It's cool that he gave songwriting credit to his friend. It reminds me of when The Monkees gave sole writing credit for their song "No Time" to their recording engineer, Hank Cicalo, as a way to thank him for all his hard work on the album. The song was actually written by the four Monkees together, but the income from the writing credit enabled Cicalo to buy a new house for his family. It was a wonderful gesture.
Yes, Hank almost got in trouble for soliciting material to the band against the rules until he explained that the Monkees literally gave him the song credit. They were four great guys for sure!
Yes. I remember too when bob dylan told Roger McGuinn to remove his name in the credits of a song in movie Easy Rider . Its called The Ballad of Easy Rider, now solely a Mcguinn song
"Holding Back the Years" is absolutely sublime. I remember that fondly from my high school years. I still can't believe he was only 17 when he wrote it.
...I STILL can't believe I remember where I was, when I heard it! .....knackered out, in a dead sleep....woke me up, playing on late night UK Radio....rolled over, taped it (on me Boombox)....STILL listening to it, DECADES later.... ; )
Oh my god this song is absolutely fabulous! I try to cover this song and have over the years, but I could never quite do it in the same key. Which is critical. What a masterpiece.
I feel a deep sympathy for the current generations lack of truly great song writers and singers. This song is heartbreaking and beautiful on a level that just cannot be matched today. I dare anyone to truly listen (not just hear) this song without a tear coming to their eyes.
I was about 25 when this came out, and living in an abusive marriage, far from my home & family. I did read the background of the song, & I was so touched by his sadness and youth - it became & still is one of my top favorite 80s songs. It's right up there with Level 42's "Something About You", Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out", The Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town", Sade's "Smoothe Operator" + just about everything put out by Phil Collins & Genesis (especially "In the Air Tonight" and "Home by the Sea". There are many others, but Holding Back the Years is in the top 3. So glad you did an episode on this. I adore the muted trumpet solo. My brother (named Mick!) played coronet (like a trumpet) since high school & later in a big band group & he loved playing muted solos. I lost my big brother - my only brother - Mick in 2018, & every time I hear this song & solo, it reminds me of him & I have trouble "holding back the tears". God bless you & your channel - it has given me many hours of soul-cleansing experiences. Thank you!! 🎺🥲💜
I'm not trying to insult you. I just want to know why women date and marry men with addictions and abusive men. Is it because they don't date the man long enough to see the red flags? They refuse to see the red flags? They don't listen to their family and friends? I don't understand why women choose a man to marry, make humans with, then leave their choice blaming him for destroying her family. I'm not attacking you. I just can't get a reasonable, logical answer to this question.
It is impossible to imagine any of today’s top music even considering a subtle, but powerful horn solo isn’t it? In the eighties I think we all just assumed music would get better and better. I will say, the new generation of independent artists are doing great things, it never makes it to radio, but it can be found. And honestly FM radio is mostly very hard to listen to anyway.
I always felt it was about getting older and regretting all the things not done and said. It never fails to make me emotional because at 56 I feel that, feel each year advancing ever more quickly. Such a sad and yet cleansing song both.
...As someone whith a BOX full O' regrets, It DOES tickle the Heart, and make ya go "...shoot...." , but if you lived thru the *MUSIC* , it eases the guilt....jus'sayin' ... ; )
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 ....regretting YOUR life choices!?? ...you're TWELVE! ...ha-HAA!! ...try reachin' 63 like me, YOU'LL see 'regret' Lady Lily, lemmetellya....
During the summer of 1986, at a busy public swimming pool, the activity slowed and allowed this song to break through the background noise. Its methodical pace seemed to grab everyone enjoying the afternoon, drawing all attention to its tune and momentarily becoming the center of the scene for a couple of minutes. This song always takes me back.
He has spoken movingly about his father in a number of interviews. His voice live is astonishing in how it is just as good as what you hear on the records. I have seen Simply Red live twice and both times the performance was very good.
This song help me back in March of 2021 when my wife of more then 30 year died from cancer. The emotion in this song was so relatable to me. WOW! This is a master piece! I still love hearing this song. Thank You.
This song is so beautiful on a deep level. Mick Hucknall wrote "Holding Back the Years" and George Michael's "Careless Whisper" were written when both guys were 17 years old. That says just how innately talented these guys were.
Jackson Browne wrote ‘These Days’ and Laura Nyro wrote ‘And When I Die’ at age 17. I’m pretty sure Rick Roberts also wrote some future Firefall hits when he was 17.
This is one of my favorite songs of all time and the older I get the more meaning I find in the lyrics. His voice is so lovely and this song is so deep and nostalgic for someone so young to have written it. Also as a natural redhead & mom of 2 redheads his hair and the name simply red really speak to me❤
It may have taken you a while to grasp the true depths of this song, but I was today years old before learning what it was all about. It breaks my heart and gives me a whole new appreciation for it. Thanks for telling the back story, Adam. Another great episode. Have an excellent day.
Mick's voice along with the trumpet crying in the background makes this a go to when life needs reflecting upon. It really is a haunting piece of the art of the voice.
I know. "That's all I have to say." You just know at that point that it was coming from a place in his heart that was very real. Beautiful & heartbreaking at the same time. 💜
By the sounds of the story of Micks mother, as painful and life scarring as it was, her abandonment of him that young just may have been a blessing. If she was still willing to attempt to manipulate him so abhorrently after their “reunion”, imagine the pain and emotional trauma she may have inflicted on him if she had been around while he grew up! Yikes!
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Mine was selfish-evil, faking illnesses, always threatening to leave, but never did. Took years after her death to start to understand the depth of her emotional baggage & from which it came. And while my childhood was spent on pins & needles, there was just as much good that came from it. She had diversified taste in music & literature (I believe bc she was desperately seeking that certain something that would soothe her soul), & above all, she taught me that words cannot break me. I was in my 40’s when one of our managers was on a rage for an entire week, calling several people into the office, one by one, telling them how slow & stupid they were, & that she was putting them on probation… all out of blue. People, young & old were walking out of her office in tears… had me totally perplexed. Then it was my turn. I just stared her in the eyes, laughed & told her she had to do better than that, cause my momma didn’t raise no whimp, & to go ahead & get it all out of her system. After seeing how devastated everyone was, I, for the first time, was grateful for having such a B of a mother. To have had a mother who was sweet, kind & protective, was inconceivable to me. So, I never had any kids.
