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the making of an oxfam remix

video transcription

JK: The original song I think was written in 1982 and up until then Simple Minds were looked upon as a cult band. We hadn’t had any chart success. The illusive pop song, the illusive hit was hanging over us. And we hadn’t come up with one.
JK: I think it was our bass player, who moved over to the keyboard, and started playing this riff. And the room just lit up. And everyone knew that this was going to be our first pop song.
JK: The song was really about a commitment to faith, when you have an idealism or when you have a view that’s worth holding on to.

MW: It feels great to do this video. It’s fun to be working again. And I love the song.
MW: When you’re doing things like making videos, which sort of seem for the most-part seems a very vain thing to do, [so] it’s nice to attach it to something that’s meaningful.

JK: I remember five years ago particularly, because being a Scotsman I had a call – being the G8 conference in Gleneagles when they made the pledges and the promises. They took the photo opportunities, they made the smiles and they gave their pledge. And I guess five years later we’re still sitting waiting.

MW: This campaign means a lot to me because I’m a new mother myself. I went into labour ten weeks early and then had an emergency C-section. My son was only about 3lbs but he was fine. So he was fine from the beginning so that was good.
MW: When I went into labour it became very obvious to be that I was going to be OK because of where I was. The realities for most women aren’t that at all. And so I think it was very clear that I could’ve died and the baby could’ve died without the care that I received.

JK: It’s too hard to imagine that a thousand women a day could die giving birth.

MW: The most important thing to do is to act and to try and hold people to their promises.