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kick it in
composer
Words and music: Simple Minds
Written by: Kerr / Burchill / MacNeil / Gaynor / Giblin (Post 2013 credit)
publisher
© 1989 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd
© JKMC-Bucks Music Group Ltd / Hornall Music / EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (Post 2013 credit)
background
"What you hear on the album is what we did on its first day." - Mick, Street Fighting Years songbook
"We sat down one afternoon and had this mad drum rhythm playing and Mick and I
started playing what later would be named Kick It In. Just like that. We transferred the recording from a 12-track
onto digital. That's the track basically. We hardly did any talking about it." - Charlie, Street Fighting Years songbook
"The album was sounding just a touch too sombre to be realistic. We had to let some air in, loosen up. Actually the
riff goes way back to the days of Derek Forbes. We tried to do something with
it on Once Upon A Time, but it didn't work. We put the gear in the control
room, so we played it over the desk. I picked up the mike: 'Let's go.' We called Steve
and said 'We've got this song. It could be a great rock n' roll song. Just what we need.'" - Jim, Street Fighting Years songbook
"They wrote this and Saturday Girl at the beginning of the period
at Loch Earn, when Trevor and I were in London. I remember it had no time signature
and no instrumentation, apart from a mad guitar and organ. It didn't make much sense but it had a load of energy. We
though 'Fuck me, what are we gonna do with this? We'll ignore it.' We didn't look at it until we'd allocated mixing
time for the album. We recorded it when Trevor was in London. They wrote it as they
recorded it. No editing. We did it really mad and really quick, like we ripped Charlie's
guitar rack apart and used one of his units for Jim's vocals." - Steve Lipson, Street Fighting Years songbook
The genesis of Kick It In could be traced back to Sparkle In The Rain
and the second instrumental demo recorded at the Old Chapel in January 1983. This song was also worked on during the
Once Upon A Time sessions at Barwell Court but was eventually discarded.
It was the song's driving melody during the verses which became the underpinning bass line of Kick It In.
Trevor Horn hated the track so
Steve Lipson worked on it alone with the group.
"I think they would've like us to tidy it up. But that would be the death of it. I know Steve
has regrets that we didn't work on more songs that way: just go with it." - Jim, Street Fighting Years songbook
The song first appears in the tape logs on the 7th October 1988, but major work and various takes weren't recorded until
February 1989.
A version of the album was created in December 1988 called "Compilation Of Current State Of Tracks". This featured a melding
of Take A Step Back and Kick It In: the closing drums of the former merging
into an extended intro of the latter. They were separated and trimmed down for the final mix.
Like many of the songs on Street Fighting Years, Kick It In weighed in
at around six minutes in length. A dramatically chopped up edit was prepared for the single, whilst a louche, barely recognisable
remix that attempted to sanitise the song's rough edges, appeared on the limited edition 12". Its title of Unauthortised Mix
suggested that either Trevor Horn or Steve Lipson
had spent some time, away from the band, attempting to tidy it up. It didn't appear in the tape logs until May 1989 (where it was
called the 12" Mix) so was prepared for the single.
The song was only performed during the Street Fighting Years Tour and
a memento of it's live guise was released on Themes Volume Four.
lyrics
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Love gives me poetry,
Stays up all night and puts a curse on me.
Oh anything you want,
Turn around and I'll take you there.
I know it's going to be,
Take your shackles off o' me.
This city's gone, I'm gone over there.
Kick it in, kick it in,
Build it up and burn it down again.
Kick it in, kick it in,
Burn down to the ground.
Kick it in, kick it in,
Tell me about this place you've been.
I don't want it there's a fever going around.
Take a walk down town,
See what's going on.
If you want to find a hidden key.
There's nothing here on me.
Any city, anywhere,
Any colour I don't care.
You belong to me.
And that's the way it's gonna be.
Kick it in, kick it in.
Yeah kick it in, kick it in,
Raise it up and let it live again.
Feel your body shake and take off.
You can lie but keep it in.
Keep me down here wondering.
So what's it going to be?
Come on in.
I like the shape you're in,
You keep me wondering, wondering, wondering.
Eyes upon you black and brown.
Spread your love all over town.
Give me fire, body heat.
Say hello to me.
I want to go anywhere.
Any colour I don't care.
Don't believe in all you see,
And don't get caught.
Kick it in, kick it in,
Tell me about this love you've been.
Kick it in, kick it in,
Turn this life around.
Kick it in, kick it in,
Shake the ghosts from deep within.
Close the door down,
Don't let the demons in.
Kick it in, kick it in,
I only want to be your friend,
Put your hands in my hand,
And take off with me.
Listen baby, I'm going home,
I'm going home.
I'm going home.
Come on walk with me.
Cause I know what I see,
Kick it in.
Kick it in, kick it in,
Tell me 'bout the place you're in.
I've got a new gold dream,
I'm moving on, I'm moving on.
You're moving on, you're moving on.
You're moving on, yeah.
Kick it in, kick it in,
I'm moving on.
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discography
Edit (4:20)
Produced by: Stephen Lipson and Trevor Horn
Engineers: Heff Moraes, Robin Hancock
Assistant Engineers: Danton Supple, Martin Plant
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Album Version (6:09)
Produced by: Stephen Lipson and Trevor Horn
Engineers: Heff Moraes, Robin Hancock
Assistant Engineers: Danton Supple, Martin Plant
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Unauthorised Mix (7:02)
Produced by: Stephen Lipson and Trevor Horn
Engineers: Heff Moraes, Robin Hancock
Assistant Engineers: Danton Supple, Martin Plant
Additional Production and Remix by: Stephen Lipson
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Live Version (15th September 1989) (6:44)
Recorded: Verona, Italy
Producer: Stephen Lipson
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videography
live history
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