Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. The most commercially successful Scottish band of the 1980s, they achieved five UK Albums chart number one albums and have sold more than 60 million albums. Despite various personnel changes, they continue to record and tour.
The band scored a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for their 1985 hit "Don't You (Forget About Me)", from the soundtrack of the film The Breakfast Club. Their other more prominent hits include "Alive and Kicking" and "Belfast Child" (UK #1). In 2016, they received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors.
The core of the band is the two remaining founding members, Jim Kerr (vocals, songwriting) and Charlie Burchill (guitars, keyboards after 1990, other instruments, songwriting). The other current band members are Ged Grimes (bass guitar), Sarah Brown (vocals), Gordy Goudie (guitar), Cherisse Osei (drums) and Catherine AD (vocals, keyboards, guitar). Former members include bass guitarist Derek Forbes, keyboardists Mick MacNeil and Andy Gillespie, drummers Brian McGee and Mel Gaynor(who first joined the band in 1982).
Tour Programmes
New Gold Dream
1982 Tour Programme
Colour. 14 pages.
Available during the second UK leg of the New Gold Tour (November 1982), the first Simple Minds tour programme was a colourful, informative affair. After Jim's handwritten introduction, Adam Sweeting packed the 14 page brochure with a band history, biographies of the four main players, thoughts and talk. Malcolm Garrett added the illustrations and pictures; alongside his iconic New Gold Dream graphic artwork were pictures from the Sons And Fascation Tour and the first leg of the New Gold Tour
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Japan 1984 Tour
Colour. 24 pages.
Prepared for the Japanese leg of the Tour De Monde by UDO Artists, this 24 page programme featured the usual studio photography of the band along with loads of previously unpublished black and white live shots. There was also a brief biography (although it's all in Japanese). It's also the same size as an LP, so was obviously designed to be filed away with your copy of Sparkle In The Rain.
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Once Upon A Time
1st Tour Programme
Colour. 32 pages.
This programme was simply a showcase of Anton's Corbijn's photo sessions with the Simple Minds around New York and New York state. The majority of the programme's pages comprised black and white shots of the various members of the band against rural or urban backdrops.
It was intended to be sold during the 1985 dates of the tour (as it only featured the tour dates for November and December) but copies were still on offer during the first UK dates.
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Once Upon A Time
Italian Bootleg Programme
Black and white. 20 pages.
Produced specifically for the Reggio Emilia gig (of the 4th February) this programme comprised of a lively cut-and-paste job of various pictures and lyrics with a group biography and discography.
It was obviously put together by someone knowledgable of the band's history and releases
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Once Upon A Time
Japanese Tour Programme
Colour. 32 pages.
Sold only during the Japanese dates of the Once Upon A Time tour, this huge, glossy programme was packed full of colour Guido Harari shots of the band on stage and in various locations. Whilst some eventually appeared as artwork for Live In The City Of Light and Promised You A Miracle Live, most of the shots are exclusive to this programme.
All of the associated extensive text are in Japanese.
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Street Fighting Years
Bootleg Programme
Black and white with glossy colour cover. 20 pages.
The deceptive glossy colour cover gives way to a slim black-and-white reproduction of miscellaneous pages from Dave Thomas' Glittering Prize.
The discography (which only runs to Sparkle In The Rain) is also included.
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Real Life
Tour Programme
Colour. 40 pages.
It was back to basics with the Real Life tour and the same was true of the tour programme.
It was primarily a picture book (mainly of the previous Street Fighting Years Tour peppered with portrait shots and stills from the See The Lights video) with biographies of the five major players and snatches of lyrics.
The front cover design was cut through the paper, a design repeated for the limited edition Real Life CD single.
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Good News From The Next World - Tour Programme
Colour. 40 pages.
Following on from the corrugated cardboard sleeve of the limited edition She's A River CD, the press releases and the promotional calendar came the tour programme.
40 pages of glorious colour pictures of Jim and Charlie in Jaipur, India, speckled with a brief band update, biographies of the two main players and a brief album discography.
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Scotland Rocks For Kosovo Programme
Simple Minds' one appearance in 1999 was at this benefit gig for Kosovo refugees now settling in Scotland.
The programme was typically glossy with two page biographies of all the artists appearing.
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The Floating World
Tour Programme
Colour. 32 pages.
The programme was packed with quotes from Jim, a band history, tour dates and discography. The pictorial content was almost random with a selection of shots from the Good News From The Next World Tour, recent band portraits and miscellaneous textural shots.
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Tour De Monde
Colour. 20 pages.
Although repeating the formula of its predesessor, and was designed and written by the same people, this tour programme was a much glossier and sturdier production.
Adam Sweeting's text was edited excerpts from the forthing, now titled, Mission In Motion: Inside Simple Minds and Malcolm Garrett filled the rest with previously unpublished photo shoots, live shots and the brash artwork from the Sparkle In The Rain album.
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Live Aid
Philadelphia Concert
Simple Minds, like the other artists featured at the JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, were represented in the glossy programme by a simple one page photograph. The snap was probably taken during the Sparkle In The Rain tour and features Mick, Jim and Mel on stage.
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Colour. 40 pages.
Sold during the second half of the Once Upon A Time tour, this programme included more shots of the band around New York State, several concerts shots from an early performance, and pictures of the supporting musicians (such as Robin Clark and Sue Hadjopoulos).
Apart from some lyrics, there was absolutely no text (not even a list of tour dates). It was essentially an art book.
Once Upon A Time
British Bootleg Programme
Black and white. 24 pages.
Sold at the Ibrox Park Stadium and Milton Keynes Bowl gigs, this black and white programme (with colour cover) was packed full of interviews, reviews and lyrics culled from Melody Maker and Smash Hits.
