Life In A Day (Remastered 2002)

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  Seven Songs for the Week #140

  Jason Carty

  I did not sit down on Saturday night to watch a documentary on BBC Scotland about Simple Minds, but that's what I found myself doing. I own none of their records, and I am not a fan whatsoever, but I have been curious about the early stuff which I do not know and which they made a turn away from when they headed for the stadiums in the mid-80s. The documentary was interesting about the decision to record Don't You Forget About Me - a song they did not write, but they understood a hit when they heard it and it changed everything. I'll doff my cap to them for their ambition, that Simple Minds are still a going concern and not a niche thing like Orange Juice or The Bluebells, but at what cost? Maybe Jim & Charlie can have a think on that in their comfortable houses... they're fine. The documentary touched on that too, although only in the last 10 minutes: the decreasing commercial fortunes in the 90s into the 00s, then the decision to work their way back by... a tour which only played deep cuts from the pre-Don't You Forget About Me era. Nowadays they are unapologetically touring as a night out, but gosh darn it, after watching the documentary, I'd be up for that.

  TOP POP FACT: Keith Forsey, who wrote Don't You Forget About Me, was the drummer on Sparks' Number One In Heaven Album. He also wrote/co-wrote The Heat Is On, Flashdance (What A Feeling) and The Neverending Story, so good for him, I hope he never has work again with the cheques rolling in.