Every time I think of Simple Minds I immediately gravitate to their mega-hit Don't You Forget About Me, and that brings Pretty In Pink to mind and the flood of John Hughes films from the period. But Simple Minds were a lot more than a footnote in Popular Culture of the late 70's/early 80's. Most bands don't start off wanting to be associated with Teen Angst. But truths to tell, it wasn't anybody's fault that happened. It did amazing things for Simple Minds as a popular band, and the mega hit was highly evocative of a place and time, and I don't begrudge them any of the notoriety that came with that. Good on them, as they say.

But I wanted to go back a bit further, towards the beginnings of the band, just at the tipping point between Punk, Post-Punk and the evolving New Wave, to get an idea of what they sounded like early on.

So tonight it's a session Simple Minds cut for the John Peel Program at the BBC. Recorded December 19, 1979 the four numbers on the player are:

1. Changeling
2. Premonition
3. Citizen (Dance of Youth)
4. Room

A good and popular band who are still together who made some great music.