Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Other commercially successful singles include "Promised You a Miracle" (1982), "Glittering Prize" (1982), "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" (1982), "Waterfront" (1983), "Alive and Kicking" (1985), "Sanctify Yourself" (1986), "Let There Be Love" (1991), "See the Lights" (1991), and the UK number one single "Belfast Child" (1989).
Simple Minds
Johnny & the Self-Abusers (1977)
Glasgow, Scotland
1977–present
- Jim Kerr
- Charlie Burchill
- Ged Grimes
- Sarah Brown
- Gordy Goudie
- Cherisse Osei
- Erik Ljunggren
See Former members
Simple Minds have achieved 24 top 40 singles on the UK Singles Chart, and 23 top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart,[5] including five number one albums:[6] Sparkle in the Rain (1984), Once Upon a Time (1985), Live in the City of Light (1987), Street Fighting Years (1989), and Glittering Prize 81/92 (1992).[5] They have sold more than 60 million albums worldwide,[7] and were the most commercially successful Scottish band of the 1980s.[8] Simple Minds have had chart success in the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, Italy and New Zealand.[6] Despite various personnel changes, they continue to record and tour.
In 2014, Simple Minds were awarded the Q Inspiration Award for their contribution to the music industry and an Ivor Novello Award in 2016 for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors (BASCA).[9] Other notable recognitions include nominations for both the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction and MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" in 1985, nomination for the Brit Award for British Group in 1986 and for the American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group in 1987.[10] "Belfast Child" was nominated for the Song of the Year at the Brit Awards 1990.
Singer Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill are the two members who have been with the band throughout its whole history. The other current band members are bassist Ged Grimes, drummer Cherisse Osei, backing singer Sarah Brown, guitarist and keyboardist Gordy Goudie and keyboardist Erik Ljunggren. Notable former members include keyboardist Mick MacNeil, bassists Derek Forbes and John Giblin and drummers Brian McGee and Mel Gaynor.[11]
History[edit]
Early years (1977–1979)[edit]
The roots of Simple Minds are in the short-lived punk band Johnny & The Self-Abusers, founded on the South Side of Glasgow in early 1977.[11] The band was conceived (initially as an imaginary band) by would-be Glasgow scene-maker Alan Cairnduff, although he left the job of organising the band to his friend John Milarky. At Cairnduff's suggestion, Milarky teamed up with two musicians he had never worked with before – budding singer and lyricist Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill. Kerr and Burchill had known each other since the age of eight. After joining Johnny & The Self-Abusers, they brought in two of their school friends, Brian McGee on drums and Tony Donald on bass (all four had previously played together in the schoolboy band Biba-Rom!) With Milarky established as singer, guitarist and saxophonist, the line-up was completed by his friend Allan McNeill as third guitarist. Kerr and Burchill also doubled on keyboards and violin respectively. In common with the early punk bands, various members took on stage names—Milarky became "Johnnie Plague", Kerr became "Pripton Weird", McNeill chose "Sid Syphilis" and Burchill chose "Charlie Argue".
Johnny & The Self-Abusers played their first gig on Easter Monday, 11 April 1977, at the Doune Castle pub in Glasgow. The band played support to rising punk stars Generation X in Edinburgh two weeks later. The band went on to play a summer of concerts in Glasgow, but soon split into two factions, with Milarky and McNeill on one side and Kerr, Donald, Burchill and McGee on the other: at the same time, Milarky's compositions were being edged out in favour of those of Kerr and Burchill. In November 1977, Johnny & The Self-Abusers released its only single, "Saints and Sinners", on Chiswick Records (which was dismissed as being "rank and file" in a Melody Maker review). The band split on the same day that the single was released, with Milarky and McNeill going on to form The Cuban Heels. Ditching the stage names and the overt punkiness, the remaining members continued together as Simple Minds (naming themselves after a David Bowie lyric from his song "Jean Genie",[12] making their very first performance at Glasgow's Satellite City on 17 January 1978.[13]
In January 1978, Simple Minds recruited Duncan Barnwell as a second guitarist (allowing for an optional two-guitar line-up while also enabling Burchill to play violin). Meanwhile, Kerr had abandoned keyboards to concentrate entirely on vocals. In March 1978, Kerr, Burchill, Donald, Barnwell and McGee were joined by the Barra-born keyboard player Mick MacNeil. The band got a residency at the Mars Bar in Glasgow and played various other venues in Scotland[14] and rapidly established a reputation as an exciting live act (usually performing in full makeup). Tony Donald quit in April 1978 and was replaced by Duncan Barnwell's friend Derek Forbes (formerly the bass player with The Subs). In May 1978 Simple Minds recorded their first demo tape, including "Chelsea Girl" and some other tracks that would appear on their debut album.[15]