As the official programme was little more than an art collection, this naughty bootleg complimented it extremely well.
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Once Upon A Time
Japanese Tour Programme
Colour. 36 pages.
With lively (if not slightly incomprehensible) text by official biographer Alfred Bos and the design dream-team of Malcolm Garrett, the Street Fighting Years Programme was a glossy work of art.
Not only was the current tour well documented (with dates and brief biographies of all concerned) but the history of Simple Minds was covered with a tour dates history and discography. (This tied in with the 10th anniverary of the band).
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Sold at the Wembley gig on the 16th April 1990, the tour programme was a massive solid affair packed with photographs, essays, biographies and single page features of all the artists involved. Simple Minds were represented by a single arms-aloft picture of Jim and a brief biography of the band.
The programme should also include a free poster.
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Real Life
Bootleg Tour Programme
Black and white. 20 pages.
Not all bootleg tour programmes are good as this example proves. Real Live Tour is simply a black and white, 20 page, reproduction of the first pages of Dave Thomas' book Glittering Prize, and a discography cheekily copied from the official tour programme.
Sold at the August UK gigs
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Night Of The Proms 1997 Programme
Colour: 32 pages.
This full colour, rather flimsy, programme features two page biographies of each of the artists.
The Simple Minds pages included pictures of Jim in the "floating cage" which was suspended over the Proms' audience. Other pictures included some promo shots from the Good News From The Next World era and adverts for The Promised.
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Grand Prix Night Of The Proms 2001 Programme
Colour: 24 pages.
This programme followed the same format as the previous Proms program.
This time the two page biography of Simple Minds included a full page picture of Jim and Charlie at the 1997 Proms concerts.
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The Floating World
Taormina Tour Programme
Colour. 20 pages.
After ignoring the various full page adverts you're left with several pages devoted to Simple Minds. With lots of colour pictures and a full biography.
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Alive And Kicking Tour
Tour Programme
Colour. 32 pages.
Although some colour appears, the majority of this programme is a black and white pictorial record of the band. Far more coherent than The Floating World Tour Programme, the band are pictured out-and-about and on stage. A biography, tour dates and introduction from Jim complete the text content.
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Night Of The Proms Winter 2008 Tour Programme
Colour: 32 pages.
Like previous Proms tour programmes, the colour, rather flimsy, magazine feautres biographies of each of the artists and various adverts.
The Simple Minds section included several pictures of Jim and Charlie along with mention that the new album was expected in 2009.
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Graffiti Soul
Tour Programme
Colour: 28 pages.
The Graffiti Soul Tour Programme continues the high standards set by the 30 Years Live Tour Programme.
It's stuffed full of colourful Graffiti Soul artwork spreads, dynamic live shots taken during the summer tour (including the spectacular backdrop of Venice) and thoughts and words by Jim and journalist Pierre Perrone.
There are also archive shots and illustrations from Sons And Fascination, which is the second featured album of the tour.
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Celebrate: The Greatest Hits+ Tour Programme
Colour: 28 pages.
This colour tour programme included an introduction from Jim, the Greatest Hits + press release, current live pictures (from the 5X5 Tour) and a lengthy album by album retrospective by Pierre Perrone.
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Big Music
Tour Programme
Colour: 52 pages.
The tour programme included pictures taken at the previous Greatest Hits + gigs by Vince Barker and Paul Cox and a lengthy contemporary account of Big Music by Billy Sloan.
This reprint of the original, sold during the Arena Tour featured a new introduction by Jim (writing about support act The Stranglers) and an advert for the (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) 7" single.
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Black And White Tour
Tour Programme
Colour. 28 pages.
This lavish production features black and white stills from the album artwork, pictures of the band taken during the Home video and various live shots. These are accompanied by various quotes from Jim.
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30 Years Live
Tour Programme
Colour. 32 pages.
This lavish, large 32 page programme is too grand to be called just a programme; all involved referred to it as the 'tour book' (a name reflected in the credits in the back).
It recalls the earlier New Gold Dream, Sparkle In The Rain and Street Fighting Years programmes by filling the glossy pages with both picture and text. Photographs and memorabilia from the earliest Simple Minds gigs through to the last Black And White tour are included.
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5X5
Tour Programme
Colour: 24 pages.
The tour programme explores the world of 5x5, with new interviews by John Leckie, Steve Hillageand Peter Walsh, a tour retrospective by Billy Sloan, and lots of archive pictures of the band and memorabilia.
There’s also a 5x5 discography, biographies of the five band members and introductions and thoughts from Jim Kerr and Bruce Findlay.
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Big Music
Tour Programme
Colour: 52 pages.
The tour programme included pictures taken at the previous Greatest Hits + gigs by Vince Barker and Paul Cox and a lengthy contemporary account of Big Music by Billy Sloan.
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Acoustic
Tour Programme
Colour: 52 pages.
The tour programme included pictures taken at the album sessions, the video shoots, the Ivor Novello Awards and at Hackney Empire.
Billy Sloan wrote the sleeve notes which included interviews with every member of the band.
Invidual pages were devoted to support acts KT Tunstall and The Anchoress whilst there was also adverts for Acoustic the
forthcoming Acoustic Live.
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Walk Between Worlds
Tour Programme
Colour: 48 pages.
The main part of the program included an essay about Walk Between Worlds, written by Adrian Thrills after interviewing Jim and Charlie.
All the other musicians were given two-page spreads where they wrote a short biography and thoughts about the tour. Included were pages devoted to the various formats of Walk Between Worlds and merchandise. And extra pictures from the Dean Chalkley photoshoot were included throughout.
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Thank you to Simple Minds Web site for the cover scans and info. click the link below to take you to the site.