The Breakfast Club will be shown on Wednesday 5^th May on BBC1 at 11:40 PM. This John Hughes brat-pack film features Don't You (Forget About Me) as the film's title song. If you've never seen the film before, it's pretty good. Listen out for a different version of Don't You (Forget About Me) as the opening titles end and the narration at the start of the film starts.

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The convention tickets will soon be on sale. The payment details are as follows:
UK: Cheque or postal order
Rest Of The World: Eurocheque or bankers draft in pounds sterling
(Cash will be accepted but please send it as registered post)

All cheques and drafts to be made payable to Clive Johnson.

(See the news for April 25^th for the address.)

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Jim's just sold his Dublin house to an unidentified buyer. Apparently it's been the most expensive property sale in Ireland in 1999.

Rumour has it that fellow resident Chrysalis recording artist Robbie Williams was interested in the property. If so, maybe Chrysalis could start working as an estate agent, arranging house swaps between the artists on the label!

Todd Richards, presenter at WBWC 88.3FM, The Sting has now confirmed a date for the forthcoming Simple Minds radio marathon. "I am proud to announce the offical date of Some Sweet Day '99. On Thursday June 3rd, 1999, WBWC 88.3FM, The Sting will again air 18hrs of Simple Minds music. As part of the 1999 Summer Marathon Series, Some Sweet Day '99 will be hosted by myself, Aaron Burke, and many of our fellow fans of the Minds. I am still waiting to hear from Jim Kerr on an interview for the event, but things look good!"

"As if this wasn't enough, Portions of Some Sweet Day '99 will be recorded and sent to the 1999 Simple Minds convention in August to be aired there."

Todd is also looking into an online webcast of the event, but that's not been confirmed at this time. However an online playlist of the songs, albums and other information will be made available.

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The Simple Minds 1999 Convention tickets will go on sale in mid-May, with a price confirmed at £10 sterling. Doors will open at 1.00 PM and the event will finish at 10.15 PM (blame the closing times on England's arcane licensing laws.) Tickets will be available via post from Clive. His address is:

Clive Johnson
Cherry Tree Cottage
Bedchester
Shaftesbury
Dorset
SP7 0JU
UK

Please send no money now - this site will be updated when you can send the money. When writing to Clive, please enclose an SAE (Self Addressed Envelope) if writing from the UK, or an IRC (International Reply Coupon - available from post offices) if you're writing from outside the UK.

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Tonight is Annie Night on Radio One. The station is honouring their first woman DJ who has been fighting for real rock over the past 25 years.

It was Annie who hosted The Old Grey Whistle Test when Simple Minds made their television debut in 1979 with Life In A Day. It was Annie's request show on Sunday evenings that became compulsive listening. She played Simple Minds almost every show, and is responsible for my first interest in the band.

She also presented The Street Fighting Years, a radio documentary on the band which was broadcast in summer 1989. This show turns up on the two cassette tapes in the Street Fighting Years box set.

Many artists are playing tribute to her. I don't know if Jim or Charlie will appear, or if any Simple Minds songs will be featured, but I've no doubt that it will be a great selection of shows.

The shows start at 9:00 PM and runs through to 1.00 AM.

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The results of the UK Music New Media Awards, the Oscars for the best music sites on the Internet, have now been announced. These awards are organised by dotmusic, the insider's guide to UK music, and it was with them that you could register votes for this site.

With 948 sites registered, and 30,000 votes, this site made it into the Top 200 Internet music sites. It's actual placing was at 114 - so thanks to all those who voted and showed support.

So recent poster to the Néapolis mailing list recently caused a stir by posting information that seemed, on the surface, to be inside knowledge about the band's activities. His appearance on the list was dramatic - a first time poster correcting a leak of information, a poster who implied that he worked in the record company, a poster who knew enough about Simple Minds to weave in a series of falsehoods and lies.

We fell for it. Why? Because he knew enough about the band to be convincing and he posted exactly what we wanted to hear. Of course, Jim does write for simpleminds.com and they do update every two months or so, but being typical fans, we always want more.

The false information has appeared on almost every unofficial Simple Minds website and had started to filter into the fanzines. Luckily, Who's Doing The Dreaming Now? #8 is going to the printers this week - I have time to amend it. It's not so lucky for other fanzines who have already published.

