazine Music Week, "We realised how ridiculous it was that Mick wasn't connected to his catalogue. I think he was slightly in denial about his catalogue. He still played the songs live because he knows what his audience want, but when I talked to him about this deal it was a real easy conversation." "He realises that there's a commercial advantage to being involved with a multinational company and he still has his independence with the ability to release records on his own terms." An enhanced and digitally remastered reissue of Simply Red's back catalogue is now set for release.