"Fairground" is a song by British soul and pop band Simply Red, released on 18 September 1995 as the first single from their fifth album, Life (1995). Co-written and co-produced by frontman Mick Hucknall, it makes extensive use of a sample of Dutch duo the Goodmen's 1993 hit "Give It Up". It became Simply Red's first and only 1 single on the UK Singles Chart, staying at the top for four weeks in September and October 1995, and was also a chart hit in mainland Europe and Australia but failed to generate long-term success in North America. Background and release When "Fairground" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, it had already been released to UK radio stations for almost a month, via satellite with the first promotional copies following a few days later. The single was placed in heavy rotation on top-40 radio stations, which resulted in it reaching the top of the airplay charts. When the single was released to the public on 18 September 1995, it had already been the most played record on British radio. Composition Producer Andy Wright has said that for "Fairground", Mick Hucknall wanted to do a Brazilian, carnival-style track. Whilst Mick was at the dentist for two hours, Andy had the idea to sample a record that he knew of: "Give It Up" by the Goodmen, which in turn samples "Fanfarra (Cabua-le-le)" by Sérgio Mendes. To round out the track, Fritz McIntyre played the house-style piano element, Ian Kirkham used the EWI (electronic wind instrument) to play the clarinet-style part, and Andy Wright made the wobbly, dreamy sound heard in the verses. Critical reception Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet noted the "hot rhythms and odd harmonies" of the song, adding that the album "would have needed even more such songs". AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann said that Mick Hucknall "opts for a Latin-tinged sound that ends up evoking Herb Alpert more than Milton Nascimento". Another editor, Jon O'Brien deemed the song "a mesmerizing fusion of tribal rhythms and ambient chillout pop". Larry Flick from Billboard described it as an "expectedly romantic soul tune", adding that "fueled by his now instantly familiar voice, the track combines old-school warmth with street-smart percussion that is largely derived from samples of "Give It Up" by the Goodmen. At the core are wonderfully soothing lyrics and a melody that permanently sticks to the brain upon impact." Tom Ewing of