Simple Minds

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Biography

Scottish rock band Simple Minds have been on an extraordinary journey – from humble beginnings in post-punk 1970s Glasgow to becoming one of the UK’s most successful and pioneering bands – selling over 60 million records, achieving six number one albums, topping the American chart with ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’, and playing sold-out stadiums across the globe.

2022 saw the release of their eighteenth studio album, ‘Direction Of The Heart’, which reached #4 in the UK charts.

Simple Minds have achieved five No.1 albums as well hitting the top spot in countless other territories including Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.

“One of the things I’m most proud of is that people say to me what Simple Minds are you talking about? The avant-garde, the art-rock, the pop, the ambient, the instrumental group, the political, the folk, the stadium band? We’ve been on one hell of a journey. To play all those different styles but at the same time be quintessentially Simple Minds is an amazing thing.” Jim Kerr.

Simple Minds have been musical pioneers for 40 glittering years. Catching the mood of the post-punk era, when the angry sounds of 1977 were splintering into a thousand different shapes. They went on to become one of the great bands of their generation, deploying rousing choruses and booming atmospherics to provide a soundtrack that has endured.

Topping the American chart with Don’t You (Forget About Me) and in the UK with Belfast Child and selling over 60 million records, they have seen three of their 20 studio albums reach number one in the UK – Sparkle In The Rain, Once Upon A Time and Street Fighting Years – a chart-topping feat equalled by their live album Live In The City Of Light and the compilation Glittering Prize. A spellbinding touring band, they have graced the world’s biggest stadiums, starring at Live Aid and playing three momentous London shows in honour of Nelson Mandela.

2022 saw the release of their eighteenth studio album, ‘Direction Of The Heart’, hitting #4 in the UK charts.

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Simple Minds

4 days ago

DO YOU WANT MORE TEA?
“Just because your Mum likes your music, does not mean anybody else will!”
“Few musicians/artists earn enough to survive and you won't either.”

If only I had a quid for every time I heard that said?
Thing is though, me included, none in my ...circle were thinking about getting rich.

Money interested us much less than the freedom that money can buy - as long as we had a few pounds when seeking out the latest release from The Stranglers - we were more than fine.

The dream was always more about how to live our lives as we imagined those artists who inspired, lived theirs.
Not so much shooting heroin. I mean being independent enough to do what you want.
Think how you want. Say whatever while looking just how you wanted.
And then maybe best of all?
To roll out of bed - early or as late as YOU felt - spending every hour thinking about what next song to create.

And so, it was Easter 1977, within the basement corner of a Glasgow pub that Burchill, Kerr, McGee, Donald, Cairnduff, Alan McNeil and John Milarky first appeared.
All former pupils of Holyrood Roman Catholic Secondary School - that night kickstarted a summer of loud, aggressive music, within what I still consider to be the best time of my life.

As said more than frequently. Some things are deemed never to last that long. And unlike that pub, still very much in existence - Johnny And The Elf Abuser - as Dad insisted on naming - would not exist beyond the onset of autumn.

The era of ‘Punk’ had all too soon expired with our own demise coinciding with the release date of a double A side, written while sitting on my mother’s living room sofa. The aforementioned Mum annoyingly sticking her head around the door to comment. “Oh, that sounds really good! Do you want more tea?”

Any case, after six months only and with no internal conflicts between us, the silence in the dressing room after the very last gig was deep and dense.
But so too was the excitement already growing with regards to an idea speedily bubbling up in the back of my mind.

Still vague, but it would involve a whole new band called Simple Minds.
And perhaps The God's would allow Simple Minds to exist a wee bit longer?

Jim Kerr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92WlpQmTGTQ

Image: https://www.redbubble.com

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Simple Minds

5 days ago

Watch back Jim & Charlie's chat with Ally McCoist and Dean Saunders on talkSPORT: https://bit.ly/TalkSportSM

Tickets for Simple Minds' 2025 Global Tour are on sale now: https://www.simpleminds.com/tour/

1.1K0

Simple Minds

7 days ago

'She's A River' - Johnson Somerset’s extended remix was nominated as one of the best ever. (Listen on Youtube)

SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SIMPLE MINDS REMIX?

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Simple Minds

7 days ago

'She's A River' - Johnson Somerset’s extended remix was nominated as one of the best ever.

SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SIMPLE MINDS REMIX?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DCHxYjuY6Q

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Simple Minds

7 days ago

This month marks 40 years since ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ was released in the UK #SimpleMinds

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Simple Minds

7 days ago

This month marks 40 years since ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ was first released in the UK.

Do you remember where you were when you first heard it?

2.2K66

Simple Minds

7 days ago

This month marks 40 years since ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ was first released in the UK.

Do you remember where you were when you first heard it?

2.7K0

Simple Minds

1 weeks ago

“There's a rule in Rock 'N' Roll. You're only as good as your drummer." Joe Strummer, The Clash.

“We must be shit hot then?” Charlie Burchill, Simple Minds.

@cherissedrums

SEE SIMPLE MINDS LIVE IN 2025!
Tickets for the 2025 Simple Minds... summer shows in the UK & Ireland are on sale now!
See Simple Minds Live across North America this year.
Get tickets via link in bio.

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Simple Minds

1 weeks ago

HURRAH TO ALL THAT!

“There's a rule in Rock 'N' Roll. You're only as good as your drummer." Joe Strummer, The Clash.

“We must be shit hot then?” Charlie Burchill, Simple Minds.

Referring to himself as a “A light beam of positivity” in an... article in Forbes magazine titled ‘How To Survive Touring With Superstars.’
That tells you something about the mentality of one of the many drummers who has performed over the years with Simple Minds.
But as spectacularly good as he was with wooden sticks, ‘the lights went out’ between us after only one tour.
And just as all working relationships are not necessarily meant to last forever, not all situations are alike either.

Our very first drummer for example was always going to be ‘in’ and with no audition necessary.
The only person we knew on the planet who owned a drum kit, had we known even one other his chance would have reduced dramatically.
For as wondrous as the drum kit was, none of us who started out in 'punk bands' could play, or sing. And he couldn't play either.
Later on, feeling a bit wan and looking slightly 'peely wally.'
When drummer No1 called it a day, once more we brought in the ‘only other drummer’ we knew.
Wrong move!
Revealing soon an ambition of becoming a ‘Bigtime’ club DJ much less interested in bashing drum skins.
“What the hell is it with drummers who don’t want to drum?” I enquired.
“Dunno.” He shrugged, staring at the floor and making way for drummer No 3.

Much too delicate in nature for the then young and feral Simple Minds, ‘our third on the skins’ would last as long as the bloom on the cherry blossom. And so, continuing a bit more with the theme.
It was in July, 1982, finding ourselves in a panic, that we came across ‘a powerhouse’ who gave Simple Minds something we were not necessarily looking for - but would become addicted to.
A monstrous sounding beat played by a breathtaking showman!
Problem is no one really wants a monstrous beat on EVERY song, and so over quite some time that issue would grow with no resolve.

Finally, then to the here and now.
For almost the entire last decade Simple Minds have had a consistently brilliant drummer on stage.
Her name, as many know, is Cherisse Osei
And all she wants to do is play drums, hard and soft, day in and day out.
Hurrah to all that!

Jim Kerr

SEE SIMPLE MINDS LIVE IN 2025!
Tickets for the 2025 Simple Minds summer shows in the UK & Ireland are on sale now!
See Simple Minds Live across North America this year.
Get tickets here: https://www.simpleminds.com/tour