Simple Minds Convention, Mandela Day DVD, Essential
I've started putting the lots up for the charity auction on the convention web site. As I'm planning about 10 lots per night, it should be finished in a week or so.
Here's some more information about the Brazilian DVD of the Mandela Concert:
"The sound quality says that Digital Stereo or 5.1 Surround is available. There are subtitles too for all the lyrics. Though on Sun City they spelt Margaret Thatcher, without the first ‘h’. The picture quality is a bit poor, Looks like a straight from video to DVD."
"The magazine is great if you can read Portuguese, Simple Minds have around 70% of the magazine contents. It includes a discography with photo and tracks listings of all albums from ‘Life In A Day’ to the ‘Best Of’ including ‘The Early Years 1977-78’."
"There’s a poster too, centre pages of Jim and Charlie, from the ‘Cry’ sessions. A further picture of Jim appears on the contents page, plus there’s a little Biography of the band with the Neapolis picture of the band, walking down a Italian street."
It will probably turn up on eBay again soon!
(Thanks to Steve for the review).
A new budget price CD has turned up in the listings of some on-shops. Called Essential and released by EMI, it sounds like a cheap-and-cheerful compilation album. It's scheduled for release on the 24th March.
Simple Minds Convention, Who's Doing The Dreaming Now? #10
The charity auction for the convention has been finalised, with all the items being divided up into 63 lots.
I have spent some time this week getting items photographed and scanned for the website and will begin uploading everything to the convention website over the coming week.
Shaun and Clive have relaxed the rules a little - those who cannot make the convention can make blind bids for items before the day itself. More information on that when I get it.
Right: Lot 37: Jim's working lyrics for Skylights And Memories - already recognisable as Someone Somewhere In Summertime.
As my spare time has been taken up with the convention, my timescales have (yet again) slipped. The fanzine has been delayed until the end of March/start of April (I really want to get it out for the convention) and the new website won't start appearing until April.
Thank you to the people who've been e-mailing in their new addresses - if you've moved since issue #9 (which was three years ago) then please let me know.
Top Of The Pops, Cry SACD, Convention
Top Of The Pops 2 (the archival show run in parallel with Top Of The Pops) is currently running a poll to select one of 15 Scottish acts for their show of the 18th March.So, here's a chance to vote for Waterfront from 1983 to be aired again.
Unfortunately Wet Wet Wet seem to be putting in a very strong perforance. It would be best if we could get tactical and all vote massively in the last few hours, but there seems to be no ending date on the site (unless they're running it up to the 17th March.)
Anyway, if you wish to vote, or know a friendly Script Kiddie who'll write you some Perl to clock up several thousand votes, then head on over to voting area.
The first Cry Super Audio CDs have started to circulate. The album has not been remastered (like the Virgin reissues), but does sound more 'full'.
(Thanks to Peter Verbruggen for the scan).
Shaun Tranter and Clive Johnson have literally ripped the shirt of Eddie Duffy's back - and I stuffed it in a scanner - is nothing sacred?
I've just spent several hours photographing and scanning the latest clutch of goodies which will be auctioned at the Simple Minds Convention.
There's acetates, test pressings, back stage passes, telegrams, signed programmes and Eddie and Jim's stage clothing is on offer - it'll take me a while to sort out the convention website and get this all up - probably Friday or Saturday.
Don't You (Forget About Me) 2003
The first audio snippet of Biba Rom! Vs. Jim Kerr with Don't You (Forget About Me) can be found here (requires RealPlayer).(See the news of 31st January for more info).
BBC Scotland
"We're currently working on a Scottish music website for BBC Scotland which will launch in April. The Vault will feature biographies of Scottish artists and venues, sound clips, a where-are-they-now feature, a photo gallery and music/gig memories.""If you have any stories of seeing Simple Minds - or other Scottish bands then we'd love to hear them."
"Or if you've taken a photo of a band (any band; doesn't need to be Simple Minds or Scottish) - or had your photo taken with someone - then it'd be great to put that in our gallery."