My birth father did the same thing to me. After thirty-five years of no word at all, I got his phone call, filled with regret for the lost time and assurances of his love for me. Imagine my disappointment and dismay when he sent me a photo of himself and a little girl, dated two years before I was born! He included that insult in a letter asking me how much money I earned, what kind of place I lived in and asking to come and live with me! No hot rock was ever dropped more quickly! I made him understand that there was no place in my life for him. When I learned, years later, that he had died from complications of Alzheimer's, I was ravaged by guilt because of my rejection of his clumsy attempt to reconcile. I only hope that I will see him again one day and that he will still love me. Rest in peace, Daddy, I love you!
Professor of Rock, it's hard to explain in words what this song means to me. Your last four minutes of insight of your own personal side and your eloquent connection to the world we live in, touched me. This song takes me back and reminisce and at the same time hold back my tears. It makes me think how lucky I was and you for that matter, to have been part of the magic that was the 1980's.
I was a teenage mom living with my inlaws and spent all day in our room watching MTV, this song felt like the feelings in my heart were pouring out and the video knocked it out of the ballpark...it's one of my all time favorites.
Wow, Professor! Your opening comments about finding meaning in some songs later in life reflect my own experience as I've gotten older. I found your channel because I was loving watching 'first time hearing' music reactors. Sometimes I was sure it _wasn't_ their first time hearing a song, but that didn't matter because it made _me_ hear the song again, and I tried to listen with a new mind and a fresh perspective. Those lead to recommendations of your channel and the info and insight you bring to music I've listened to my whole life mostly agrees with what I always thought or noticed. But sometimes it shines up songs I dismissed or never much liked and, like you, my age adds a flavor and appreciation that I never had for it in my youth. Excellent episode, Prof!👏
Finally! I feel like you have been hinting at this one for a few weeks. This is just one of those songs that rings on and on in your head …. But it doesn’t bother you. Such a meaningful song.
I’ve loved this song since the first time I heard it . I did not realize it was about his abandonment . I own that story too . His voice in it is so amazing , I melt into it every time .
Have you heard a song from 1993 by Daniel Lanois called "The Unbreakable Chain"? It's beautiful but heartbreaking. It's about a woman who had to give her baby up for adoption, but regretted it her whole life. 30 years later, she finds him by putting an ad in the paper. She feels both "joy and the fear" as she sees him, and then she feels extreme pain because he's chosen to not forgive her for her difficult decision. This song came out in 1993, the year my baby son was kidnapped and missing for a year. The first part of the song was like a knife in my heart: "You wake up and there's something there tugging at your sleeve It's not the pitter-patter of the one in your dreams Held on by the chain, the unbreakable chain Held there by the chain, the unbreakable chain..." That was my experience every morning, waking up and realizing it wasn't a nightmare dream, and I may never see my son again. I'll never understand how anyone could ever abandon a child. I've never known a worse pain than not knowing where my son was or even if he was still alive
@@LazyIRanch that’s nightmare fuel . I have never heard of the song , but I’ll look for it . Having a child of your own and that fear of losing them is awful . Mine were not kidnapped but we had a few touch and go situations . My son fell out of a third story window , my daughters appendix ruptures . My dad abandoning me wasn’t the worst thing that happened to me by a long shot , but it colors everything else . Problems are fuel for evolution . We just have to roll with the tides. You know there’ll be another one coming . Thank god you got your baby back , I hope they prevent them from harming anyone else . Blessings to you and you family I hope .
Let's not forget, it's the arrangement of the song that elevates it to the realms of masterpiece with a voice that's perfect for it. A haunting song from when British pop music was still good, then by the end of the '80s it all somehow declined.
What an amazing story! Thank you Huey I can't imagine never hearing this wonderful emotional song that was performed perfectly and wow that voice Mick nailed it. Through pain comes fantastic songs and this one is beautiful. Fantastic story behind this classic, well done professor!
This songs means something to me because as a son of divorced parents, I can relate to it in my own way. Although I always had a good relationship with my mom und dad, sometimes I wanted to escape from everything because it was awful to witness how they hated each other after they separated. What was difficult about it was that I always stuck in the middle and had the feeling that I had to please both sides. Looking back now, years were indeed wasted, because these days my parents get along well.
This song is a masterpiece, beautiful lyrics beautiful voice, beautiful everything. It’s wonderful of you to have this channel and I love your stories especially this one very touching. Thank you.😢
I remember hearing this in the 80s. It was so different from what else was on the radio, it was sad/melancholy. Knowing the story behind the song helps me understand what I heard. Love these insights Prof.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Love Simply Red! Holding Back The Years is a very haunting song. You can just heat the pain. And how nice is Huey Lewis? That man always talked up other artists......... Huey picked Stevie Ray Vaughan to open for him in 83/84 for his tour. The audience didn't jive with Stevie........ but Huey went into their bus and told them to hold their heads up, they would be great! Thanks for this Professor. See you in a few days. ❤
Simply Red are my all time favourite band. Seen them live 8 times over the last 20+ years. So many great songs, Mick’s incredible voice. Holding back the Years absolutely sublime & timeless. Imagine writing that at 17 but obviously auto biographical. Just fab!
I must confess that this song somehow snuck on by me in the 80s, although I am familiar with the chorus. It's very nice to hear the story behind the song and your in-depth breakdown of it. Well done!
In the hair metal years that defines the 80s, I, a dedicated metalhead, put back then and even now the world on hold when this masterpiece airs. Literally I tune everything out
I was saddened when you talked about his fathers comment even after his career success. For a lot of men this hits close to home as they could never live up to their fathers or mothers expectations. I was lucky to have a dad who said you can do anything you set your mind to. RIP pop…..
