Simple Minds

Simple 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

  1. Someone
  2. Life in a day
  3. Sad affair
  4. All for you
  5. Pleasantly disturbed
  6. No cure
  7. Chelsea girl
  8. Wasteland
  9. Destiny
  10. Murder story

Real To Real Cacophony (1979)

  1. Real to real
  2. Naked eye
  3. Citizen (Dance of youth)
  4. Carnival (Shelter in a suitcase)
  5. Factory
  6. Cacophony
  7. Veldt
  8. Premonition
  9. Changelin
  10. Film theme
  11. Calling your name
  12. Scar

Empires And Dance (1980) UK #41

  1. I Travel
  2. Today I Died Again
  3. Celebrate
  4. This Fear Of Gods
  5. Capital City
  6. Constantinople Line
  7. Twist - Run - Repulsion
  8. Thirty Frames A Second
  9. Kant-Kino
  10. Room

Sons And Fascination (Sept. 1981) UK #11

  1. In trance as mission
  2. Sweat in bullet
  3. 70 cities as love brings the fall
  4. Boys from Brazil
  5. Love song
  6. This earth that you walk upon
  7. Sons and fascination
  8. Seeing out the angel

Sister Feelings Call (Sept. 1981) UK #11

  1. Theme from great cities
  2. The American
  3. 20th century promised land
  4. Wonderful in young life
  5. League of nations
  6. Careful in career
  7. Sound in 70 cities

New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) (1982) UK #3

  1. Someone somewhere in summertime
  2. Colours fly & Catherine wheel
  3. Promised you a miracle
  4. Big sleep
  5. Somebody up there likes you
  6. New gold dream (81, 31, 83, 84)
  7. Glittering prize
  8. Hunter & the hunted
  9. King is white & in the crowd

Sparkle In The Rain (1984) UK #1

  1. Up on the Catwalk
  2. Book of Brilliant Things
  3. Speed Your Love to Me
  4. Waterfront
  5. East at Easter
  6. Street Hassle
  7. White Hot Day
  8. "C" Moon Cry Like a Baby
  9. Kick Inside of Me
  10. Shake Off the Ghosts

Once Upon A Time (1985) UK #1

  1. Once Upon A Time
  2. All The Things She Said
  3. Ghost Dancing
  4. Alive And Kicking
  5. Oh Jungleland
  6. I Wish You Were Here
  7. Sanctify Yourself
  8. Come A Long Way

In the City of Light (live 1987) UK #1

  1. Ghostdancing
  2. Big Sleep
  3. Waterfront
  4. Promised You A Miracle
  5. Someone Somewhere In Summertime
  6. Oh Jungleland
  7. Alive And Kicking
  8. Don't You (Forget About Me)
  9. Once Upon A Time
  10. Book Of Brilliant Things
  11. East At Easter
  12. Sanctify Yourself
  13. Love Song/Sun City/Dance To The Music
  14. New Gold Dream

Street Fighting Years (1989) UK #1

  1. Street fighting years
  2. Soul crying out
  3. Wall of love
  4. This is your land
  5. Take a step back
  6. Kick it in
  7. Let it all come down
  8. Mandela day
  9. Belfast child
  10. Biko
  11. When spirits rise

Real Life (1991) UK #2

  1. Real life
  2. See the lights
  3. Let there be love
  4. Woman
  5. Stand by love
  6. Let the children speak
  7. African skies
  8. Ghostrider
  9. Banging on the door I
  10. Banging on the door II
  11. Travelling man
  12. Rivers of ice
  13. When two worlds collide

Good News From The Next World (1995) UK #2

  1. She's a river
  2. Night music
  3. Hypnosed
  4. Great leap forward
  5. 7 deadly sins
  6. And the band played on
  7. My life
  8. Criminal world
  9. This time

Néapolis (1998) UK #19

  1. Song for the tribes
  2. Glitterball
  3. War babies
  4. Tears of a guy
  5. Superman v supersoul
  6. Lightning
  7. If I had wings
  8. Killing Andy Warhol
  9. Androgyny

Neon Lights (2001)

