Simple Minds (Rock Group)

A crowd at a concert with silhouettes of people standing close together, some raising their hands. Bright stage lights and beams of white light illuminate the scene, creating a dynamic and energetic atmosphere

One of my favorite movies as a teenager was The Breakfast Club, in 1984. It had a rock-filled soundtrack, and as the closing credits were rolling, they played the song “Don't You (Forget About Me)” by the group Simple Minds. I had never heard of that group, but I liked the song. After buying it at my local record shop, I became a fan, and began looking into their previous work. After all these years, I now own all their albums, and saw them in concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ in 2018.

The founders of the group, Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr, met as children growing up in Glasgow, Scotland. At a young age Charlie's mother died, but his father worked long hours, and couldn't properly care for Charlie. So Jim's family took him in. As a result, Jim and Charlie were raised as if they were brothers. They have been close ever since, and are still best friends to this day.

As teenagers they became interested in music and, along with a few friends, formed a rock group. Their early influences were punk bands, but eventually they evolved into more of an art-rock band, with electronic elements. The name of the group changed, and the members came and went, but in 1977 they settled on the name Simple Minds, which was from a lyric in a David Bowie song. Like other start-up bands, they performed first at bars and other small venues in the UK. Later they toured in various places in Europe, and became influenced by German Krautrock. Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, they began to have many hit singles and became a popular group in Europe. But it was the chart-topping song “Don't You (Forget About Me)” in The Breakfast Club soundtrack that was their big breakthrough in the US and globally. Their performance at Live Aid in Philadelphia in 1985 was another global breakthrough. Since then, they have had many number one singles and albums, and many sold-out tours. Simple Minds has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide and has achieved 24 top 40 singles on the UK singles chart, and 23 top 40 albums on the UK albums chart, including five number one albums. They have had similar success in the US and Europe. Their concert performances resulted in their being named “the world's best live band” by Q Magazine in 1991.

During their concert tours, Simple Minds began interacting with the group The Pretenders. In 1984, Jim Kerr married Chrissie Hynde, lead singer of The Pretenders, and she renamed herself Christine Kerr. They were together for six years, and had a child, but the marriage ended in 1990 due in part to their conflicting tour schedules. Also during this time, Simple Minds became more involved in political activism. They recorded the song “Mandela Day,” first performed at a major Wembley Stadium concert as a tribute to the South African activist (who was then in prison), at a time when Margaret Thatcher had labeled Mandela as a terrorist. The British government had been supportive of the South African government through the period of Apartheid, so the Mandela song was very controversial in the UK.

An interesting book in the library's collection is Simple Minds: Heart of the Crowd: A Fan History, edited by Richard Houghton. This is a collection of hundreds of letters and photos contributed by band members, other musicians, music journalists and fans. It covers the history of the band from their beginning in 1977 to the present day. Because it touches on many aspects of the music business, it would be of interest not just to fans of Simple Minds, but to all rock music fans. Another interesting book in the collection is Themes for Great Cities: A New History of Simple Minds, by Graeme Thomson, which also has band interviews and photos. Several of the band's CDs are in the library's collection, especially the more recent ones. Anyone interested in hearing their music can listen to the greatest hits CD titled The Best of Simple Minds.

In a recent TV interview, Jim Kerr revisited his childhood neighborhood library. As he walked around the building, he said that the library was “an important place for working class people” because he saw at an early age that reading and education were keys to a better life than he knew in Glasgow. He especially enjoyed books “that involved traveling to foreign lands.” In a sense, his later rock tours were the realization of his childhood dreams.

After all these years, the band is still actively recording and touring. In Spring 2025 they will begin a North American tour, with two stops in our area, the PNC Bank Center in Holmdel, NJ, on June 11, and the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia on June 14 (I'll be there). Opening acts are two bands that were popular in the 1980s, Soft Cell and Modern English.

Here is the music video of the US number one hit “Don't You (Forget About Me)”


Here is the music video of another hit “Alive and Kicking,” which peaked at number three on the US charts

-Jon Parker, Hickory Corner Branch

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