2nd September
Jim Interview |
The transcript of the interview can be found
here.
Audio recordings (as Real Audio and other formats) are now appearing online. Refer to the Simple Minds
Yahoo! Groups mailing list (joining instructions are on the contents page) for more information.
|
31st August
Jim Interview |
Jim was interviewed by Mark Goodier last night on BBC Radio Two. The interview lasted around
fifteen minutes and included the first airings of Neon Lights and The Man Who Sold The
World. (And Glittering Prize was played earlier in the show).
Jim confirmed that the album's release date is now the 8th October, but the single will still be released on
the 10th September.
The new studio album is currently being finished although there was no mention of the
Virgin compilation nor Our Secrets Are The Same.
Jim revealed that dates would be announced soon with the tour kicking off in the spring. They will
be visiting Europe, North America, South America and others.
Goodier repeatly mentioned that they'd been flooded with e-mails from around the world.
A full transcript will be posted here soon.
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30th August
Jim Interview, Secrets Bootlegs, U2 Concert |
Blame the Daily Mail TV and Radio guide listing with the suppliment - it got the date wrong.
Jim's interview on BBC Radio 2 is tonight.
|
Warning!
|
|
Our Secrets Are The Same
Bootleg copies of the radio MP3 files have now been bootlegged and are being offered for sale. Some have
artwork, and are being touted as fan club/promotional material. Whilst you will get the full album, it's
doesn't feature the true artwork and the quality isn't perfect (it's muffled MP3 quality.)
The only 'real' version of the album was the original leaked EMI CD-acetate.
No promos nor fanclub material of this album were ever made. Don't spend a fortune on these items.
|
Tuesday night's U2 concert at the SECC featured a surprise snippet of Up On
The Catwalk during Elevation.
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27th August
Jim Interview, Neon Lights Promo Transcription |
Jim will be chatting to Mark Goodier this Wednesday night on BBC Radio Two (from 22:30 to 24:00 GMT).
Streaming audio of the radio station is available via their website.
- Useful links:
- Radio Two
- Radio Two programme listings
"Having gone missing in action somewhere in the nineties, Jim Kerr became
better known for his extra curricular life, his ex-spouses Chrissie Hynde
and Patsy Kensit, and his bid for Celtic F.C., rather than for his group
Simple Minds. Unable to catch the ever changing moods in the way pomp rock
soundalikes U2 did, Kerr and his best pal, Charlie Burchill, have floundered
on the margins, unknown to a younger generation. Having survived on
respectable sales abroad, they're due back with a new album soon. To plug it
and reminisce, Kerr has a chat with Mark Goodier."
Jim's introductions to each of the tracks on Neon Lights has now been transcribed and can be found
here
|
19th August
Dotmusic, EP, Virgin "Best Of", Schoolhouse, Who's Doing The Dreaming Now?, Our Secrets Are The Same, Neon Lights, simpleminds.com. Toorkwaz, eBay, Raven Maize |
"Simple Minds Alive & Kicking"
Band take on Bowie, Patti for "Neon Lights"
August 9, 2001
Simple Minds, best known for Eighties hits Don't You Forget About Me and
Alive and Kicking, will release Neon Lights, an album of cover songs, on
September 24th. The group's first recording for Eagle Records -- also home
to former major-label rock stars like Robert Palmer and John Mayall -- will
consist of interpretations of classics by Van Morrison, Patti Smith, The
Doors and The Velvet Underground, among others.
"We have tried to stay faithful to the sentiment of the original songs,"
says frontman Jim Kerr of the set, the Glaswegian band's first studio effort
since 1998's Néapolis. "Real fans of Simple Minds want to discover the
genesis of our sound, want to hear what we were listening to as fans. There
have been so many great songs, so many different sounds, so many artists and
acts that have influenced our band. We have tried to hone it down to the key
acts involved."
Having taken their moniker from David Bowie's The Jean Genie,
Simple Minds pay
tribute to the Thin White Duke in their version of The Man Who Sold the
World. The band also turns in covers of tunes by contemporaries, taking on
Echo And The Bunnymen's Bring on the Dancing Horses and Pete Shelley's
Homosapien. Of the latter, Kerr comments, "People who know the track would
often quote it as being in their top five songs, but it was an obscure
record at the time. It's a bit of a cult classic -- not one of the obvious
choices."
