Here’s the link for the BBC Sounds playback. LISTEN HERE
And, don’t forget that later today the session can be viewed on BBC iPlayer. I’ll add the link for that here too.
Enjoy!
UPDATE: iPlayer link HERE
And for those outside of the UK, you can see their performance of Alive And Kicking below…
A special Valentine’s MMM this week with a very special recording of Someone Somewhere In Summertime by Empires That Dance, dedicated to Gordon and Angelique Machray.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.
It can be a bit of an isolating day for the lonely. Even if we all think this day is corporate, capitalist claptrap, when you’re on your own, it can still bring home that loneliness. So to those who are alone today, do something special for yourself. Allow yourself a treat, whatever that will be. And be kind to yourself.
Last night Spotify revealed my yearly listening stats to me. There was no real surprise to find Simple Minds at the top of the tree yet again! And that Boys From Brazil was my top track for seventh year running. All the SM tracks in my Top 5 played tracks of 2021 all came from Sons And Fascination and given it was the 40th anniversary of the album, that would be of no surprise to anyone.
My latter love for Jonathan Richman shows itself in him being at number five of my Top 5 played artists.
My top podcast showed how much I have been enjoying Frank Gallagher’s Soundman Confidential this year. I love the bit about that yes, it’s okay for you to consider the host a member of your family now. Lol. Never in a million hears did I ever think I’d be having little online exchanges with Frank! I felt that Jim always made him sound intimidating as fuck, but he’s brilliant and is always wonderful. And even comments on my FB posts sometimes…which I find amazing that he’s sitting there in Flagstaff, AZ, reading my complete pap! Just last week he responded to one of my posts about enrolling in the OU for my Higher Ed. English diploma and my endless self-doubt. His response was “drive til they take the keys away”. I responded by asking him to “spread some gallus my way”. He replied back, “you don’t need anyone’s permission to be yourself”. He’s lovely. Just lovely.
Of course there is much more music I listen to outside of Spotify so it isn’t 100% everything I listen to. I have been listening to SM live bootlegs and gigs much more this year and that won’t be reflected on Spotify stats, just as one example.
Here’s the breakdown of it in full visual splendour.
Lastly, today sees the release of Classic Pop magazine’s retro look back to all things 1982 in a dedicated special issue. In amongst the artists and bands discussed is a piece on the art side of music which features Malcolm Garrett. And of course the main feature to do with Simple Minds is a look through New Gold Dream. There’s a part of it that covers the official videos released. They mention the Promised You A Miracle and Glittering Prize videos. Someone Somewhere In Summertime was the third single from the album and therefore should have had a video released but one was never made. Instead the magazine talked about this one (below). I love what is said about Jim’s moves. Lol. You’ll not be surprised to learn that I adore this video and quite a bit of art from me has come from it. I will leave my favourite example of that at the end of the post.
OMG! THIS IS SSOOO AWESOME TO SEE THE WHOLE EPISODE OF THE TUBE – OF THEM ON IT IN 1982. Oh, how I can dream to be sitting in front of the telly that night just…in awe of Jim. Needing a bucket in front of me to collect the drool! Dear God! What a gem!
Thank you to whoever uploaded this to YouTube. Happy, happy, Prip!
Lots of Glasgow based things about the music scene on it too. And Billy Sloan is on it as well!
Just awesome!
Today is the Winter Solstice. The shortest day in the northern hemisphere. Also Jupiter and Saturn align tonight to make what is deemed the “Christmas Star” – a once in 400 year alignment. And there promises to be clear skies over Glasgow this evening. Fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, as we see in the Winter Solstice today, it means the days north of the equator incrementally get longer. Moving forward to brighter days – not just geographically and meteorologically, but with the metaphorical sense too that better days are coming!
With that in mind, today’s MMM couldn’t be anything else but, Someone Somewhere (In Summertime).
I couldn’t decide which performance I wanted to link to – so like our own Christmas Star alignment of Jupiter and Saturn, I’ve linked to both. Jim is divine in both of them!
….can be gold.
I wrote this about this one on my Priptona Art FB page…
Don’t know whether the “mojo” is back…but if not, well…I just love that clip and it usually ends up inspiring something in me. And I just love that little action he makes right at the point he says “gold of day” in that clip. Closes his eyes, his brow furrows, his lips purse, puts his arms together, closes his hands into a grasping fist and softly beats them to his chest and then delivers that line (albeit miming it).
It’s just a beautiful little nano second of time…
What was I saying yesterday? Lol
THERE IS NO HOPE FOR ME!
Oh, look at him! Just LOOK AT HIM! Why do you have to be so goddamn fucking beautiful?!
*cries into hands*
This video. That is all.
As Brenda from Bristol said. Yes, Brenda. Indeed “another one”! Lol
I cannae stop…
Leeds, 2018. Don’t mean to be maudlin, but…
To hear the “burning slow” lines return to the song during the Grandslam part of the tour – I was sssooo, so happy. They are the most beautiful, romantic lines.
There was “soft rain” falling that night in Leeds too. And after all that had gone on in the month or so prior to that night…I felt back “home”.
It was a gorgeous night. How I wish it was happening again tonight.