  1. Gloria (Van Morrison)
  2. The Man Who Sold The World (David Bowie)
  3. Homosapien (Pete Shelley, Buzzcocks)
  4. Dancing Barefoot (Patti Smith)
  5. Neon Lights (Kraftwerk)
  6. Hello I Love You (The Doors)
  7. Bring On The Dancing Horses (Echo & The Bunnymen)
  8. Needle & The Damage Done (Neil Young)
  9. For Your Pleasure Roxy Music)
  10. All Tomorrows Party (Velvet Underground)

Cry (2002)

  1. Cry
  2. Spaceface
  3. New Sunshine Morning
  4. One Step Closer
  5. Face in the Sun
  6. Disconnected
  7. Lazy Lately
  8. Sugar
  9. Sleeping Girl
  10. Cry Again
  11. Slave Nation
  12. Floating Wold

Our Secrets Are The Same (2002)

  1. Swimming Towards The Sun
  2. Jeweller To The Stars
  3. Space
  4. Death By Chocolate
  5. Waiting For the End Of The World
  6. Neon City Cowboys
  7. She Knows
  8. Hello
  9. Happy Is The Man
  10. 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)

External Links

  • Official Simple Minds site (http://www.simpleminds.com)
  • Dream Giver Redux (http://www.simpleminds.org/home.htm)

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Our Secrets Are The Same (2002). Stump (with Red Ingle and the Natural Seven) and Darlene Edwards (with Paul Weston using the name Jonathan Edwards). Cry (2002). In addition to the records she made in her own name, Stafford also made comedy records as Cinderella G. Neon Lights (2001). By Weston she had two children, Tim and Amy. Néapolis (1998) UK #19. She had two husbands, John Huddleston (of the original Pied Pipers) and Weston, the latter of whom was also her orchestra leader for most of her career.

Good News From The Next World (1995) UK #2. In 1966, Stafford went into semi-retirement, retiring completely from the music business in 1975 except for one appearance in 1990 to honor Sinatra. Real Life (1991) UK #2. In 1948 Stafford and Gordon MacRae had a million-seller with their version of "Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart" and in 1949 repeated their success with "My Happiness". Street Fighting Years (1989) UK #1. At Columbia, she was the first recording artist to sell twenty-five million records. In the City of Light (live 1987) UK #1. In 1944, Stafford left the Pied Pipers to go solo, doing a lot of performances for military personnel, thus acquiring the nickname "GI Jo." In 1950, she left Capitol for Columbia Records, returning to Capitol in 1961.

Once Upon A Time (1985) UK #1. The couple married in 1952. Sparkle In The Rain (1984) UK #1. Capitol's music director was the same Paul Weston who had been instrumental in introducing Stafford to Dorsey. New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) (1982) UK #3. In 1942, the group had an argument with Dorsey and left, but in 1943 it became one of the first groups signed to Johnny Mercer's new label, Capitol Records. 1981) UK #11. The group also backed Frank Sinatra in some of his early recordings.

Sister Feelings Call (Sept. This led to success for the whole group, but especially for Stafford, who was also featured in solo performances. 1981) UK #11. Half the members of he Pied Pipers Returning to Los Angeles, but they had a difficult time trying to make a living until they got an offer from Dorsey to join his big band 1939. Sons And Fascination (Sept. They stayed in New York for three months, but landed only a single job that paid them just $3.60 each, though they did record four sides for RCA Victor Records. Empires And Dance (1980) UK #41. Dorsey liked them enough to sign them for ten weeks, but after the second broadcast the sponsor heard them and disliked them, firing the group.

Real To Real Cacophony (1979). In 1938, Weston persuaded Dorsey to sign The Pied Pipers for his radio show, and they went to New York for a broadcast date. Life In A Day (1979) UK #30. The group became very popular, working on local radio and movie soundtracks, and caught the attention of two of Tommy Dorsey's arrangers, Axel Stordahl and Paul Weston. Most recently, they released Cry in 2002 (2002 in music). This group consisted of eight members: John Huddleston (who was Stafford's husband at the time), Hal Hooper, Chuck Lowry, Bud Hervey, George Tait, Woody Newbury, and Dick Whittinghill, besides Stafford. 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. When her sisters married, the group broke up and Stafford joined a new vocal group, The Pied Pipers.