I've loved "Holding Back the Years" since first hearing it on the radio. I immediately empathized with the lyrics. This is another song that makes me (and others) miss the 80's so very much. I didn't know anything about the song. Thank you.
I would have never guessed that he was only 17 when he wrote that song! It's so deep and beyond the scope of emotions thatyou would think somebody of that age could delve into.
I love this channel so much - you don't just listen to music, you feel it, you understand it, you GET it! Mick and Simply Red are for me, as close as you can get to perfection in performance, production, and musical meaning. Watch one of their live shows and you'll hear a studio quality performance right there on the stage - no backing track, just pure musical excellence!
I instantly loved that earlier version of Holding Back the Years, even tho it was played for a few seconds. I hope I can find that one and add it to my playlist. Mick has a wonderful voice.
Sometimes, you hate a song. Sometimes, when you learn the story behind that song, you start to appreciate it. _Holding Back the Years_ is one of them for me. Thank you.
What a great song! I remember my mom listening to simply red a lot when I was a kid and this song always stuck with me. She was a single mother and in a way I think it was a little inspiring for her. Every time I hear it it takes me back to when she would put on a record and clean house or do laundry and just sing her heart out. I thank my mom all the time for turning me on to all the great music of her day and also being hip to the music we were listening to back in those days. I mean I remember her taking me to my first real rock show, Motley Crue, and having the time of her life with us 14yr old youngsters at the time 😂 on a side note I remember seeing Mick Hucknall covering some Zep on vh1 or something and man he killed it 🤘🏼 black dog I believe. Thanks for another great episode and keep it up. Everyday on my lunch break I look forward to checking out the latest. Until next time rock on!
I have always loved this song. Got a chance to see them perform in our California small town venue when the song first hit the radio. They were so good. And Mick's voice, oh my!
Mick Hucknall was a talented singer songwriter. Holding back the years is a great song from the 80s. You could hear the pain in Mick's voice. A beautifully written classic. Simply Red also do a fantastic rendition of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes- If you don't know me by now. 👍👍😭😭😭😭🔥🔥🔥🔥
There are some songs that touch deep and lonely places. This is one of them. The older i get (52 now) the more it hurts. So many missed opportunities and lost loves. I play this for my children as a warning to not waste their lives and have regrets. Thanks for making me "cry" this morning Professor.
PoR, my man, I swear you’re running right down my 80’s favorites playlist! ‘Love is a Battlefield’, ‘The Flame’ and now ‘Holding Back the Years’?! This run resonates so strong with me. On so many levels. I listen to the 12” extended version of this song multi times a month! This one (along with those other two) have played a significant part in helping me get through a very significant break-up, and finding that light on those days when I didn’t think I would. I appreciate what you do so much and adding so much context, history and depth to these amazing songs. Thank you.
It is one of those songs that pierces through your masculinity and your defenses and causes you to reflect on your life’s hurts and regrets. It’s truly a haunting song that will move the stoic soul. Can’t help but to love it if I didn’t want to and couldn’t help it even if I could. 🥺😊
My 38 year old son loves this band so much that he has flown all over the world to see Simply Red in concert. Holding Back The Years was released the year he was 1 year old.
Same here Adam. I knew it was beautiful and emotionally charged...but '86 was already such a crazy time for me, transitioning to adult and all. (Class of '86! 😂) Glad to get the lowdown on it now. ✌🏻😎🌟
Truly a beautiful and timeless song, I never tire of hearing it. The story of how Mick Hucknall came to write the song is truly heartbreaking! As a mother, I just cannot fathom leaving my child.
Holding back years is the definition of my Gen X childhood. " I keep holding on, so tight" all time favorite. Simply Red in concert back in the 80s was amazing!
Adam I hope you continue to make the memories with your family, life goes by very fast and they grow up and move onto their own lives, which is what you want but you miss the time you had with them as kids. Now I tell kids to have their kids young and have more than they can afford, and enjoy life with them while you are also young. Great song, it has a real pull to it.
I had the same experience with this song. I liked it when it came out, it seemed a little haunting, ready to expose deeper secrets. Now it resonates deeply within me; the words, the instruments... they pull my emotions up from those deep, secret places and give them expression. Thank you, Prof, for sharing how moved you also are by this song!
Mick Hucknall and simply red created a very unique sound combining retro soul , jazz and modern 80s pop all coming together to create some powerful and moving music on all 3 of their 80s albums picture book, men and women, and a new flame songs such as enough, more, suffer, come to my aid, no direction and infidelity show off Mick's incredible vocal range from all 3 of these classic albums
Great song and back story! Music has been my therapy since I was a little child. I grew up with a neglectful, abusive father and singing was my way of releasing my pain, and it remains so even today. I had an awesome mom so I can't image what Mick went through. You can feel the pain in his vocals. It's mind blowing that he wrote this song at seventeen.
Thanks, professor. One of the things I enjoy most about your show is the stories you share about you and your father. Love them. There's something special about music that brings us all together. One of my only fond memories of my father were the times he would play his accordion and sing. Unfortunately, those times were rare, but I guess that's what made them even more special.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 - Thanks. Unfortunately, when I was young, many kids had a similar situation to me, some worst than me. I was blessed with the best mother a kid could hope for. I'm in a great place now and have been for many years. I have had a blessed life, married to a wonderful woman, and we have 5 beautiful children. I understand my father much better since I became a father. He had his on rough childhood and was a young child during the great depression. Music got me through the rough times, especially Casey Kasem's show. That's one of the reasons I love The Professor of Rock's channel so much. Probably given you too much info, but thanks for asking.
I had a friend that would send me new music from the UK. Picture book was one of them just because it was so different than anything coming out at that time. The entire album was incredible, but Holding grabbed my heart and never let go! It was almost a year later that I heard it on the radio. There were a couple of track from that album released as well. Such as Money’s Too Tight to Mention, Look At You Now and Jericho. They didn’t do as well but Money made the top 40 for a bit. Still one of my favorite albums to this day and been a fan ever since.
