Who put out the hit single "If You Don't Know Be By Now" in 1989?

Simply Red put out the hit single “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” in 1989.

The song was originally written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in 1972. Simply Red’s version was a polished pop-soul reinterpretation led by singer Mick Hucknall, whose expressive vocal became one of the band’s defining sounds.

The 1989 recording appeared as the second single from Simply Red’s third studio album, A New Flame. It became a major international success, reaching No. 1 in several countries and peaking at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A common mix-up is answering Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. That answer is correct for the original hit, but the question specifies the 1989 release, which refers to Simply Red’s cover version.