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. Originally, she wanted to become an opera singer and studied voice as a child. However, because of the economic Great Depression, she abandoned that idea and joined her sisters Christine and Pauline in a popular vocal group which performed on Los Angeles radio staton KHJ. 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. Stafford was born in Coalinga, California to Grover Cleveland Stafford and Anna York Stafford, a distant cousin of Sergeant Alvin York. 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). Stafford is greatly admired for the purity of her voice and is considered one of the most versatile vocalists of the era. 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. Jo Elizabeth Stafford (born November 12, 1917) is a singer whose career spanned the late 1920s through the early 1960s.

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). Candy. 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. "Whispering Hope". 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". "Say Something Sweet To Your Sweetheart". Drummer Mel Gaynor later joined the band. "My Darling, My Darling".

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. " "A" You're Adorable" (better known version by Perry Como). 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)". "White Christmas" (better known version by Bing Crosby). Simple Minds is a Scottish New Wave pop band, known mostly for their output in the 1980s. "You Belong to Me" (her best-selling hit). Dream Giver Redux (http://www.simpleminds.org/home.htm). "The Things We Did Last Summer".

Official Simple Minds site (http://www.simpleminds.com). "There's No You". 2002 "Monster" #67 UK (Liquid People vs Simple Minds). "That's For Me". 2002 "Cry" #47 UK. "Thank You for Calling". 1998 "War Babies" #43 UK. "Teach Me Tonight" (better known version by The DeCastro Sisters).

1998 "Glitterball" #18 UK. "Symphony". 1995 "Hypnotised" #18 UK. "Suddenly There's a Valley" (better known version by Gogi Grant). 1995 "She's a River" #5 UK. "Some Enchanted Evening" (better known version by Ezio Pinza). 1992 "Love Song/Alive and Kicking" (re-issue) #6 UK. "Shrimp Boats".

1991 "Real Life" #34 UK. "Serenade Of the Bells". 1991 "Stand By Love" #13 UK. "September Song". 1991 "See the Lights" #20 UK; #40 US. "Ragtime Cowboy Joe". 1991 "Let There Be Love" #6 UK. "Out Of This World".

1989 "The Amsterdam EP" #18 UK (Sign Of The Times,Jerusalem & Let It All Come Down). "On London Bridge". 1989 "Kick It In" #15 UK. "No Other Love" (a different song from the one of the same name done by Perry Como). 1989 "This Is Your Land" #13 UK. "Make Love to Me!". 1989 "Belfast Child" #1 UK. "Long Ago (And Far Away)".

1987 "Promised You a Miracle" #19 UK. "Let's Take the Long Way Home". 1986 "Ghostdancing" #13 UK. "The Last Mile Home". 1986 "All the Things She Said" #9 UK; #28 US. "Just One Way To Say I Love You". 1986 "Sanctify Yourself" #10 UK; #14 US. "Jambalaya".

1985 "Alive and Kicking" #7 UK; #3 US. "Ivy". 1985 "Don't You (Forget about Me)" #7 UK; #1 US. "It's Almost Tomorrow" (better known version by The Dream Weavers). 1984 "Up on the Catwalk" #27 UK. "It Could Happen To You". 1984 "Speed Your Love to Me" #20 UK. "Indiscretion".

1983 "Waterfront" #13 UK. "I Love You". 1982 "Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)" #36 UK. "Here I'll Stay". 1982 "Glittering Prize" #16 UK. "Goodnight Irene" (better known version by The Weavers). 1982 "Promised You a Miracle" #13 UK. "Feudin' and Fightin' ".

1981 "Sweat In A Bullet #52 UK. "Early Autumn". 1981 "Love Song" #47 UK. "Day By Day". 1981 "The American" #59 UK. "Black Is The Color". 1979 "Life In A Day" #62 UK. "Allentown Jail".

Live in USA (1995). Download sample of "Basin Street Blues" by Stafford and Frankie Laine. Summertime in Glasgow (1985). The Best of Simple Minds (2001), UK #34. The Early Years (1998).

