Charles Burchill (born 27 November 1959)[1] is a Scottish musician and composer who is the guitarist for the rock band Simple Minds.[2] He is recognized for his enduring partnership with lead singer Jim Kerr, with whom he has played since their school days. The two remain the only original members still performing with the group. Burchill is primarily known as a guitarist, but he is a multi-instrumentalist who also plays keyboards, saxophone, and violin.
His musical career began at the age of seven, and by his teenage years, he had formed the punk band Johnny & The Self-Abusers with Kerr in 1977. After that group disbanded, they formed Simple Minds, achieving global success in the 1980s with hits such as "Don't You (Forget About Me)," "Alive and Kicking," and "Promised You a Miracle". Burchill's guitar style is characterized by the extensive use of effects like delay and chorus, which helped define the band's atmospheric "sonic cathedral" sound.
Beyond his technical role as a guitarist, Burchill is a core songwriter for the band. While he often composes on the guitar, he has noted that for decades his primary instrument for writing has been the piano. He is known for a collaborative approach to composition, historically working closely with former keyboardist Mick MacNeil to create intricate musical arrangements where neither instrument dominates. In October 2025, Burchill and Kerr published a joint memoir titled Our Secrets Are The Same.
Early life
Charlie Burchill was born and raised in the housing scheme on the south side of Glasgow. His musical interest began early; at age nine, his mother bought him his first acoustic guitar using coupons from Embassy cigarette packets. He began playing seriously around age 12, eventually taking over a higher-quality guitar from his older brother. At age eight, he met Jim Kerr in their neighborhood, beginning a lifelong creative partnership. During their teenage years, they spent nights in Burchill’s bedroom writing songs and listening to records by David Bowie, Roxy Music, and The Doors.
In early 1977, Burchill and Kerr joined the Glasgow punk band Johnny & The Self-Abusers. Burchill played guitar and violin in the band under the name "Charlie Argue". They recruited school friends Brian McGee and Tony Donald, with whom they had played in a previous band called Biba-Rom!. Despite being part of the punk scene, Burchill noted that the band's influences were more art-rock and psychedelic.
Johnny & The Self-Abusers released one single, "Saints and Sinners," on November 17, 1977. The band broke up the same day due to creative differences. Immediately after the split, Burchill and Kerr formed Simple Minds, taking their name from a lyric in David Bowie's "The Jean Genie". Simple Minds played their first show on January 17, 1978, at Satellite City in Glasgow. Burchill primarily composes the music and melodies. He often initiates the process by creating musical pieces on a piano or keyboard and sending them to Kerr.
Burchill and Jim Kerr performing with Simple Minds at Night of the Proms, Germany
Their next album, Sparkle in the Rain (1984), featured another hit single with "Waterfront" and continued the band's commercial prominence, debuting at number one in both the UK, where it was certified Platinum,[5] and New Zealand. "Don't You (Forget About Me)", their contribution to the soundtrack of the 1985 film The Breakfast Club, became their breakthrough hit in the US, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The following album, Once Upon a Time (1985), reached number one in the UK and the Netherlands,[6] the top three in Canada and New Zealand,[7] and the top ten in the US. It was certified 3× Platinum in the UK and Gold in the US,[8] and spawned four more hit singles with "Alive and Kicking", "Sanctify Yourself", "All the Things She Said" and "Ghostdancing". Their chart dominance continued with the album Street Fighting Years (1989), with its lead single "Belfast Child" reaching number one in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.[9] After two more successful albums with Real Life (1991) and Good News from the Next World (1995), the band underwent a commercial decline in the late 1990s. They returned to chart prominence starting in the late 2000s, with albums such as Graffiti Soul (2009), Walk Between Worlds (2018) and Direction of the Heart (2022).
Burchill continues to record and tour with Simple Minds, who released their latest album Direction of the Heart in October 2022. Three UK club dates in the spring of 2010 featured both new material and Simple Minds' back catalogue and a full European tour followed.[14] In October 2025, Burchill and Kerr published a joint memoir titled Our Secrets Are The Same.
During Simple Minds' early-to-mid-1980s period, Burchill's guitar had a distinctive and atmospheric sound. Making heavy use of effects such as delay and chorus, his playing often provided subtle textures behind the band's more drum- and bass-propelled songs. This style was most apparent on 1982's New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84).[15] From 1983's album Sparkle in the Rain onwards the group evolved a different style, bringing Burchill's playing more into the foreground.[16]
As well as providing guitar, Burchill played the violin and saxophone on the band's first three studio albums and took over most studio keyboard duties following the 1989 departure of Mick MacNeil. Burchill with lead singer Jim Kerr are the only original members of the band still performing.
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