As for the dynamic nature of the web, I can just remove the false information. But that would allow the myths and falsehoods to circulate and multiply. Therefore all false information on this news page is rendered as red text. This web site is a reference - to both true and false information. It will be kept on site to debunk it.

To summarize:
The list of demo titles was made up.
The producer of the new album is still unknown
The proposed compilation album Simple Minds Singles Collection 79-99 was a myth.
Jim and Charlie are not huge Tortoise or Mogwai fans
There is no single planned before the summer

Dave Kelly, who has formed a Simple Minds tribue band for the forthcoming convention recently posted a request to the Néapolis mailing list. He's going to have to re-advertise for a guitarist and maybe a drummer.

"Just a slight setback in that our guitarist has pulled out because he has to work in the USA in the summer. Also I am trying to negotiate with the drummer to stay on. He was a friend of the guitarist and says it would cost too much regards travelling etc.

It's probably come at the worst time as now is the time to start rehearsing.

If anyone missed my original e-mail I am looking for a guitarist and maybe a drummer. I am based in Rochdale (Lancs), the bass player is based in Gateshead and the singer is based in Preston (Lancs). You will need to good enough to fit in straight away, as I plan to carry on as normal and start rehearsing."

As I pointed out to Dave, it took Simple Minds a while to get their line-up completed! If you can help out Dave, e-mail him at DKelly2368@aol.com. (See news of the 13th January for more information.)

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Zero has created a Simple Minds web site with a difference. Using the latest photomontage software, he's created a selection of photographs and logos of the band from hundreds of smaller images. Some of the pictures are produced from the cover artwork and pictures on this web site.

Surf over to http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Vine/3137/photom/montage.htm and follow the links to Pictures and then Music. The Simple Minds collections can be found in the top left-hand frame.

Expect a new Simple Minds single before the summer! Simple Minds' sound is now described as "post-rock influenced: Jim and Charlie have become huge Tortoise and Mogwai fans."

(Perhaps the new single could be Hello, the song that's already been finished from the Our Secrets Are The Same sessions. See the news from 28th February for more info.)

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Last year, Todd Richards co-hosted a Simple Minds radio marathon broadcast on WBWC 88.3 FM The Sting located near Cleveland in the USA. (See then entries for 19th August 1998 - 24th August 1998.) The show, called Some Sweet Day lasted eighteen hours and touched every part of the band's back catalogue.

Another Simple Minds marathon is planned for this year. Todd hopes to hold the show in late May or early June. It will feature another huge show featuring nothing but Simple Minds but there are further exciting plans to make it bigger and better than last year. Once these have been confirmed, they will be posted on this site. Details of the previous show can be found at http://runninglate.freeservers.com/simpleminds.html

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Plans for a Simple Minds compilation album have been shelved. The proposed Simple Minds: Singles Collection 79-99 promised to release all the band's 7" releases in one package, a celebration of the band's 20 year history. Unfortunately, EMI weren't behind the idea, so it's been dropped.

So that means that 20th annniversary of the release of Life In A Day will be marked by nothing official.

On the subject of compilation albums, a really dodgy looking collection of songs has appeared as Simple Minds Hit Collection 1980-1995. It turned up in a market, and whilst the CD itself appears professional, the cover is of dubious quality (borrowing heavily from Good News From The Next World artwork.) It's probably a bootleg, or a poor foreign pressing (much like Billboard's The Greatest Hits Of Simple Minds).

Hit Collection 1980-1995 (Jewelcase CD WH-19950412-1)

Don't You (Forget About Me)

Alive And Kicking

Waterfront

See the lights

Sanctify Yourself

Belfast Child

Love Song

All the Things She Said

Promised You A Miracle

Ghostdancing

Speed Your Love To Me

Glittering Prize

Let There Be Love

She's A River

Hypnotised

7 Deadly Sins

(It looks like a mangled European version of Glittering Prize 81/92 with a couple of Good News From The Next World tracks.)

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Last year, you could vote for this site at Dotmusic's UK Music New Media Awards. Although I didn't win anything, I've been told that the site received a substantial number of votes. Thanks for all those who gave their support last year!

