Back then mostly it would be a case of preparing some ideas in advance. Then gathering a five piece band together in a rehearsal studio to develop, routine, and flesh them out. Next up would be to move location where suddenly everyone involved would find themselves in another town, another place, another part of the world even? Excitingly ensconced in a famous, expensive recording studio usually, where we would then work under the guidance of a designated producer and engineer. Both would have come with proven successful track records, having already worked on albums that we would have admired and in most cases possessed in our own record collection. We’d be very thrilled to now have them working for us.

Six to seven weeks later, which back then was considered a luxurious amount of time, and probably only affordably to acts fortunate to have deals with major record labels, we would then emerge into the daylight (literally) with our latest new album. Finally just less than a couple of months later, our new album for the most part would find itself stacked among thousands of other albums in record shops situated within the length and breadth of the UK at least. That was always an exciting moment to behold of course. It was the culmination of an intense few months work that whizzed past at lightening speed. (International releases might take a months or so more than domestic.)

These days the process of recording Simple Minds is much more fragmented and is worked on over a matter of years. The once deliberate lines between writing and actual recording are now entirely blurred, technology and its now myriad practicalities make that so. Therefore it is right to suggest that now we are in someway always working on our recordings, always writing, always tinkering with new creativity, even if we are physically spending much of our time simultaneously touring and performing. Or for that matter busy getting on with all those other things that are important to our lives.

No longer necessary to be trapped inside a studio throughout the recording process, our new work can now still be moving forward as our more stationary producers upgrade and re format ideas and arrangements that we might be in the mode of sending to them on a regular basis. Likewise, no weeks of recording time in studios now need to be booked in advance, and for that matter no groups of people need be assembled in order to advance the project. For example if Charlie Burchill wants to roll out from his bed in some arbitrary hotel room in Thailand, and decide that being full of inspiration, he wants to lay down some of his signature guitar solos? The difference theses days is that they could be recorded perhaps on his mobile phone and sent off to a studio in Battersea London. Some great guitar work maybe completed even before he has had his first gulp of morning coffee, or perhaps even changed out of his fluffy pyjamas. (What do I know, it is a while since we shared rooms while touring?) Alternately I could be out walking in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly find the missing idea that I perceived was holding back the arrangement of a song that until that point was failing to "deliver"? As with Charlie, I can now quickly send off the file of my inspired idea to our producers, only an hour later that action could take the new song recording off in an entirely new direction, progressing our album further. They are of course entirely able to respond immediately " What the f*ck are you thinking Jim, are you out of my mind?"

The point being, we are always in creative mode. Potentially!

Of course, if desired we could of course go back to working in that previous fashion, and it certainly had many elements that I do miss. Much in the same way that as individuals we could if truly desired, go back to "a quieter less distracted life", one without mobile phones, internet, personal computers etc. But the chances are we probably won’t? And if we do, it will be as an experiment. A fun, but curious one I’m sure.

Finally, one major difference I perceive makes for a laughable contradiction, especially so given we are getting excited at the prospect of our latest new album soon appearing on the horizon. The reality of that is the fact that nowadays we don’t really set out to make these things that we for some reason still call “albums”. Least so not much in the "entire way" that we did back throughout the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. Working then with 8 or 9 tracks only, we almost went with the first songs that we managed to complete and in turn excited us enough to believe they might also excite or interest an audience. Those songs were our new "slab" of creativity at that point in time. Thrown together - we would declare it as "our new album." (New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84), Sparkle In The Rain, Once Upon A Time, all had almost no more than 10 song ideas involved in their creation. Then again they seemingly needed no more. Or hang on, I reckon Sparkle In The Rain maybe ran out of steam at some point and could have benefitted with a couple of more top notch compositions?)

Now however we work on 20 to 30 ideas throughout a period of 2 to 3 years. Convinced that they all have some potential, but also knowing that most of the “sketches” will not make it to final selection for that current record. Or, will perhaps not make even the one after? Nevertheless, there is always an underlying feeling that those ideas that are being shelved - are hopefully the seeds of future recordings - confident somehow that they will be developed further and most probably find their day. Nothing goes to waste.

And as for the songs that do make it? Well of course they are chosen because of their perceived quality at that point in time. Equally important, they are also chosen as to how good they hang together with the style of the other songs. It is that kind of coherence that makes for the feeling of a complete and connected album. As opposed to just a bunch of songs playing one after the other. If you are interested in more of this kind of stuff, the technical blurbs etc, and how Simple Minds went about working on our last album Big Music. Then maybe check out this interview with producer Andy Wright. Having both Andy and co-producer Gavin Goldberg on our team over these last years has brought an immense amount to the current vitality within our work. We are very lucky indeed to have the relationship that we do with both of them.

Jim Kerr
23rd October 2017