Simple Minds are a Scottish New Wave pop band, known mostly for their output in the 1980s. In spite of great commercial success in Europe, they were never able to break into mainstream United States, where they are known primarily for one song, "Don't You (Forget About Me)".
After one unsuccessful single as Johnny & The Self Abusers, Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr formed the band in 1978 (1978 in music), along with Brian McGee and Tony Donald. Keyboard and synthesizer player, Mick MacNeil, was also recruited at this time. Drummer Mel Gaynor later joined the band. The band's name was taken from a line in the David Bowie track Jean Genie: "...so simple-minded, he can't drive his module".
Their initial recordings, such as Reel to Real Cacophony and Empires and Dance were critically acclaimed, though sales were slow until the band moved towards a more pop-oriented sound, beginning with the Steve Hillage-produced Sons and Fascination (1981 in music). Their early work and a number of experimental pieces subsequently were heavily inspired by Kraftwerk.
By 1984 (1984 in music), due to their much more accessible releases New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) and Sparkle in the Rain, as well as a number of UK charting singles, Simple Minds had gained a widespread fanbase, setting the stage for their breakthrough "Don't You (Forget About Me)". This song, written by J. Forsey, was originally offered to Billy Idol, but he declined. As the only Simple Minds release not to have been written by Kerr and Burchill, it is ironic that this became their biggest and most memorable hit. The song quickly became an American chart-topper, the only one Simple Minds would ever achieve there, as a result of its use in the popular film The Breakfast Club. It was initially less popular outside of the US, but soon became a top-selling hit across the world, as was the next album, Once Upon a Time (which did not include that song). After a live album, Simple Minds, in an attempt to regain critical acceptance, released the unabashedly political and un-pop Street Fighting Years to positive reviews but relatively poor sales. However the band did score their only number one UK singles hit from this album with Belfast Child, a reworking of the folk song She Moved Through The Fair. By the time the band returned with Real Life (1991 in music), synth-pop was no longer popular and they have since released albums to a dwindling audience. (Keyboardist Mick MacNeil left the group in 1989.) Most recently, they released Cry in 2002 (2002 in music).Their new album will be out in September 2005, entitled Black and White.
Life in a Day (1979)
Real to Real Cacophony (1979)
Empires and Dance (1980)
Sons and Fascination (1981)
Sister Feelings Call (1981)
Themes for Great Cities (1981)
Celebration (1982)
New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) (1982)
Sparkle in the Rain (1984)
Once Upon a Time (1985)
Live in the City of Light (1987)
Street Fighting Years (1989)
Real Life (1991)
Glittering Prize 81/92 (1992) (Greatest Hits compilation)
Good News from the Next World (1995)
The Promised (1997)
Neapolis (1998)
The Early Years (1998) (compilation)
Neon Lights (2001)
The Best of Simple Minds (2001) (compilation)
Cry (2002)
Black and White (to be released September 5, 2005)
Life In A Day (1979) UK #30
Someone
Life in a day
Sad affair
All for you
Pleasantly disturbed
No cure
Chelsea girl
Wasteland
Destiny
Murder story
Real To Real Cacophony (1979)
Real to real
Naked eye
Citizen (Dance of youth)
Carnival (Shelter in a suitcase)
Factory
Cacophony
Veldt
Premonition
Changelin
Film theme
Calling your name
Scar
Empires And Dance (1980) UK #41
I Travel
Today I Died Again
Celebrate
This Fear Of Gods
Capital City
Constantinople Line
Twist - Run - Repulsion
Thirty Frames A Second
Kant-Kino
Room
Sons And Fascination (Sept. 1981) UK #11
In trance as mission
Sweat in bullet
70 cities as love brings the fall
Boys from Brazil
Love song
This earth that you walk upon
Sons and fascination
Seeing out the angel
Sister Feelings Call (Sept. 1981) UK #11
Theme from great cities
The American
20th century promised land
Wonderful in young life
League of nations
Careful in career
Sound in 70 cities
New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) (1982) UK #3
Someone somewhere in summertime
Colours fly & Catherine wheel
Promised you a miracle
Big sleep
Somebody up there likes you
New gold dream (81, 31, 83, 84)
Glittering prize
Hunter & the hunted
King is white & in the crowd
Sparkle In The Rain (1984) UK #1
Up on the Catwalk
Book of Brilliant Things
Speed Your Love to Me
Waterfront
East at Easter
Street Hassle
White Hot Day
"C" Moon Cry Like a Baby
Kick Inside of Me
Shake Off the Ghosts
Once Upon A Time (1985) UK #1
Once Upon A Time
All The Things She Said
Ghost Dancing
Alive And Kicking
Oh Jungleland
I Wish You Were Here
Sanctify Yourself
Come A Long Way
In the City of Light (live 1987) UK #1
Ghostdancing
Big Sleep
Waterfront
Promised You A Miracle
Someone Somewhere In Summertime
Oh Jungleland
Alive And Kicking
Don't You (Forget About Me)
Once Upon A Time
Book Of Brilliant Things
East At Easter
Sanctify Yourself
Love Song/Sun City/Dance To The Music
New Gold Dream
Street Fighting Years (1989) UK #1
Street fighting years
Soul crying out
Wall of love
This is your land
Take a step back
Kick it in
Let it all come down
Mandela day
Belfast child
Biko
When spirits rise
Real Life (1991) UK #2
Real life
See the lights
Let there be love