My sons were your age at this time the song was released. I loved it and thought it was amazing. Truly Appreciate your interpretation of the story behind the song and how it has affected you over the years. Really enjoy your program.
It's really rare that a song comes out that's so absolutely sublime and perfect in arrangement & vocals that no one should ever try to cover it. Holding Back the Years is one of those songs. Anyone who attempts to do a cover will NEVER be able to capture what Mick Hucknall and Simply Red did on that song. It is one of those rare 'perfect' songs.
This song moved me as much as any song ever did...and it still does. The score, lyrics and Nick's unbelievable voice hits the trifecta. The song haunts me every time I hear it.
I used to get choked up listening and singing this song was a kid, and i really had no idea what it was about. Music has such an amazing power to pluck emotional strings!
When I first heard this song long ago on the radio, I had to pull off the road, I was crying so hard. I experienced abuse and loneliness as a child and it haunted my life. This song was like finding a long lost friend and sharing our grief.
Love his voice. If You Don't Know Me By Now is also very close to my heart. I was a foster kid and the words mean even more to me learning of his past.
I think you made me relove a song I already loved to begin with. I’m not sure, but am I glued to this story because it was a take on this song that I didn’t know, or was your telling of it so well spoken. Brother, I’ve been listening to your channel for a short time but I love listening to your story telling more and more. ❤
So many songwriters have been gifted enough to take pain and turn it into something beautiful. Gustav Mahler is one of my favorite composers, after the death of his daughter, he wrote his best works. James Taylor was another who turned pain and suffering into beauty. Also, if I'm not mistaken Huey Lewis helped Bruce Hornsby in his career. Wonderful episode, Prof
I have really loved this song since the first time I heard it. I wasn't aware of the back-story until today. Amazing. But I have to add, your heartfelt and deeply introspective analysis resonated deeply within me. You eloquently, more than in any other review I have watched by you, expressed exactly the relevance of the song in your, mine and, I'm sure, many, many other's lives. Thank you for that and thank you, young Mr. Hucknall, for writing and singing such a wonderful song!
I graduated HS in 1985, in Miami. Music was a HUGE part of my life for all those years. All the music you showcased on this episode bring back memories. Every song used to carry with a specific feeling or emotion, based on what was going on in my life. Simply Red was one of those bands that got a lot of play among my friends. Simply Red was a great band.
My husband and I grew up in Miami. He graduated from Southwest HS in 1978. I graduated in 1979. Miami Vice was filmed near the Coast Guard base where he was stationed after high school. There was no better place to be than Miami in the sixties, seventies and eighties!
I would have liked to have heard more about the teacher and what their thoughts were about the writing at the time in class, as well as when it became a hit. Great story though and great telling of that story, as always! Good job!
Poll: What is your pick for the most gut wrenching song of the rock era? A song that cuts you to the bone everytime?
Wuthering Heights
Hurt (cover by) Johnny Cash
Operater, Jim Croce
Mandolin Rain, Bruce Hornsby and the Range
In the Ghetto-Elvis
Go Rest High on That Mountain - Vince Gill
I Never Cry - Alice Cooper
The Best That I Can Be - Photoglo
Stevie Ray Vaughan "Life by the Drop"
Reminds me of my Dad who became an alcoholic.
It's cool that he gave songwriting credit to his friend. It reminds me of when The Monkees gave sole writing credit for their song "No Time" to their recording engineer, Hank Cicalo, as a way to thank him for all his hard work on the album. The song was actually written by the four Monkees together, but the income from the writing credit enabled Cicalo to buy a new house for his family. It was a wonderful gesture.
Yes, Hank almost got in trouble for soliciting material to the band against the rules until he explained that the Monkees literally gave him the song credit. They were four great guys for sure!
That is so generous. Makes me like the Monkees even more.
That is fantastic.
Yes. I remember too when bob dylan told Roger McGuinn to remove his name in the credits of a song in movie Easy Rider . Its called The Ballad of Easy Rider, now solely a Mcguinn song
"Holding Back the Years" is absolutely sublime. I remember that fondly from my high school years. I still can't believe he was only 17 when he wrote it.
...I STILL can't believe I remember where I was, when I heard it! .....knackered out, in a dead sleep....woke me up, playing on late night UK Radio....rolled over, taped it (on me Boombox)....STILL listening to it, DECADES later.... ; )
Oh my god this song is absolutely fabulous! I try to cover this song and have over the years, but I could never quite do it in the same key. Which is critical. What a masterpiece.
Oh, WOW MAN!... Is that Brad Nowell?
Where's Lou dog?
@@billt6116 Um. . . what?
I’m 17 and am blown away by his high songwriting skill.
I feel a deep sympathy for the current generations lack of truly great song writers and singers. This song is heartbreaking and beautiful on a level that just cannot be matched today. I dare anyone to truly listen (not just hear) this song without a tear coming to their eyes.
I was about 25 when this came out, and living in an abusive marriage, far from my home & family. I did read the background of the song, & I was so touched by his sadness and youth - it became & still is one of my top favorite 80s songs. It's right up there with Level 42's "Something About You", Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out", The Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town", Sade's "Smoothe Operator" + just about everything put out by Phil Collins & Genesis (especially "In the Air Tonight" and "Home by the Sea". There are many others, but Holding Back the Years is in the top 3.
So glad you did an episode on this. I adore the muted trumpet solo. My brother (named Mick!) played coronet (like a trumpet) since high school & later in a big band group & he loved playing muted solos. I lost my big brother - my only brother - Mick in 2018, & every time I hear this song & solo, it reminds me of him & I have trouble "holding back the tears". God bless you & your channel - it has given me many hours of soul-cleansing experiences. Thank you!! 🎺🥲💜
I'm not trying to insult you. I just want to know why women date and marry men with addictions and abusive men. Is it because they don't date the man long enough to see the red flags? They refuse to see the red flags? They don't listen to their family and friends? I don't understand why women choose a man to marry, make humans with, then leave their choice blaming him for destroying her family. I'm not attacking you. I just can't get a reasonable, logical answer to this question.
I hope Adam sees your post.
