"Alive & Kicking" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Simple Minds | ||||
from the album Once Upon a Time | ||||
B-side | "Up on the Catwalk (Live Version)" | |||
Released | 30 September 1985 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1985 | |||
Genre | Pop rock, new wave | |||
Length |
| |||
Label | A&M, Virgin | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil | |||
Producer(s) | Bob Clearmountain, Jimmy Iovine | |||
Simple Minds singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Alive and Kicking" on YouTube | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
"Alive and Kicking" is a song released by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds as the lead single from their seventh album, Once Upon a Time . The song reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four in Canada;it peaked within the top five of several European countries including Italy,where the song reached number one.
Following on from the success of previous non-album single,"Don't You (Forget About Me)","Alive and Kicking" was released as a single,reaching number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Top Rock Tracks chart (now called the Mainstream Rock chart). The song also reached number 4 in Canada. In Europe,the song topped the charts in Italy for one week,reached number 2 in Belgium,Ireland,and the Netherlands,and peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1992,when re-released as a double A-side with "Love Song" to promote the band's compilation album Glittering Prize 81/92 ,it managed to reach a new peak of number 6. Elsewhere,"Alive and Kicking" reached number 5 in New Zealand,number 16 in South Africa,and just missed the top 20 in Australia,peaking at number 21.
The music video for "Alive and Kicking" was filmed near the town of Hunter,at North–South Lake in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. A portion of the video was filmed on the overlook at the site of the old Catskill Mountain House (previously demolished). It was directed by Zbigniew Rybczyński,who directed the video for "All the Things She Said",the third single from the same album. [2]
7-inch single
12-inch single
Second 12-inch single
Weekly charts"Alive and Kicking"
"Love Song" / "Alive and Kicking"
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [27] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [28] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [29] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
In 1992, "Alive & Kicking" provided the soundtrack for a famous promo, entitled "A whole new ball game" for BSkyB's launch of the FA Premier League. [30] [31]
"Alive and Kicking" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by East Side Beat | ||||
from the album East Side Beat | ||||
Released | 7 December 1992 [32] | |||
Length | 4:05 | |||
Label | FFRR | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil | |||
Producer(s) | Phil Kelsey | |||
East Side Beat singles chronology | ||||
|
In 1992, Italian dance music group East Side Beat covered "Alive and Kicking". There are five remixes in total. Two versions are found on the 7-inch single and an additional three are on the CD single.
Chart (1992–1993) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [33] | 19 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [34] | 20 |
UK Singles (OCC) [35] | 26 |
"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is a song by the English pop band Dead or Alive, featured on their second studio album, Youthquake (1985). Released as a single in November 1984, it reached No. 1 in the UK in March 1985, taking 17 weeks to get there. It was the first UK number one hit by the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. On the US Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at No. 11 on 17 August of that year, becoming their highest-charting single there. The song also reached No. 1 in Ireland and in Canada, while in Australia it peaked at No. 3 and it charted highly in numerous European countries.
"Always on My Mind" is a ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James, first recorded by Brenda Lee and first released by Gwen McCrae in March 1972. Lee's version was released three months later in June 1972. The song has been a crossover hit, charting in both the country and western and pop categories. Elvis Presley's recording was the first commercially successful version of the song.
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a song by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released as a single in 1985. It was written and composed by producer Keith Forsey and guitarist Steve Schiff. Forsey and Schiff wrote the song for Simple Minds but offered it to several other acts before Simple Minds agreed to record it. The song was inspired by and used in the 1985 John Hughes film The Breakfast Club.
"Up and Down" is a song by Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys. Originally released in the Netherlands in February 1998, it reached number four in the United Kingdom in November 1998. It also reached number one on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1999. The Tin Tin Out remix of the song was sampled in DMC's remix of Cher's "Believe". The "Wooo!" voice in the song is sampled from "Crash Goes Love" by Loleatta Holloway.
"Heaven" is a song by the Canadian singer and songwriter Bryan Adams recorded in 1983, written by Adams and Jim Vallance. It first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album the same year and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984. It was released as the third single from Reckless and reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in June 1985, over a year and a half after the song first appeared on record. The single was certified Gold in Canada in 1985.
The discography of the Scottish art rock/new wave band Simple Minds consists of 21 studio albums, eleven live albums, ten compilation albums, fourteen box sets, 68 singles, and five video albums.