Simple Minds are currently working on an album of new material that they
hope to release early next year, with a worldwide tour to follow. The band's
last studio album,
Our Secrets Are the Same, remains unreleased. Completed
in 1999, the recording is at the center of a legal battle with EMI, the
band's former record company.
The complete track listing for Neon Lights:
"Gloria" (Van Morrison)
"The Man Who Sold the World" (David Bowie)
"Homosapien" (Pete Shelley)
"Dancing Barefoot" (Patti Smith)
"Neon Lights" (Kraftwerk)
"Hello, I Love You" (The Doors)
"Bring on the Dancing Horses" (Echo and the Bunnymen)
"The Needle and the Damage Done" (Neil Young)
"For Your Pleasure" (Roxy Music)
"All Tomorrow's Parties (The Velvet Underground)
John D. Luerssen
(August 9, 2001)
Rolling Stone Magazine
|
It's that time of year again! The Dotmusic Awards, which honours musical websites, is now taking votes.
Two years ago, Dream Giver was ranked at #114, jumping to #67 last year, when 2221 sites were registered and
75,000 votes were cast.
Hopefully, and with your support, Dream Giver will climb further this year. Many thanks in advance.
It's been rumoured that the two extra tracks on the Dancing Barefoot EP are
Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division and Being Boiled by
The Human League.
Virgin have been rumoured to be interested about a Simple Minds retrospective
for a couple of years. First a 25th anniversary box set was mentioned. Then, that seemed to evolve into
a successor to Glittering Prize 81/92.
A decision has finally been made and the set-list agreed. Virgin will be
releasing a 2xCD "Best Of". This will probably document the bands
career from Life In A Day onwards, although it's not sure what the end material will be.
For instance, it isn't known if the set will include tracks from the
unreleased Our Secrets Are The Same.
The release date in the UK is the 5th November, 2001.
Bruce and Jamie "havering" about the Edinburgh Festival can be found at
www.schoolhousemanagement.co.uk.
The website also includes biographical information about Bruce and Jamie, information about their current projects, and a selection of old Zoom Records
stock for sale. (Unfortunately the Simple Minds stock is sold out!)
The first part of my mammoth interview with Bruce should be included in Who's Doing The Dreaming Now? #10.
This has become a massive 'catch-up' issue dealing with the events of the last eighteen months. With the
addition of the history of the Our Secrets Are The Same album, the regular features, and the
new album, I may not have room for the start of Bruce's interview.
Issue #11 will follow #10 very quickly: I have lots of material prepared.
As Our Secrets Are The Same has been totally overtaken by recent events, I've created a page
outlining the history of the great lost Simple Minds album.
It is now part of the discography and can be found
here
And Neon Lights has also been given a page in the discography. Over time,
this will be updated to include all the information about the album, associated single and video information,
promos, press releases and so on.
www.simpleminds.com has finally reappeared. At the
moment they are simply collecting e-mail addresses.
There is no indication of a launch date or any preview material.
Some behind-the-scenes pictures from the band's Antwerp gig (as the warm-up show for the Grand Prix
Night Of The Promos) have appeared on the
Toorkwaz web site.
I assume they were taken by Stuart Mackenzie, who designed the band's sleeves for the
nineties (with the exception of The Early Years 1977-78).
Promo copies of Neon Lights continue to appear on eBay. The current price is around £60, but that will
drop once the album has been released.
Raven Maize's The Real Life reached #12 in the UK singles chart this week.
|
|
8th August
Neon Lights Promo |
"Neon Lights is an album of cover versions, the first time Simple Minds have put together a collection
of non-original material. We thought it was appropiate at a period of looking back that we go to the very
foundations of Simple Minds, which of course is the music and the bands who influenced us"
Jim Kerr
Neon Lights Promo Introduction
The first copy of Neon Lights appeared for sale on eBay on Monday. This promo features the
cover artwork for the album: a homemade compilation cassette on the dashboard of a car. The songs and artists
featured on the album can be read directly from the front cover.
Bidding barely got underway before one punter paid $100 to purchase it directly (via eBay's 'BuyItNow' system).