It is impossible to imagine any of today’s top music even considering a subtle, but powerful horn solo isn’t it? In the eighties I think we all just assumed music would get better and better. I will say, the new generation of independent artists are doing great things, it never makes it to radio, but it can be found. And honestly FM radio is mostly very hard to listen to anyway.
I always felt it was about getting older and regretting all the things not done and said. It never fails to make me emotional because at 56 I feel that, feel each year advancing ever more quickly. Such a sad and yet cleansing song both.
Great comment. Agreed.
...As someone whith a BOX full O' regrets, It DOES tickle the Heart, and make ya go "...shoot...." , but if you lived thru the *MUSIC* , it eases the guilt....jus'sayin' ... ; )
I have those feelings as well. I sometimes do things I shouldn’t be doing and look back on my life choices, regretting some of them.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 ....regretting YOUR life choices!?? ...you're TWELVE! ...ha-HAA!! ...try reachin' 63 like me, YOU'LL see 'regret' Lady Lily, lemmetellya....
At 56 I couldn’t agree more
During the summer of 1986, at a busy public swimming pool, the activity slowed and allowed this song to break through the background noise. Its methodical pace seemed to grab everyone enjoying the afternoon, drawing all attention to its tune and momentarily becoming the center of the scene for a couple of minutes. This song always takes me back.
It’s the song that makes you stop in wonder.
Mick has a terrific voice.... and his delivery is so emotional!
So true. Have you ever heard his song Sunrise?
@@ProfessorofRock Yes! One of my favorites of theirs! It came out in 2093 I believe.
@@eleniprovia7667 wait, do you have a Time Machine?
Sunrise is greatness! A favorite of mine for sure.
Such an underrated singer overall.
He has spoken movingly about his father in a number of interviews. His voice live is astonishing in how it is just as good as what you hear on the records. I have seen Simply Red live twice and both times the performance was very good.
He sounds exactly like the recording!
This song help me back in March of 2021 when my wife of more then 30 year died from cancer. The emotion in this song was so relatable to me. WOW! This is a master piece! I still love hearing this song. Thank You.
sorry for your loss
This song is so beautiful on a deep level. Mick Hucknall wrote "Holding Back the Years" and George Michael's "Careless Whisper" were written when both guys were 17 years old. That says just how innately talented these guys were.
Jackson Browne wrote ‘These Days’ and Laura Nyro wrote ‘And When I Die’ at age 17. I’m pretty sure Rick Roberts also wrote some future Firefall hits when he was 17.
Even live, you'll never hear Mick Hucknall hit a bad note. His voice and control are sheer perfection...
This is one of my favorite songs of all time and the older I get the more meaning I find in the lyrics. His voice is so lovely and this song is so deep and nostalgic for someone so young to have written it. Also as a natural redhead & mom of 2 redheads his hair and the name simply red really speak to me❤
So young and so mature at the same time!
It may have taken you a while to grasp the true depths of this song, but I was today years old before learning what it was all about. It breaks my heart and gives me a whole new appreciation for it. Thanks for telling the back story, Adam. Another great episode. Have an excellent day.
Well said!
I knew it was a sad song, but I learned a lot about its backstory today. Rock on Jill 🤘
You too, @@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 🤘🏻
Mick's voice along with the trumpet crying in the background makes this a go to when life needs reflecting upon. It really is a haunting piece of the art of the voice.
One of the greatest hits of the 80's!!! I love everything about this song, especially when he spazzes out at the end. 😁👍
😂😂
Haha, yes!
I know. "That's all I have to say." You just know at that point that it was coming from a place in his heart that was very real. Beautiful & heartbreaking at the same time. 💜
By the sounds of the story of Micks mother, as painful and life scarring as it was, her abandonment of him that young just may have been a blessing. If she was still willing to attempt to manipulate him so abhorrently after their “reunion”, imagine the pain and emotional trauma she may have inflicted on him if she had been around while he grew up! Yikes!
That’s exactly what I was thinking.
Mine was selfish-evil, faking illnesses, always threatening to leave, but never did. Took years after her death to start to understand the depth of her emotional baggage & from which it came. And while my childhood was spent on pins & needles, there was just as much good that came from it. She had diversified taste in music & literature (I believe bc she was desperately seeking that certain something that would soothe her soul), & above all, she taught me that words cannot break me.
I was in my 40’s when one of our managers was on a rage for an entire week, calling several people into the office, one by one, telling them how slow & stupid they were, & that she was putting them on probation… all out of blue. People, young & old were walking out of her office in tears… had me totally perplexed. Then it was my turn. I just stared her in the eyes, laughed & told her she had to do better than that, cause my momma didn’t raise no whimp, & to go ahead & get it all out of her system.
After seeing how devastated everyone was, I, for the first time, was grateful for having such a B of a mother. To have had a mother who was sweet, kind & protective, was inconceivable to me. So, I never had any kids.
Sadly, I have to agree. She saved him a lot of hurt.
My birth father did the same thing to me. After thirty-five years of no word at all, I got his phone call, filled with regret for the lost time and assurances of his love for me. Imagine my disappointment and dismay when he sent me a photo of himself and a little girl, dated two years before I was born! He included that insult in a letter asking me how much money I earned, what kind of place I lived in and asking to come and live with me!
No hot rock was ever dropped more quickly! I made him understand that there was no place in my life for him. When I learned, years later, that he had died from complications of Alzheimer's, I was ravaged by guilt because of my rejection of his clumsy attempt to reconcile. I only hope that I will see him again one day and that he will still love me. Rest in peace, Daddy, I love you!
Professor of Rock, it's hard to explain in words what this song means to me. Your last four minutes of insight of your own personal side and your eloquent connection to the world we live in, touched me. This song takes me back and reminisce and at the same time hold back my tears. It makes me think how lucky I was and you for that matter, to have been part of the magic that was the 1980's.
Never heard any of this incredible history. Thanks for bringing this out. Can't say enough about this masterpiece. What a great song.