The Promised (1997). Glittering Price 81/92 (1992), UK #1. Celebration (1982), UK #45. Sleeping.

Happy Is The Man. Hello. She Knows. Neon City Cowboys.

Waiting For the End Of The World. Death By Chocolate. Space. Jeweller To The Stars.

Swimming Towards The Sun. Floating Wold. Slave Nation. Cry Again.

Sleeping Girl. Sugar. Lazy Lately. Disconnected.

Face in the Sun. One Step Closer. New Sunshine Morning. Spaceface.

Cry. All Tomorrows Party (Velvet Underground). For Your Pleasure Roxy Music). Needle & The Damage Done (Neil Young).

Bring On The Dancing Horses (Echo & The Bunnymen). Hello I Love You (The Doors). Neon Lights (Kraftwerk). Dancing Barefoot (Patti Smith).

Homosapien (Pete Shelley, Buzzcocks). The Man Who Sold The World (David Bowie). Gloria (Van Morrison). Androgyny.

Killing Andy Warhol. If I had wings. Lightning. Superman v supersoul.

Tears of a guy. War babies. Glitterball. Song for the tribes.

This time. Criminal world. My life. And the band played on.

7 deadly sins. Great leap forward. Hypnosed. Night music.

She's a river. When two worlds collide. Rivers of ice. Travelling man.

Banging on the door II. Banging on the door I. Ghostrider. African skies.

Let the children speak. Stand by love. Woman. Let there be love.

See the lights. Real life. When spirits rise. Biko.

Belfast child. Mandela day. Let it all come down. Kick it in.

Take a step back. This is your land. Wall of love. Soul crying out.

Street fighting years. New Gold Dream. Love Song/Sun City/Dance To The Music. Sanctify Yourself.

East At Easter. Book Of Brilliant Things. Once Upon A Time. Don't You (Forget About Me).

Alive And Kicking. Oh Jungleland. Someone Somewhere In Summertime. Promised You A Miracle.

Waterfront. Big Sleep. Ghostdancing. Come A Long Way.

Sanctify Yourself. I Wish You Were Here. Oh Jungleland. Alive And Kicking.

Ghost Dancing. All The Things She Said. Once Upon A Time. Shake Off the Ghosts.

Kick Inside of Me. "C" Moon Cry Like a Baby. White Hot Day. Street Hassle.

East at Easter. Waterfront. Speed Your Love to Me. Book of Brilliant Things.

Up on the Catwalk. King is white & in the crowd. Hunter & the hunted. Glittering prize.

New gold dream (81, 31, 83, 84). Somebody up there likes you. Big sleep. Promised you a miracle.

Colours fly & Catherine wheel. Someone somewhere in summertime. Sound in 70 cities. Careful in career.

League of nations. Wonderful in young life. 20th century promised land. The American.

Theme from great cities. Seeing out the angel. Sons and fascination. This earth that you walk upon.

Love song. Boys from Brazil. 70 cities as love brings the fall. Sweat in bullet.

In trance as mission. Room. Kant-Kino. Thirty Frames A Second.

Twist - Run - Repulsion. Constantinople Line. Capital City. This Fear Of Gods.

Celebrate. Today I Died Again. I Travel. Scar.

Calling your name. Film theme. Changelin. Premonition.

Veldt. Cacophony. Factory. Carnival (Shelter in a suitcase).

Citizen (Dance of youth). Naked eye. Real to real. Murder story.

Destiny. Wasteland. Chelsea girl. No cure.

Pleasantly disturbed. All for you. Sad affair. Life in a day.

Someone. Cry (2002). The Best of Simple Minds (2001) (compilation). Neon Lights (2001).

The Early Years (1998) (compilation). Neapolis (1998). The Promised (1997). Good News from the Next World (1995).

Glittering Prize 81/92 (1992) (Greatest Hits compilation). Real Life (1991). Street Fighting Years (1989). Live in the City of Light (1987).

Once Upon a Time (1985). Sparkle in the Rain (1984). New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) (1982). Celebration (1982).

Themes for Great Cities (1981). Sister Feelings Call (1981). Sons and Fascination (1981). Empires and Dance (1980).

Real to Real Cacophony (1979). Life in a Day (1979).