Take Two
Holding Back The Years
Holding Back The Years is a beautiful song by Mick Hucknall (Simply Red) from his 1985 Picture Book album. Mick Hucknall's distinctive voice enhanced the song and although he has not been seen as a Jazz vocalist he did perform the song at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1992.
Apparently Mick wrote the song when he was seventeen while living at his father's house. In a 2018 interview, he said the song was inspired by a member of the teaching staff at Manchester School Of Art, where he was a fine-art student. The lecturer suggested the greatest paintings are produced when the artist is working in a stream of consciousness, which Hucknall then tried to apply to songwriting. We read here that Mick's mother left the family when he was three: "the upheaval caused by this event inspired him to write the song. However, according to Hucknall, he did not realise what the song was about until it was finished: he characterised it as a song "about that moment where you know you have to leave home and make your mark, but the outside world is scary. So you’re holding back the years". He said that the line "Strangled by the wishes of pater" was inspired by arguments he had with his father: according to Hucknall, the two clashed often during his teenage years "because there was no woman to act as referee".
Holding back the years
Thinking of the fear I've had so long
When somebody hears
Listen to the fear that's gone
Strangled by the wishes of pater
Hoping for the arms of mater
Get to me the sooner or later
Our first jazz interpretation of the song is by the Australian James Fox Higgins Band with James Fox Higgins (vocals, keyboards); Chris Frazier (bass); Joel Warden (drums) and Ben Ackland (guitar)
Holding back the years
Chance for me to escape from all I've known
Holding back the tears
Cause nothing here has grown
I've wasted all my tears
Wasted all those years
And nothing had the chance to be good
Nothing ever could
I'll keep holding on
Our second take - and this is quite a different approach - is taken by American jazz vocalist Gretchen Parlato. Here she is singing Holding Back The Years at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2012.
Holding Back The Years was first performed by Mick Huchall's first group, the Frantic Elevators. The song's "I'll keep holding on" chorus was not added until many years later, after the band had split and Hucknall had formed Simply Red. The line has now become an essential part of the lyrics,
I'll keep holding on
I'll keep holding on
That's all I have today
That's all I have to say