The group were turned down by record companies, but gained a management deal with Bruce Findlay, owner of the Bruce's Records chain of record shops and the Zoom Records label.[15] Championed by his journalist friend Brian Hogg, Findlay was persuaded to sign Simple Minds to his Zoom label which had a licensing deal with Arista Records.[15] In November 1978, Barnwell was ousted from the band.[15] The remaining quintet of Kerr, Burchill, MacNeil, Forbes and McGee began rehearsing the set of Kerr/Burchill-written songs which appear on their debut album.[15]
Initial albums (1979–1980)[edit]
On 27 March 1979 the band made their first television appearance, performing the songs "Chelsea Girl" and "Life in a Day" on BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test.[16] The first Simple Minds album, Life in a Day, was produced by John Leckie and released by Zoom Records in April 1979. The album's title track "Life in a Day" was released as Simple Minds' first single and reached No. 62 in the UK Singles Chart, with the album reaching No. 30 in the UK Albums Chart.[11] In April/May 1979 they made their first UK tour as supporting act for Magazine, who were a major influence on them at the time.[17]
In June 1979 "Chelsea Girl" was released as the second single from the album, failing to reach the chart, while the band continued to tour the UK on their own.[18] In September 1979 Simple Minds recorded their next album, Real to Real Cacophony at Rockfield Studios with producer John Leckie . The songs were mostly conceived in the studio and was a significant departure from the pop tunes of Life in a Day.[11] The album had a darker and more experimental atmosphere, announcing some of the new wave experimentation that became the band's trademark sound over the next two albums. The band began their "Real to Real Cacophony Tour" in Germany and also made a short visit to New York in October 1979.[19] Their performance of the songs "Premonition", "Factory" and "Changeling" at Hurrah was filmed for The Old Grey Whistle Test.[20]
Real to Real Cacophony was released in November 1979. While the band got little marketing support from their record company Arista, who didn't liked the album, it received critical acclaim.[18] The release was followed by their third UK tour of the year and a BBC session for John Peel in December.[18] In January 1980 "Changeling" was released as the only single from Real to Real Cacophony, failing to make an impression on the charts.[21] In March they supported Gary Numan on a couple of gigs, and continued their Real to Real Cacophony Tour until June 1980 with dates mainly in Germany, France and the Netherlands.[22] In June 1980 Simple Minds entered the studio to record their next album, again with producer John Leckie at Rockfield Studios.[18] The band again had a new approach to their music that differed from the previous album, this time aiming for a more repetitive, dance-orientated sound inspired by disco music they had heard in nightclubs while touring Europe.[23]
Empires and Dance was released in September 1980.[11] Many of the tracks were minimal and featured a significant use of sequencing. McNeil's keyboards and Forbes' bass became the main melodic elements in the band's sound, with Burchill's heavily processed guitar becoming more of a textural element. With this album, Kerr began to experiment with non-narrative lyrics based on observations he had made as the band travelled across Europe on tour. While a modest commercial success, Empires and Dance received enthusiastic response in the British music press[24] Simple Minds had caught the attention of Peter Gabriel who selected them as the opening act on several dates of his European tour starting in August 1980.[25] The tour as support act for Peter Gabriel gave the band the opportunity to play at bigger venues.[25] Empires and Dance peaked at no.41 on the UK Albums Chart and dropped out of the chart after three weeks.[26] The band's manager Bruce Findlay later blamed Arista for poor handling of the album and it not being more commercially successful. Initially Arista only released 7500 copies of the album.[27] Furthermore, Arista did not release a single to promote the album. "I Travel" was not released as a single until October to promote the Empires and Dance tour. The single sold poorly and did not reach the UK chart. But the 12" version became popular in the US club scene and, based on import sales only, entered the Billboard Disco Chart at no.80 in early 1981.[28] "I Travel" was subsequently reissued twice in the UK, but again failed to reach the singles chart.
The release dates are the original ones and the formats mentioned are the most recent versions officially available (not necessarily the original release formats).