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A band troubled by lineup and stylistic changes which nonetheless achieved worldwide success in the 1980s, Simple Minds formed in 1978 from the ashes of a Scottish punk band called Johnny and the Self-Abusers. Singer Jim Kerr and guitarist Charles Burchill's new band had a new musical direction, taking their name from a line in David Bowie's "Jean Genie" and their sound from Roxy Music and Genesis. Rounding out the brand-new Simple Minds were bassist Tony Donald and drummer Brian McGee; the band also picked up a second guitarist, Duncan Barnwell, and a keyboardist, Mick MacNeil.
Numerous pub shows and a demo tape glowingly reviewed by the NME earned them the attention of Zoom Records, a subsidiary of Arista. Donald was replaced by Derek Forbes, from The Subs, and Barnwell left the band, resulting in the five-piece ensemble that recorded their debut album, Life in a Day. The record charted fairly well in the UK, and after Zoom collapsed the band continued on directly with Arista, releasing their second album, Reel to Reel Cacaphony, a dark departure from their earlier sound that earned them critical acclaim but little commercial success. After a tour of the UK and Europe and a show in New York, the band returned to the studio to record their synth-pop album Empires and Dance, which found modest success despite distribution conflicts with Arista that caused the band to leave the label in 1980.
Just as the band was at an impass, Peter Gabriel asked them to support his European tour, which led to renewed interest in the band and a new record deal with Virgin. Marathon recording sessions produced two albums, Sons and Fascination and Sister Feelings Call, as well as the departure of Brian McGee, who was replaced by Kenny Hyslop. Both albums went gold in the UK, and the band broke in America with the Top 10-charting singles "Love Song" and "The American." Hyslop was replaced by Mel Gaynor for their 1982 new-wave breakthrough album New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84), which charted worldwide.
Steve Lillywhite (U2, XTC) produced their 1984 album Sparkle in the Rain, which marked a change in the band's style to a more U2-type pop sound. A world tour followed;the band supported The Pretenders on the U.S. leg of the tour, and Kerr married their singer,Chrissie Hynde.
A hastily-recorded cut for the Breakfast Club soundtrack, "Don't You (Forget About Me)" shot to the top of the U.S. charts in 1985; despite never appearing on any of their full-lengthalbums, this is perhaps Simple Minds' best-remembered song. Also that year Forbes was replaced by John Giblin, and the band broadened their fan base with a performance at the Live Aid mega-event. The 'Minds' next album, Once Upon a Time, was yet another major success, and yet another world tour followed, culminating in a live album recorded at their Paris show, Live in the City of Light. 1989's Street Fighting Years turned off many American fans with its moody,often political stylings, yet was a No. 1 hit in the UK.
In 1990 Giblin was replaced by ex-Pretenders bassist Malcom Foster, MacNeil left the group and the group's original manager was fired. Not surprisingly, 1991's Real Life was another shift in the band's style, this time toward more personal lyric content. Neither Real Life nor its follow-up tour were very successful outside of Britain. The group took a break, releasing a singles compilation, Glittering Prize, in 1992, which reached No. 1 on the UK charts.
Mel Gaynor left the band, but Kerr and Burchill continued on, releasing Next World, a guitar-oriented album recorded with session musicians, in early 1995. The band recently leftVirgin for Chrysalis; a new album is currently in the works.
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