Love Song (Simple Minds song)

Last updated

"Love Song"
Simple Minds Love Song Single.jpg
Single by Simple Minds
from the album Sons and Fascination
B-side "This Earth That You Walk Upon (instrumental version)"
Released7 August 1981 [1]
RecordedJuly 1981
Genre Post-punk, new wave
Length
  • 5:04(Album/12" version)
  • 3:51 (Single edit)
  • 4:14 (1992 remixed version)
Label Virgin
Songwriter(s) Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes, Brian McGee and Mick MacNeil
Simple Minds singles chronology
""The American"""Love Song"""Sweat in Bullet""

"Love Song" is the seventh single released by Scottish band Simple Minds. It was issued by Virgin Records in August 1981, one month before the release of its parent album Sons and Fascination. The B-side is an instrumental version of "This Earth That You Walk Upon", which later appeared on the album with newly-recorded vocals. Despite a sticker appearing on the 12" single promising an 'extended version', all 12" releases around the world featured the 5:04 album version.

The song is reportedly an ode to the close bond between Europe and America: "a relationship that's lasted across the centuries, through good and bad times, a "Love Song" between two continents." [2] Its sound marked the beginning of a shift away from the band's early experimental phase towards a more accessible and commercial "pulsating electronic rock". [3]

The song was written and demoed in early 1981 and was tried out live on their Canada/US Tour in March 1981 before the recording sessions for the album had begun. It has since been performed on most of the band's subsequent tours. [4]

"Love Song" became Simple Minds' first single to enter the UK Top 50 - peaking at #47 in August 1981. It was more successful in Sweden and Australia, where it climbed into the Top 20.

A music video for the song was shot. It is set in a nightclub and features a storyline of Jim Kerr as a DJ and the band members annoying other guests and getting into fights. At the end other guests are unable to leave the club until Kerr has finished the track and he then leads the band out of the club. [5]

In 1992, a slightly remixed version of the song was released to promote the band's Glittering Prize 81/92 compilation, backed with "Alive and Kicking". This re-release finally sent "Love Song" into the UK Top 10, where it reached #6. [6]

Chart positions

Chart (1981/1982)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [7] 17
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [8] 16
Canada RPM [9] 38
United Kingdom (CIN) [10] 47
Chart (1992)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [11] 6

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simple Minds</span> Scottish rock band

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 "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).

<i>Real Life</i> (Simple Minds album) 1991 studio album by Simple Minds

Real Life is the ninth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in April 1991. This was the first Simple Minds album recorded without keyboardist and original bandmember Mick MacNeil, who left the band shortly after the previous tour completed in 1990. The core band on this album comprise only Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, and Mel Gaynor, with the remaining personnel all being session musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simple Minds discography</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Kerr</span> Scottish singer

James Kerr is a Scottish singer and the lead singer of the rock band Simple Minds, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You " (1985), which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Other commercially successful singles include "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).

<i>Cry</i> (Simple Minds album) 2002 studio album by Simple Minds

Cry is the thirteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, officially released in April 2002.

<i>New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)</i> 1982 studio album by Simple Minds

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.

<i>Empires and Dance</i> 1980 studio album by Simple Minds

Empires and Dance is the third studio album by Scottish new wave band Simple Minds, released on 12 September 1980 by record label Arista.

<i>Live in the City of Light</i> 1987 live album by Simple Minds

Live in the City of Light is the first live album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. It was released in May 1987 to document their successful worldwide Once Upon a Time tour, and charted at No. 1 in the UK. The album spawned one chart single release, a live version of "Promised You a Miracle".

<i>Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call</i> 1981 studio album by Simple Minds

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".

Ken Lockie is an English singer-songwriter and producer, best known as the creative force behind English new wave band Cowboys International and as a sometime collaborator with John Lydon in Public Image Ltd.

<i>Sparkle in the Rain</i> 1984 studio album by Simple Minds

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.

<i>Graffiti Soul</i> 2009 studio album by Simple Minds

Graffiti Soul is the fifteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in May 2009.

<i>Lostboy! AKA Jim Kerr</i> 2010 studio album by Lostboy! AKA Jim Kerr

Lostboy! AKA Jim Kerr is Simple Minds front-man Jim Kerr's first solo album released on 17 May 2010. The album entered the UK charts at No. 94 on 29 May 2010 and UK Independent Chart at #8. The album has also made the charts in some other European areas, most notably Germany, Italy, France and Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speed Your Love to Me</span> 1984 single by Simple Minds

"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. The song was used as the ending theme to the Australian music program, rage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Up on the Catwalk</span> 1984 single by Simple Minds

"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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Someone Somewhere in Summertime</span> 1982 single by Simple Minds

"Someone Somewhere In Summertime" is a song by Simple Minds released as the third single from the album New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) in 1982. Its performance in the UK Singles Chart was significantly poorer than the band's two previous hits, peaking at no. 36 and charting for 5 weeks. Nonetheless, it has become a live favourite. and acclaimed as one of the album's most popular tracks.

<i>Big Music</i> (Simple Minds album) 2014 studio album by Simple Minds

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.

<i>Acoustic</i> (Simple Minds album) 2016 studio album by Simple Minds

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.

<i>Walk Between Worlds</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Simple Minds

Walk Between Worlds is the eighteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in February 2018 by BMG.

<i>Direction of the Heart</i> 2022 studio album by Simple Minds

Direction of the Heart is the nineteenth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 21 October 2022 by BMG.

References

  1. ↑ "dream giver redux | press releases | sons and fascination | schoolhouse management letter". www.simpleminds.org. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Love Song - Simple Minds | Song Info | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. ↑ "Simple Minds: 10 of the best". the Guardian. 18 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "Love Song". Dream Giver Redux.
  5. ↑ "Videos: Love Song". Dream Giver Redux.
  6. ↑ "SIMPLE MINDS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  7. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 275. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  8. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com > Simple Minds > Love Song". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "RPM Top 50 Singles - January 16, 1982" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "Official Charts > Simple Minds". The Official UK Charts Company . Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  11. ↑ "Simple Minds: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 August 2017.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.