Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977.
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30 Facts About Simple Minds
2.
Simple Minds have achieved considerable chart success in the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, Italy and New Zealand.
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3.
In 2014, Simple Minds were awarded the Q Inspiration Award for their contribution to the music industry and an Ivor Novello Award in 2016 for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors.
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5.
Simple Minds' second release, Real to Real Cacophony was a significant departure from the pop tunes of Life in a Day.
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6.
Much of the album was written in the studio, although Simple Minds had been playing early versions of several tracks during the recent tour dates.
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7.
Drummer Brian McGee left the band at the end of the Sons and Fascination sessions, citing exhaustion at Simple Minds' constant touring schedule, and a desire for more time at home with family.
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8.
Simple Minds cited disappointment that he was not getting enough credit in the band.
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9.
McGee's initial replacement as Simple Minds' drummer was Kenny Hyslop, who joined the band in October 1981 in time to play the first leg of the Sons and Fascination tour.
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10.
Simple Minds stayed long enough to drum on the band's next single, the disco-friendly "Promised You a Miracle" which hit the UK Top 20 and the Australian Top 10.
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11.
Simple Minds headlined a North American tour supported by China Crisis during the Canadian leg and supported the Pretenders in the US while Hynde was pregnant with Kerr's daughter.
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12.
At around this point, the camaraderie that had fuelled Simple Minds began to unravel, and over the next ten years the band's line-up underwent frequent changes.
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13.
Simple Minds were the first band to be approached to play the Philadelphia leg of Live Aid.
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14.
Simple Minds were the first band to sign up for Mandela Day, a concert held at Wembley Stadium, London, as an expression of solidarity with the then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela.
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15.
Simple Minds paid tribute to his former bandmate and said that MacNeil had been irreplaceable.
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16.
Simple Minds continued to record, hiring keyboard players as and where required.
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17.
Mel Gaynor left the band in 1992 to pursue session work and other projects, and for the next two years Simple Minds were on hiatus, releasing the compilation album Glittering Prize in 1992.
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19.
In parallel to Cry, Simple Minds recorded an album of covers called Neon Lights, featuring Simple Minds versions of songs from artists including Patti Smith, Roxy Music and Kraftwerk.
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20.
On 27 June 2008, Simple Minds played the 90th birthday tribute to Nelson Mandela in London's Hyde Park.
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21.
From 10 June to 3 July 2011, Simple Minds embarked on the "Greatest Hits Forest Tour", playing a series of seven dates in woodland locations of England, as part of Forestry Commission Live Music.
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22.
Simple Minds embarked in late 2012 on an eight-date Australia and New Zealand joint tour with American band Devo and Australian band The Church starting on 29 November 2012 in Melbourne, and ending on 15 December 2012 in Auckland .
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23.
On 22 October 2014, Simple Minds were presented the Q Inspiration to Music award by Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield and saw the first public outing of new member Catherine AD as part of the lineup.
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24.
On 2 November 2014, Simple Minds introduced Big Music with a special acoustic session for Radio Clyde's The Billy Sloan Collection.
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25.
On 7 April 2016, Simple Minds performed their first unplugged gig at the Zermatt Unplugged Festival in Zermatt, Switzerland, followed by a second unplugged show in Zurich on 29 October 2016, at the Zermatt Unplugged Festival.
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26.
Simple Minds released Acoustic which was recorded with the new line-up during Summer 2016 and which featured acoustic re-recordings of songs spanning their career.
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27.
On 16 November 2016, Simple Minds were given the Forth Best Performance Award at the Radio Forth awards ceremony in Edinburgh.
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28.
In 2019, Simple Minds released Live in the City of Angels, their new live album capturing the band on their biggest ever North American tour.
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29.
On 14 June 2022, Simple Minds announced the forthcoming release on 21 October 2022 of their new studio album entitled Direction of the Heart via BMG.
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30.
On 9 July 2022, Simple Minds released on YouTube a lyric video for "Vision Thing".
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