. . . click on the link here for Audio Player – Simple Minds – In Session for John Peel – December 19, 1979 – BBC Radio 1
Early Simple Minds tonight. The first session done for John Peel at The BBC, recorded on December 19, 1979. Still in the process of evolving and changing, Simple Minds were just at the starting gate, having gone from their previous Punk incarnation as Johnny & The Self-Abusers to Simple Minds and signing a major label deal with Arista.
Their first album Life In A Day was issued in April of 1979, and it had a respectable showing, hitting #30 on the lp charts. But there was still a long road to travel before smash success finally arrived in 1985.
Simple Minds are still together after several hiatus periods and temporary break-ups, but four of the five original members reunited in 2008 and recording and touring ever since.
Tonight it’s a look back at the early period – before the massive success and the Stadium tours, when they were getting their act together and hitting the road.
Further evidence it takes a lot of work to pull off a life in music. Simple Minds are proof of that.
Enjoy this one.
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Well, only two of the original founding members are still in the group (Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill), not four (Mel Gaynor joined the group in 1982, and I have no idea who this other mystery member you are referring to is). And I’m not sure the band has ever truly been in hiatus. If periods (very short periods in relative terms) of non-touring and non-recording count as a “hiatus”, then they have been on VERY SHORT hiatus indeed.
But it is great to have their earlier work highlighted. It is very under-apreciated. Yes, they were raw and getting their barings…but by God they were good (and still are)!
Hi Larelle: Thanks so much for your note and the corrections. Sometimes you get information from a few sources and it can be faulty. The information I got was the band (as of 2008) consisted of Kerry, Burchill, Gaynor and Ged Grimes. I realize now that both Gaynor and Grimes were not “original members” but came along a bit later. They were mis-represented. As for the hiatus period. I had read they were on hiatus from 1992 to 1994 with only Burchill and Kerr returning, and they went on hiatus again from 2000 to 2001. I think I mistook the 2008-2009 period as a hiatus, but it was in fact a return to the studio in 2009. So you can see how things can get confusing. I’m glad you wrote to clarify things, as it’s important to always set the record straight where history is concerned. Good one! And thanks again! – Gordon