New Version of Rare Track by Simple Minds is Out Now
Simple Minds have shared a new version of one of their first tracks, “Act of Love”. The song is a reimagining of one of the tracks written by Charlie Burchill and Baby Jim Kerr in 1978. This song was never recorded or released earlier.
The song’s release coincided with the band’s first performance at Glasgow’s Satellite City in 1978.
Speaking of the track, Kerr said, “Over the years people have asked, ‘When did you think Simple Minds had the potential to do this?’ My standard response was always, “Oh, we didn’t really think about that. But I realize now that I wasn’t telling the truth. I thought we had something special as soon as I heard Charlie play the riff on “Act of Love”.
He added, “I was thinking about the excitement of what we set out to do. We were rehearsing in the afternoon in an abandoned building in the Gorbals and I walked past Govanhill Library thinking about the idea of the muse: a voice within that will appear and provide inspiration. That’s what the song was originally about. Now I look back, I reflect on how real the belief was. When Charlie played that riff, it made me think we could do it. From this belief becomes your attitude, your body language, the whole culture of the group.”
By the time Simple Minds recorded their debut album, ‘Life in A Day,’ early in 1979, the song had “disappeared into the mist” without ever being properly recorded. “Through the years, I always wanted to go back to it,” says Kerr. In 1980 the singer recycled the title phrase as the opening line to ‘Celebrate’, the electro-blues juggernaut from Simple Minds’ extraordinary third album, ‘Empires & Dance’. Meanwhile, bootlegs of the 1978 demos ensured that ‘Act of Love’ was treasured among diehard fans.
The group is about to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a tour that will begin this spring. In an interview, they revealed that Little Known song helped them become global rock stars.
—Apeksha
