It was a great time for British pop music. Ambitious post punk rock bands had to embrace pop to survive because album sales were in steady decline during the early 1980s as mass unemployment hit the youth market hard in the pocket. Hit singles that appealed to teens were absolutely essential and a clutch of groups, including those mentioned in your post, managed to extend the vocabulary of the pop single with the 12" playing a crucial role. In particular, the expanse and drive of New Gold Dream is a constant reminder that the future doesn't have to belong to the narrow obsessions of psychopathic rulers and multi billionaires.
That’s definitely a thought to keep in mind moving forward! 😃 Exploring stories like these really highlights a clear pattern. Paul, you’re spot on—the economic conditions in the UK during the late ’70s and early ’80s seem to have shaped the musical landscape far more than I initially realized when I started this newsletter. It’s a fascinating theme, and I’m looking forward to diving deeper into it in future editions.
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts—wishing you happy holidays!
It's such a killer song. Although I think Promised You A Miracle got more airplay at the time (in the U.S., anyway), NGD may have sealed the deal and driven me to buy the album. Then, I worked my way backward through those terrific early albums.
“Promised You A Miracle” received more airplay everywhere, I think, Jeremy—it was the standout hit from the album. My journey with the band followed a similar path. I first discovered them through “Promised You A Miracle” and the NGD album, then gradually explored their earlier work. Thanks so much for taking the time to read, react, and share. Wishing you happy holidays!
These are great mixes! I wasn't familiar with many of Simple Minds' 12-inch releases but I always liked their sound. My favorite song of theirs is "All the Things She Said."
Thanks, Dan! You should definitely check out some of their earlier tracks like “Love Song” and “The American.” My personal favorite is “Sweat In Bullet.” That said, the album Once Upon a Time, which features “All The Things She Said,” is undoubtedly one of their best from the “stadium” era. The remixes for all the singles are fantastic too. I’m sure I’ll be diving into one of those in a future episode! Thanks for reading & reacting ! And happy holidays! BTW Tomorrow we're finally going to see Conclave 😃. The film was only released last week I think.
It was a great time for British pop music. Ambitious post punk rock bands had to embrace pop to survive because album sales were in steady decline during the early 1980s as mass unemployment hit the youth market hard in the pocket. Hit singles that appealed to teens were absolutely essential and a clutch of groups, including those mentioned in your post, managed to extend the vocabulary of the pop single with the 12" playing a crucial role. In particular, the expanse and drive of New Gold Dream is a constant reminder that the future doesn't have to belong to the narrow obsessions of psychopathic rulers and multi billionaires.
That’s definitely a thought to keep in mind moving forward! 😃 Exploring stories like these really highlights a clear pattern. Paul, you’re spot on—the economic conditions in the UK during the late ’70s and early ’80s seem to have shaped the musical landscape far more than I initially realized when I started this newsletter. It’s a fascinating theme, and I’m looking forward to diving deeper into it in future editions.
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts—wishing you happy holidays!
It's such a killer song. Although I think Promised You A Miracle got more airplay at the time (in the U.S., anyway), NGD may have sealed the deal and driven me to buy the album. Then, I worked my way backward through those terrific early albums.
“Promised You A Miracle” received more airplay everywhere, I think, Jeremy—it was the standout hit from the album. My journey with the band followed a similar path. I first discovered them through “Promised You A Miracle” and the NGD album, then gradually explored their earlier work. Thanks so much for taking the time to read, react, and share. Wishing you happy holidays!
These are great mixes! I wasn't familiar with many of Simple Minds' 12-inch releases but I always liked their sound. My favorite song of theirs is "All the Things She Said."
Thanks, Dan! You should definitely check out some of their earlier tracks like “Love Song” and “The American.” My personal favorite is “Sweat In Bullet.” That said, the album Once Upon a Time, which features “All The Things She Said,” is undoubtedly one of their best from the “stadium” era. The remixes for all the singles are fantastic too. I’m sure I’ll be diving into one of those in a future episode! Thanks for reading & reacting ! And happy holidays! BTW Tomorrow we're finally going to see Conclave 😃. The film was only released last week I think.
Cool! Let me know what you think after you've seen Conclave!