Claire Capaldi
Assistant Producer
BBC Scotland Interactive
UK Summer Date, Dream Giver Redux, Who's Doing The Dreaming Now #10, Mandela Day DVD
Those in the UK don't have to wait until December to see the Minds. As part of their summer festival tour, the band will be playing a full-set at the Liverpool Summer Pops concerts (a 20 night music festival). The gig is scheduled for the 22nd July and will take place in a 3000 capacity tent on the Kings Dock.Additionally, for those who like to stand and dance at concerts (and not sit, clap politely and suck on a packet of Werther's Originals), these are your venues of choice and/or carnage:
Bristol
Cambridge
Aberdeen
Dream Giver Redux, the successor to this site, will start to appear in March.
The original plan (made a long time ago) was to put the whole site up in one go - but that was just taking too long. So, as parts of the new site appear, parts of this site will disappear. But that way, at least things will be happening.
The first parts will concentrate on Biba-Rom! and Johnny And The Self Abusers.
Who's Doing The Dreaming Now #10, another long awaited publication, will appear in late February/early March. Can any subscribers who've moved house since the last issue (which was a long time ago), get in touch? Or if you want to query anything about your subscription information then please e-mail me.
Strangely, Simple Minds are represented on the sleeve with a cropped shot from the Neon Lights photoshoot.
UK Tour, Site Changes, Convention
More dates have appeared for the UK tour, and tickets can now be purchased from Ticketmaster.Get Exclusive Presale tickets NOW for UK shows through Clear Channel Entertainment. (Guess who's going to Cambridge!)
A direct link for those interested in booking tickets for the Clyde Auditorium show is here. Or give them a call on 0870 040 4000.
Hammersmith Apollo are also selling tickets for Saturday, 6th December. This date has not appeared on Ticketmaster - I suspect that the band have an option. This means that if the Friday night sells out, the band will book the hall for the following day. (It's the "Due to huge demand, extra day added to tour" type thing). Anyway, you're gambling with this - will the band take the option or not? Depends on ticket sales for the Friday.
The tickets won't be available for the general public until Friday.
Pretty much the same sized venues as last time.
There's going to be lots of gradual changes occuring to this website over the next few months. Firstly, I'm going to be ditching my old Pipex e-mail address. The new one is: simon@simpleminds.org.
I've been quietly adding to the Simple Minds Convention website for the last few weeks - mostly adding auction items.
However, nothing prepared Shaun nor Clive for the sheer amount of top Simple Minds stuff which popped up in their intrays over the last few days. Logo drumskins, acetates, test pressings and buckets of backstage passes - JPEGs of joy from an anonymous friend.
Anyway, it seems that all this will be winging Shaun's way to be catalogued and divided into lots. Until they've actually been received they won't be added to the auction, but some mouth watering pictures have been added to the convention site.
And to the anonymous sender - many thanks in advance.
Spaceface, Innerworld, UK Tour
Here's the latest Simple Minds release from Absolutely Records: the second 12" of Spaceface remixes.
Joining the Farfa remix (which appeared on the previous 12") are remixes by DJ Tomcraft (which has received Radio One airplay) and Hardakt. Both are more hardcore dance than the previous remixes.
Full details can be found in the discography.
The Pascal Live release doesn't actually mention Jim Kerr on the labels, but it's definitely Jim on the vocals.
An ambient/dance hybrid, this slow song never really gets going, and has no strong melodic lines.
Pascal Live vs. Jim Kerr : Absolutely ABR 038
A1. Innerworld: Gaudi Interpretation
B1. Innerworld: Drive Red 5 Mix
Promo 12" in generic Absolutely promo sleeve.www.americandisco.net have put up some sound samples, so you don't have to take my word for it.
Another UK date for December: 3rd December at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham.
Convention, UK Tour
Mick MacNeil holds up the disc award for 500,000 copies of Street Fighting Years which he has very kindly dontated to the Simple Minds Convention.
This now joins lots of other goodies in the charity auction - cheers Mick!
