All things considered, Once Upon A Time did all right for Simple Minds. Released in 1985, it topped the UK album charts, produced a string of hit singles and helped establish them in the US.
Once Upon A Time was lean and mean; eight tracks, whipped into shape in the studio under the watchful gaze of producer Jimmy Iovine who was on a hot streak, demonstrating a knack for recording electric guitar with Tom Petty. Alive And Kicking, All The Things She Said, Sanctify Yourself… Catch the Glasgow rockers live today and they’ll all be on the setlist.
But looking back, there does seem to be a glaring omission. Don’t You (Forget About Me), their biggest hit, recorded for The Breakfast Club soundtrack, and released as a single earlier in the year, was left off the record.
Speaking to Guitar World, guitarist Charlie Burchill admits that it was a mistake to leave it off. No matter how hard Virgin/A&M pushed them, Burchill and co were not having it.
“Oh yeah, big time. I wish they had won, looking back,” said Burchill. “We were digging our heels in, but in retrospect, we often ask ourselves what the fuck were we thinking? [Laughs] It was recorded at the same time as the album anyway, and obviously sounded like it should’ve been on there, but I guess we were a bit arrogant and stupid. [Laughs]”
This story is a collector’s item, one of those very rare occasions when a band admits that the record label was right and they were wrong.
But it didn’t do any harm. Subsequent reissues included it on a bonus disc. And by the time the album was released, surely everyone who was going to buy it already had Don’t You… sitting around on 7”.
Simple Minds did not write Don’t You… Frontman Jim Kerr has described it as “a gift” that fell into their laps. Written by producer Keith Forsey and guitarist Steve Schiff, it was written and recorded for The Breakfast Club, and released in support the John Hughes movie.
The single’s success made them Simple Minds a hot ticket in the US.
“It marked a huge change for us,” continued Burchill. “We actually did Live Aid from Philadelphia as we were Number One in the States at the time, and we were spending so much time in America.”
Simple Minds were no rookies by then. But even so, that Live Aid show would have been an eye-opener. It was then the biggest live concert event of all time. Kerr recalls the weight of pop history weighing down on them before taking to the stage – and the warning that the promoter Bill Graham gave them. Under no circumstances were they to exceed their 15-minute set time.
“He was standing there, and I won’t use a language he was using, but he was making it absolutely clear, ‘Don’t dare go even one second over,’” said Kerr. “He said, ‘So, this is what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna go up the stairs. You’re gonna be met by the presenter, take 30 seconds. On you go!”
The biggest shock was yet to come.
“So we go up the stairs, not even thinking how the presenter is, maybe some DJ or MTV VJ or something,” continued Kerr. “Jack Nicholson! We were just so blown away that I think I spent at least 12 at the 15 minutes thinking, ‘Jack Nicholson!?’”
Burchill and Kerr are presently on tour in the US on the Alive & Kicking Tour 2025. For full dates and ticket details, see Simple Minds. Their new concert album, Live In The City Of Diamonds is out now via BMG.
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