news
discography
songs
tours
videos
people
family tree
timeline
press releases
reviews
faq
mailing list
fanzines
site map
links
about
contact

press releases | silver box



Silver Box
VIRGIN RECORDS NEW RELEASE

SIMPLE MINDS
'Silver Box'
5 CD Box Set

18 October 2004

In their 25 year career, there are few things Simple Minds have not done. They have sold tens of millions of albums, filled stadiums all over the world, received critical adulation and achieved extraordinary success. At their peak they were arguably the biggest band in the world and to this day they are still touring, writing and recording new material. However it is long overdue for the band to receive the retrospective Box Set treatment, and this 5 CD set, comprised of demo, live, studio and session material collects what Simple Minds are all about, remarkably containing not one previously released track.

Discs 1 & 2 focus on early session and demo material and highlight just how experimental the early Minds were. Far from the stadium stomp that symbolised the band's middle period, much of the band's early work had an edge which set them apart from most other post punk wannabes. Here BBC session recordings and live versions of classic singles like Chelsea Girl and Life In A Day capture the energy of the band at that stage in their career.

Discs 3 & 4 are comprised of live material from a series of triumphant gigs between 1985 and 1995. Arguably when the band were at their peak, classic tracks such as Waterfront, Alive & Kicking and Sanctify Yourself are delivered with such gusto that it is hard not to have your breath taken away by Jim Kerr's vocal and the chiming power of Charlie Burchill's guitar work.

Disc 5 contains the "lost" album Our Secrets Are The Same. Recorded in 1999 the album was stuck at the bottom of a legal dispute, but finally it is to be available to the fans as part of this Box Set. The Box Set's sleeve notes will contain a commentary written by Jim Kerr on the tracks on Our Secrets Are The Same.

All tracks on this set are previously unreleased. For more detail on specific tracks please see tracklisting.

Packaged in a long box, the 76 page booklet contains many previously unseen photos from record company and band member archives. Also included is a companion essay to the music written by Simple Minds expert Alfred Bos which includes new interview material from band members and some of the amazing producers that have worked with the band. There is also a commentary to Our Secrets Are The Same, written by Jim Kerr.

Tracklisting and Track Info

CD #1  
1.   Life In A DayLive @ Paris Theatre, London - 8/8/79
2.Chelsea GirlLive @ Paris Theatre, London - 8/8/79
3.Here Comes The FoolLive @ Paris Theatre, London - 8/8/79
4.ChangelingJohn Peel Session - 19/12/79
5.PremonitionJohn Peel Session - 19/12/79
6.Citizen (Dance Of Youth)John Peel Session - 19/12/79
7.RoomJohn Peel Session - 19/12/79
8.I TravelDemo
9.CelebrateDemo
10.Thirty Frames A SecondDemo
11.Twist/Run/RepulsionDemo
12.Capital CityDemo
13.New Warm SkinDemo
14.Constantinople LineDemo
15.Careful In CareerDemo


CD #2  
1.   The AmericanDemo
2.Life In OilsDemo
3.Sweat In BulletDemo
4.Love SongDemo
5.Promised You A MiracleDavid Jensen Session - 11/2/82
6.In Trance As MissionDavid Jensen Session - 11/2/82
7.Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)David Jensen Session - 13/8/82
8.Glittering PrizeDavid Jensen Session - 13/8/82
9.Hunter And The HuntedDavid Jensen Session - 13/8/82
10.The Kick Inside Of MeDavid Jensen Session - 11/9/83
11.New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84)Live @ Barrowlands - 5/1/85
12.Don't You (Forget About Me)Live Aid Rehearsal - 10/7/85


CD #3  
1.   WaterfrontAhoy, Rotterdam - 3/12/85
2.GhostdancingAhoy, Rotterdam - 3/12/85
3.Book Of Brilliant ThingsAhoy, Rotterdam - 3/12/85
4.Once Upon A TimeAhoy, Rotterdam - 3/12/85
5.All The Things She SaidAhoy, Rotterdam - 3/12/85
6.Alive And KickingAhoy, Rotterdam - 3/12/85
7.Sanctify YourselfAhoy, Rotterdam - 3/12/85
8.Mandela DayWembley - 11/06/88
9.Real LifeBarrowlands - 13/8/91
10.See The LightsBarrowlands - 13/8/91


CD #4  
1.Travelling ManBarrowlands - 13/8/91
2.East At EasterBarrowlands - 13/8/91
3.Banging On The DoorBarrowlands - 13/8/91
4.Stand By LoveBarrowlands - 13/8/91
5.Oh JunglelandBarrowlands - 13/8/91
6.King Is White And In The CrowdBarrowlands - 13/8/91
7.Big SleepBarrowlands - 13/8/91
8.Let There Be LoveBarrowlands - 13/8/91
9.GhostriderBarrowlands - 13/8/91
10.Belfast ChildBarrowlands - 13/8/91
11.She's A RiverGlasgow - 10/9/95
12.Up On The CatwalkGlasgow - 10/9/95
13.HypnotisedGlasgow - 10/9/95


CD #5  
1.   Swimming Towards The Sun
2.Jeweller To The Stars
3.Space
4.Death By Chocolate
5.Waiting For The End Of The World
6.Neon Cowboys
7.She Knows
8.Hello
9.Happy Is The Man
10.Sleeping

Catalogue Number: CDBOX9



This press release was first distributed via e-mail and with the 5-CD promos of the box-set.