Minds Music Monday – Don’t You Forget About… Sweat In Bullet

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It’s the 18th of November, 1982 and Mel Gaynor is making his live debut for Simple Minds as they play to a raucous home crowd at Tiffany’s in the “Dear Green Place”. Mel’s an accomplished drummer, no question there! But he’s still learning the SM repertoire of songs. Of course he’s familiar enough with what’s on New Gold Dream – it’s his drumming on about 70% of the album’s output. But as for the rest of the Simple Minds catalogue? He had to learn pretty quick!

Mike Ogletree was touring with them through all of 1982 and for whatever reason (he just didn’t quite fit? Who knows? All I know is I have grown a huge amount of respect for Mike over the past six months or so listening to all these bootlegs) they parted ways. I think Mike will always have a subtleness in his playing that Mel lacks (or perhaps just doesn’t use as often – he’s a hitter). And well, I guess Simple Minds probably wouldn’t have sounded QUITE so bombastic on Sparkle In The Rain and Once Upon A Time without Mel behind the kit. It’s an interesting supposition to ponder how things might have progressed with Mike there.

Speaking of Once Upon A Time and the sessions around it (and the reason behind this whole MMM post) – take a listen to this version of Sweat In Bullet from Mel’s debut gig. Is it just me…or does it sound like he’s about to start off playing Don’t You (Forget About Me)? I was genuinely perplexed when the song starts, it’s only when Jim intros it as Sweat In Bullet did I have any idea of what it’s actually meant to be! Lol. Just two nights later at Newcastle and Mel has the rhythm of the song sussed and it’s sounding more like it should. By far one of, if not THE funkiest track Simple Minds have ever produced.

Let me know what you guys think. Do you hear the hallmarks of Mel’s “Don’t You” intro on it?

P.S. The artwork looks nice! 😎❤️

Simple Minds Top Five

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A surprising Simple Minds Top 5, I’d say but probably not from an American fan stand point. And nothing really discussed post 1986 which, well…given the broader subject of this YouTuber’s channel is 1980s music, it makes sense. But…SM did have the high selling Live In The City Of Lights and Street Fighting Years released before the decade was done.

I guess for me, sadly, most songs from Once Upon A Time feel overplayed now. So I do try and limit my exposure to them. I loooooved Sanctify Yourself at the time but I feel overexposed to it now. Which makes me sad that I don’t enjoy listening to it as much as I once would have. The same goes with Alive And Kicking. I need to be reminded of the greatness of some of these songs as the overexposure leaves me jaded. And the less we talk about Copenhagen and “ba-na-na-na”, the better! Lol. I’m sure Jim would LOVE that Otis Reading comparison!

But then there are other songs that I never, ever tire of. And two of the others in his Top 5 fall into that category – namely: Waterfront and Promised You A Miracle.

And there are tracks on Once Upon A Time I still love hearing: Ghostdancing, Oh Jungleland, I Wish You Were Here are the ones I still love to hear.

The thing I will say about Don’t You and all the crap urban myths that abound with this is – some time back (4-5 years ago) I saw Billy Idol tweet Keith Forsey with a question that read “did you offer me Don’t You (Forget About Me) to record?” Keith Forsey replied “No.” And then Billy Idol tweeted – “I REST MY CASE!” Lol

Anyway, see what you think. Do you agree with the Professor of Pop’s choices? Let me know what you think. What would be YOUR Top 5 Simple Minds tracks?

Minds Music Monday – 35 Years At Number One

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Lol. Well, a slight exaggeration there. But it was on this day 35 years ago, that Simple Minds scored their (as til now) only U.S. Number 1 when Don’t You (Forget About Me) topped the charts there.

To celebrate at the time, Jim got drunk in France, ordering champangne for everyone in the hotel bar. And why not?

Anyway, happy chart-busting anniversary “La La La Song”. Here it is, planting the seed for the “Bongos On The Beach” tour that happened a few years after this performance on radio.

Jim Kerr – Da For Hire!

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Muriel Gray interviews Jim “let me be your daddy” Kerr – the end to this interview shouldn’t have piqued my interest quite as much as it did….but what can I say. Gawd!

The stutter is still there quite pronounced. I just want to lick him!!!! OMG!