This promo is unlike other Simple Minds releases from the past. Firstly it features introductions
from Jim before each track. (These formed the basis of the press release published on the 26th July.)
Secondly, each song appears in a edited form, being dramatically faded. And thirdly, to prevent piracy,
each song is missing two second gaps every minute or so.
These promos give a great taste of the album, and with Jim's introductions are destined to become hot
collector's items. However, they are also very frustrating with the fast fades and the annoying gaps. I have
no doubt that more will be offered on eBay and other auction houses - but you're not being offered the full
album.
Simple Minds: Neon Lights Promo CD
Eagle Records EAGCD 194P |
| 1. |
Gloria |
Van Morrison |
Intro (1:22)
Song (1:23-2:01/2:03-3:00/3:02-3:51) |
| 2. |
The Man Who Sold The World |
David Bowie |
Intro (0:49)
Song (0:50-2:00/2:02-3:00/3:02-3:32) |
| 3. |
Homosapien |
Pete Shelly |
Intro (0:53)
Song (0:54-2:00/2:02-3:01/3:03-3:25) |
| 4. |
Dancing Barefoot |
Patti Smith |
Intro (1:08)
Song (1:09-2:00/2:02-3:00/3:02-3:43)
|
| 5. |
Neon Lights |
Kraftwerk |
Intro (0:35)
Song (0:36-2:00/2:02-2:58/3:00-3:04) |
| 6. |
Hello, I Love You |
The Doors |
Intro (0:31)
Song (0:32-2:00/2:02-2:58/3:00-3:07) |
| 7. |
Bring On The Dancing Horses |
Echo And The Bunnymen |
Intro (0:40)
Song (0:41-2:00/2:02-2:59/3:01-3:21) |
| 8. |
The Needle And The Damage Done |
Neil Young |
Intro (0:29)
Song (0:30-2:00/2:02-2:42/2:44-2:53) |
| 9. |
For Your Pleasure |
Roxy Music |
Intro (0:48)
Song (0:49-2:00/2:02-3:00/3:02-3:38) |
| 10. |
All Tomorrow's Parties |
The Velvet Underground |
Intro (0:43)
Song (0:44-1:59/2:01-2:52/2:54-3:06) |
|
7th August
Raven Maize |
After being ready since January, and subject to lengthy record company legal wranglings, and then
having the release date changed several times, The Real Life was
finally released on Monday.
The Real Life: Rulin Records RULIN18MCS
1. The Real Life [Radio Edit]
2. The Real Life [Original Mix]
3. Look 2 The Future
Cassette in colour picture slipcase.
The Real Life: Rulin Records RULIN18T
A. The Real Life [Original Mix]
B. The Real Life [Fatboy Slim Remix]
12" in colour picture sleeve.
The Real Life: Rulin Records RULIN18CDS
1. The Real Life [Radio Edit]
2. The Real Life [Fatboy Slim Remix]
3. Look 2 The Future
5" CD in slimline jewelcase with picture sleeve.
(The Original Mix is the same as the Club Mix which has appeared on various compilations over the last couple
of months).
Dave Lee was interviewed on this morning's Big Breakfast. The programme wasn't coy about the
track's samples with Simple Minds and Queen being called '80s legends', and
Lee talking about the song's source.
A clip of a live performance of Alive And Kicking was aired, and Lee mentioned
that Jim liked the remix.
Unfortunately the Fatboy Slim remix is a big disappointment. That said, The Real Life
remains an updated version of Theme For Great Cities and is highly recommended.
|
3rd August
Neon Lights Promos, Raven Maize |
CD promos of the album are now starting to circulate. Expected to become an instant colletable, these
feature approximately 2 minutes of each song with spoken introductions by Jim. To further prevent
piracy, each minute of the song features a two second gap.
Raven Maize are now set to release The Real Life on the 13th August. The release
will also feature a remix by Fat Boy Slim.
Hard to believe really:
Theme For Great Cities is a club favourite and excepted to go Top Five...
Mixed with a Queen sample...
and features a remix by a former member of The Housemartins.