(More pictures of the award and the dedication plate can be found in the convention pages).
More tour dates have started to appear - it looks like Simple Minds will be touring the UK in December - an early Christmas present for many!
- Current unconfirmed dates are:
- Apollo, Hammersmith, London: 5th December
- Apollo, Manchester: 13th December
Four singles on the way
Four Simple Minds related singles will soon be issued.
- Spaceface by Simple Minds through Eagle.
Promos of a new single have started to appear (see 27th January). So far the only tracks associated with this release are Spaceface and Disconnected. Hopefully Eagle will bulk this up when it is released commerically.
- Spaceface by Simple Minds through Absolutely. (Absolutely ABR 036)
The next round of Spaceface remixes from Absolutely have been circulating on white label promos for a couple of weeks, but they get commercially released on February 3rd. This 12" features remixes by DJ Tomcraft, Hardakt and Farfa. This can be ordered from www.americandisco.net now.
- Innerworld by Pascal Live Vs. Jim Kerr through Absolutely. (Absolutely ABR 038)
Little is known about this release featuring remixes by Gaudi, Red Five and Masi And Bertoni. I suspect Jim's simply sharing vocal duties. However, white-label promos can now be ordered from www.americandisco.net.
- Don't You (Forget About Me) by Biba-Rom Vs. Jim Kerr through Absolutely.
This one's on the way - a new reworking of the old classic and remixed by Andrea T.Mendoza-Phunk Investigation and Red Five. (Biba-Rom was the name of a Jim/Charlie school band predating Johnny And The Self Absuers.)
The Guardian
Someone's having a laugh (perhaps stock photos of Brian Kerr were unavailable.)http://football.guardian.co.uk (link will probably only work today).
New Eagle Single
As the 12" white labels of the two new Spaceface remixes from Absolutely circulate (featuring the DJ Tomcraft and Hardakt mixes), it looks like Eagle are playing catch-up.
Two track promos of a previously unknown single have started to appear. Featuring new artwork, these pair Spaceface and Disconnected. The most uninspired promo to date, but let's hope that the eventual single will feature more material - and not a couple of album tracks.
The Fatboy Slim Remix of The Real Life by Raven Maize was used as backing music during the half time interval of the BBC's FA Cup coverage (Man Utd vs. West Ham) yesterday.
Convention
Kenny Hyslop is 'well-up' for an open forum Q&A session on stage at the convention - so get those questions together.Plus loads of great items are to be added to the charity auction, but they won't be announced until Shaun's physically got them.
Top German DJ Firestarter has confirmed he will be playing at the convention - he's a huge Simple Minds fan, so expect something special.
I am also raiding my collection, and with the help of a new computer, will be transfering a few acetates to CDR. One of which is an unreleased Néapolis remix of Glittering Prize - it's quite awful, but will be of (limited) interest - and will be aired at the convention for the first time.
Spaceface Remix, Cry SACD
After frantic voting on Judge Jules' forum, the new Spaceface remix was still aired on Radio One an hour ago. It's much more hard hitting than the Stonebridge or Farfa remixes. Good stuff!I'd tune in next week just in case - Jules tends to play things about three times.
Cry is to be released by Eagle Records as a SACD on the 10th February. This is the second SACD by Simple Minds - the first being The Best Of released in 2002.
For information about SACD, click here.
Convention, Discography Update, Remasters
The convention page has moved to www.simplemindsconvention.co.uk.No new content as yet, but some more great items are expected for the charity auction.
Updates to the convention page will still be announced here.
Here's another collectable for the hardcore collectors out there. CDR-acetates of the most recent One Step Closer single are circulating.
For more information about this issue, click here.
The new Real To Real Cacophony standard remaster still features the misprint on the front cover, but the booklet corrects the error of the limited edition, and both sides of the original's LP inner sleeve are correctly reproduced. (In some ways, this makes the standard edition a better representation of the original album than the limited edition.)
Apart from the corrections, there's no extra artwork.
