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seen the lights - a visual history: information

  • Seen The Lights was the first Simple Minds commercial DVD released.

  • The two region 0 discs featured over four hours and twenty minutes of archive footage.

  • PAL versions were first to be released appearing in mainland Europe during the last days of October 2003. It was then released in Russia on the 1st November, appeared in the UK on the 3rd November, whilst NTSC copies were released in Canada on the 18th November 2003 and South America on the 2nd December.

  • There was initially no promotion of the package and only single copies appeared in most record shops (if copies appeared at all). However TV advertisements appeared on the national station RTL4 in The Netherlands and Jim was interviewed on BBC Radio 2 on the 17th November 2003.

  • The DVDs were packaged in a cardboard box which either resembled a book or a box of chocolates depending on your point of view. A four page booklet was also included, but simply featured a list of contents and nothing else.

  • The artwork was based on Malcolm Garrett's design for Live In The City Of Light.

  • Disc one included the majority of the band’s promotional videos. However, the DVD was not definitive and several videos were omitted: Chelsea Girl (the band’s first, which featured animation and early split screen effects), Promised You A Miracle Live, Sign O’ The Times, Love Song 1992 and Dancing Barefoot (which featured Gordon Goudie on bass and Mark Kerr on drums).

  • An early version of the She’s A River video was used and not the final approved edit.

  • Extras on disc one included early footage from the Old Grey Whistle Test. This was an early night music show concentrating on established and new acts (whilst Top Of The Pops was mainly based around the Top 40). Bruce Findlay knew the producer and negotiated for the band to appear on the 27th March 1979 - which was the eve of their first UK tour. They played Life In A Day and Chelsea Girl live in the studio and both are included on the DVD.

  • After the release of Real To Real Cacophony, Bruce was desperate to get the band back on the show. However The Old Grey Whistle Test were shooting in New York - but if the band came over, they’d be featured. So Bruce contacted Ruth Polsky, a promoter he knew in the city. She booked the band for The Hurrah Club where they were filmed on the 24th October 1979 for The Old Grey Whistle Test.

  • The show was broadcast on the 27th November 1979 and featured Factory, Changeling and Premonition. All three tracks are included on the DVD. (This live version of Premonition was also used as the B-side for Changeling).

  • The Oxford Road Show was a vehicle for DJ/producer Peter Powell (and in retrospect is now seen as a prototype version of The Tube.) It was filmed in Manchester, mostly featuring live bands. Simple Minds appeared on the 21st January 1983 playing I Travel and New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) - but only the first track has been added to the DVD.

  • The second disc was devoted to Verona, the band’s first video which was originally released in 1990. It was upmixed to 5.1 surround sound for the DVD - but otherwise remains the same as the original VHS copy.

  • The extras on disc two included the Late Night In Concert broadcast of the band performing at Newcastle during the New Gold Tour. They were filmed by an Italian team lead by director G. Orazi. The footage was originally shot for RAI, an Italian TV station, and later broadcast in the UK by Late Night In Concert, a graveyard shift show which featured a live gig by a selected band. The DVD featured all the footage as originally shown in Italy and Spain which included Hunter And The Hunted (the original UK broadcast on the 8th September 1983 started from Glittering Prize).

  • This live version of Hunter And The Hunted was issued as the B-side of Waterfront.

  • The ROM section only worked in DVD drives (and not CD-ROM drives). It included a screen saver (a pulsating version of the Claddagh artwork as seen on the DVD menus), an extremely limited album discography, links and three wallpapers (the DVD claddagh design, Real Life band sleeve and cropped Life In A Day sleeve).

  • Promotional goodies for collectors were surprising sparce. The promotional issue was simply the two DVDs with handwritten titles. However some ultra-rare, extremely collectable Abbey Road in-house CDs escaped which featured recordings of the extra tracks on disc one.

  • Some of the promos included press releases.



quick reference

dvd 1: promo videos
1. Love Song
2. Sweat In Bullet
3. Promised You A Miracle
4. Glittering Prize
5. Waterfront
6. Speed Your Love To Me
7. Up On The Catwalk
8. Don't You (Forget About Me)
9. Alive And Kicking
10. Sanctify Yourself
11. All The Things She Said
12. Ghostdancing
13. Belfast Child
14. Mandela Day
15. This Is Your Land
16. Kick It In
17. Let It All Come Down
18. Let There Be Love
19. See The Lights
20. Stand By Love
21. Real Life
22. She's A River
23. Hypnotised
24. Glitterball
25. War Babies
26. Cry


dvd 1: the old grey whistle test (with original uk broadcast dates)
27. Life In A Day[Live] (3:37)     27/03/79
28. Chelsea Girl[Live] (4:42)27/03/79
29. Factory[Live] (4:34)27/11/79
30. Changeling[Live] (3:23)27/11/79
31. Premonition[Live] (5:31)27/11/79


dvd 1: oxford road show (with original uk broadcast dates)
32. I Travel[Live] (3:36)21/01/83


dvd 2: verona
1. Theme For Great Cities['90 Remix] (3:06)
2. When Spirits Rise(2:01)
3. Street Fighting Years[Live] (7:25)
4. Mandela Day[Live Guitar Solo]     (0:57)
5. Let It All Come Down[Edit](3:30)
6. Mandela Day[Live Edit] (4:11)
7. Waterfront[Live] (6:13)
8. This Is Your Land[Inst Edit] (2:59)
9. Don't You (Forget About Me)[Live] (5:55)
10. Book Of Brilliant Things[Live Edit] (1:16)
11. Gaelic Melody[Live] (2:37)
12. Kick It In[Live Edit] (4:09)
13. Ghostdancing[Live] (7:17)
14. Soul Crying Out[Inst Edit] (2:43)
15. Belfast Child[Live] (8:11)
16. Sanctify Yourself[Live] (4:51)
17. East At Easter[Live] (6:11)
18. Alive And Kicking[Live] (6:48)
19. Let It All Come Down[Inst Edit](2:30)


dvd 2: late night in concert (with original uk broadcast dates)
20. Hunter And The Hunted[Live] (5:32)08/09/83
21. Glittering Prize[Live] (4:36)08/09/83
22. Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)    [Live](4:53)08/09/83
23. The American[Live] (5:50)08/09/83
24. Big Sleep[Live] (7:08)08/09/83
25. New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84)[Live] (5:16)08/09/83





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