More info:
http://www.ministryofsound.com/music/tunes/features/ravenmaize
|
|
26th July
Neon Lights: First Press Release, Catalogue Information, Further Remixes |
|
|
Simple Minds
Neon Lights
"It certainly wasn't easy when we looked at the prospect of doing a cover
version album. There have been so many great songs, so many different
sounds, so many artists and acts that have influenced our band. We tried to
hone it down to the key acts involved, and you could say that Simple Minds
came out on a basis of listening to David Bowie, Roxy Music,
Peter Gabriel
and of course, Lou Reed. On top of that there was always Patti Smith,
The Doors and Neil Young as well.
In this collection we have tried to stay faithful to the sentiment of the
original songs, but of course we have tried to bring our own heart to the
songs. It is never easy to do cover versions. In some ways you are on to a
hiding to nothing because the very fact that you're choosing these songs
means that you believe that the originals are great in themselves. However,
real fans of Simple Minds who want to discover the genesis of our sound,
want to hear what we were listening to as fans and understand the excitement
that propelled us to make our sound and write our own songs, can trace it
all on this album. "
Jim Kerr, 2001
|
|
Track by Track Synopsis
The album kicks off with the track Gloria, written, of course, by Van
Morrison (the Belfast Child himself). It's an absolute classic that has been
covered by many rock bands around the world. Simple Minds have played this
song live on many occasions sending the crowd wild.[1] The Neon Lights version
is an almost futuristic interpretation.
David Bowie's influences cast a long shadow over many bands. It so happens
that even the name Simple Minds comes from a Bowie song (Jean Genie). Jim
Kerr and Charlie Burchill first came across Bowie around 1972. His charisma,
his songs and the atmosphere of the show were what inspired Simple Minds to
write songs of their own, so it goes without saying that the bands version
of The Man Who Sold The World stays pretty close to the original.
Homosapien, written by Pete Shelly of The Buzzcocks, is one of the more
obscure songs to appear on Neon Lights, but Jim Kerr always loved this song. "People who knew
(the track) would often quote it as being in their Top 5 ever songs, but it was an obscure record at the time.
I don't know if there was a chart position but it's a bit of a cult classic, not one of the
obvious choices."
The plethora of bands that emerged from New York in the late 70's also had a
huge influence. Television, The Ramones,
The New York Dolls and Talking Heads all made a big impact,
but Patti Smith stood head and shoulders above
them all. The song, Dancing Barefoot, was originally produced by Todd
Rundgren (another influence on the Simple Minds sound), and has been
incorporated into the bands live set on many occasions, receiving a
fantastic audience reaction as soon as the initial chords were played.[2]
Those who have followed Simple Minds from the very beginning know that the
band initially had a much more electronic foundation and the bands earliest
influences were from the German "Kraut Rock" music scene. Although described
by many as being 'cold' music, Jim Kerr always felt that Kraftwerk's music
had a warm human side and great emotional content, particularly the song
Neon Lights, which appears as the title track on this album.
When discussing Simple Minds musical style, in particularly Jim Kerr's own
style of singing, you can never ignore the influence of Jim Morrison and The
Doors. As one of Jim Kerr's favourite bands, there is rarely a week that
goes by when he doesn't listen to The Doors. As one of The Doors better
known songs, Hello I Love You is included as the bands tribute to them.
With an album of this sort, Simple Minds felt it was extremely important to
acknowledge a few of their 80's and 90's contemporaries. U2,The Cure and
Depeche Mode naturally spring to mind, but another band that fell very much
into this category was Echo And The Bunnymen. The song Simple Minds eventually
chose was one of their biggest hits, Bring On The Dancing Horses.
The original version of Neil Young's classic Needle And The Damage Done was
quite a short ballad and so has been reworked, adding an extra element of
drama to the song by highlighting the songs powerful lyrical content.
Possibly the most predominant influence on Simple Minds (in terms of the
sound of the guitars, the synthesisers and melodies) were Roxy Music. The
band chose to cover one of their darker, more ambient tracks. For Your
Pleasure turned out to be one of the most challenging, yet most enjoyable
tracks to record during the Neon Lights sessions.
Three chords and fantastic street lyrics by Lou Reed and John Cale:
All Tomorrows Parties is a song that true The Velvet Underground fans will recognise
as being one of the dark horses of their incredible catalogue. The song
itself is about the end of an era, and for this reason alone the band have
chosen it to bring Neon Lights to a conclusion.