It's voting time again. If you enjoy this site, then please click the button below to register your support for Dream Giver in the Reader's Choice Category.

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Check out the Marketplace. New additions have been made to the For Sale and Wanted sections.

Finally, some definitive news about the convention! Shaun and Clive checked out and booked the venue this last weekend.

Simple Minds Convention 1999 Camden Underworld, Camden, North London, UK August 1st, 1999

More information about the convention and the events planned will be posted in the months leading up to the event. Tickets will be on sale soon, and the price is expected to be in the region of £10.00 sterling.

Unfortunately, due to the licensing at the Underworld, they can only admit people over the age of 18.

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A new bootleg from the 1998 summer shows is now circulating. Like the previous tour bootleg Ice To The Skies this bootleg has been issued on CDRs. Step Back To The Past is a double CD set and features the following set list:

Step Back To The Past (Digipak LZCD 065/066)

War Babies

Up On The Catwalk

30 Frames A Second

Colours Fly And Catherine Wheel

She's A River

See The Lights

Glitterball

Tears Of A Guy

Superman V Supersoul (Called Superman V Supergirl on the sleeve!)

New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84)

Someone Somewhere In Summertime

Big Sleep

Hypnotised

Let There Be Love

Waterfront

Don't You (Forget About Me)

Love Song

Belfast Child

Alive And Kicking

War Babies^*

Glitterball^*

Don't You (Forget About Me)^*

Belfast Child^*

The majority of the songs were recorded at the concert at the Forum, Milan (2nd June 1998) with the remainder (marked with ^*) recorded at Laterano in Rome (1st May 1998). Both concerts are audience recordings with the Milan show being of higher quality than the Rome recording.

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Jim is being interviewed on Radio Five Live today. He's appearing on the show Dream Teams at 9:40 PM tonight. (Not Tuesday as I previously, mistakenly stated.) The BBC's listing for the radio station is here.

Luckily, for non-UK residents, the show is being broadcast using RealAudio here.

Celtic or Liverpool?

That was the question being asked yesterday, when it was reported that the consortium had shifted their interest from Celtic to Liverpool. This is what the press were saying today:

No Reds Takeover, Insists Kerr

Kenny Dalglish's consortium has distanced itself from speculation linking the former Kop idol with an Anfield takeover, as has the club itself.

A Liverpool statement read: "Liverpool FC has had no approaches from anyone wanting to buy the club."

And Dalglish's rock star pal Jim Kerr added: "We haven't gone to Liverpool. We remain convinced we have something to offer Celtic."

Liverpool's major shareholder is chairman David Moores, who owns 58 per cent of the shares.

The club has 31,300 shares that are currently valued at £4,000 each, which puts the value on the club at around £125million.

But Moores is unlikely to be interested in selling.

Dalglish, who still lives in Southport, said: "I know nothing about this at all."

"David Moores has been magnificent to Liverpool FC. If there is any position he deserves to hold, it is as chairman. If he thinks I can be of any help then I'm sure he would ask."

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Shaun and Clive will be travelling to London on Saturday to check out the potential venue for the convention. A location had been selected previously, but fell through (they were given some incorrect information about the availability and prices.)

Expect some definite convention news soon.

The official site, simpleminds.com, was recently updated with news of the first completed song from the new studio album. On a trip to the USA to discuss finance with US investors (all part of the ongoing Celtic activities), Jim ended up finishing a song called Hello. This involved communicating over the Atlantic with Charlie, who was back at Jim's highland residence. (For all the details, check out the news section of the official site... and then come back here.)

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Simple Minds: Current studio album. Working title: Our Secrets Are The Same Proposed release date: September 1999 Demos completed: The Lights Pour Hello Gone Too Far I Woke Up Christians Waterfalls All Our Secrets Are The Same Black Angel You The Sound Of The Streets Once Again True Story The Loch Note: Some demo titles mentioned in previous updates (such as Thin Girl and Traffic) have been dropped. The Lights Pour is very similar to a Magazine song: The Lights Pour Out Of Me. Similarly the title of Black Angel reminds me of Black Angel's Death Song by The Velvet Underground.

