| Life in a Day | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 20 April 1979 [1] | |||
| Recorded | December 1978 – February 1979 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 43:10 | |||
| Label | Zoom | |||
| Producer | John Leckie | |||
| Simple Minds chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Life in a Day | ||||
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.
The album was recorded between mid-December 1978 and early-February 1979 in the grounds of Farmyard Studios, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, using the mobile unit The Mobile Studio, with further recording at Abbey Road Studios (including the recording of an orchestra for the track "Pleasantly Disturbed"), and mixed at Townhouse Studios, London. The original working title for the album "Children of the Game" (a reference to Jean Cocteau's novel of that name) had been dropped and changed to "Life in a Day" after the band had written the title track in January 1979. After the band's first choice of producer John Cale was vetoed by Arista Records, the album was produced and mixed by John Leckie. The album was completed in late February 1979. The recording sessions yielded the full album, the b-side "Special View" and two unfinished out-takes, "Rosemary's Baby" and "Children of the Game". The track-listing and mastering was finalised in March 1979. [3]
Life in a Day was released by the independent label Zoom Records and licensed to Arista Records. The album's artwork was created by Carole Moss, a friend of John Leckie. [3] The album spent six weeks in the UK LP charts and reached number 30 on 12 May 1979. [4] The title track was released on 30 March as Simple Minds' first single and reached No. 62 in the UK charts, spending two weeks there. [4] "Chelsea Girl", considered the strongest track on the album, was held back as the second single by Arista Records, but it failed to chart at all. [5] A tribute to Nico and the Andy Warhol film Chelsea Girls , it was a popular live song for the band. [6]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [7] |
| Martin C. Strong | 7/10 [8] |
| NME | favourable [9] |
| Smash Hits | 8/10 [10] |
Andy Kellman of AllMusic rated the album the lowest of Simple Minds' first five album releases, remarking on its derivativeness of Magazine and Roxy Music and ranking "Someone" as the best track. [11] NME's Tony Stewart praised the lyrics and arrangements despite noting the overt influences of 1970s music, and rated "Murder Story" the standout track. Although noting the album as overproduced and undermining the band's sound, he rated the album favourably. [9]
In a 2012 interview, the band's frontman Jim Kerr expressed regret that the album's production had resulted in the tracks lacking "a real spark" that was part of their live performances, and described his feelings about the album as "bittersweet". [12] He recalled at the time, "as we were about to drive up to Scotland, someone gave me a cassette of Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division... and I thought, we've completely blown it."—ruing that their live material had sounded more like Velvet Underground and less like the Boomtown Rats. [13]
All lyrics are written by Jim Kerr; all music is composed by Charles Burchill and Jim Kerr
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Someone" | 3:42 |
| 2. | "Life in a Day" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Sad Affair" | 2:45 |
| 4. | "All for You" | 2:51 |
| 5. | "Pleasantly Disturbed" | 7:59 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "No Cure" | 3:34 |
| 7. | "Chelsea Girl" | 4:34 |
| 8. | "Wasteland" | 3:45 |
| 9. | "Destiny" | 3:38 |
| 10. | "Murder Story" | 6:17 |
| Total length: | 43:10 | |
Adapted from the album's liner notes. [14]
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC) [15] | 30 |
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "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), "See the Lights" (1991), 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.
Black & White 050505 is the fourteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in the UK in September 2005. The album was not officially released in the US.
Cry is the thirteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, officially released in April 2002.
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, and was a turning point for the band as they gained critical and commercial success in the UK and Europe. It is considered one of the defining albums of the new pop movement of the early 1980s.
Once Upon a Time is the seventh studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 21 October 1985 by record label Virgin, Once Upon a Time topped the UK charts, and peaked at No. 10 on the US charts, spending five consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of Billboard and 16 weeks in the Top 20.
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.
Empires and Dance is the third studio album by Scottish new wave band Simple Minds, released on 12 September 1980 by record label 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.
Néapolis is the eleventh studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in March 1998 by record label Chrysalis.
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.
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".
Themes for Great Cities – Definitive Collection 79–81 is an American-only compilation album by Simple Minds. It was released in November 1981 by Stiff Records. At the time, the only Simple Minds album released in the US was Life in a Day and this was designed to introduce the American audience to their other albums.
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.
Graffiti Soul is the fifteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in May 2009.
Big Music is the sixteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. It was released on 31 October 2014 by Sony Music. "Honest Town" was released as the lead single on 10 October 2014. The album was available to stream from 28 October 2014.
Acoustic is the seventeenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in November 2016 by Caroline International. The album features acoustic studio recordings of previously released songs. It received mixed reviews.
Walk Between Worlds is the eighteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in February 2018 by BMG.
Direction of the Heart is the nineteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 21 October 2022 by BMG.
