Biography
Scottish rock band Simple Minds have been on an extraordinary journey – from humble beginnings in post-punk 1970s Glasgow to becoming one of the UK’s most successful and pioneering bands – selling over 60 million records, achieving six number one albums, topping the American chart with ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’, and playing sold-out stadiums across the globe.
2022 saw the release of their eighteenth studio album, ‘Direction Of The Heart’, which reached #4 in the UK charts.
Simple Minds have achieved five No.1 albums as well hitting the top spot in countless other territories including Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is that people say to me what Simple Minds are you talking about? The avant-garde, the art-rock, the pop, the ambient, the instrumental group, the political, the folk, the stadium band? We’ve been on one hell of a journey. To play all those different styles but at the same time be quintessentially Simple Minds is an amazing thing.” Jim Kerr.
Simple Minds have been musical pioneers for 40 glittering years. Catching the mood of the post-punk era, when the angry sounds of 1977 were splintering into a thousand different shapes. They went on to become one of the great bands of their generation, deploying rousing choruses and booming atmospherics to provide a soundtrack that has endured.
Topping the American chart with Don’t You (Forget About Me) and in the UK with Belfast Child and selling over 60 million records, they have seen three of their 20 studio albums reach number one in the UK – Sparkle In The Rain, Once Upon A Time and Street Fighting Years – a chart-topping feat equalled by their live album Live In The City Of Light and the compilation Glittering Prize. A spellbinding touring band, they have graced the world’s biggest stadiums, starring at Live Aid and playing three momentous London shows in honour of Nelson Mandela.
2022 saw the release of their eighteenth studio album, ‘Direction Of The Heart’, hitting #4 in the UK charts.
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Simple Minds will be headlining #R2InThePark Stirling on the 13th September! 🧡
https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2inthepark/
Simple Minds will be headlining #R2InThePark Stirling on the 13th September! 🧡
https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2inthepark/
AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND….
Simple Minds Live 2027 - Sign up to be the first to hear https://daltours.cc/SM27
AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND….
Simple Minds Live 2027 - Sign up at the link in bio to be the first to hear.
AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND….
Simple Minds Live 2027 - Sign up to be the first to hear https://daltours.cc/SM27
FAMILIAR FACES
1984 and I was having problems with my voice on stage.
Simple Minds were touring and recording continuously, a bigger level of success was approaching and with it came the demand for more and more interviews. Exciting times, but I was using my voice all day, every day. ...Inevitably there was a price to be paid and it is how I found myself paying close attention to a 'laryngologist's' words of wisdom.
"Just as any athlete needs recovery days, singers need vocal rest to stay healthy throughout a tour. Rest will protect your voice and extend your career. Unless absolutely necessary, don't talk before and after gigs. Keep it all for being on stage. Keep it for the audience. Silence is your best medicine."
Advice I took to heart and to this day those words have never left me.
On tour it means I don't get to chat with fans. However, during summer months whenever not on tour and out and about in Taormina — I'll come across people who introduce themselves as followers of Simple Minds, many familiar faces among them.
In those moments it feels right to engage in a bit of chit-chat. Eyes light up as favourite gigs get discussed, favourite songs and albums too. Guaranteed the question is always asked. "So when are you going to tour again?"
I never tire of hearing how much Simple Minds means to them, as it does to all of us involved.
Jim Kerr: Villa Angela, Taormina, Sicily.
image: Fiona Sutherland Artist @fsutherlandart
FAMILIAR FACES
1984 and I was having problems with my voice on stage.
Simple Minds were touring and recording continuously, a bigger level of success was approaching and with it came the demand for more and more interviews. Exciting times, but I was using my voice all day, every day. ...Inevitably there was a price to be paid and it is how I found myself paying close attention to a 'laryngologist's' words of wisdom.
"Just as any athlete needs recovery days, singers need vocal rest to stay healthy throughout a tour. Rest will protect your voice and extend your career. Unless absolutely necessary, don't talk before and after gigs. Keep it all for being on stage. Keep it for the audience. Silence is your best medicine."
Advice I took to heart and to this day those words have never left me.
On tour it means I don't get to chat with fans. However, during summer months whenever not on tour and out and about in Taormina — I'll come across people who introduce themselves as followers of Simple Minds, many familiar faces among them.
In those moments it feels right to engage in a bit of chit-chat. Eyes light up as favourite gigs get discussed, favourite songs and albums too. Guaranteed the question is always asked. "So when are you going to tour again?"
I never tire of hearing how much Simple Minds means to them, as it does to all of us involved.
Jim Kerr: Villa Angela, Taormina, Sicily.
image: https://www.fionasutherlandartist.com
This is who we are and what we do…the prism through which we try to make sense of the world - JK
This is who we are and what we do…the prism through which we try to make sense of the world - JK
AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND….
Simple Minds Live 2027 - Sign up at the link in bio to be the first to hear.
FAMILIAR FACES
1984 and I was having problems with my voice on stage.
Simple Minds were touring and recording continuously, a bigger level of success was approaching and with it came ...the demand for more and more interviews. Exciting times, but I was using my voice all day, every day. Inevitably there was a price to be paid and it is how I found myself paying close attention to a 'laryngologist's' words of wisdom.
"Just as any athlete needs recovery days, singers need vocal rest to stay healthy throughout a tour. Rest will protect your voice and extend your career. Unless absolutely necessary, don't talk before and after gigs. Keep it all for being on stage. Keep it for the audience. Silence is your best medicine."
Advice I took to heart and to this day those words have never left me.
