Message From Derek
Dear All, I haven't been inactive since you last heard from me... I have signed Angela Capel and Sound Buggy to my management company (MAYHEM MUSIC MANAGEMENT). I'm recording demos with both acts at the moment... next stop... London.
Sound Buggy have a single out at the moment on their own label... it's called Lovelord, it can be purchased for £5 + p&p if you e-mail me here... or Simon can get in touch...
Angela Capel will be in the Scottish Daily Record on Friday, and also The Evening Times.
I have been asked to do bass on three tracks with Jayne's Addiction in Los Angeles, and also, two tracks with Japanese band Zilch... there's also a gig in Italy for the Terence Higgins Trust with Sham 69. The band will include Mel and myself, Angela Capel and Graeme Clark and Neil Mitchell from WET WET WET... It's for charity.
Keep yer haun oan yer ha'penny,
Derek Forbes
Simple Minds Una Vita, Bootlegs, Night Of The Proms CD
It's been quiet from The Lementi team over the last year but this doesn't mean that they've been inactive.
Cristina Canciani has been writing a Simple Minds book. 367 pages spread across two volumes, this book documents the whole of the band's career to date. Drawing from sources ranging from the official and unofficial biographies, newspaper and magazine interviews and Who's Doing The Dreaming Now?, the book collates information for every album, song (including lyrics), known bootleg and band member. It's a huge piece of work.
Published in Italian, this will become an undisputed source of information about the history of the band.
I have no idea of availability or cost, but Le Menti's web site can be found here.
The final two bootlegs from the Los Angeles gig have now been covered in the bootleg discography. Live USA covers the Westwood One presentation of the gig, but swaps the track order in an attempt to differentiate the bootleg from all the others. Real Live is more interesting as it's taken from an audience recording, features a different selection of tracks, and reveals some censorship of the Westwood One broadcast.The bootleg discography can be found here.
One of the missing CDs in the discography finally gets its entry. Back in 1997, Simple Minds appeared in the Proms, a series of concerts across Europe which combined classical with rock and pop. The Promised[1] was hastily put together by Virgin as a limited edition to sell at the gigs - really a repackaging of Glittering Prize 81/92.
However, it's Night Of The Proms '97 which is far more interesting. A sample of the concerts, it features orchestral versions of Belfast Child and Don't You (Forget About Me). A 'must-have' for the completist, it's appeared with a variety of covers and sometimes appears for sale on eBay.
It's entry in the discography can be found here.
[1] Also called The Promised Night or The Promised Night Of The Proms. Depends on how much of the title you read.
Mixrecords site update
Hello, This update is to inform you of the changes in the MIXMUZIK website.
www.mixmuzik.com has now become... www.mixrecords.com. We have taken the opportunity to improve the website during this changeover to add new features such as a live chat area, message board and hopefully a fully functioning webcam! and in the future we aim to bring you regular updates and MP3 downloads.
Everybody who has put their name on the MIXMUZIK mailing list will automatically be moved over to the MIXRECORDS mailing list. If you wish to be removed from this list, please do so through the MIXRECORDS website. My instrumental double-album, 'PPT' is still available ONLY through the MIXRECORDS website, priced; £16.50 inc P+P (U.K. orders) and £17.00 inc P+P (orders outside the U.K.) (per copy). You can order online through www.MIXRECORDS.com or by mailing us the order form which you can print out from our website, with your credit card details or cheque/IMO or similar, made payable to 'Mix Records LTD' and send it to us at:
MIX RECORDS
P.O. BOX 25098
Glasgow G3 7XL
ScotlandOur e-mail address has changed from mix@easynet.co.uk, to mail@mixrecords.com or direct to myself at mick@mixrecords.com.
Apologies for any inconvenience or delays during this transition period. Thank you for your continued support and interest.
Mick MacNeil
Mick MacNeil Sun Interview, Who's Doing The Dreaming Now?, Bootlegs, Wants List
The last part of Mick's Scottish Sun interview has now been uploaded. (The final column titled "Demon Life Of The Band That Loved To Party.")
You can read the final parts here
The next issue of Who's Doing The Dreaming Now? has been printed and dispatched. This issue catches up with all the news from 1999 and covers the Kosovo gig, the convention, Forbes/Gaynor And Friends and more.
