Fans who know that record will undoubtedly have their favourite tracks, as indeed they will for all the albums that are in their respective collections.

Obviously I also have my own preferences, albeit I do change my mind from time to time.

Honest Town, Spirited Away, Big Music and Midnight Walking would certainly be among my chosen highlights from Big Music. In terms of playing them live however - Midnight Walking would probably be my overall preference.

I simply loved the tune from the first time Andy Gillespie played it to me, and was determined that we should pursue developing it so much more, despite Charlie’s initial lack of enthusiasm.

To be fair though, Charlie did eventually come round, and made a stunning contribution to Andy’s tune via one of his trademark, searing guitar solos. That contribution certainly sealed the deal for me - in terms of turning something that was already strikingly good - into something great. Only my opinion of course!

Alternately it was Andy’s input that contributed the missing dimension to a tune that Charlie came up with and would later emerge as the title track Big Music - another tune that just worked so great live, particularly as an encore song.

Andy’s contribution to Big Music was therefore more than considerable, as indeed his high level of contribution to Simple Minds has been throughout the hundreds of gigs performed since he first made his Minds debut in Aberdeen Concert Hall in May 2002 - and leading right up to our Australian tour earlier this year.

Although not involved at the moment, or for that matter during the most recent acoustic tour, it would nevertheless be very wrong to assume that we wouldn’t be on the phone to Andy at some point in the future, or as soon as the need again arises.

No doubt about it. He has truly been an outstanding ally, supporter, and all round contributor to our musical cause to date. And it is certainly worth us taking the time to point that out at this moment in time.

Jim
7th November 2017