SIMPLE MINDS – ONCE UPON A TIME LP – Nr MINT A1/B2 UK 1985 ROCK NEW WAVE

Simple Minds – Once Upon A Time
(Virgin Records  1985  V2364)
Matrix No’s: A1/B2 – UK Pressing

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Sleeve in Nr MINT- condition
– some slight wear to edges
Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition

Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s.

The band produced a number of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their No. 1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”, from the soundtrack of the John Hughes film The Breakfast Club. They are also known for the No. 3 US hit single “Alive and Kicking” and the No. 1 UK hit single “Belfast Child”. The band has sold more than 60 million albums since 1979.

The core of the band is the two remaining founder members – Jim Kerr (vocals, songwriting) and Charlie Burchill (guitars, keyboards after 1990, other instruments, songwriting) – and drummer Mel Gaynor (who first joined the band in 1982). The other current band members are Andy Gillespie (keyboards) and Ged Grimes (bass guitar). Significant former members include bass guitarist Derek Forbes and keyboard player Michael MacNeil (the latter credited as a significant band composer during the band’s rise in the 1980s).

Once Upon a Time is the seventh studio album by Simple Minds, released in 1985.

Although already successful in their native UK and Europe, the band had also now become popular in the US, mainly due to the Keith Forsey-penned “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” which appeared on The Breakfast Club soundtrack and had become a No.1 hit there. However, the band deliberately left the track off the album due to their reluctance to record it. Four singles were taken from the album; “Alive and Kicking” (UK No. 7, US #3), “All the Things She Said” (UK No. 9, US #28), “Sanctify Yourself” (UK No. 10, US #14), and “Ghost Dancing” (UK #13). The album topped the UK charts, and peaked at No.10 on the US charts (5 consecutive weeks in Top 10 of Billboard and 16 weeks in Top 20).

The album was available with two covers upon its original LP release. The alternate cover uses the back image for the front and vice versa. It also moves the Simple Minds logo to the right of the cover. The album cover was standardised for the original CD release and this version has since been used for the various reissues of the album. A limited edition picture disc album was also released.

Track listing

All songs written by Simple Minds (Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil)

LP

1. “Once Upon a Time” – 5:44
2. “All the Things She Said” – 4:16
3. “Ghost Dancing” – 4:46
4. “Alive and Kicking” – 5:25
5. “Oh Jungleland” – 5:12
6. “I Wish You Were Here” – 4:42
7. “Sanctify Yourself” – 4:57
8. “Come a Long Way” – 5:09

Personnel

• Jim Kerr – vocals
• Charlie Burchill – guitar
• Michael MacNeil – piano, synthesizer
• Mel Gaynor – drums, vocals
• John Giblin – bass

Additional personnel

• Carlos Alomar – backing vocals
• Michael Been of The Call – backing vocals
• Robin Clark – vocals
• Sue Hadjopoulos – percussion
• Frank Simms and George Simms of The Simms Brothers Band – backing vocals