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street fighting years (demo)
composer
Words and music: Simple Minds
publisher
© 1989 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd
background
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"The first demo we heard was dead basic, but that was the format from the start. THis was the first song they wrote at Loch
Earn for the whole project, so that really set the flame for someone. It set the flavour and it made crystal clear their intentions
of not having a big rhythm section. It was the first track we recorded and it occured to me straightaway that it should be the
opening track of the album." - Stephen Lipson - Street Fighting Years book.
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This early instrumental demo of Street Fighting Years is notable as it has
the same arrangement as the final recorded version. There's only some slight differences in the coda where
Charlie plays slightly different chords. It features
Charlie,
Mick and
John and
Mel.
It first appears as the third track of the first reel of the Street Fighting Years library
in the Virgin archive. However, it is not a good recording, and suffers from distortion and lack of clarity.
Monitor Mix #1 is the first version from the final recording sessions. It features the entire song along
with a patchy guide vocal from Jim (the verses and choruses ony feature
sparce ideas but the coda is almost complete). There is a slight false start as the bass comes in too early. The
quality is very good, if not a little bass heavy.
Monitor Mix #1 No Bass is the same recording but with slight edits and with the bass removed.
Monitor Mix #2 Instrumental Coda is just an instrumental version of the entire coda.
Monitor Mix #3 Instrumental is the next take, again an instrumental, but this time it's the whole song. Both
these monitor mixes, which can be found on Reel #3, are of excellent quality.
The song is almost the same as the album take by the time Monitor Mix #4 is reached.
The vocal take for the verses is different - slightly more muted - but the lyrics are there. There's some extra
percussion, particularly a tambourine during the second verse. There are no lyrics at the end so the whole
coda is an instrumental.
Rough #1 is almost the final version, but there are some extra choral effects towards
the end of the coda and it ends with the bass. Jim's lyrics
are also complete although this isn't the final album take. The mix is also slightly different
but the instrumentation is the same as the final version. Rough #2 is again almost
the final version, but with some very slightly different instrumentation (extra keyboards and
slightly different drumming). And the verse "And I hear big wheels are turning" is
repeated twice.
Strings is a new mix which features overdubbed strings, extra choral effects and
new percussion. Unfortunately it's a very basic mix designed to highlight the new additions and
so they're mixed really high in the right channel. (The basic track plays in the left channel).
see also:
Street Fighting Years
lyrics
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Monitor Mix #1
Oh come this way.
Hey! Will you look down this way?
Street Fighting Years.
Oh come this way.
Will you look down this way?
I go down on the street,
While the wild wind's blowing,
Here comes a hurricane.
Oh come this way.
Hey! Will you look down this way?
I need you tonight.
I need you around me.
I need you tonight.
I'm looking through the windows,
My mind goes in a whirl,
There's a multitude of candles,
In the windows of this world.
I'm looking to the colours,
Checking out the straights,
I'm counting out the numbers,
Will tomorrow never change?
And I hear you and I love you,
And I'll follow you elsewhere,
And I'll remember this occasion,
I'll remember being aware.
Well we've got panic in the evening,
We've got fall-out in the streets,
And I hear you and I follow you,
And I'll call out and I'll say.
That I can hear your sister call out,
And I hear her call your name,
They're calling sweet surrender,
And things won't be the same.
But don't you think that I don't care,
And don't you think that I don't know,
And don't you hear them calling out,
In a place not far from here.
And I hear big wheels are turning,
Some things are not to fear.
They say this is the time and place,
They call street fighting years.
And I love you, I look for you,
And I walk to you, I walk to you.
And I hear big wheels are turning,
Is there no way out of here?
They'll be calling out tomorrow.
Monitor Mix #4
Chased you out of this world, didn't mean to stop,
I turned around and suddenly you were gone.
Like some bird from paradise, the fire and ice,
We turned around and suddenly you where gone, gone, gone.
And now summer burns a hole inside and years are golden once again,
My thoughts return to you my dear young friend.
Oh come this way.
Will you look down this way?
I go down on the street,
Where the wild wind's blowing,
Here comes a hurricane.
I say come down this way.
Will you look down this way?
I need you tonight.
I need you around me.
Rough #1 / Rough #2 / Strings
Chased you out of this world, didn't mean to stop,
I turned around and suddenly you were gone.
Like some bird from paradise, the fire and ice,
We turned around and suddenly you where gone, gone, gone.
And now summer burns a hole inside and years are golden once again,
My thoughts return to you my dear young friend.
Oh come this way.
Will you look down this way?
I go down on the street,
Where the wild wind's blowing,
Here comes a hurricane.
I say come down this way.
Will you look down this way?
I need you tonight.
I need you around me.
I'm looking through the windows,
And my mind goes in a whirl,
Well there's a multitude of candles,
Burning in the windows of this world.
I'm looking at the colours,
Checking out the straights,
I'm counting out the numbers,
Will tomorrow never change?
Still I hear you and I love you,
And I'll follow you elsewhere,
And I'll remember this occasion,
I'll remember being aware.
'Cause we've got panic in the evening,
We've got fall-out in the streets,
And I hear you and I follow you,
And I'll call out and I'll say.
That I can hear your sister call out,
And I hear her call your name,
They're calling sweet surrender,
And things won't be the same.
And don't you think that I don't care,
And don't you think that I don't know,
And don't you hear them calling out,
In a place not far from here.
And I hear big wheels are turning,
Some things are not to fear.
They say this is the time and place,
They call street fighting years.
And I love you, I look for you,
And I walk to you, I walk to you.
And I hear big wheels are turning,
Is there no way out of here?
They'll be calling out tomorrow.
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demo discography
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