HELP ME!!!

I knew of him back then! I did NOT fancy him ONE JOT back then. Not in the frigging slightest. NOW LOOK AT ME! Lol

Anyone know a good psychiatrist? Lol.  I obviously need one.

You know who I was into then? Massively. Steve Waugh. Like…I watched hours and HOURS of cricket. HOURS! Luckily he was an all-rounder in the early days so it doubled my chance of seeing him.
Oh, but that’s another story…and a lifetime ago.

What A Night, Old Fruity

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Well, I was freaking out that I wasn’t going to make it for the 6pm arrival time as I was still at the house waiting for a taxi to come collect me at 5.40pm. It’s Saturday night in Glasgow… traffic will be heaving! But it was mercifully fine. I still can’t quite get my head around the fact we are as far (or as close… depending on your perspective) from the city centre of Glasgow as we were in our old house from Luton Town centre. My taxi fare into the city was £6. We were at the Old Fruit Market in 10 mins.

I arrived and spotted one Mr Ronald Gurr at the bar. I sidled up and said hello. We chatted a bit. He asked me after a while “do you know where you’re seated?” “Nope. I have no idea.” “You could be seated with them”, he says to me. “Pfffft! I doubt that!” “Well… you never know”, he says.

As it was, I was seated at a table with Ronnie himself.

There wasn’t much of a view from my seat to be honest. £150 paid to see f*** all – it was starting well.

A couple of hours in Ronnie says to me “they’ll be on at midnight”. Whaaaa???! It wasn’t even 8pm!

I was also kept company by Rita and Nicolle. It was great to be with fellow SM fans.

A pit stop to the ladies halfway through the night and I walked by a table that some of the band was seated at. I waved to Cherisse on my way by and she stood up and stopped me to say hello. We chatted briefly and I chatted to Ged briefly also. It was so lovely of Cherisse to stop me and say hello. Much too kind.

Rita, Nicolle and I were just wishing the hours away until they received their award and would be performing.

Finally… after many awards handed out and quite a few auctioned off items for the Nordoff-Robbins charity, the final award of the night was given out.

Jim was gracious in his acceptance speech and then handed the mic over, rather unexpectedly, to Charlie. “I haven’t got anything to say. No one understands me anyway!” Lol. Bless him. Poor Charlie.

They then went straight into performing three songs – Waterfront, Love Song and Don’t You (Forget About Me). The crowd were loving it, and Jim had everyone (some ladies at the front in particular) eating out of the palm of his hand as usual (nothing ever changes).

Bruce Findlay was also there last night. He had earlier in the evening handed out the “Living Legends” Award to the Incredible String Band – one of his all time favourite bands.

He stayed on and was watching SM perform. And I could see Jim acknowledging Bruce during their set. It was a lovely moment to see.

I have no footage or photos. My phone stayed firmly in my bag all night.

There is some official photos around. Reports of the evening in the media, etc. I just wanted to just take it in and enjoy it.

It’s been a tough old week but this was lovely.

A little less of a feeling I am persona non grata once again by a few would be nice… but, you cannae have everything I guess.

Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Live In The City Of Angels

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I think I may actually like this more than the Love Song offering. What’s going on, guv? Lol

I’m still not sure about how much overdubbing has been done…dunno.
Jim’s voice seems more natural and recorded “on the night” than it does on Love Song.

I’m feeling a little more optimistic after this.

The other thing I would say is…it lacks a little bit of … guts … musically….acoustically. I mean, it’s a sonic assault to the ears, being at a Simple Minds concert, and this sounds like someone’s turned all the amps down. Dunno…

Maybe it was the way I listened to it? Through my in-ear phones on Spotify? It just …doesn’t fill the space I was expecting it to sonically. I’m not wording it right, but I know what I feel it’s lacking. I’m just not articulating it very well.

I’ll have to listen to Love Song again and see if it suffers the same thing.

I’m assuming like other recent releases, we’ll get a new song to listen to each week or so until release day.

Simple Minds Reveal New Lead Singer!

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Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage…

Jim Cur! Lol (only meant in jest and for some fun, obviously. Couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play with the “Kerr/Cur” homophone). 😊😊😊😊