"Too Much Love Will Kill You" is a song written by British guitarist Brian May of Queen, Frank Musker and Elizabeth Lamers. The song reflected the breakdown of May's first marriage and attraction to his future wife, Anita Dobson. It was first recorded by Queen around 1988 or before, and was intended to be on the band's The Miracle album in 1989, but did not make the cut due to legal disputes following the band's decision that all songs on the album would be written by the group as opposed to individuals.
"Monkey" is a US number-one hit song by English singer and songwriter George Michael. It was released as a single in 1988 and reached number-one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. "Monkey" debuted at number 42 on 9 July 1988, reaching number-one for two weeks, beginning on 27 August 1988.
"Rush Rush" is a song by American recording artist Paula Abdul, taken from her second studio album, Spellbound (1991). It was released on April 24, 1991, by Virgin Records as the lead single from the album. Written by Peter Lord and produced by Peter Lord and V. Jeffrey Smith, the song achieved success in the United States, where it topped the Billboard Hot 100, and became a worldwide hit.
"Close to You" is a song by English reggae singer Maxi Priest. It was released in 1990 as the lead single from his fifth album Bonafide (1990). "Close to You" reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, number two on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and number seven on the UK Singles Chart.
"Holding Back the Years" is a song by the British soul and pop band Simply Red, released as the third single from their debut studio album, Picture Book (1985). The ballad reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. "Holding Back the Years" had initially been released in the UK the year before, reaching number 51. The song was nominated in the category of Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards.
"Devil Inside" is a song by Australian rock band INXS. The song was written by Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence and was released as the second single from the band's sixth studio album, Kick, in February 1988. The song reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks. "Devil Inside" also peaked at number six in Australia, number three in Canada, and number two in New Zealand. Cash Box said that the band "[uses] a Daytripper-like guitar sound and riff it under a sultry, breathy vocal to put the point across."
"To Be with You" is a song by American rock band Mr. Big, released in November 1991 as the second single from their second album, Lean into It (1991). The ballad reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and topped the charts in 11 other countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand.
"Please Forgive Me" is a song by Canadian rock musician Bryan Adams. It was released in October 1993 by A&M as the only single and bonus track from his first greatest hits compilation album, So Far So Good (1993). The single reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It is his only Australian number-one single not written for a motion picture, and it also topped the charts of Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, Norway, and Portugal.
"New Sensation" is a song by Australian rock group INXS. It was the third single released from their sixth studio album, Kick (1987). The music was composed by Andrew Farriss and the lyrics were written by Michael Hutchence. The song features a signature Kirk Pengilly sax solo and lyrics about a partying lifestyle.
"Oh Sheila" is a song by American R&B band Ready for the World. Released as a single in 1985, it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart, and the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco Club Play chart. It was the first of two chart toppers for the band on the Billboard R&B chart, preceding their 1986 number-one R&B hit "Love You Down".
"She's a River" is the first single released from Scottish rock band Simple Minds' 11th studio album, Good News from the Next World. Written by band members Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr, the song was inspired by Herman Hesse's novel Siddhartha, a book about self-discovery. Released on 11 January 1995, "She's a River" reached number three in Canada and Italy, number seven in the Flanders region of Belgium, and number nine on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, it peaked at number six on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.
"Let There Be Love" is a song by Scottish rock band Simple Minds and first single from their ninth studio album, Real Life (1991). The song was written by Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr and released by Virgin Records on 11 March 1991. The song became an international hit, reaching the top 10 in Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It was the most successful in Italy, where it peaked at number one. The official music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan.
"Run to You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. It was released in 1984 as the lead single from his fourth album, Reckless (1984). The track deals with the subject of infidelity, and is sung from the perspective of a man who declares that he will continue to "run to" his seductive mistress over his faithful partner; critic Ira Robbins for CMJ called it a "cheating classic". In the accompanying music video, however, Adams portrays his guitar as the object of desire.
"The War Song" is a song by British band Culture Club, featuring background vocals from Clare Torry. It was released as the lead single from the band's third album, Waking Up with the House on Fire (1984), in September 1984. The song became the group's seventh top-five hit on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, the single peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Elsewhere, it reached the top 10 in several countries, including Australia, Canada, and Ireland, peaking at number one in the latter country.