Followers

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Simple Minds news

On February 2, BMG will release Walk Between Worlds, Simple Minds’ first album of new material since 2014’s Big Music.

Walk Between Worlds was produced by Simple Minds with Andy Wright and Gavin Goldberg, both of whom worked on Big Music. With its eight tracks in just past in 42 minutes, it is a relatively concise affair. It is also an album of two distinct sides, very much the old-school album format that singer Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill grew up with as music fans. The title track and "Barrowland Star" feature orchestrations recorded at Abbey Road.

"Barrowland Star" was named after the iconic ballroom in the East End of Glasgow that has hosted many memorable Simple Minds shows. The album artwork is by Brazilian visual artist Heitor Magno, whose work is often a surreal montage of vivid coloured imagery and black and white photography. The image he has created for Walk Between Worlds is emblematic of Simple Minds' metamorphosis. The central character on the front cover bearing an uncanny resemblance to a young Jim Kerr – the sleeve could also be viewed as a telling throwback to the Sons And Fascination era.

Simple Minds were the standard bearers for a new kind of rock in the Eighties, when they took the art-rock invention of post-punk and constructed a musical Colossus by adding rousing choruses and a touch of Celtic soul. As they contemplate turning 40, their legacy is something to be proud of and with Walk Between Worlds their story continues to evolve.

Simple Minds will take to the road in February 2018 to premiere Walk Between Worlds in three shows, which will be in three parts: a performance of the album, a live on-stage interview and a classic Simple Minds set, which will include the band further re-imagining and exploring songs from their extensive catalogue. For fans it will be a very special, one-of-a-kind experience.

With Jim and Charlie now part of a theatrical gang of musicians that are, in Jim’s words, ‘more inspired by the likes Sly & The Family Stone than a traditional male rock band’, the tour will feature the Acoustic tour line up of: Jim and Charlie, percussionist Cherisse Osei and backing vocalist Catherine AD alongside band mainstays Ged Grimes on bass, multi-instrumentalist Gordy Goudie, and regular backing singer (and sometimes lead vocalist) Sarah Brown. ‘The whole stage set-up is now more fluid,’ says Charlie. ‘We’re working on fresh arrangements of some old songs, and there is going to be more movement between the musicians onstage. There will be time for people to digest the songs and more space for Jim to talk to the audience.’

'As much as it has been a real pleasure to work on Walk Between Worlds, equally so it is thrilling to observe that the Simple Minds story continues to evolve both in the studio and on the live stage. Sensing that each of these songs are destined to become individual events when played live - we look forward to performing all of them alongside already established live classics when we set out on this next upcoming tour.' - Jim Kerr

Standard Track list:
 

1. Magic
2. Summer
3. Utopia
4. The Signal and The Noise
5. In Dreams
6. Barrowland Star
7. Walk Between Worlds
8. Sense Of Discovery

Deluxe Edition includes the bonus tracks:
 

1. Silent Kiss
2. Angel Underneath My Skin
3. Dirty Old Town (live)

Walk Between Worlds will be available on standard and deluxe CD, standard, deluxe and picture disc vinyl, digital download and stream. CLICK HERE to pre-order!

2018 UK Dates:
 

February 13 - Barrowland; Glasgow
February 14 - Albert Hall; Manchester
February 15 - Roundhouse; London

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