It's been 21 years since Simple Minds' debut album, Life In A Day and Who's Doing The Dreaming Now? looks back to the recording of the album, the evolution of the songs, the events leading up to the band's disillusionment with the recording, discography and more. Gigs, reviews, curios and photographs are also included in this section.
The fanzine also features a short, exclusive interview with Kevin Hunter, where he talks about his involvement with the new album.
The subscription price and more information about the fanzine can be found in the Fanzine section.
Yet more recordings of the LA Amphitheatre gig have been documented in the bootleg discography. The full details of Minds Travellers and Stand By Me can be found here.
More additions have been made to the Simple Minds Marketplace. Check out the Wants Section for the listings.
Simple Minds' New Album, New Dream Giver Web Site, Mick MacNeil Sun Interview, Bootlegs
Here's the first tenative dates for the forthcoming releases. These have just been pencilled in and are subject to change:
There are NO plans for any shows this year. There may be some selected promotional performances but don't expect a tour.
- 12th June: New single
- 28th June: New album
The new Dream Giver website has now appeared and features a tongue-in-cheek Shockwave promo which poses the question as to what's happened to Jim and Charlie. The first sample pages will be uploaded on the 8th April and will give a feel as to the design and direction of this site's replacement.I hope to get the full site uploaded for June 28th. And you'll find the new Dream Giver at www.simpleminds.org
The article can be found here
Still more CD bootlegs from the LA concert. There are three different versions of The "Real Live" Tour and they're now all featured in the bootleg discography.
Mick MacNeil Sun Interview, Bootlegs, Items Wanted, New Gold Dream Digests
I've started to uploaded the full Scottish Sun interview with Mick MacNeil. The introduction is now available: the main part of the interview will be available soon.You can read it here
The next couple of bootlegs from the Real Life tour have been added to the bootleg discography. They cover the same Universal Amphitheatre concert as the previous recordings and there's still more to go.
The marketplace has been updated. Check it out for a new wants list.
Ten more New Gold Dream mail digests have now been uploaded. They can be found here. This leaves around one hundred to go.
New Album, Unidentified Song #3, Bootlegs, Single List
There's much excitment around the widely touted June/July release date for the new Minds' album. I've been in touch with EMI:Chrysalis who've stated that the album does not have an official release date as yet. The June/July date is an educated guess and that's it.Obviously, it still could be released in these months, but don't be too disappointed if it doesn't appear. When an official release date has been confirmed, it will be posted here.
After the Kawala interpretation of New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84), there's apparently a sample of Ghostdancing appearing soon. Artist and song unknown.
By coincidence a recording of a Italian song from the latter half of the nineties has recently turned up. This also samples Ghostdancing as the main riff throughtout the song. It can be found at: http://www.xdrive.com/share/95264678009xsavoPWO3ZE17kVWBjVwM
Be quick. It won't be on the Internet for much longer. If you can identify this song, then please let me know.
The final two LP bootlegs, both covering the Minds show from the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles from 19th June 1991, have now been uploaded. This completes the LP discography as far as I know. Apparently there's another version of In Summertime on the The Amazing Kornyphone Rebirth Label and an LP called Up All Night. If you know anything about these two releases, or any other Simple Minds LP bootlegs that don't appear on the site, then let me know.
The CD bootleg discography will be continuing. There's still around 17 to go.
The bootleg discography can be found here.
The single list has been complete. This allows the single, release date, highest UK chart position and number of formats to be seen in one list. For more information on the single, click on it's sleeve.The single discography can be found here
Mick MacNeil Sun Interview
Mick's first newspaper interview appeared in The Scottish Sun on March 2nd.
"Ten years ago Mick MacNeil walked out on No1 Scots group Simple Minds and just vanished. Today he explains why." Georgina Reid asked the questions every fan's wanted to know since 1989, and Mick came up with the answers.
"The American leg of the tour had been pulled and Jim decided we were going to Amsterdam to start writing a new album after Christmas. At that point, I just said "Well you can go. I'm going home." We all got very angry and it got a bit nasty. Jim accused me of splitting the band up. Charlie told me I was a rat leaving a sinking ship.".
"I didn't say I was chucking the band. I just told them I wasn't going to Amsterdam. I was going home and I'd sort something out from there."
