The tapes used for a new pressing of an album usually use local copy-masters (which are multiple-generation copies of the original master tape) and/or format specific masters (which have been created for a specific format i.e. vinyl, cassette or CD).

Remastering involves going back to the definitive original master of an album and making a new copy (using modern equipment and updated software). This new version of the album is then used in the production process.

This has occurred several times over the past forty years. The old masters had been dusted down several times recently simply to create new remasters for new releases (such as the super deluxe editions), returning formats (such as 180g vinyl) or to exploit new techniques (such as half-speed remastering).

The ¼" stereo master tape of the A-Side of New Gold Dream 81,82,83,84. This has been remastered three times in the last twenty years: once for the 2002 remasters, then for the half-speed remaster, and finally for the Super Deluxe edition and its associated releases.

The band's ¼" master tapes were first retrieved from the vault for the Glittering Prize 81/92 compilation. It featured a collection of album and single edits, so the respective master tapes were used for each track.

The remastering took place at Abbey Road with Chris Blair overseeing the project.

The band's compilation albums tend to be released every ten years. So, it was a decade before the next batch of tapes were retreived from the vault for another Best Of compilation.

Simon Heyworth was at the controls at Sanctuary Studios for this release. Again, it featured a collection of album and single edits, so the respective master tapes were used for each track.

It would be Heyworth's first remastering for the band. He'd take on their albums for his next project.

The twelve studio albums owned by Virgin records were remastered in 2002 by Simon Heyworth at Super Audio Mastering. The original ¼" stereo tapes were dusted down and used as the source.

The master of Once Upon A Time had disintegrated and couldn't be used. The copy-master was used instead.

Each album was commercially released as a limited-edition vinyl replica CD in 2002 and then as a standard edition CD in 2003.

Subsequent album box-sets and repressings have used these remasters. They remain on catalouge.

The paper trail in the Universal Tape Library shows that a large amount of tape research was undertaken for this project, with many tapes pulled from the archive, baked and transferred. Alternative takes, demos, and out-takes were also examined: whilst these were not released, it clarified what was actually in the vaults, and improved the tape cataloguing for future projects.

The analogue ¼" master tapes were found, dusted down, baked and recorded for the Sparkle In The Rain reissues of 2015. The project was overseen by Andrew Walters at Abbey Road Studios. The focus of these box-sets was to return the best source material available.

All of the band's original analogue ¼" master tapes were used for this multiple album box-set. The project was again overseen by Andrew Walters at Abbey Road Studios. The ¼" album masters for Life In A Day through to New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) were dusted down and used for this project - I believe they used the newly remastered Sparkle In The Rain for this project.

The analogue ¼" master tapes were found, dusted down, baked and recorded for these Once Upon A Time reissues of 2015. The project was overseen by Andrew Walters at Abbey Road Studios.

There were issues with the master tapes of the album as they were shedding oxide and baking made no difference. (This is the only time that a tape has resisted all efforts to fix it in the Simple Minds discography). I recalled that Simon Heyworth had the same issues in 2002. So the copy-master was used instead.

This special half-speed remaster was the first of two transfers for the New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) master tapes in 2016.

Released as part of a special series, the tapes were remastered at half-speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road studios.

And the second play of the New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) master tapes in 2016 was for the New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) Super Deluxe release. I visited Abbey Road during the transfers to help out Andrew Walters and was able to look through the impressive pile of ¼" master tapes which were collected for this project.

Demon Records purchased the rights for Simple Minds' albums of the 2000s and 2010s. This included Neon Lights through to Big Music.

They first reissued the remastered albums as limited edition heavyweight vinyl pressings collected in the Rejuvenation box-set. A second box-set, this time with the now-expanded albums on CD, was released in early 2019.

They were followed by individual releases. Each album appeared as a vinyl pressing (the same as included in the box-set) and an expanded deluxe CD.