I was a teenage mom living with my inlaws and spent all day in our room watching MTV, this song felt like the feelings in my heart were pouring out and the video knocked it out of the ballpark...it's one of my all time favorites.
Wow, Professor! Your opening comments about finding meaning in some songs later in life reflect my own experience as I've gotten older. I found your channel because I was loving watching 'first time hearing' music reactors. Sometimes I was sure it _wasn't_ their first time hearing a song, but that didn't matter because it made _me_ hear the song again, and I tried to listen with a new mind and a fresh perspective. Those lead to recommendations of your channel and the info and insight you bring to music I've listened to my whole life mostly agrees with what I always thought or noticed. But sometimes it shines up songs I dismissed or never much liked and, like you, my age adds a flavor and appreciation that I never had for it in my youth. Excellent episode, Prof!👏
Thanks for your insight and for watching. I truly appreciate it!
I feel the exact same way Linda.
Some songs rise well above others in terms of emotional impact. Holding Back The Years is one of them. Brilliant! Thanks, Adam!
A fantastic song for sure.
Finally! I feel like you have been hinting at this one for a few weeks. This is just one of those songs that rings on and on in your head …. But it doesn’t bother you. Such a meaningful song.
It’s a peaceful melody.
Such a beautiful song. From pain we can usually get amazing songs/books/poems/art.
This is really a sublime melody.
I’ve loved this song since the first time I heard it . I did not realize it was about his abandonment . I own that story too . His voice in it is so amazing , I melt into it every time .
Have you heard a song from 1993 by Daniel Lanois called "The Unbreakable Chain"? It's beautiful but heartbreaking.
It's about a woman who had to give her baby up for adoption, but regretted it her whole life. 30 years later, she finds him by putting an ad in the paper. She feels both "joy and the fear" as she sees him, and then she feels extreme pain because he's chosen to not forgive her for her difficult decision.
This song came out in 1993, the year my baby son was kidnapped and missing for a year. The first part of the song was like a knife in my heart:
"You wake up and there's something there tugging at your sleeve
It's not the pitter-patter of the one in your dreams
Held on by the chain, the unbreakable chain
Held there by the chain, the unbreakable chain..."
That was my experience every morning, waking up and realizing it wasn't a nightmare dream, and I may never see my son again. I'll never understand how anyone could ever abandon a child. I've never known a worse pain than not knowing where my son was or even if he was still alive
@@LazyIRanch that’s nightmare fuel . I have never heard of the song , but I’ll look for it . Having a child of your own and that fear of losing them is awful . Mine were not kidnapped but we had a few touch and go situations . My son fell out of a third story window , my daughters appendix ruptures . My dad abandoning me wasn’t the worst thing that happened to me by a long shot , but it colors everything else .
Problems are fuel for evolution . We just have to roll with the tides. You know there’ll be another one coming .
Thank god you got your baby back , I hope they prevent them from harming anyone else . Blessings to you and you family I hope .
Makes the song hit harder.
Have always loved this song! And his voice! 😄
Classic.
This song was an instant classic. The very first time I heard it, it became a favorite. It had an immediate impact on me. Great vid!
Thanks for listening. Did you own the record?
Let's not forget, it's the arrangement of the song that elevates it to the realms of masterpiece with a voice that's perfect for it. A haunting song from when British pop music was still good, then by the end of the '80s it all somehow declined.
A beautiful song for sure.
@@ProfessorofRock - you know it! :)
@@LarryFleetwood8675 - agreed 100%
What an amazing story! Thank you Huey I can't imagine never hearing this wonderful emotional song that was performed perfectly and wow that voice Mick nailed it. Through pain comes fantastic songs and this one is beautiful. Fantastic story behind this classic, well done professor!
Huey is the best!
This song is a masterpiece. So moving and powerful.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I agree this song makes me happy sad, if that makes sense
This songs means something to me because as a son of divorced parents, I can relate to it in my own way. Although I always had a good relationship with my mom und dad, sometimes I wanted to escape from everything because it was awful to witness how they hated each other after they separated. What was difficult about it was that I always stuck in the middle and had the feeling that I had to please both sides. Looking back now, years were indeed wasted, because these days my parents get along well.
Ugh, I am so sorry you went through this. Divorce is always a difficult thing.
This song is a masterpiece, beautiful lyrics beautiful voice, beautiful everything. It’s wonderful of you to have this channel and I love your stories especially this one very touching. Thank you.😢
I remember hearing this in the 80s. It was so different from what else was on the radio, it was sad/melancholy. Knowing the story behind the song helps me understand what I heard. Love these insights Prof.
Thanks for watching. Best #1 song of that year in my opinion.
I now know the sheer power of the song due to that backstory.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Love Simply Red!
Holding Back The Years is a very haunting song. You can just heat the pain.
And how nice is Huey Lewis? That man always talked up other artists......... Huey picked Stevie Ray Vaughan to open for him in 83/84 for his tour. The audience didn't jive with Stevie........ but Huey went into their bus and told them to hold their heads up, they would be great!
Thanks for this Professor. See you in a few days. ❤
Huey is definitely an everyman.
Simply Red are my all time favourite band. Seen them live 8 times over the last 20+ years. So many great songs, Mick’s incredible voice. Holding back the Years absolutely sublime & timeless. Imagine writing that at 17 but obviously auto biographical. Just fab!
I must confess that this song somehow snuck on by me in the 80s, although I am familiar with the chorus. It's very nice to hear the story behind the song and your in-depth breakdown of it. Well done!
One of my favourite songs. Such a talent and he’s still got a fantastic voice. Thanks Prof!
In the hair metal years that defines the 80s, I, a dedicated metalhead, put back then and even now the world on hold when this masterpiece airs. Literally I tune everything out
Thanks David!
One of those songs that unites every music fan.
@@ProfessorofRock I love ur show
I was saddened when you talked about his fathers comment even after his career success. For a lot of men this hits close to home as they could never live up to their fathers or mothers expectations. I was lucky to have a dad who said you can do anything you set your mind to. RIP pop…..