Three new 12" releases
The new DJ Tomcraft remix is backed with another mix of Spaceface by Hardakt. White label 12" promos are circulating but none have appeared for sale as yet.Two more Jim Kerr related remixes will shortly be issued...
Remix On Radio One
Further to my posting yesterday, you can also vote for Spaceface. The winner gets a repeat play this Saturday.To go directly to the voting page, click here.
For those outside the UK, you can listen to Radio One via streaming media. Check out the links posted on the 20th for information about the show.
Summer Tour, Remix On Radio One
Another date for your diaries: Simple Minds will be playing at the Museumsplatz in Bonn, Germany on the 19th July.For further information, check out www.bundeskunsthalle.de.
See the tour list for the accumulating list of dates.
Simple Minds were played on Radio One last Saturday. That's Simple Minds: not Liquid People or Raven Maize or John 'OO' Flemming.
Judge Jules played the new DJ Tomcraft remix of Spaceface - a new remix of the track commissioned by Absolutely Records (and first mentioned here on the 9th January). No news of a release yet, but as Judge Jules played it, there must be some white labels circulating.
Judge Jules tends to keep tracks in his set-list for a couple of weeks, so it's worth listening in next week. Or, you can listen to the show via the Radio One website. A direct link to his page is here.
Or copy-and-paste this link straight into your RealPlayer to listen to last weeks show: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/rpms/jules.rpm.
Another Historical Day
25 years ago today, in a dingy upstairs club, Steel Pulse took to the stage at Satellite City, Glasgow. They had been preceded by three very different support bands, all representative of the new wave gradually gaining momentum in the wake of punk. The roll call was Rev Volting And The Backstabbers (who later became the equally unknown Fun 4), The Nu Sonics (who renamed themselves Orange Juice and went on to enjoy some mainstream success) and a new band called Simple Minds, who were playing their first gig.
Not much is known about the bands' first appearance. Some old Johnny And The Self Abusers numbers, such as Wasteland, were dusted off from their last Mars Bar appearances. Their long loved cover of White Light-White Heat was also performed, probably as a furious rush like many of their early songs. And Pleasantly Disturbed, the first Simple Minds composition, was premiered.
The later, the six minute epic, was chillingly emphasized by Charlie Burchill on violin, who would then switch back to guitar to bolster Duncan Barnwell as the song reached its swirling conclusion. Brian McGee and Tony Donald resolutely kept rhythm whist Jim Kerr, dressed in a somber priests coat and sporting a basin-bowl haircut, projected and moved as if he was on-stage at the Apollo.
It cost £1.50 to get in.
I wish I could've been there.
"On the dance floor the standard disco clientele dance to standard disco records. On tables down the sides hippies (here for the reggae presumably) stick Rizla together. Reeking of new leather, punks patrol the perimeters, trying to look as subterranean as possible. Orange Juice still play a song about the event."
Glen Gibson.
Convention, Compilation
The convention finishes at 12:00 in the evening - not 11:00 as I've stated. This will allow more drinking.
A new 1980s 'electo' compilation has recently been released and obviously is called The Original Electro Album.
Normally these compilation albums are pretty dull, but not only does this one feature Life In A Day by Simple Minds, but it also features Promised You A Miracle by (you guessed it) Simple Minds. By now, I guess you're scratching your head trying to figure out why these particular songs were picked out as being representative of 'electo' : surely I Travel and/or Love Song would be better.
Still, it's not for me to try and fathom the weird mind of compilation album compilers. But you also get The Human League, Heaven 17, Duran Duran, Talk Talk, Japan, OMD, Sigue Sigue Sputnik and others. Great 1980s soundtrack.
I'm reliably informed that Q Magazine (which I don't buy anymore) weren't very impressed by the contributions from a certain S. Minds. Never mind.
