Charlie Burchill

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Charlie Burchill
Simple Minds - 2018173230337 2018-06-22 Rock the Ring - 1D X MK II - 2737 - AK8I5153.jpg
Charlie Burchill in 2018
Background information
Birth nameCharles Burchill
Born (1959-11-27) 27 November 1959 (age 64)
Origin Glasgow, Scotland
Genres
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)
Years active1977–present
Member of Simple Minds

Charles Burchill (born 27 November 1959) [1] is a Scottish musician and composer. He is the guitarist and one of the founders of the rock band Simple Minds. [2]

Contents

Style

During Simple Minds' early-to-mid-1980s period, Burchill's guitar had a distinctive and atmospheric sound not dissimilar to Echo & the Bunnymen's Will Sergeant.[ citation needed ] 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) . [3] From 1983's album Sparkle in the Rain onwards the group evolved a different style, bringing Burchill's playing more into the foreground. [4]

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.

Equipment

Burchill playing a Gibson Les Paul in February 2015 Ch Burchill.jpg
Burchill playing a Gibson Les Paul in February 2015

Burchill has been playing a Gretsch White Falcon since the early 1980s. He also has a modern one in Black, and a number of 1969 Gibson Les Pauls. As of 2017 he uses Matchless amplifiers. [5]

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 "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) as well as the UK number one single "Belfast Child" (1989).

<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

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<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. It is considered one of the defining albums of the new pop movement of the early 1980s.

<i>Once Upon a Time</i> (Simple Minds album) 1985 studio album by Simple Minds

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.

<i>Real to Real Cacophony</i> 1979 studio album by Simple Minds

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.

<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>Néapolis</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Simple Minds

Néapolis is the eleventh studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in March 1998 by record label Chrysalis.

<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".

<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.

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".

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

<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 is used as the ending theme to the Australian music program, rage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Promised You a Miracle</span> 1982 single by Simple Minds

"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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glittering Prize</span> 1982 single by Simple Minds

"Glittering Prize" is a 1982 hit single by the Scottish rock group Simple Minds, the 2nd released from their fifth studio album New Gold Dream, released the same year.

<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. Davis, Sharon (2012). 80s Chart-Toppers: Every Chart-Topper Tells a Story. Random House. ISBN   9781780574110.
  2. Cornwell, Simon. "dream giver redux - family tree - simple minds #1". www.simpleminds.org.
  3. David Fricke (14 April 1983). "Album Review New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)". Rolling Stone. RealNetworks, Inc. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  4. allmusic ((( Sparkle in the Rain > Overview )))
  5. Mead, David (1 September 2017). "One for the road: Simple Minds' Charlie Burchill". Music Radar. Retrieved 29 March 2022.