The article covers more ground. From Mick's decision to leave Simple Minds whilst in Dublin as a tax-exile with Belfast Child at Number One in the UK charts, his return to Scotland, leaving Simple Minds, how is departure started a massive upheaval for Simple Minds which included Bruce Findlay leaving, Mick bumping into Jim in an L.A. hotel, his tour with The Pretenders, turning down a tour with Annie Lennox (which he really regrets), his marriage, and the setting up of the recording studio and his new album.
There's a lot here.
Beg or steal a copy - it's a great read.
- On The Love Of His Life
- "My Triumph motorbike. I suddendly decided I wanted a Harley Davidson.
- I was Mick MacNeil, rock star. No way would the examiner fail me but I was crap and he did.
- I went straight to the nearest bike shop, bought a 125cc scooter and a full set of leathers. I'd wait till midnight then go down to the Safeway carpark and practise all night.
- I passed and ended up with my wee Triumph which I adore."
- Bono And U2
- "Our paths crossed a lot. There was always great cameraderie between us. We were the same kind of guys doing the same kind of thing.
- We were equal up to a point, then we kind of stayed in second gear and U2 went into overdrive."
"Jim asked me to get involved in a couple of things, but either they've never come to anything or the timing's been wrong. But I hope some time in the future we could do something together. Time cures a lot."
New Album, simpleminds.com, Band For The Tribes, New Gold Dream digests
Band For The Tribes "With it being unlikely that there will be a convention this year. I was just wondering who would be interested in a Band For the Tribes gig in Germany?
NOTHING has been planned yet, but we were intending to play Germany as a warm up gig for any convention.
If we get enough people SERIOUSLY interested in this, then we could possibly ahead and arrange a date.
We would of course try not to clash the date with any Simple Minds gig or Euro 2000, we could perhaps plan it around any German dates. I have completed about 20 new songs since the last convention and there is of course the new album to come.
The proposed set would be approximately 2 hours and would only have 3 songs from the Camden Underworld set.
Please e-mail me if you are interested."
Dave Kelly
Band For The TribesMick MacNeil's interview (are those in Scotland watching Scotland Today today?) has been published as a two page spread in either yesterday's or today's Scottish Sun. Whether it filtered down to the south, and was featured in The Sun, is unknown.
Sorry about the delayed notice. Hopefully those in Scotland will be able to get hold of a copy.
The still untitled new album by Simple Minds has tentatively started to appear on release schedules for May, June and/or July. The record company is remaining tight-lipped at the moment, but things are finally starting to happen.
simpleminds.com finally gave up yesterday. There was much excitment, and bemusement, as the domain name was mapped to writernet, Eating And Drinking In London and, finally, settled on MotionPixels web site. (They originally designed and implemented simpleminds.com.)There is a new official web site, but I guess it won't appear until the new album is about to be released.
Hell has been added to the Simple Minds Unreleased section.
The next round of ten New Gold Dream digests have now been uploaded. They can be viewed from the mailing list section.
Mick MacNeil TV Interview, Intro Tape 85-86, Iain Banks, Veldt, News Archives
Mick will also be doing some interviews for some newspapers and/or magazines. Publication dates will be posted here once they're known.
After identifying the intro tape of the Once Upon A Time gigs, Intro Tape 85-86 has been entered into the 'songs' section, with links into the bootleg discography. This heralds the start of a new section which deals with the murky history of unreleased Simple Minds songs and covers.All the information about Intro Tape 85-86 can be found here.
Another 'mystery' from the back catalogue has also be solved, thanks to Mick. This concerns Iain Banks, a somber, majestic (and very short) instrumental from Then Jerico's Orgasmaphobia album.
Although the song sounds like classic Mick MacNeil, the album's credits only listed author Iain Banks who narrates a passage from one of his books over the piece. But, it turns out that this song is another Mick MacNeil original, which is exclusive to this album (it doesn't turn up on People, Places And Things.)
Veldt have uploaded three new demos on their website. Listen out for the short Film Theme sample in the first song.
(Brighton based Veldt named themselves after the Simple Minds song, and have used samples from the Minds in their earlier work.)
The new Veldt website is at www.veldt.co.uk.
An archive news page has now been created. Maintaining the links to each news page, on each news page, was getting too unwieldy. So, the Archives section has been created. This also allows you to view the key events of each news page.