| Neon Lights | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 8 October 2001 | |||
| Recorded | ||||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 41:35 | |||
| Label | Eagle - EAGCD 194 | |||
| Producer |
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| Simple Minds chronology | ||||
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| Simple Minds studio albums chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Q | (unfavourable) [2] |
| Toronto Sun | (favourable) [3] |
Neon Lights is a covers studio album and twelfth studio album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in October 2001.
Neon Lights is a collection of cover versions put together as a warm up for what would be the next album Cry (2002). As Jim Kerr stated at the time of the album release: «"Neon Lights is the first time Simple Minds have put together a collection of non-original material. We thought it was appropriate at a period of looking back that we go to the very foundations of Simple Minds, which of course is the music and the bands who influenced us."» [4]
After the band's previous album, Our Secrets Are the Same , was leaked by a DJ in Spain, and Simple Minds were fired from EMI, they went into partial retirement. Frontman Jim Kerr moved to Italy to start a hotel. There a number of young Italian artists came to him for advice or input in recording. This finally coaxed the band out of retirement. [5]
They signed a limited contract with Eagle Records. To help the band gain momentum, it was decided that they should record an album of covers to boost awareness of Simple Minds again. Thus Neon Lights was conceived. [5]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gloria" | Van Morrison | Them | 3:45 |
| 2. | "The Man Who Sold the World" | David Bowie | David Bowie | 4:07 |
| 3. | "Homosapien" | Pete Shelley | Pete Shelley | 4:20 |
| 4. | "Dancing Barefoot" | Patti Smith, Ivan Kral | Patti Smith Group | 3:48 |
| 5. | "Neon Lights" | Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos | Kraftwerk | 4:16 |
| 6. | "Hello, I Love You" | Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore | The Doors | 3:32 |
| 7. | "Bring on the Dancing Horses" | Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, Les Pattinson, Pete de Freitas | Echo & the Bunnymen | 5:15 |
| 8. | "The Needle and the Damage Done" | Neil Young | Neil Young | 4:15 |
| 9. | "For Your Pleasure" | Bryan Ferry | Roxy Music | 4:08 |
| 10. | "All Tomorrow's Parties" | Lou Reed | The Velvet Underground | 3:35 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Being Boiled" | Philip Oakey, Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh | The Human League | 3:51 |
| 12. | "Love Will Tear Us Apart" | Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner | Joy Division | 4:48 |
A promo version was also pressed which was titled Original Versions of Songs Covered on "Neon Lights", which comprised all the original versions of the songs covered, making this the only Simple Minds release to be devoid of Simple Minds music. However, Eagle Records encountered some problems with copyrights for a couple of songs, so fewer than 25 of these promos were pressed, making this extremely hard to find. [6]
Two singles were released from the album: the Dancing Barefoot EP, [7] and a number of remixes of "Homosapien". [8]
with:
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).
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.
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).
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.
Life in a Day is the debut album by 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.
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.
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".
Real Live 91 is the second live album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released in May 1998 by the band's own Mindmood label as a fanclub-only album given away with the first issue of Travelling Man magazine.
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.
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.
"Shadowland" was released as the first official single from Simple Minds founding member and vocalist Jim Kerr's first solo album Lostboy! AKA Jim Kerr in early 2010. The song was written during Simple Minds' 2009 tour for the album Graffiti Soul. Although being the first single, "Shadowland" was the second track to be heard from the Lostboy! album, as "Refugee" had premiered on radio a week earlier. "Shadowland" received its world premiere by Billy Sloan on his Sunday night radio show on March 14, 2010 and then appeared on the Lostboy! AKA YouTube Channel the next day along with a remixed single version of the track.
"Refugee" is the first track released from Simple Minds founding member and vocalist Jim Kerr's first solo album Lostboy! AKA Jim Kerr in early 2010, although "Shadowland" was the first official single release from the project. According to Jim Kerr the track was written three years earlier but never had been properly arranged before producer Jez Coad started to work on the song. A short, instrumental edit of the first opening bars could be heard on the first incarnation of the Lostboy! AKA website, the same snippet was also being used by Sky Sports as the theme for their live broadcast of the Scotland football game on March 4, 2010. The album version of the track "Refugee" was exclusively premiered on Billy Sloan's radio show of the March 7, 2010, along with an exclusive remix by Simon Hayward. Both of these tracks were then added to the Lostboy! AKA YouTube Channel. A week later, the full album version of "Refugee" was made available as a download from the initial www.lostboyaka.com website as a "thank you" to fans.
"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.
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.
