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Simple MindsSimple Minds is 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 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. 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 was originally offered to Billy Idol, but he declined). 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. Most recently, they released Cry in 2002 (2002 in music). Discography of Albums - 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)
Detailed Discography of Albums Albums 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
Napolis (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
Compilations - 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
Bootlegs - Summertime in Glasgow (1985)
- Live in USA (1995)
Hit singles - 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)
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