On tour it means I don't get to chat with fans. However, during summer months whenever not on tour and out and about in Taormina — I'll come across people who introduce themselves as followers of Simple Minds, many familiar faces among them.
In those moments it feels right to engage in a bit of chit-chat. Eyes light up as favourite gigs get discussed, favourite songs and albums too. Guaranteed the question is always asked. "So when are you going to tour again?"
I never tire of hearing how much Simple Minds means to them, as it does to all of us involved.
Jim Kerr: Villa Angela, Taormina, Sicily.
image: Fiona Sutherland Artist @fsutherlandart
This is who we are and what we do…the prism through which we try to make sense of the world - JK
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
"It was summer. It was light. And it was so unmistakable, with the Pasadena audience surrendering themselves to the music.
40,000 people, lost in something ...together, simply and completely alive in the moment. Then during Cherisse's solo, I slipped away to the back of the stage and stood still for a minute or so.
I had entered one of those rare suspended moments, when time loosens its grip, when reality quietly overflows its own edges, and I was suddenly struck, almost physically, by a rush of gratitude.
Gratitude for that moment, and for all those moments like it, that Simple Minds audiences have given over the years. Each and every one, a gift."
Jim Kerr
“Step in, step out of the rain.”
Waterfront - Live at Isle of Wight Festival, 2024.
“We have a strange relationship with a few of our biggest successes, ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ being the most obvious example. A song achieves everything you ever wished for, yet you feel... conflicted because it didn’t happen in exactly the way that you had hoped or imagined. It’s an irony that I appreciate a little more the older I get.” - Jim
Released in May 1987, Live in the City of Light captures the energy of the Once Upon a Time world tour, documenting a special era for the band and going straight to No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. ...Those original recordings went on to inspire a trilogy of live albums, followed decades later by Live in the City of Angels (2019) and Live in the City of Diamonds (2025).
Listen to the Simple Minds Live playlist on Spotify.
SIMPLE MINDS No1 IN AMERICA. Thanks to Jo-Ann Graham who posts: 18th of May. On this day in 1985 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' knocked Madonna off the top spot and put Simple Minds at ...the top of the Billboard chart. Cementing a place in pop music history, the tune is both a live favourite and still loved by fans the world over to this day
CHEERS TO ALL THAT!
All have good and bad days. Isn’t that a fact?
Yesterday though was a pretty fine one for various reasons, and much too difficult to resist raising a glass of Sicilian ...spumante.
What else to do on the day we finished recording Simple Minds’ 20th album?
Cheers… Keep the faith!
Jim Kerr: Villa Angela: Taormina: Sicily.
NORTH AMERICA - ONE YEAR ON.
Exactly one year ago this week when Simple Minds began the North American phase of their Global Tour. As for the next time? It cannot come soon enough!
‘See the Lights’ was released on this day in 1991.
“In some ways I feel that this is one of our best ever songs. It has a great mixture of deep darkness yet ultimately compelling light... within its words and melody” - Jim
Speaking to VH1 in 1995, Jim and Charlie reflect on the impact of punk in forming Simple Minds.
Simple Minds will be headlining #R2InThePark Stirling on the 13th September! 🧡
https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2inthepark/
AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND….
Simple Minds Live 2027 - Sign up to be the first to hear https://daltours.cc/SM27
This is who we are and what we do…the prism through which we try to make sense of the world - JK
"Step in, step out of the rain."
Waterfront - Live at Isle of Wight Festival, 2024.
Released in May 1987, Live in the City of Light captures the energy of the Once Upon a Time world tour, documenting a special era for the band and going straight to No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart.
...
Listen to the Simple Minds Live playlist on Spotify: http://bit.ly/SimpleMindsLive
'See the Lights' was released on this day in 1991.
"In some ways I feel that this is one of our best ever songs. It has a great mixture of deep darkness yet ultimately ...compelling light within its words and melody" - Jim
Speaking to VH1 in 1995, Jim and Charlie reflect on the impact of punk in forming Simple Minds.
A standout from Sparkle in the Rain, 'Book of Brilliant Things' remains a live favourite that captures the power of knowledge and self-discovery.
What books have had the biggest ...impact on you?
"They say this is the time and place, they call street fighting years."
Simple Minds released their eighth studio album Street Fighting Years on this day in 1989.
📍 Rock Werchter, 2025
Photos by @IndieTrent
Cherisse and Sarah talk backstage in Glasgow during the 2022 tour 📹
Back in 1985 this week, ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ broke into the UK Top 10 at No.7.
Last year marked its 40th anniversary, and finally made its way onto Once Upon A Time for a ...special edition release.
📹 The Jonathan Ross Show
This is who we are and what we do…the prism through which we try to make sense of the world - JK
This is Don’t You (Forget About Me) #SimpleMinds #BreakfastClub #80s
What books have had the biggest impact on you? #SimpleMinds
Cherisse and Sarah talk backstage in Glasgow during the 2022 tour 📹
Back in 1985 this week, ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ broke into the UK Top 10 at No.7. #SimpleMinds
Like a glittering prize, I saw you up on a clear day #SimpleMinds #Acoustic
Simple Minds released their debut album Life in a Day this week in 1979. #SimpleMinds #70s
"Wherever you are that night, this is the only night on Earth." #SimpleMinds
See The Lights - Top Of The Pops, 1991 #SimpleMinds #LiveMusic
"Anywhere you go, you know I'll still be waiting." #SimpleMinds
This week in '85: ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ was released as a single in the UK. #SimpleMinds
