Two Weeks To Go – A Little Bit Of Cheer

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“Don’t you have enough images of Jim?” I hear you ask? Erm…NO! Obviously not! Lol

And with the number of images Virginia Turbett has of Jim ALONE, that is unlikely to change soon. I have only a few on my STRICT “shopping list” to go. Which will then have brought my collection of Virginia Turbett prints to (I think) 150.

Again, if money was no object, I’d keep going. I’m sure I will still buy one here and there, when funds allow. I love them all too much!

I think we can safely say that I have the biggest collection of Virginia Turbett Simple Minds/Jim Kerr photos in the entire universe now. Well, apart from Virginia herself, that is.

The one that is in the middle of the three? It accompanies the old “fiddle merchant” one that you guys know is a favourite. Now “fiddle merchant” gets joined with “holy shit! If I had been Virginia taking this photo I’d have MELTED/ sultry, brooding, down-the-camera-lens/excuse me while I rock back and forth on the spot while cradling myself/he’s just so goddamn fucking beautiful!“ photo sitting on the chair…with the boots and the white t-shirt and the jeans and the slick back hair.

Imma gonna die! Or my eyes are gonna fall out. One or the other.

Anyway…

Three more for the collection.

Embracing The Suck Since 1981

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So…Jim. James. Sir Kerr. Laird Dash Fandango. It appears by this evidence captured by Jill Furmanovsky and taken at…the Manor House, I believe? That you, fine sir, have been practicing the “embrace the suck” mantra for some time now. And a number of years prior to Mr Forsey reputedly exposing you to such…questionable phrasing, yes? Lol

Bingley Barfing Babe – Minds Music Monday

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Nice to see a couple of different pics from the Minds playing Bingley Hall on September 6th, 1981 as part of Futurama 3.

Does this man look sick to you? Nope! Sexy – YES! Sick, no. But he was. Poor Jim was struck by the heebie jeebies that night and also performed some “technicolour yawns”. Off stage at least…or at least out of site. But I think you can hear some of it on this bootleg of the gig (below). All things considered, it still sounds the most amazing gig.

And Jim in those goddamn boots will ALWAYS have me drooling. Drooling! Not barfing!

The opportunity lended itself to become a Minds Music Monday piece. Enjoy!

Dan’s My Man! Wonderful In Young Life – Live At Last.

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This amazing young man, Dan Crouch, has been sharing some piano solo covers of Simple Minds songs on the SM Official Group page. He had done fabulous covers of Hunter And The Hunted and most recently The American. And because he had covered The American it had me thinking that maybe he would be willing to try Wonderful In Young Life.

So I asked him….explaining away that it really hasn’t ever been performed live and that when I had a reply from Jim once about ever being done live, Jim pretty much dismissed it outright.

Bless you, Dan! Bless his cottons socks! He only went and done it and it’s GORGEOUS! I was crying my eyes out watching it. Just from…well, the joy of seeing it, Dan’s wonderful interpretation and the fact he actually DID grant my wish. What a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Thank you so much, Dan! You are…wonderful 😊❤️

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SimpleMindsHQ/permalink/576367563273418/

Minds Music Monday – This Fear Of Gods, Tiffany’s – Dec, 1981

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I’m feeling anxious about the easing of lockdown restrictions. I used to be such a scaredy cat about going out and doing things. I used to stay home A LOT. Never went to gigs or hardly ever went out socialising. I’d just stay home. Lockdown has rekindled a lot of that stuff within me.

Fear of going out and mingling with people. Fear of large crowds.

”Fear is fast and I’m turning white now.” Yes.

Wow…the way this version at Tiffany’s starts. The synths and pedal effects and just – it’s very trippy. And I just love that bit of Jim saying “give me an echo, Gallagher”. Yeah, Frank. Hurry the fuck up! Lol

He def. gives Jim echo, for sure!

And I am listening away, awed, reminding myself these boys are babies! That Simple Minds is barely 4 years old and that Charlie has only just turned 22 and that they are already a musical “tour de force”.

If anyone is dismissive in front of me….daring to say “Meh, Simple Minds” I’d reply “LISTEN TO THIS! Then tell me ‘Meh, Simple Minds’, ya fud!”

(P.S. That ident pic. Virginia was talking about this photoshoot with me a few days back, saying these particular ones of the band, up on the hill, are her faves. There is one in this bunch with a guy wheeling a pram around in the background. That’s her fave. Of those ones, this one is probably mine – Jim’s face! I could pinch those cheeks! And then snog him something rotten! – In my dreams.)

First Tear Forms In The Right Eye…

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I posted this on the Simple Minds Facebook page, but thought I’d also put it here in case it is deemed too “off topic” and gets deleted.

Such a weird concept this thing about tears and the way the fall from the eyes. Maybe it’s a fascination for Scottish men?

Anyways, here’s what I had posted on SM FB (with the pic attached)….

t’s a curious thing. I am reading Lanark and this is the second time Alasdair Gray has used language like this. A reference to tears and them falling from either eye. The first time my mind instantly thought “first tear forms in the right eye, this is the eye that’s crying first”. And just now again reading this passage. I started to wonder who influenced whom, or if it some uniquely Scottish thing to think of how tears form and whether they only form from either one of the eyes, etc.
Of course both things (Lanark and 70 Cities As Love Brings The Fall) are released in 1981 but having watched a documentary on Gray a few nights back, he had been writing Lanark from the 1950s so I’ll assume his words came first.
Anyway, I found it a curious thing. Just wanted to share.