The Saturday Theme theme continues with a return for recent postees Simple Minds, the early 80s, Mitteleuropa version of the band, the original line up all fired up by punk, Bowie and synthesisers. In 1979 the group released Real To Real Cacophony, a twelve song long, tight and trebly album (produced by John Leckie) Film Theme is an instrumental, inspired by Spaghetti Westerns and Ennio Morricone. The drum machine intro is a joy in itself. The descending guitar and bass riffs too. The synths come in filling the sound.
Film Theme Dub is an oddity, a radically remixed version of the former and released in 1980, a four track flexidisc to promote I Travel. Stripped down, rhythmic with reverb heavy, distorted synth stabs, only a minute and a half long. Being an oddity doesn't make it in any way uninteresting though.
Both superb instrumentals, Adam, and the incarnation of Simple Minds that I revisit the most.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff. They really are a different band after about 1983 though!
ReplyDeleteFascinating and unexpected for me as I'm so unfamiliar with this incanration of the band. I'd never have guessed - and I like it.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo too (must just tell you that on the tiny preview box on my blog feed page I thought it was the zoomed in back view of someone in blue jeans...!)
Ha! I'm squinting at the picture now and can see it as someone in jeans.
ReplyDeleteOccasionally, when I need a bit of weimar art rock I reach for early 'Minds'. Yes Adam as you say the Lp is very trebly, also Jim Kerr's helium vocals lead me to think it was pitched up when mastered. I always play the Lp pitched down, -1. In fact pitched down I think it is a lost classic of the period. 1979, drug of choice: Speed!
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