I've loved "Holding Back the Years" since first hearing it on the radio. I immediately empathized with the lyrics. This is another song that makes me (and others) miss the 80's so very much. I didn't know anything about the song. Thank you.
I would have never guessed that he was only 17 when he wrote that song! It's so deep and beyond the scope of emotions thatyou would think somebody of that age could delve into.
I love this channel so much - you don't just listen to music, you feel it, you understand it, you GET it! Mick and Simply Red are for me, as close as you can get to perfection in performance, production, and musical meaning. Watch one of their live shows and you'll hear a studio quality performance right there on the stage - no backing track, just pure musical excellence!
This to me is the best song ever. Mick’s voice is so captivating.
I instantly loved that earlier version of Holding Back the Years, even tho it was played for a few seconds. I hope I can find that one and add it to my playlist. Mick has a wonderful voice.
Mick is amazing. Thanks for watching!
You know what? I’ll search for this version too!
Sometimes, you hate a song.
Sometimes, when you learn the story behind that song, you start to appreciate it.
_Holding Back the Years_ is one of them for me.
Thank you.
What a great song! I remember my mom listening to simply red a lot when I was a kid and this song always stuck with me. She was a single mother and in a way I think it was a little inspiring for her. Every time I hear it it takes me back to when she would put on a record and clean house or do laundry and just sing her heart out. I thank my mom all the time for turning me on to all the great music of her day and also being hip to the music we were listening to back in those days. I mean I remember her taking me to my first real rock show, Motley Crue, and having the time of her life with us 14yr old youngsters at the time 😂 on a side note I remember seeing Mick Hucknall covering some Zep on vh1 or something and man he killed it 🤘🏼 black dog I believe. Thanks for another great episode and keep it up. Everyday on my lunch break I look forward to checking out the latest. Until next time rock on!
I have always loved this song. Got a chance to see them perform in our California small town venue when the song first hit the radio. They were so good. And Mick's voice, oh my!
That song is chilling and moving. I've always loved it.
Absolutely is.
It’s wonderful.
Can't argue with anything you've brought forth about this song. Good for Mick and us!
His mom was a real piece of work. Sometimes when someone leaves it’s the best thing for everyone.
Mick Hucknall was a talented singer songwriter. Holding back the years is a great song from the 80s. You could hear the pain in Mick's voice. A beautifully written classic. Simply Red also do a fantastic rendition of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes- If you don't know me by now. 👍👍😭😭😭😭🔥🔥🔥🔥
They do a good version of Money’s Too Tight to Mention.
There are some songs that touch deep and lonely places.
This is one of them. The older i get (52 now) the more it hurts. So many missed opportunities and lost loves.
I play this for my children as a warning to not waste their lives and have regrets.
Thanks for making me "cry" this morning Professor.
This song still deeply moves me to this day. The depth of nostalgia in his voice is so raw and soul felt. So glad you covered this
PoR, my man, I swear you’re running right down my 80’s favorites playlist! ‘Love is a Battlefield’, ‘The Flame’ and now ‘Holding Back the Years’?! This run resonates so strong with me. On so many levels. I listen to the 12” extended version of this song multi times a month! This one (along with those other two) have played a significant part in helping me get through a very significant break-up, and finding that light on those days when I didn’t think I would. I appreciate what you do so much and adding so much context, history and depth to these amazing songs. Thank you.
That soul and emotion just moves you. What an honest and raw voice. Such a beautiful song.
Thanks, Huey, for helping in promoting this amazing song.
It is one of those songs that pierces through your masculinity and your defenses and causes you to reflect on your life’s hurts and regrets. It’s truly a haunting song that will move the stoic soul. Can’t help but to love it if I didn’t want to and couldn’t help it even if I could. 🥺😊
Holding Back the Years is a masterpiece. Thanks for giving it a loving review and tribute!
My 38 year old son loves this band so much that he has flown all over the world to see Simply Red in concert. Holding Back The Years was released the year he was 1 year old.
Musicians; Thank you. Bass, drums, guitar, writers, lead vocals and all of the staff; cheers !
Thanks for you comment!
Their work invaluable.
Same here Adam. I knew it was beautiful and emotionally charged...but '86 was already such a crazy time for me, transitioning to adult and all. (Class of '86! 😂)
Glad to get the lowdown on it now. ✌🏻😎🌟
Haha!
Adam, you are very, very good at what you do...................Keep going..
You are a wonderfully expressive gentleman. Thank you
Truly a beautiful and timeless song, I never tire of hearing it. The story of how Mick Hucknall came to write the song is truly heartbreaking! As a mother, I just cannot fathom leaving my child.
Holding back years is the definition of my Gen X childhood. " I keep holding on, so tight" all time favorite. Simply Red in concert back in the 80s was amazing!
One of the most beautifully melancholy songs of my youth. Thanks for sharing the story, Professor.
Such a beautiful song. I’m glad I caught your video sharing the history.
Love your channel. Brings back good memories. The power of music rocks the soul. Blessings to you and family.
This is probably my favorite song of all time. Thanks for the video brother.
Adam I hope you continue to make the memories with your family, life goes by very fast and they grow up and move onto their own lives, which is what you want but you miss the time you had with them as kids. Now I tell kids to have their kids young and have more than they can afford, and enjoy life with them while you are also young. Great song, it has a real pull to it.
I had the same experience with this song. I liked it when it came out, it seemed a little haunting, ready to expose deeper secrets. Now it resonates deeply within me; the words, the instruments... they pull my emotions up from those deep, secret places and give them expression. Thank you, Prof, for sharing how moved you also are by this song!
Mick Hucknall and simply red created a very unique sound combining retro soul , jazz and modern 80s pop all coming together to create some powerful and moving music on all 3 of their 80s albums picture book, men and women, and a new flame songs such as enough, more, suffer, come to my aid, no direction and infidelity show off Mick's incredible vocal range from all 3 of these classic albums
Great song and back story! Music has been my therapy since I was a little child. I grew up with a neglectful, abusive father and singing was my way of releasing my pain, and it remains so even today. I had an awesome mom so I can't image what Mick went through. You can feel the pain in his vocals. It's mind blowing that he wrote this song at seventeen.