Original Electro Album
Catalogue: 540 9062
Love Action (I Believe In Love): Human League, Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry: Heaven 17, Girls On Film: Duran Duran, Promised You A Miracle: Simple Minds, To Cut A Long Story Short: Spandau Ballet, All Stood Still: Ultravox, Tesla Girls: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, It's A Miracle: Culture Club, Together In Electric Dreams: Phil Oakey & Giorgio Moroder, Calling All The Heroes: It Bites, Life In A Day: Simple Minds, Imagination: Belouis Some, It's My Life: Talk Talk, Is It A Dream: Classix Nouveaux, Cantonese Boy: Japan, The Model: Kraftwerk, Genetic Engineering: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, The Thin Wall: Ultravox, She Blinded Me With Science: Thomas Dolby, 19: Paul Hardcastle, Love Missile F1-11: Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Convention
Former Simple Minds' drummer Kenny Hyslop has confirmed he will be attending the Simple Minds convention.
Convention, Discography Updates
Pictures for other auction items have been added to the convention page. These include a Real Life tour itinerary and crew shirt.
A much better scan of the Spaceface CDR acetate sleeve has been uploaded - this replaces an old eBay photograph of the sleeve.
Simple Minds Vs Dischi, Convention, New Spaceface Remix, Discography Updates
The latest in a growing line of Simple Minds Vs ... releases is also the most disappointing.
Simple Minds Vs Dischi has suddenly turned up with a new track called Live In Glasgow. Listening to both untitled mixes on this rather anonymous 12" (black sleeve with "Live" printed across it) reveals very little Simple Minds content.
Actually, there seems to be no Simple Minds content whatsover.
The best I can come up with, is that the crowd noise heard during this dull Italian dance song is from a Simple Minds gig. At one point, I think I heard Jim on the PA, but I really didn't want to listen to it again to confirm it.
So... definintely not recommended.
If you want to listen to a brief sample, or are even brave enough to buy it, check out http://www.juno.co.uk/house.htm.
Simple Minds Vs Dischi: Live In Glasgow
A1. Live In Glasgow [Unnamed Mix #1]
B1. Live In Glasgow [Unnamed Mix #2]
Black label 12" in black sleeve with "Live" sprayed across it.
Sound Division SD0073 (Italy)
Two more items have been added to the charity auction: a Real Life tour itinerary and a Real Life tour crew shirt. They've both been added to the Convention Page - pictures will be added once I receive them from Clive.
DJ Tomcraft has remixed Spaceface - no more information about a release at this point, but it looks like there may be another Cry related release appearing in the future.
OK - let's see...
Club/Venue: Cemetery Lodge, Whittlesey, UK
Area: My lounge
Personal: Well, it's Simple Minds innit? I'll give this one a 8/10.
Punter:The only other person there was Mr. Tranter - I forgot to ask about his rating.
Favourite Mix: Stonebridge without a doubt. Kept the song structure, heightened some parts, lowered others, extended the whole thing like a classic 80s mix.
Comments: More of the same please.I don't think Absolutely Records expected their DJ Reaction sheets to be filled in on-line but if it gets me a promo or two, then why not?
Seriously this sheet fell out of my two-track white label promo of Spaceface which has now been added to the discography.
Festival Tour, Convention, Remasters
Simple Minds will be touring European Festivals (and maybe some UK ones) for a six week period from the beginning of July until mid-August. Previous to that, they'll be recording the new studio album in Italy.Two more dates have surfaced: Hohentwiel Festival on the 17th July (now confirmed by http://www.hohentwielfestival.de) and Monte Carlo on August 10th (currently unconfirmed).
See the tour dates page, which is slowly starting to grow.
Shaun and I have been talking about the charity auction and what we have decided to do is run this as a video auction with payments to be sent to Shaun after the convention. The main reasons for this are: (1) We dont want to ship a whole lot of rare memorabilia on an aeroplane and risk flight damage and (2) We dont want any of you carrying copious amounts of cash and/or rare items in the streets of Glasgow in the middle of the night.
All payments will be subject to a P&P charge, depending on item(s) and destination.
If you have any queries, dont hesitiate to contact either Shaun Tranter or myself.
See the Convention Pages for more information about some previously unpublished photographs which will be on display.
