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east at easter
composers
Words And Music: Simple Minds
Written by: Derek Forbes / Mick MacNeil / Charles Burchill / Jim Kerr (Post 2015 Credit)
publisher
© EMI Music Publishing
© BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd, a BMG Chrysalis company. (Post 2015 Credit)
background
"The music was based on the end section of another song that we had written, but never finished, for
Sparkle In The Rain. The producer,
Steve Lillywhite, kept the part that we liked and created a loop of it. I
can't recall what the original song was."
"The lyric was one that I'd had for a while, having written it when we were recording
New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84)".
"I remember that it was a tense time, with the Task Force about to sail from the UK to The Falklands Islands.
The press and papers were full of talk of war and national service conscription."
"War was also raging in The Lebanon, and we met some Lebanese girls in Paris, who had only just arrived there.
Listening to their personal experiences of life during wartime gave you a different insight into what it all means to be
in that situation."
"I guess it's the same now when you listen to people's accounts of life in places like Bosnia or
Northern Ireland."
"East At Easter was a plea for peace in the face of all this horror."
"In the end the song came together very quickly, in much the same way as
Mandela Day did, which is inevitably how all the best ones come together.
It's remained a firm favourite over the years, both with us and the fans." - Jim, 1993
"'East at Easter' is the last track on side one of the original vinyl version. Announcing itself, more as an atmospheric poem set to hypnotic music
loop, and with lyrics very much influenced by Patti Smith's earlier work. 'East at Easter' was always one of the highlights for me within a period
when Simple Minds were setting course for a whole new sound - one that was full of blood and thunder, with a fair but of rock glamour thrown in.
With it's stack of staccato guitars. (Try saying' that when you're drunk!) Jazzy drumming. Ominously pretty bass moves. And of course,
Mick MacNeil's dramatic chord orchestration.
"The track that became 'East At Easter' was originally a small part of another song altogether. I have no idea now what that original song
idea was called, and in fact all I can recall about it is that while the rest of the song was pretty turgid, the bridge/middle eight part seemed
to have an effect that was devastatingly good. In the end, thanks to producer Steve Lillywhite agreeing accordingly,
we edited the track. Throwing away just about most of the song, and keeping only the most magical little part.
"That in turn became the looped/backing track for such a sweet and powerful Simple Minds song. So powerful, that it often became the set opener
throughout the following years." - Jim, 30th March 2018
lyrics
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We go walking, hand in hand,
All across the land it's east at easter.
People walking hand in hand.
When ships are moving south it will be east at easter.
We will rock you, rock you little child.
We will rock you, rock you little child.
All across the land it's east at easter.
All across the land it's east at easter.
Things will lighten up the sky, east at easter.
Things will lighten up the sky, east at easter.
We'll go walking hand in hand,
'Cause all across the land it will be east at easter.
Ah, we will rock you, rock you little child,
We will rock you, rock you little child.
All across the land it's east at easter.
When ships go moving south it will be east at easter.
They're gonna lighten up the sky.
They're gonna lighten up the sky.
They're gonna lighten up the sky,
East at easter.
Ah, we'll go walking hand in hand.
We'll go walking hand in hand, yes.
We will rock you, rock you little child.
We will rock you, rock you,
Rock you little child.
They're gonna lighten up the sky.
When they lighten up the sky it will be east at easter.
We will rock you, rock you, rock you.
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discography
Album Version (3:30)
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
Engineer: Howard Gray
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Album Version DTS 5.1 Surround Mix (3:30)
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
Engineer: Howard Gray
Remixed by: Steve Wilson
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Album Version High Resolution Stereo (3:30)
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
Engineer: Howard Gray
Remixed by: Steve Wilson
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Album Version Dolby Digital 5:1 (3:30)
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
Engineer: Howard Gray
Remixed by: Steve Wilson
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Album Version 24/96 LPCM Stereo (3:30)
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
Engineer: Howard Gray
Remixed by: Steve Wilson
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Album Version 24/96 DTS 5.1 Surround Mix (3:30)
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
Engineer: Howard Gray
Remixed by: Steve Wilson
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Album Version 24/96 Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Mix (3:30)
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
Engineer: Howard Gray
Remixed by: Steve Wilson
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Live Version (12th, 13th August 1986) (4:21)
Recorded: Le Zenith, Paris, France
Producer: Bruce Lampcov
Mastered by: Bob Ludwig
Head Engineer: Steve Riddle
Additional mixing: Callum Malcolm and Tom Cadley
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Live Version (14th/15th Sept 1989) (6:11)
Recorded: L'Arena, Verona, Italy
Produced by Stephen Lipson
Engineered by Heff Moraes
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Live Version (13th Aug 91) (4:22)
Recorded: Barrowlands, Glasgow, UK
Mastered by: Simon Heyworth
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Live Version (6th November 2009) (3:59)
Recorded: Neon Concept Club, Ancona, Italy
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (7th November 2009) (4:11)
Recorded: Atlantico, Rome, Italy, Italy
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (February-May 2015) (2:48)
Recorded: Big Music Tour 2015
Recorded By: Olivier Gerard
Mixed By: Olivier Gerard at Jet Studios
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downloads
videography
live history
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