Tuesday May 6, 03:12 PM

Hucknall eager to escape "prison" of Simply Red

MILAN (Reuters) - Mick Hucknall, lead singer of Simply Red, said before the group's planned 2009 breakup that the pop band has become "a prison" for him.

"After 25 years, I don't have any more ideas in my head for the group," Hucknall told a small group of reporters while on tour to promote his solo album.

"The radio ... expects a certain type of sound (from Simply Red). For me it's a prison; in my head I am a different artist," Hucknall said, speaking in Italian.

Hucknall said in October 2007 that the group planned to split up in 2009, its 25th anniversary year.

Sceptics viewed the announcement as a publicity stunt, noting that Simply Red has consisted of many members over the years and is essentially the brand name for Hucknall's musical output.

On Monday, he said the name would cease to be used as of 2010 and that he would do something different with the band's musicians.

"I want to change, to do something a little more gospel, more aggressive, more physical," he explained.

His solo album, "Tribute to Bobby," will be released on May 16. On it Hucknall reworks 12 songs from the 1960s by blues singer Bobby Bland.

"I hope people will rediscover the music of Bobby, who is in my personal top 10, because he's a great singer," Hucknall said.

The disc is accompanied by a DVD featuring Van Morrison, B.B. King and Quincy Jones.

Hucknall, whose solo tour includes a stop in Rome, has also been working since 2001 on producing wine on the slopes of Mount Etna, Sicily's famous volcano.

"It's a unique project, because it will introduce a new wine onto the market," said Hucknall, who is also an ambassador for Bordeaux wines. The Etna wine went on sale in 2007 and is distributed by Teatro del Vino.

Reuters/Nielsen