Thanks for being willing to share. Peace...
Thanks, professor. One of the things I enjoy most about your show is the stories you share about you and your father. Love them. There's something special about music that brings us all together. One of my only fond memories of my father were the times he would play his accordion and sing. Unfortunately, those times were rare, but I guess that's what made them even more special.
I am so sorry, Ted. Hope you are in a better place now.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 - Thanks. Unfortunately, when I was young, many kids had a similar situation to me, some worst than me. I was blessed with the best mother a kid could hope for. I'm in a great place now and have been for many years. I have had a blessed life, married to a wonderful woman, and we have 5 beautiful children. I understand my father much better since I became a father. He had his on rough childhood and was a young child during the great depression. Music got me through the rough times, especially Casey Kasem's show. That's one of the reasons I love The Professor of Rock's channel so much. Probably given you too much info, but thanks for asking.
“WOW” This song speaks for many whom have a close connection to our younger experiences of life .
"Holding Back the Years" ages like fine wine and only gets better with time.
I bought the album and loved it. His pre-raphaelite style and originality was so refreshingly different at the time. And what a voice.
I had a friend that would send me new music from the UK. Picture book was one of them just because it was so different than anything coming out at that time. The entire album was incredible, but Holding grabbed my heart and never let go! It was almost a year later that I heard it on the radio. There were a couple of track from that album released as well. Such as Money’s Too Tight to Mention, Look At You Now and Jericho. They didn’t do as well but Money made the top 40 for a bit. Still one of my favorite albums to this day and been a fan ever since.
My sons were your age at this time the song was released. I loved it and thought it was amazing. Truly Appreciate your interpretation of the story behind the song and how it has affected you over the years. Really enjoy your program.
It's really rare that a song comes out that's so absolutely sublime and perfect in arrangement & vocals that no one should ever try to cover it.
Holding Back the Years is one of those songs.
Anyone who attempts to do a cover will NEVER be able to capture what Mick Hucknall and Simply Red did on that song.
It is one of those rare 'perfect' songs.
There are few "perfect" songs. Hotel California, Bohemian Rhapsody, The things we do for love, Don't look back (Boston) are a few others
I've always liked this song and reconnected with it through Spotify and RUclips. Thanks for filling in the story of this song and artists.
Another great 80s song that brings back memories!
This song moved me as much as any song ever did...and it still does. The score, lyrics and Nick's unbelievable voice hits the trifecta. The song haunts me every time I hear it.
So haunting.
His voice is soaring.
Holding Back the Years oh Sunrise You Make Me Feel Brand New. #POR Have a great one everybody, from Tampa Florida...
Be safe during the hurricane, friend.
Be safe out there my friend!
Rock on Michael 🤘
I used to get choked up listening and singing this song was a kid, and i really had no idea what it was about. Music has such an amazing power to pluck emotional strings!
When I first heard this song long ago on the radio, I had to pull off the road, I was crying so hard. I experienced abuse and loneliness as a child and it haunted my life. This song was like finding a long lost friend and sharing our grief.
Honor and Respect 🪶
Greetings from Unceded Timucua Territory
I get chills every time I hear this song, the Soundtrack of my 20's.
This song has so much more meaning to me now. I’ve always loved this song and you’re right, you can really only listen to it with complete silence.
That is a deep back story. And it is a beautiful song.
17! I had no idea. This is one of my favorite songs. The melancholy is palpable.
ISn't that amazing. That he could write such a personal mature song at such a young age. Wow!
It’s incredible, right?
Love his voice. If You Don't Know Me By Now is also very close to my heart. I was a foster kid and the words mean even more to me learning of his past.
I think you made me relove a song I already loved to begin with. I’m not sure, but am I glued to this story because it was a take on this song that I didn’t know, or was your telling of it so well spoken. Brother, I’ve been listening to your channel for a short time but I love listening to your story telling more and more. ❤
So sad for that little 3 yr old boy. I wish EVERY child had decent, responsible, loving parents.
So many songwriters have been gifted enough to take pain and turn it into something beautiful. Gustav Mahler is one of my favorite composers, after the death of his daughter, he wrote his best works. James Taylor was another who turned pain and suffering into beauty.
Also, if I'm not mistaken Huey Lewis helped Bruce Hornsby in his career. Wonderful episode, Prof
Yes he did. I know Huey personally and he's as good a guy as there is out there...
@@ProfessorofRockso nice to hear about the "good guys". There are so many that won't give up and comers the time of day.
Fire and Rain is one of the best examples of this.
This is one of the most powerful songs ever written
Amen!
Definitely part of the question.
I have really loved this song since the first time I heard it. I wasn't aware of the back-story until today. Amazing. But I have to add, your heartfelt and deeply introspective analysis resonated deeply within me. You eloquently, more than in any other review I have watched by you, expressed exactly the relevance of the song in your, mine and, I'm sure, many, many other's lives. Thank you for that and thank you, young Mr. Hucknall, for writing and singing such a wonderful song!
A song that can get to that place in you every..single..time you hear it is a very special thing.
I graduated HS in 1985, in Miami. Music was a HUGE part of my life for all those years. All the music you showcased on this episode bring back memories. Every song used to carry with a specific feeling or emotion, based on what was going on in my life. Simply Red was one of those bands that got a lot of play among my friends. Simply Red was a great band.
My husband and I grew up in Miami. He graduated from Southwest HS in 1978. I graduated in 1979. Miami Vice was filmed near the Coast Guard base where he was stationed after high school. There was no better place to be than Miami in the sixties, seventies and eighties!
I would have liked to have heard more about the teacher and what their thoughts were about the writing at the time in class, as well as when it became a hit. Great story though and great telling of that story, as always! Good job!
Simply Red gave us some of my favorite songs of the era, so good to get some background on Mick. ❤
If you've ever ran to the cornerstore to find a copy of the Music Rags to find news of your favorite band, you're going to love this channel.
😊
It was, and is, timeless. Perfectly done tribute 💯