- "Neon Lights is an album of cover versions, the first time
Simple Minds have put together a collection of non-original material.
We thought it was appropriate at a period of looking back that we go to the very foundations of
Simple Minds, which of course is the music and the bands
who influenced us."
- "Simple Minds essentially formed as
friends, school friends, who were also fans of music. We like to think that we're still
fans at heart and I think it's important to create - to be able to continue creating music.
I think it's important that you still keep the essence of the fan." - Jim
- After the problems with
Our Secrets Are The Same,
Simple Minds effectively ground to a halt.
With little or no interest in music, and exasperated at the state of the recording industry,
Jim and
Charlie devoted their time to other projects
(and in Jim's case prompting headlines as he formed
a consortium to purchase Celtic football club.)
- By this time, Jim had settled in Taormina
and was concentrating on his hotel (Vila Angela). This didn’t stop the
local musicians trying to coax the reluctant Simple Minds front-man back
into their studios, to listen to their music, and to perhaps contribute something. This
spurred Jim back into action, and working
with the local musicians, and other more established Italian groups,
Simple Minds edged away from self-imposed
retirement and set about recording again.
- "Danielle Tignino, a local songwriter and producer more than played a part in my
creative rebirth. He hassled me non-stop into coming over to his little studio in those days when
I was intent on resisting giving my heart back to songs. When I finally did succumb to Dan’s
invitation, I found that within days together we had playfully knocked off a handful of tunes that
were loaded with the strongest pop hooks. I also felt instantly that there was something strong
emerging from me once again. That feeling alloyed with the recognition and soon constant nurturing
of Martin Hanlin and Ged Malone
meant that it became quite possible to start believing in it all once again."
- "Inevitably the wheel had turned and I had turned with it, the sudden movement of that was like waking
from a coma that incorporated the heaviness that only those who have ever experienced a chronic crisis
of confidence know about." - Jim
- To familiarize themselves with new recording studios and techniques, and to reboot
Simple Minds, the new group found their feet
by recording a set of covers. At the same time, they worked on an evolving
new pop-orientated album.
- Most of the work for the covers album took place at Ca-Va studios in Glasgow.
Jim and
Charlie worked with songwriter, musician and
studio hand
Gordon Goudie.
- By mid 2001, they signed a two album deal with Eagle Records. Oddly, the deal
didn’t include the collection of covers they’d amassed. But having wanted to record a
covers album for years, it seemed an appropriate and opportunistic time to release one:
released as a low-key budget album, it would reintroduce
Simple Minds and set the scene for the
forthcoming “real” album.
- Eagle originally put together a fully-fledged CD release with a
sizeable booklet; this was later cut back to just a minimal insert. However,
Eagle’s extravagance wasn’t fully curtailed; the accompanying single
(Dancing Barefoot EP) was pressed as jet black CD and made little, or no, profit.
- The CD was released in September 2001 (Europe) and October 2001 (rest of the world).
The US and Canadian editions featured extra tracks taken from the
Dancing Barefoot EP. In Germany, a limited edition release of
9999 copies packaged Neon Lights and the Dancing Barefoot EP
in an unique sleeve.
- The UK promotional sampler featured slightly different artwork and longer
sleeve notes than its commercial counterpart. It also featured Jim
introducing each of the tracks and giving some background. Each of the songs was
peppered with one second gaps to prevent copying. The sampler also turned up in
Germany (sans Jim's introductions) as a plain CDR.
- A generic interview CDR was distributed in very limited numbers. It remains the rarest of
the Neon Lights releases.
- The sampler was given away with copies of the album in some
Virgin Megastores. Eagle also looked into giving
away copies with every new Smartcar.
- At Eagle's German company, someone pressed up 25 copies of a promotional version
of the album, but used the original artist recordings and not the covers by Simple Minds.
The cover artwork was altered slightly to state "Original Versions Of Songs Covered On". It was intended to produce more of these promos,
but Eagle were unable to get clearance for a couple of the songs, and so the
promo was shelved.
- The album’s time in the limelight was extremely short; all the big promotion, interviews etc. were
being saved for the Cry. However Virgin took the
opportunity to release The Best Of the next month, therefore cashing
in on Eagle’s limited advertising and promoting.
- "It certainly wasn't easy when we looked at the prospect of doing a cover version album.
There have been so many great songs, so many different sounds, so many artists and acts that have
influenced our band. We tried to hone it down to the key acts involved, and you could say that
Simple Minds came out on a basis of listening to
David Bowie, Roxy Music, Peter Gabriel and of
course, Lou Reed. On top of that there was always Patti Smith,
The Doors and Neil Young as well."
- "In this collection we have
tried to stay faithful to the sentiment of the original songs, but of course we have tried
to bring our own heart to the songs. It is never easy to do cover versions. In some ways you
are on to a hiding to nothing because the very fact that you're choosing these songs means
that you believe that the originals are great in themselves. However, real fans of
Simple Minds who want to discover the genesis of our
sound, want to hear what we were listening to as fans and understand the excitement that
propelled us to make our sound and write our own songs, can trace it all on this album." -
Jim
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