Next Thursday sees the 44th anniversary of the release of ‘The American’ as the first single produced by Simple Minds under then new record label, Virgin Records. Coincidentally, it’s the eve of the start of the U.S. leg of the band’s continuing Global Tour – which for this part of the tour appears to be named Alive and Kicking (South and Central America was still Global, and the UK and Europe leg this year it’s Summer Live) stick with a name guys, maybe?
I digress!
The U.S. leg starts next Friday in Ridgefield, Washington, at the Cascades Amphitheater – plenty of tickets still available – great seats close to the stage for $130 – decent enough I guess. Plenty still to get sub $100 too if you’re not too fussed about being able to lick the sweat off Kerr’s boots. I’m guessing this is why Americans hold off buying gig tickets in advance? They just bide their time until prices of tickets fall away? I dunno? Tickets available HERE
Back to the song and its anniversary.
It was probably my favourite song to see them perform live. Even during the Acoustic tour when it was a version of the song that I was particularly enamoured with…even during that period there was something about this song that just did it for me. It’s probably just a Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call thing. I would have happily gone to concert after concert of them performing all of Sons/Sister more than any other “album in its entirety” shows that have been put on. Last year’s salvation for me was to see the title track of Sons and Fascination being performed. I’ll admit to being moved to tears about that. A rarity I find when it comes to Simple Minds these days for me to be moved to that degree any more. I have otherwise long cried myself out.
The song still feels so relevant today, given the way the world is, the people running it, with this week being the 80th anniversary of VE Day and there being just as much upheaval in the world and America being a centrifugal force in it all. I haven’t been keeping up with setlists and what not. I saw what was played on the first night of the tour in Santiago, Chile, but I’m not clued up with what’s been played since then (and you call this a Simple Minds blog, Prip? Yeah…about that…). With that said, I hope that they give ‘The American’ an airing at Ridgefield at least, just as a wee nod for its 44th anniversary.
But, just in case, let’s celebrate it here! I mean, she didn’t even get a music video! Only ‘Love Song’ and ‘Sweat in Bullet’ did. What about ‘The American?’ Didn’t SHE deserve a music video, Virgin? You fuckers!
I know the big fan favourite is the version from Dortmund and although that is good, I prefer others. One is DEFINITELY from the French TV appearance in early 1982. Kerr was just absolutely DELICIOUS at that time, and there is this particular move he makes during the performance that gets me EVERY TIME. Snake-hipped sex god that he was. Goddamn!!
Another favourite of mine is this one from 1995 – I think because I love that Kerr puts in all the other “chorus” lines of the lyrics, something he hadn’t done from the earliest live performances of the song. Only the studio versions of it had those lines, he would never sing them live – until 1995 that is!
So, here’s to ‘The American’ – here comes the flag that we raise in her honour. Happy 44th anniversary you absolute belter of a song! What do I know about this world anyway? That the world is better for having a song like ‘The American’ existing within it.
Hi Larelle, it’s an awesome song all right. Hard to believe its 44yo, which means it’s release was closer to VE day (just) than the present day. Uh oh, don’t start thinking about that, too scary….
I thought that someone missed a trick not having it play over the closing credits of the recent Oppenheimer film, would have been perfect.
That distance from VE Day to the release of The American opposed to the present day is bloody scary! And yes to the Oppenheimer film, esp. the lyrics “I see a man with an airfield plan / I caught a boy fall out of the sky” would be very appropriate….