The standard editions of the remasters series were released in the UK today. A quick flip through revealed:
The Life In A Day 8-page booklet features the original inner sleeves, some extra tambourine artwork, and a page listing all the remasters.
- All the albums were in standard jewelcases with "Digitally Remastered Edition" along the front spine (see picture right).
- All original album artwork of the limited edition remasters was retained. For example, New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) is gold again and Life In A Day has lost that annoying title strip.
- The CDs themselves are same as the limited edition ones, being picture CDs of the original album labels.
So, for those who haven't picked up the limited edition ones, the standard editions are worth getting. See my comments about the limited edition releases for the quality of the remastering.
There's also a competition card included - win the entire mini-vinyl styled reissues! Don't get too excited though - the draw isn't until 31st October 2003.
Convention
Looking to sell your Simple Minds collection? Well here's your chance to sell it to hardcore fans. There are trade tables available at the convention (there is a charge per table) so why not make some money and have a good time?
For more information contact Shaun Tranter
Bouncing Souls, Festival Tour 2003
So much for Dream Giver being up-to-date and current. It turns out that the Bouncing Souls cover of Don't You (Forget About Me) mentioned yeterday, is over two years old.Apparently it's a live cover made by two bands: The Bouncing Souls and The Pietasters both ska-rock bands (which is why Mick keyboards are replaced by a full horn section).
Ignasi Calvo, who wrote in this info, also states that its a really great cover version. Well, I guess a live ska version of Don't You (Forget About Me) by two bands has to be heard to be believed.
Simple Minds will be playing the Bospop Festival in Weert, The Netherlands on the 12th July. www.bospop.nl will be updated with this information soon.
Festival Tour 2003, Convention Update, Good News Remaster, Best Of Proms Edition, Neapolis Remaster, Remasters, Bouncing Souls, Mandela Day bootleg, sampleminds.com
Simple Minds will jumping on the festival circuit in the summer of 2003, playing a selection of open-air gigs around Europe.In a move similar to the 1997 festival tour, the band also hope to preview new material from the forthcoming new studio album which is expected in the autumn of 2003.
The first dates have already started appearing. Check out www.bocholt.de or www.schoneberg.de or www.eventim.de (all in German) for details about their appearance on the 11th July at the Bocholt-Hünting stadium in Germany.
There is also talk about the band playing at the Hohentwiel Stadium in Singer, Germany on the 17th July.
Good News From The Next World drummer Mark Schulmann has offered to record a video tape of a Q&A session for the convention. If you have any questions you'd like to ask Mark, then please e-mail Shaun Traner.
Album Good News From The Next World Catalogue Virgin SIMCDX 11 Tracks She's A River/Night Music/Hypnotised/Great Leap Forward/7 Deadly Sins/And The Band Played On/My Life/Criminal World/This Time Remastering Highlights Some instrumentation disappears during And The Band Played On. Again, everything sounds slightly different, but it hasn't improved. Packaging Complete repackaging of the original LP with gatefold sleeve, inner sleeve (complete with lyrics) and the original LP labels.
The Best Of - Night Of The Proms Special Remastered Edition has now been added to the discography. This compilation was a repackaging of the The Best Of, released in Belgium, Netherlands and Germany to tie in with the band's Proms tour.
A live CD featuring a couple of orchestral tracks by Simple Minds from these concerts should be available soon.
The tour dates have now been archived here.
Further additions to the discography include:
An Abbey Road reference CD of Our Secrets Are The Same
A 1-track US promo CD of the Cry Single.A two-track CD acetate of the One Step Closer single has also started to circulate.
Album Néapolis Catalogue Virgin SIMCDX 12 Tracks Song For The Tribes/Glitterball/War Babies/Tears Of A Guy/Superman V Supersoul/Lightning/If I Had Wings/Killing Andy Warhol/Androgyny Remastering Highlights Very different sounding Tears Of A Guy (with low droning at the start) and Androgyny. In particular, Derek Forbes can be heard more clearly throughout the album. Packaging As Néapolis was never released on vinyl, it's interesting to see how Virgin have repackaged this album. And they haven't dissapointed. The album now appears as a gatefold with the original CD booklet in one of the folds, with the CD housed in a black sleeve in the other.
