Simple Minds’ Once Upon a Time from 1985 is one huge-sounding album, one of my favourite on CD. Mel Gaynor’s drums, Jimmy Iovine and Bob Clearmountain’s production, it’s so stadium-shaking, with a carload of songs to match.
Although already successful in their native UK and Europe, the band had also now become popular in the US, mainly due to the Keith Forsey-penned “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” which appeared on The Breakfast Club soundtrack and had become a No.1 hit there. However, the band deliberately left the track off the album due to their reluctance to record it. Four singles were taken from the album; “Alive And Kicking” (UK No. 7, US #3), “All The Things She Said” (UK No. 9, US #28), “Sanctify Yourself” (UK No. 10, US #14), and “Ghost Dancing” (UK #13). The album topped the UK charts, and peaked at No.10 on the US charts (5 consecutive weeks in Top 10 of Billboard and 16 weeks in Top 20).
Here’s Jim Kerr’s isolated vocals for “Alive And Kicking”, where you can hear a bit of guitar from Charlie Burchill in the mix.
https://youtu.be/qq-ru-635cw
