| Empires and Dance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 12 September 1980 [1] | |||
| Recorded | May – July 1980 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:33 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Producer | John Leckie | |||
| Simple Minds chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Empires and Dance | ||||
Empires and Dance is the third studio album by the Scottish new wave band Simple Minds. It was released on 12 September 1980 through Arista Records. [1]
The album was influenced by the band's experience of travelling in Europe on their previous tour. Prior to the album the band demoed several of their new songs, including "Capital City" and "I Travel" that had appeared on that tour. "Room" was first recorded as a John Peel session in December 1979 together with three songs from Real to Real Cacophony . (These recordings were all later released as part of the 2004 box set Silver Box ). [8] [9]
Associated with the British postpunk-scene at the time along with bands such as Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen, on Empires and Dance Simple Minds also took influence from disco and electronic music by artists such as Donna Summer, Kraftwerk and Grace Jones they heard in German nightclubs. The album includes lengthier, structured songs such as "I Travel", "This Fear of Gods" and "Thirty Frames a Second", as well as a number of more experimental tracks, such as "Constantinople Line", "Twist/Run/Repulsion" and "Kant-Kino". Jim Kerr's lyrics is written from the perspective of a character travelling in central Europe and observing. The lyrics to "This Fear of Gods" was partly inspired by a story by Jorge Luis Borges Kerr recently had read. "Twist/Run/Repulsion" features Chantalle Jeunet reading from a French translation of Nevsky Prospect by Nikolay Gogol. [10]
Empires and Dance was recorded from May to July 1980 [11] in Wales at Rockfield Studios [12] and the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. [13]
When first released it was priced at £3.99 (equivalent to £22in 2023). [1] [14] While more successful than its non-charting predecessor ( Real to Real Cacophony ), Empires and Dance charted relatively poorly, peaking at only number 41 in the UK Albums Chart. [15] According to AllMusic, this was primarily because Arista Records only released a small number of copies at a time before each batch sold out. This had the effect of limited availability for fans. [2]
The opening track "I Travel" was released as a single in October 1980 to coincide with a UK Tour. It was backed with the track "New Warm Skin" recorded during the album sessions, and the initial release also included a flexidisc with the tracks "Kaleidoscope" and "Film Theme Dub". A 12" release backed with "Kaleidoscope" and the original version of "Film Theme" were also issued, but the single failed to reach the UK chart. The track however gained a popularity in the American club scene and subsequently entered the Billboard disco chart at no.80 in February 1981. [16] "Celebrate" was chosen as the second single coupled with "Changeling" from the previous album Real to Real Cacophony . However, it was only released after Simple Minds had left Arista. John Leckie created the single edits and an extended 12" version of the A-side, but this single too sold poorly and failed to chart. [17]
Following the release of the album, Simple Minds transferred to Virgin Records, where they met with much greater commercial success. Arista tried to capitalise on this success by re-releasing "I Travel" as a single in 1982, along with the compilation Celebration . In 1983, Virgin re-released "I Travel" on 12", to coincide with the acquisition of the band's Arista catalogue. Both times, it still failed to chart.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Great Rock Discography | 8/10 [18] |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10 [19] |
| Record Mirror | [20] |
| Smash Hits | 9/10 [21] |
Empires and Dance received enthusiastic reviews in the British music press by contemporary critics. Ian Cranna in Smash Hits gave the album a 9 out of 10 rating, praising "one of Britain's most gifted and imaginative young bands" for moving into a more dance-orientated synthesizer dominated style "without losing any of their melodic instinct or emotional impact. The result has the dance rhythms of disco, the energy of new wave, haunting melodies with fleeting lyrical glimpses of a troubled modern Europe (but minus the usual "modernist" posing) - and a touch of genius at its very human heart." [21] Writing for NME , Paul Morley called it "a weird, agitating record" . He highlighted "I Travel" as one of "the great disco-rock songs" and "the magnificent" "This Fear of Gods" as the band's "most impressive work to date", and concluded: "Simple Minds have invented their own ways, melodramatic yet modernist. An authentic new torch music. I'm dancing as fast as I can." [22] Simon Ludgate of Record Mirror praised Empires and Dance as "one of the few classic albums of 1980." [20] NME ranked it 19 on their "Albums Of The Year" list. [23]
In a retrospective review, Andy Kellman of AllMusic described Empires and Dance as a "post-punk dance classic". [2] Trouser Press said that despite its inconsistency, Empires and Dance was an "extremely atmospheric and promising" album, "with good dance tunes and a few more quasi-psychedelic ones." [24]
John Foxx has praised the album and Jim Kerr as a "unique" lyricist. [25]
The album cover's faux Cyrillic typeface was emulated for the cover of Manic Street Preachers' third album The Holy Bible , released in 1994. (While the former album reversed all Rs and Ns to resemble Cyrillic letters, the latter album, in contrast, reversed only the Rs.) Twenty years later, Empires and Dance would be cited as a key influence on Futurology , the Manics' twelfth album. It remains one of singer and guitarist James Dean Bradfield's favourite records. [26] He said of Empires and Dance in a 1995 Melody Maker article on his favourite albums:
"I've always liked records which are completely misinformed and displaced. They were aware that they were Scottish, and trying to shun it. [...] Anyway, that's why they tried to become really European, this dark, unemotive, industrial band, but in demographic/geographic terms they were really confused, and that can produce brilliant records. I don't think the British look towards Europe in the rose-tinted way Americans do. We see it in Basil Fawlty-ish terms. I remember reading Jim Kerr going on about the Baader-Meinhof gang, and the Red Brigade, and trying to make sense of all these conflicting ideologies. On musical terms it really does make sense. The best bands manifest their lyrics into their music, and it really fucks me off when people don't realise that." [27]
Imagery in Patrik Sampler's novel The Ocean Container [28] was inspired by "Thirty Frames a Second".
