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Sign Up Now‘Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)’ was Simply Red’s first ever single that launched the band in May 1985.
40 years on, the ‘Recollections’ version of the track sounds better than ever – newly recorded through a 2025 lens, but remaining faithful to the original that started it all for the band.
John Valentine / William Valentine (EMI Music Publishing Ltd)
Vocals – Mick Hucknall
Drums – Roman Roth
Bass – Oscar Golding
Guitar – Kenji Suzuki
Keyboards – Sam Swallow
Backing Vocals – Sarah Brown, Dee Johnson and Kevin Robinson
Percussion – Gavin Goldberg
Additional Keyboards – Ian Kirkham
Programming – Andy Wright and Gavin Goldberg
Produced by Andy Wright
Mixed by Gavin Goldberg, assisted by Gavin Dean at Eastcote Studios
Mastered by Adrian Hall
I been laid off from work
My rent is due
My kids all need
Brand new shoes
So I went to the bank
To see what they could do
They said son – looks like bad luck
Got-a hold on you
Chorus:
Money’s too tight to mention
I can’t get an un-em-ploy-ment ex-ten-sion
Money’s too tight to mention
I went to my brother
To see what he could do –
He said bro-ther like to help you
But I’m unable to
So I called on my fa-ther fa-ther
Oh my fa-ther
He said
Chorus:
Money’s too tight to mention
Oh mo-ney mo-ney mo-ney mon-ey
Mo-ney’s too tight to mention
I can’t even qual-i-fy for my pension
We talk a-bout rea-gan-on-ics
Oh lord down in the con-gress
They’re passing all kinds – of bills
From down cap-it-ol hill – (we’ve tried them)
Chorus:
Money’s too tight to mention
(spoken) cut-back!
Mo-ney mo-ney mo-ney mon-ey
We’re talk-in’ a-bout mon-ey mon-ey
We’re talk-in’ a-bout mon-ey mon-ey
We’re talk-in’ ‘bout the dollar bill
Now what are we all to do
When the mon-ey’s got a hold on you?
Mo-ney’s too tight to mention
Oh mon-ey mon-ey mon-ey mon-ey
Mo-ney’s too tight to mention
A-mero – mon-ey oh yeah
We’re talk-in’ a-bout mon-ey mon-ey
We’re talk-in’ a-bout mon-ey mon-ey
We’re talk-in’ a-bout mon-ey mon-ey
We’re talk-in’ a-bout mon-ey mon-ey…
With ‘Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)’ we were all taken by surprise. I’ve been living on the dole in Moss Side for about four years and not getting anywhere. And then all of a sudden we get this record deal, and [‘Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)’] is an immediate hit and it’s a hit all over Europe. It was just like a dream, it was amazing. None of us could believe it.
Listen to the new recording of Money’s Too Tight (To Mention).
Simply Red’s latest release, ‘Recollections’, features 40 new recordings of Simply Red classic songs, to celebrate their incredible 40 year legacy.
The album includes beautiful but faithful versions of ‘Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)’, ‘Holding Back The Years’, ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’, ‘Stars’, ‘Fairground’ and 35 other fan favourites.
‘Recollections’ is available in three physical formats – a 4 LP vinyl, a 3 CD (both featuring all 40 tracks), and a cut-down double vinyl featuring 20 of their top tracks. All formats include a special booklet containing iconic and rare photos from 1985 onwards.