Traditionally, this is normally a very quiet period for Simple Minds. But a recent posting to the Néapolis mailing list gave out all the information. See the sidebar for more information. The album will be recorded over two months from mid-April to mid-June. The band will be working at Glasgow's Ca Va studios, working with producer Stephen Lipson (Street Fighting Years and Real Life) with mixing provided by Charlie and Peter Walsh (New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) and Néapolis.) Ca Va has a long history for the band: they recorded their first demos there (some of which were released on The Early Years 1977-78 last year) plus mixed/recorded some of the Real Life album. The line-up will include Derek Forbes and Mel Gaynor. Kevin Hunter has been involved in the demo work, providing backing vocals and second guitar, but his involvement with the forthcoming recordings is unsure. (I've just completed an interview with Kevin for Who's Doing The Dreaming Now? #9.) The original poster suggested that Brian McGee was back with the band instead of Mel Gaynor. Incorrect - this was confusion with Brian's involvement with Simple Minds for the Néapolis demos in 1996. More information has surfaced about Brian's involvement with this phase of the band. British tabloid The Sun published an interview with Brian on October 30th, 1998, under a headline of Out Of Our Tiny Minds. It 'revealed' the truth behind the band, but actually turned out to be a very interesting interview with Brian McGee: not only was Simple Minds covered but his work in Propaganda and his new band Unfinished Business. "If Jim asked me to do the the next Minds album I'd say no. I'm still pally with Jim but I could never go through that again.."

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News has also recently surfaced about a potential new compilation album for the band. Chrysalis/EMI are proposing a singles collection with the title Simple Minds: Singles collection 79-99. Obviously such a project needs Virgin's clearance, but if all goes well, this album should be released in April. The record company are thinking of releasing a remixed version of I Travel (again!) or New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) as a single to advertise the album.

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Information has also been filtering out about Simple Minds touring plans after the completion of Our Secrets Are The Same. A webcast has been proposed for May: this would debut the album to the world months before the release date. Plans include holding the event at Jim's house or at Ca Va studios. Details will be posted here when they are available.

Additionally it looks like the band will tour the USA after the completion of the album. Simple Minds haven't played in America since the Good News From The Next World tour. Additional dates for the rest of the world will be probably announced nearer the time: expect more gigs in 2000.

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The next round of Once Upon A Time bootlegs have been reviewed and uploaded - you'll find them in the discography section. They represent a mixed selection in terms of quality. Never Look Back and Ghostdancing aren't bad, but the quality and contents of the other three are definitely lacking.

Expect more Once Upon A Time bootlegs soon - this will include one of the ultimate bootlegs, the Silver And Gold box set.

These bootlegs are reviewed in the bootleg section.

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Finally, have you ever wanted to own the Néapolis press kit: round film tin (11" diameter, 2" depth) filled with promotional goodies? There's one up for auction in the Marketplace, plus loads of other Simple Minds collectables (test pressings and autographed items.) Check out Guido's auction here.

Jim was recently interviewed on Radio Five Live, the UK's sports radio channel. The main conversation was based on the Celtic Consortium, although there was some Simple Minds news. Fifteen songs have been demoed, the album will be recorded and finished off between April and May, and it will be released in September.

Hardly anyone heard the interview as it wasn't widely publicized. When I asked Jim about this, he wrote: "The interviews that concern Celtic are often quite spontaneous or else recorded without us knowing when they will go out - at most I decide to do them one day in advance and usually they are reactive to some development within the Celtic soap opera." As the story is expected to continue, keep an eye on the back pages of the papers, and listen to the sports channels.

Jim also asked everyone to bombard the Celtic Official Site with support for him. "Free seats for all next season! Honest!"

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Who's Doing The Dreaming Now? issue eight is almost finished. It's publication has been put back so I can include the latest information about the convention. Shaun Tranter and Clive Johnson are visiting places in London this weekend - hopefully a venue and date will be announced soon!

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Scott Shelley is selling a promotional US Real Life set. It's the album and two promotional CD singles in a small autograph style book. Check out the Marketplace for more information.

There's news about two films involving the music of Simple Minds. The first, Sawdust Tales should be familar to followers of the band through 1996-97. Simple Minds contributed If I Had Wings from Néapolis to the soundtrack of this German film. More information about the production can be found here. I believe this will be the last word on the film; it didn't get massive distribtion, and I don't know of anyone who's seen it.