The limited edition versions of the remastered albums have now started selling out in the UK. Virgin will be releasing the standard editions (remastered albums in jewelcases) on the 6th January. It isn't known if they will change the artwork for these editions, or stay with the original CD packaging.
Good news for those in the USA. Virgin are issuing limited edition mini-sleeve remasters in the States with the first six appearing on the 6th January, and the second batch appearing on the 6th February. (Ads have appeared in publication: the one from Ice Magazine #190 is shown on the right.)
Q Magazine reviewed the second batch of remasters and slated them (as predicted). What is interesting, is to compare what Q rewarded each album at the time, and their 'new' rating. They could argue that with hindsight, the album's weren't as good as they originally thought, but what ever happened to their critical integrity? At the very least, they could've printed their original ratings with the new ones. Which I've done below:
Album What Q' originally said
(When they liked Simple Minds)Q change their minds
(I assume they don't like them anymore)Once Upon A Time (1985) - 4/5 Live In The City Of Light (1987) 4/5 2/5 Street Fighting Years (1989) 5/5 3/5 Real Life (1991) 4/5 2/5 Good News From The Next World (1995) 4/5 2/5 Néapolis (1998) 3/5 2/5 (I don't buy Q anymore).
In an interview, Simon Heyworth mentioned that he'd also remastered the albums for SACD. Expect a limited release of this format in 2003.
A new cover of Don't You (Forget About Me) by Bouncing Souls has been released in the last couple of months or so. I've been told that it's a 'nice cover' - any other information will be posted here.
After reading the updated Mandela Day bootleg review, Lee Hodgkinson shed some light on Mel's false start to Biko:
"I met Mel about 6 months after the show and asked him about the false start prior to Biko. It was for Speed Your Love To Me - the set was cut short due to TV scheduling and everyone's set list was changed apart from his."
A new website devoted to the band's music has recently appeared. www.sampleminds.com features an Internet broadcasting station (broadcasting Simple Minds of course), ringtones, logos, streaming audio and forums.
The concept seems to be to create the database of all sampled and remixed works which have been inspired by Simple Minds.
(And it has nothing to do with the tribute band Sample Minds - originally Band For The Tribes.)
Convention, Real Life Remaster, For Sale
A Simple Minds Convention will be taking place in Glasgow on the 6th April 2003. Organised by Shaun Tranter and Clive Johnson, the same team who put together the previous convention in 1999, the event will take place at the Renfrew Ferry, where Simple Minds were photographed for Waterfront promotion.
No longer the draughty ferry where Jim, Charlie, Mick, Mel and Derek were seen freezing, the Renfrew Ferry is now a floating entertainments centre, docked on the Clyde.
Sample Minds will be playing (the band formally known as Band For The Tribes), original drummer Brian McGee will be there, and Clive and Shaun are planning more (which will be announced in due course.)
For more details about the convention, and the start of the charity auction listing, can be found on the Convention Page.
Album Real Life Catalogue Virgin SIMCDX 10 Tracks Real Life/See The Lights/Let There Be Love/Woman/Stand By Love/Let The Children Speak/African Skies/Ghostrider/Banging On The Door/Travelling Man/Rivers Of Ice/When Two Worlds Collide Remastering Highlights Difficult to quantify. It does sound 'different' but is it better? Packaging What happened to the original 'blue logo' sleeve? Virgin had decided to use the later 'white band sleeve'. The track listing on the back is also incorrect as the LP's running order was different: Let The Children Speak and African Skies are switched - this has not been changed for the CD. The full inner sleeve with lyrics has been faithfully reproduced along with the LP labels.
Tomas Hynes has a copy of Themes Volume One for sale. He'd like £40/60 Euro for this collectable box-set. E-mail him if you are interested.