Quite Great Publicity.
[1] Simple Minds performed Gloria as part of an extended Ghostdancing
during the Street Fighting Years tour. It was also performed as a one-off during an Italian TV appearance
during the Néapolis tour.
[2] To my knowledge, Simple Minds have never performed Dancing Barefoot
live.
|
| Dancing Barefoot EP |
Eagle EAGEP 198 |
| Neon Lights |
Eagle EAGCD 194 |
Apparently Fat Boy Slim has remixed Theme For Great Cities whilst a new version
of New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) is doing the rounds at the clubs. (This could be the version
by Girls Under Glass which can be found on AudioGalaxy.)
Raven Maize's The Real Life should be in record stores on Monday.
|
21st July
Dancing Barefoot EP, Neon Lights, Second Eagle Album, Our Secrets Are The Same |
The forthcoming covers album Neon Lights will be preceeded by an EP. The CD digiapk
Dancing Barefoot EP will feature two tracks from the
album and two exclusive tracks which won't be available elsewhere.
Simple Minds: Dancing Barefoot EP
Eagle Records |
| 1. |
Dancing Barefoot |
Patti Smith |
| 2. |
Gloria |
Van Morrison |
| 3. |
TBA |
TBA |
| 4. |
TBA |
TBA |
It will be issued as a very limited edition. You will have to pre-order it from your local record store.
This is the tracklisting of the forthcoming Simple Minds album which will be released on
September 24th.
Simple Minds: Neon Lights
Eagle Records |
| 1. |
Gloria |
Van Morrison |
(3:44) |
| 2. |
The Man Who Sold The World |
David Bowie |
(4:06) |
| 3. |
Homosapien |
Pete Shelly |
(4:19) |
| 4. |
Dancing Barefoot |
Patti Smith |
(3:48) |
| 5. |
Neon Lights |
Kraftwerk |
(4:16) |
| 6. |
Hello, I Love You |
The Doors |
(3:31) |
| 7. |
Bring On The Dancing Horses |
Echo And The Bunnymen |
(5:51) |
| 8. |
The Needle And The Damage Done |
Neil Young |
(4:13) |
| 9. |
For Your Pleasure |
Roxy Music |
(4:19) |
| 10. |
All Tomorrow's Parties |
The Velvet Underground |
(3:32) |
Simple Minds are currently in the studio, already working on the follow-up album to
Neon Lights. It is hoped that it will be finished by December, and released early in
2002. Then a worldwide tour will follow.
Our Secrets Are The Same, the album recorded and finished in 1999, and the centre of
a legal dispute between Simple Minds and EMI, looks destined to remain in
the can for the foreseeable future. With two new albums in the pipeline with Eagle,
and Virgin still undecided about a compilation/best-of package, there doesn't seem to
be any opportunities for its release at the moment.
|
14th July
New Label, Neon Lights, New Web Sites, Bootlegs, Barrowlands, Auction |
Last month Simple Minds signed a two album deal with Eagle Records.
Simple Minds will be joining label mates James Brown,
Robert Palmer, Status Quo, Yes, Alice Cooper,
John Mayall and Nik Kersaw.
"Eagle Records is a natural home for established artists who no longer feel comfortable within
the confines of a major label."
Their first Eagle album has already been recorded and is set for release in September.
Simple Minds new studio album, a collection of covers, is set for release by Eagle
Records on September 24th. Recorded by Jim and Charlie earlier this year
at Ca Va Studios in Glasgow, it features
artists that inspired the band.
They've covered Kraftwerk, Patti Smith, Van Morrison,
Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and others.
The exclusive appeared in The Daily Record yesterday.
|
Meeting Of Minds
Kerr's cover version opens new Doors
Simple Minds rocker Jim Kerr is to pay homage to Lizard King Jim Morrison on
his band's comeback album.
The Scots rocker and bandmate Charlie Burchill have a collection of cover
versions lined up under their new two-album deal with Eagle Records.
And one of the highlight tracks is a reworking of the Doors' classic Hello, I Love You.
Jim, 42, said: "We are excited about the new phase and we're looking forward
to working with Eagle. Our new release is an album of songs that inspired
Simple Minds to make music in the first place."