All lyrics are written by Jim Kerr; all music is composed by Simple Minds
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Travel" | 4:00 |
| 2. | "Today I Died Again" | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Celebrate" | 5:03 |
| 4. | "This Fear of Gods" | 7:03 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Capital City" | 6:15 |
| 2. | "Constantinople Line" | 4:43 |
| 3. | "Twist/Run/Repulsion" | 4:31 |
| 4. | "Thirty Frames a Second" | 5:02 |
| 5. | "Kant-Kino" | 1:52 |
| 6. | "Room" | 2:28 |
Adapted from the album's liner notes. [29]
Simple Minds
Technical
| Chart (1980–81) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [32] | 47 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [33] | 41 |
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977, becoming best known internationally for their song "Don't You " (1985), which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Other commercially successful singles include "Promised You a Miracle" (1982), "Glittering Prize" (1982), "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" (1982), "Waterfront" (1983), "Alive and Kicking" (1985), "Sanctify Yourself" (1986), "Let There Be Love" (1991), "She's a River" (1995), and the UK number one single "Belfast Child" (1989).
Real Life is the ninth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in April 1991 by record label Virgin Records worldwide apart from the US, where it was released by A&M.
James Kerr is a Scottish musician and lead singer of the rock band Simple Minds. Commercially successful singles released by Simple Minds include "Don't You ", "Glittering Prize" (1982), "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" (1982), "Waterfront" (1983) and "Alive and Kicking" (1985), as well as the UK number one single "Belfast Child" (1989).
New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) is the fifth studio album by Scottish band Simple Minds. The album was released in September 1982 by record label Virgin. It is considered one of the defining albums of the new pop movement of the early 1980s. It spawned the commercially successful singles “Promised You a Miracle” released in April 1982, “Glittering Prize” released in August 1982, and “Someone Somewhere in Summertime” released in November 1982. The albums title track, "New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)", saw a limited release in Italy in March 1983 following the bands Italian leg of their supporting tour.
Life in a Day is the debut album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in April 1979 by record label Zoom. It reached number 30 in the UK Albums Chart. The title track and "Chelsea Girl" were issued as singles.
Real to Real Cacophony is the second studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. It was released on 23 November 1979 through record labels Zoom and Arista.
Celebration is a compilation album by Simple Minds, released in 1982. The compilation features tracks from the band's first three albums released during their tenure on the Arista Records label, prior to their move to Virgin Records in 1981. One of the tracks, "Kaleidoscope", was exclusive to this CD and LP until it appeared on the X5 box set in 2012.
Neon Lights is a covers studio album and twelfth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in October 2001.
Early Gold is a compilation album of Simple Minds early material, released in 2003. It contains songs from years 1979-1982. The tracks were selected by the band themselves from their first five albums and also features a short sleeve note written by Jim Kerr. The album cover feature a photo of Kerr taken at a Simple Minds live concert in Munich in August 1980.
Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call is the (double-LP) fourth album by Scottish post-punk band Simple Minds. It was released in September 1981 and was their first to reach a wide international audience. It includes the singles "The American", "Love Song" and "Sweat in Bullet".
Sparkle in the Rain is the sixth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 6 February 1984 by record label Virgin in the UK and A&M in the US.
Zoom Records was a short-lived record label established in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded and funded by the successful music shop owner Bruce Findlay in the summer of 1977. After the first four single releases it secured a licensing deal with Arista Records. Findlay closed the label in 1980, to dedicate his time to managing one of the most successful bands who began there, Simple Minds.
Brian McGee is a Scottish drummer who played in different bands like Simple Minds and Endgames. His brother Owen, under the name Owen Paul, had a hit single with a cover of Marshall Crenshaw's "You're My Favorite Waste of Time".
Graffiti Soul is the fifteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in May 2009.
"Speed Your Love to Me" is a song by Simple Minds, which was released as the second single from the album Sparkle in the Rain on 9 January 1984. It quickly reached number 20 in the UK Singles Chart, and remained in the charts for 4 weeks.
"Up on the Catwalk" was the third single to be released from Sparkle in the Rain, the sixth studio album by Simple Minds. It was released in March 1984 and climbed to number 27 in the UK Singles Chart. It stayed in the charts for five weeks, which was longer than the band's previous single, "Speed Your Love to Me".
"Promised You a Miracle" is a 1982 song by Scottish band Simple Minds and was released as the first single from their fifth studio album New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84). It was the band's first chart hit in the UK, reaching #13 in the UK singles chart and charting for 11 weeks. Their previous nine UK singles yielded no Top 40 hits in that country although some had sold well in Scotland.
Futurology is the twelfth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 7 July 2014 by Columbia Records. The album features collaborations with Green Gartside, Nina Hoss, Georgia Ruth, Cian Ciaran and Cate Le Bon.
Celebrate: The Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 25 March 2013. There were three different formats released: a single-disc version for the North American market, a two-disc version, and a three-disc version. The album spans all of their studio albums from 1979's Life in a Day to 2009's Graffiti Soul, which at the time was the latest album Simple Minds released, plus the live version "Promised You a Miracle" from 1987's Live in the City of Light, and new tracks recorded for this compilation: "Stagefright", "Blood Diamonds", and "Broken Glass Park". The 1-disc and 2-disc version come in jewel cases. The 3-disc version comes in a clam shell box which comes with sleeves for each disc, a double-sided poster that includes the album's cover art on one side and the cover art for all of the singles included on this compilation on the other side.
Direction of the Heart is the nineteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 21 October 2022 by BMG.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)