Woman
Stand by love
Let the children speak
African skies
Ghostrider
Banging on the door I
Banging on the door II
Travelling man
Rivers of ice
When two worlds collide
Good News From The Next World (1995) UK #2
She's a river
Night music
Hypnosed
Great leap forward
7 deadly sins
And the band played on
My life
Criminal world
This time
Néapolis (1998) UK #19
Song for the tribes
Glitterball
War babies
Tears of a guy
Superman v supersoul
Lightning
If I had wings
Killing Andy Warhol
Androgyny
Neon Lights (2001)
Gloria (Van Morrison)
The Man Who Sold The World (David Bowie)
Homosapien (Pete Shelley, Buzzcocks)
Dancing Barefoot (Patti Smith)
Neon Lights (Kraftwerk)
Hello I Love You (The Doors)
Bring On The Dancing Horses (Echo & The Bunnymen)
Needle & The Damage Done (Neil Young)
For Your Pleasure (Roxy Music)
All Tomorrows Party (Velvet Underground)
Cry (2002)
Cry
Spaceface
New Sunshine Morning
One Step Closer
Face in the Sun
Disconnected
Lazy Lately
Sugar
Sleeping Girl
Cry Again
Slave Nation
Floating Wold
Our Secrets Are The Same (2002)
Swimming Towards The Sun
Jeweller To The Stars
Space
Death By Chocolate
Waiting For the End Of The World
Neon City Cowboys
She Knows
Hello
Happy Is The Man
Sleeping
Celebration (1982), UK #45
Glittering Price 81/92 (1992), UK #1
The Promised (1997)
The Early Years (1998)
The Best of Simple Minds (2001), UK #34
Summertime in Glasgow (1985)
Live in USA (1995)
1979 "Life In A Day" #62 UK
1981 "The American" #59 UK
1981 "Love Song" #47 UK
1981 "Sweat In A Bullet #52 UK
1982 "Promised You a Miracle" #13 UK
1982 "Glittering Prize" #16 UK
1982 "Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)" #36 UK
1983 "Waterfront" #13 UK
1984 "Speed Your Love to Me" #20 UK
1984 "Up on the Catwalk" #27 UK
1985 "Don't You (Forget about Me)" #7 UK; #1 US
1985 "Alive and Kicking" #7 UK; #3 US
1986 "Sanctify Yourself" #10 UK; #14 US
1986 "All the Things She Said" #9 UK; #28 US
1986 "Ghostdancing" #13 UK
1987 "Promised You a Miracle" #19 UK
1989 "Belfast Child" #1 UK
1989 "This Is Your Land" #13 UK
1989 "Kick It In" #15 UK
1989 "The Amsterdam EP" #18 UK (Sign Of The Times,Jerusalem & Let It All Come Down)
1991 "Let There Be Love" #6 UK
1991 "See the Lights" #20 UK; #40 US
1991 "Stand By Love" #13 UK
1991 "Real Life" #34 UK
1992 "Love Song/Alive and Kicking" (re-issue) #6 UK
1995 "She's a River" #5 UK
1995 "Hypnotised" #18 UK
1998 "Glitterball" #18 UK
1998 "War Babies" #43 UK
2002 "Cry" #47 UK
2002 "Monster" #67 UK (Liquid People vs Simple Minds)
Official Simple Minds site
Dream Giver Redux
After one unsuccessful single as Johnny & The Self Abusers, Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr formed the band in 1978 (1978 in music), along with Brian McGee and Tony Donald. Keyboard and synthesizer player, Mick MacNeil, was also recruited at this time. Drummer Mel Gaynor later joined the band. The band's name was taken from a line in the David Bowie track Jean Genie: "...so simple-minded, he can't drive his module".
Their initial recordings, such as Reel to Real Cacophony and Empires and Dance were critically acclaimed, though sales were slow until the band moved towards a more pop-oriented sound, beginning with the Steve Hillage-produced Sons and Fascination (1981 in music). Their early work and a number of experimental pieces subsequently were heavily inspired by Kraftwerk.
By 1984 (1984 in music), due to their much more accessible releases New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) and Sparkle in the Rain, as well as a number of UK charting singles, Simple Minds had gained a widespread fanbase, setting the stage for their breakthrough "Don't You (Forget About Me)". This song, written by J. Forsey, was originally offered to Billy Idol, but he declined. As the only Simple Minds release not to have been written by Kerr and Burchill, it is ironic that this became their biggest and most memorable hit. The song quickly became an American chart-topper, the only one Simple Minds would ever achieve there, as a result of its use in the popular film The Breakfast Club. It was initially less popular outside of the US, but soon became a top-selling hit across the world, as was the next album, Once Upon a Time (which did not include that song). After a live album, Simple Minds, in an attempt to regain critical acceptance, released the unabashedly political and un-pop Street Fighting Years to positive reviews but relatively poor sales. However the band did score their only number one UK singles hit from this album with Belfast Child, a reworking of the folk song She Moved Through The Fair. By the time the band returned with Real Life (1991 in music), synth-pop was no longer popular and they have since released albums to a dwindling audience. (Keyboardist Mick MacNeil left the group in 1989.) Most recently, they released Cry in 2002 (2002 in music).Their new album will be out in September 2005, entitled Black and White.
Discography of Albums
Detailed Discography of Albums
Albums
Life In A Day (1979) UK #30
Real To Real Cacophony (1979)
Empires And Dance (1980) UK #41
Sons And Fascination (Sept. 1981) UK #11
Sister Feelings Call (Sept. 1981) UK #11
New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) (1982) UK #3
Sparkle In The Rain (1984) UK #1
Once Upon A Time (1985) UK #1
In the City of Light (live 1987) UK #1
Street Fighting Years (1989) UK #1
Real Life (1991) UK #2
Good News From The Next World (1995) UK #2
Néapolis (1998) UK #19
Neon Lights (2001)
Cry (2002)
Our Secrets Are The Same (2002)