Easier to track down is The Siege (starting Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis) which is currently showing. Great Leap Forward (from Good News From The Next World) can be heard in the background during a bar scene.

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Issue nine of Endless River is now out. This comes highly recommended as it features a great exclusive interview with Derek Forbes which took place during the Néapolis summer tour. There's more about the fanzine in the Fanzine Section

Dave Kelly is considering forming a tribute band for the forthcoming convention. Dave writes : "I have volunteered to form a tribute band for a one-off performance at the Simple Minds convention. So over the next few months I will be asking for possible band members. I play keyboards and guitar but would prefer to be "The Man in the Sky." That means I'm looking for a drummer, bass, guitar and of course a budding Jim Kerr. This is a serious announcement for serious musicians as you will be playing in front of Minds fans and you will need your own instruments and P.A. Ideally I would like to choose from the Manchester and North West England area. I will be advertising this locally as well. This makes sense for rehersal reasons. Unless there is a good way of communicating, after all this is the age of Technology. The set (approx 15) will be from the following songs: Chelsea Girl Wasteland Pleasantly Disturbed Garden of Hate Special view Scar Room I Travel Love Song The American This Earth That You Walk Upon In Trance as Mission Big Sleep Someone Somewhere Colours fly Promised You a Miracle Glittering Prize Up on Catwalk Book of Brilliant Things Waterfront Speeds Your Love To Me East at Easter Street Hassle Kick Inside of Me Once Upon a Time Ghostdancing Alive and Kicking Sanctify Yourself Come Along Way Don't You New Gold Dream '87 Street Fighting Years Soul Crying Out This Is Your Land Belfast Child Real Life See The Lights Let There Be Love She's a River Hypnotised Great Leap Forward War Babies Glitterball If anyone has the energy then please E-mail me.

Questions were recently asked about the similarity between a classic Simple Minds instrumental called Film Theme (from the band's second album Real To Real Cacophony) and a track on the new R.E.M. album Up called Suspicion. I can understand the comparisions. R.E.M's song begins with percussion very similar to the intro to Film Theme and both songs feature a melancholy melody performed on similar instruments. But it's there that any similarities end; both songs are, apart from these coincidences, very different. Not a bad album though! Questions were also asked about Andy Duncan, the percussion player on the Street Fighting Years tour and the Real Life album. Andy's name has recently turned up on Robbie Williams' new album I've Been Expecting You. But there's no mention of the song that Robbie Williams and Mark Taylor were writing together (perhaps it never really got past the hotel jam session.) Some great new items are up for grabs in The Marketplace. Greg Torrington has a small list of rare items including a Once Upon A Time CD signed by Jim.

A recent topic of discussion on the Néapolis mailing list was Kevin Hunter - a new collaborator with Jim and Charlie working on the new album. Although information about Kevin Hunter is scarce, the following appears in Who's Doing The Dreaming Now? issue seven:

"Kevin's name turns up on albums as diverse as Sheryl Crow, Lush (Spooky album) and Storyville (Dog Years album)."

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At the end of January, the venue for the forthcoming Simple Minds convention will be announced. Shaun Tranter and Clive Johnson will be checking out locations around London later this month. Once they've settled on somewhere to hold the event, a definitive date should be forthcoming.

Are you in a Simple Minds tribute band? Or do you know of one? The organisers would like to book a band for the convention. Obviously the group must be able to travel to London in the Autumn, but if you know of anyone then contact Shaun or Clive.

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Be careful if you're offered a copy of The Early Years 1977-78. This CD of demo recordings by Johnny And The Self Abusers and Simple Minds appeared briefly in March last year, but was quickly withdrawn.

Now bootleg versions are starting to circulate. I've not seen a bootleg copy, but I expect it's pressed on CDR. The originals are pressed on silver CD, housed in a jewelcase and feature an essay by Billy Sloan in the booklet.

The Early Years 1977-78 is sadly still deleted - final clearance is still being worked on.

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Do you have the "green-screen-blues" with simpleminds.com? If you access the site, and the first enhanced page is just bright green, then you'll have to update your version of Shockwave. Simply repeat the installation of Shockwave (using the link from the official site) and all should be well.

simpleminds.com has been updated recently and features Jim's thoughts on 1998.