As well as the Doors' classic, the album, called Neon Lights, will include
Simple Minds' versions of David Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World,
Van Morrison's Gloria and Patti Smith's Dancing Barefoot..
Due out in September, it's the first new release from the band since 1998's
album Neapolis and single Glitterball.
And to back up the CD, a world-wide headline tour is also planned within the
next 18 months.
The group's newfound popularity is all thanks to dance act Raven Maize's
track The Real Life, which sampled Simple Minds' Theme From Great Cities
and woke up the club scene to the Eighties group.
Now it looks as if there are even bigger things on the horizon for Jim, who
is already worth pounds 40million.
Simple Minds were formed in Glasgow in 1978. Throughout the Eighties, the
band's only real rivals were U2 and they racked up a string of hits
including Don't You (Forget About Me), Alive And Kicking and Waterfront.
Jim added: "More than two decades later, to us, creating music is still
connected to that initial sense of spirit, passion and play.
"We are flattered by an increasing emergence of a generation of artists and
producers seemingly keen on sampling and covering our style of music, so it
seemed timely for us to once again spend some time experiencing life as a
covers band. We're loving it."
Rick Fulton
Off The Record
Daily Record
July 13th, 2001
|
Glasgow based 2fluid creative will be producing the new official Simple Minds website.
This new company, headed by successful Internet pioneer Jacqueline Doherty, and with
financial backing from Jim, will be
putting together the new site which will feature details of the 25th anniversary tour next year.
Good luck.
The new version of this site will launch a week after the new official site.
Jacqueline Doherty, water cooler, Jim Kerr
Kerr-Ful Investor
Singer backs new web firm
Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr has backed a new venture by millionaire
Scots Internet queen Jacqueline Doherty.
The pop star has put some of his £40 million fortune into a new company called 2fluid creative -
a web design business which will help other firms boost on-line business.
At just 29, Doherty is already seen as an Internet veteran having been the technical driving force behind
fellow tycoon Chris Gorman's Reality business.
It quickly became Scotland's most successful Internet start-up. From it's launch in 1998 with just three
staff, Doherty helped grow the company into a multi-million pound business employing 70.
Last year, Gorman sold out to Great Universal Stores. Dohery received £3 million from the
£35 million sale.
Launching the new business yesterday, Doherty said: "2fluid is a partnership of some of the most
forward-thinking minds in Scotland's new media and design community".
She freely admits that e-commerce has had a "bad press" over the last year. But she added "I believe
there is demand for a company that combines contemporary design with the ability to deliver quality work
on time and within budget."
Kerr refused to reveal how much cash he was putting into 2fluid but described it as "a significant
investment."
He decided to back 2fluid because he has "great confidence in Doherty's talents".
Colin Calder
Publication unknown
Early July, 2001
|
I've updated the discography with details of their first Good News From The Next World
bootleg:
95 Sunset Strip. This CD is vital for the bootleg collector as
it features exclusive acoustic versions of See The Lights and White Light/White Heat.
Simple Minds are this months Barrowlands Greats. You can find their page at
http://www.glasgow-barrowland.com/Stories/glasgow_greats.html,
which includes an updated version of the biography from this site.
A couple of new items have been added to
Christian Sinn's auction. A copy of Good News From The Next World
signed by the 1995 line-up (60,00 DM) and a signed copy of the excellent Selfluninous bootleg (Offers!).
Contact e-mail and other items for sale can be found on his auction page.
|
Experience The Best Of The Simple Minds
Jim will be appearing in November's issue of FHM, dressed up and modeling Kraftwerk robots/dummies. There will also be a lengthy interview:
I have collected four promotional shots from Neon Lights so far. These can all be found in the Promo Gallery for the album. The shots look like they were taken at the Glasgow Science Museum (by the Clyde and opposite the SECC).
Full details of the Dancing Barefoot EP, which includes the exclusive tracks, Being Boiled and Love Will Tear Us Apart can be found here.
Full details of Simple Minds Limited Edition (a German coupling of the single and album) can be found here.
"As no radio station here in Germany (no, it's not the German Democratic Republic[1]) is playing anything from "Neon Lights" so far,I decided to do some promotion myself: I'm organizing a party once a month in a popular nightclub LIVE STATION (inside the train station) in Dortmund.