And Christian Sinn has a large list of items for sale, trade and wanted. Again, contact him if you're interested in some great Simple Minds goodies. He sends the list out as Microsoft Excel files - ask for a text only version if you don't have that package.
One Step Closer Single, Remasters, Shop, Swimming Towards The Sun, Mandela Day bootleg
Full information about the new One Step Closer single which was released in Holland by PIAS can be found here.
Apart from an edit of the title track, the CD offers nothing substantially new, since the other songs featured have appeared on previous releases.
The limited edition remasters are now starting to sell out. The standard editions, featuring the remastered CDs in standard jewelcases, will be released on the 6th January.
I believe that the limited edition remasters were limited to 1000 copies each, and, as mentioned above, are now starting to sell out. If you want to grab the set, then make it fast.
Because of that, I'll summarise the remastering of the remaining albums quickly, but more detailed reviews will appear over the next two weeks. In essence, Street Fighting Years (the last of their 1980s albums) is really the last to benefit from the remastering process as the 1980s analogue recording is cleared up and improved.
Real Life, Good News From The Next World and Néapolis all sound 'different', but not necessarily better. Strangely its Néapolis that yielded the most pleasant surprises from this batch (both in terms of the sound and the packaging), and Good News >From The Next World has suffered most, with some instruments seemingly disappearing from the mix.
So, I'd definitely get hold of Life In A Day, Real To Real Cacophony, Empires And Dance, Sons And Fascination, New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84), Sparkle In The Rain, Live In The City Of Light and Street Fighting Years. Give Real Life and Néapolis a listen, but avoid Good News From The Next World and Once Upon A Time.
Album Street Fighting Years Catalogue Virgin SIMCDX 9 Tracks 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 Remastering Highlights The quieter songs shine out, especially Soul Crying Out and the heartstopping pause of Kick It In. Packaging The gatefold sleeve of the original album is reproduced too well (as When Spirits Rise is omitted from the track listing). The original had no inner sleeve, so the CD is housed in a black sleeve. The original labels were very plain with a small triangular Simple Minds logo - reproduced here, but badly done.
Some useful links for those trying to track down all these European releases:www.freerecordshop.nl - stocks the new Night Of The Proms compilation CD.
www.plato.nl - has the 2-track One Step Closer single.
www.star-music4all.com - has the 3-track One Step Closer single.
Haven't purchased the tribute album yet? Sound samples for Swimming Towards the Sun are back online:
Click on Album Info/Tracklisting. The green arrows are for low quality samples (28K modem), while the yellow arrows are for medium quality samples (56K modem or faster).
Ajay Mistry has added some extra dialogue and clarified some of the lyrics which I couldn't figure out on the review of the Mandela Day bootleg. These have now been added to the comments.
Spaceface Single, One Step Closer Single, Remasters
Two versions of the Spaceface Remixes single have now been released in Italy.
The 12" from Absolutely features remixes from Stonebridge and Farfa. The Stonebridge remix was previously featured on a single-sided 12" from Absolutely released in August.
A 5" CD from Carosello pairs edited versions of the two tracks.
For more information, check out its entry in the discography.
One Step Closer has been released as a single in Holland by Eagle.Two varients exist. A two-track CD in a card sleeve offers an edit of One Step Closer joined by New Sunshine (previously released with the first Spaceface single).
A three-track CD offers a little more, by adding the Phunk Investigation Clubinvest remix of Cry (previously released on the Cry Remixes single.)
After the muffled sound of the Once Upon A Time remaster, the series gets back on its feet with the live album Live In The City Of Light. The remastering is excellent, being crystal clear, and featuring a depth of sound not heard before.
Whilst the sleeve isn't embossed (like the limited edition vinyl original), Virgin have come up trumps again by including the original album booklet in the CD package. This features different artwork and pictures to the original CD booklet.
Album Live In The City Of Light Catalogue Virgin SIMCDX 8 Tracks 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 Remastering Highlights The whole double album is crystal clear - highly recommended. Packaging Gatefold sleeve houses two CDs in black sleeves. Original album booklet also included.