Classic Scottish Albums Podcast – New Gold Dream

Posted on by

BBC Radio Scotland “Classic Albums” host Davie Scott talks us through New Gold Dream, with input from Jim Kerr, Bruce Findlay, and “rent-a-gob”, Paul Morley (among others).
And…there’s not even a single mention of the bath…even though Jim’s lyrics are discussed quite heavily. (Yep…the old Prip is slowly returning…ever happy to ogle) And you KNOW what I was visualising when we all had to use our imaginations for the visuals of their debut TOTP appearance? That bloody white suit and those black boots. The dyed hair. The pasty make up. Sadly, no nipples on display. Perhaps the BBC didnae allow such FILTH to be aired on a Thursday night? *sigh*

I digress…

Anyway, you can access the podcast HERE – fairly short at around 23 miniutes in length. Roughly Side A of NGD itself. Enjoy!

70F633D1-E494-4040-82AF-551C0B003F9B

UPDATE:- I got to thinking…why just sit about imagining it when you can watch it?! Here we go! Mr Snake-Hips on TOTP! HEY, JIM! SHOW US YA NIPS! Lol

Magazine Clippings – 1980, 1981 – Gig Reviews, Band News and Tour And New Music Info

Posted on by

The first snippet is dated Dec 6th, 1980. More tour dates for SM…it’s starting to wear Brian McGee out already…

5D380FC6-1486-4175-9FF0-876A8FBF5559

Next – a review of their gig at Tiffany’s on March 1st, 1981 (printed in March 14th edition of NME). Brian’s final gig with them in Glasgow. Why they get labeled as being “pretentious” with their music at this point, I will never know. Anyway, the review ends unltimately positive. Thank fark for that!

The description of Jim walking onto the stage is utterly delicious. Uber cool…sex on legs. Geez, I wish! (Why was I only 10 years old and stuck in Sydney? *weeps into hands*)

8FECED3E-4388-473A-8310-3D34BAFD9EB5

Then…the parting of the ways with Brian and the ringing in Kenny Hyslop for his short tenure. (Reported on in the NME, dated July 25th, 1981)

Then finally, info on Sister Feelings Call being (from Oct 16th 1981) sold as a separate entitiy to Sons And Fascination, as opposed to them being twinned together in a package.

BEDCB989-FA17-4919-AE03-96AAF7A80F9A

Stuart Holland’s G+ Photo Site

Posted on by

I’ve been perusing Stuart’s Google Plus page today. It’s a very good site – you guys should check it out! In particular, I loved seeing the photos he has from the Sons And Fascination tour – the guys on sun beds…Jim reclining on a sun bed – YES PLEASE! GRRRRR! DOWN GIRL! Lol.

Ah…oh so tangible. Probably only about 50kms away from me when this pic was taken (assuming it is coastal Sydney – Coogee, Maroubra, Bronte, Mosman, Manly…something like that). Too bad I’m just about 11 when this photo was taken. I will wish my life away!

Anyway…clicking on the link will take you to Stuart’s page so you can see all the fab images for yourself.

https://plus.google.com/116510993299024354712/posts/aWnRyTpiU5n

The Virginia Turbett Simple Minds Photo Archive – Prints Available!

Posted on by

On Saturday I had the absolute privilege to view the entire photographic archive of Virginia Turbett’s work with Simple Minds. It really was wonderful. I spent approximately three hours, on and off, perusing endless contact sheets of wonderful images of the band, and individual members. Many photos of Jim Kerr. A whole sheet of images of Mick MacNeil. And some fabulous pictures of Charlie Burchill playing the saxophone. These were just the tip of the iceberg.

Some of Virginia’s photos you would have seen. Many have been used in official releases. They appear in the New Gold Dream box set (released back in 2016), just as one example, as well as books…they can be viewed on Getty Images, etc. But…Virginia is NOT ALWAYS given credit for her work, and certainly not always paid.

Many of her images you will NOT have seen.

I would love to have my own personal archive of Virginia’s work. There are so many wonderful photos she has taken of Simple Minds. Iconic photos! And so, over the next, maybe….year to 18 months, I would like to build up my own collection of her wonderful body of work.

Virginia’s main body of work capturing Simple Minds took place between 1980 to 1984. A mixture of promotional photoshoots, pictorial documentation of record deals, sound checks, gigs. So many wonderful things to see.

And if you are anywhere near as big a fan as I am of SM *and* Virginia, you will definitely want to own some of her wonderful images yourself.

With Virginia’s kind permission, here are just three examples of prints available to buy. The first is a new favourite. I always assumed the guys did their own makeup…but as we can see by the image, Jim has been “worked on” by an actual makeup artist. That was one revelation for me on Saturday!

The second print was also a revelation insomuch as I never knew the person next to Jim is Ronnie Gurr!

The third is another photo in the set (the day Simple Minds sign to Virgin Records) that I really love that I had never seen before, of Jim and Ronnie again. It’s absolute horseplay…and will also be one of the next prints I get.

If you are interested in enquiring about purchasing prints from Virginia, please click on the image of Jim to be taken to her website (viewable at: virginiaturbett.com). You really will NOT be disappointed!