It’s coming up to 9 years since Jim Kerr released his first solo album, under the moniker “Lostboy! AKA”. And it appears as if it will be destined to remain Lostboy’s only solo venture.
There was a promise of more to come for 2011 with a follow up album earmarked. Sadly personal family issues took precedence and a quick follow up was put on the backburner (as was some of the Lostboy electroset tour).
I would seriously love to ask Jim why he thinks the impetus he had and that more prolific period that he found when embarking on the Lostboy! project seemed to fall away, not to be regained (it would seem…well not in as a prolific a state, as he was in SMs early days – on a par with that)? It may be a tough question to answer, as the number one assumption would be the loss of his mum, Irene, playing the largest part of that.
There has been times when he has posted on SMO about the anniversary of the release of Lostboy! AKA and seemed to suggest that he may return. Or at the very least there is still a desire there sometimes to resurrect him.
But Jim has subsequently “stolen” material from Lostboy! for Simple Minds. Kill Or Cure on Big Music is one obvious one – released initially as a Lostboy! track. And last year on the Walk Between Worlds album, Sense Of Discovery was also “reimagined” for Simple Minds.
I do fear poor Lostboy!, with all his drive, passion and enthusiasm (and his potential for proliferation of material) is destined to be a “fly by night”, a “flash in the pan”. To me he held much, much promise. It was a very strong start in 2010.
I don’t get the sense Jim wanted to put him to bed…but he hasn’t really mentioned “The Boy” since last year and the reworking and inclusion of Sense Of Discovery on the WBW album. And he didn’t much register a post for a while before that. Just a fleeting mention, or as I say, and anniversary of album release acknowledgement.
Maybe he is happy to have now “been there, done that” and worn the T-shirt?
Can’t say he never tried in the first place, can oor Jim? (Trying out the solo career.)
I don’t know why…but when I ponder whether Lostboy! will return, I lament that he may never see the light of day again.